Debashis Mukherjee (69) returned to Kolkata after a 8-day solo drive to North Sikkim and Rishyap in his Ford Endeavour in December 2020.
Here is a brief day-by-day account narrated by him in the 1st person:
Solo Drive Day-1 (16.12.20) : Drove 425 km from Kolkata to Bhagalpur via Asansol and Dumka. My destination was Purnea but due to a road blockade (some local agitation) near Bhagalpur I lost more than 3 hours and so checked into a hotel in Bhagalpur.
The broken bridge between Dumka and Hansdiha is yet to be rebuilt but a temporary embankment has been made across the river to enable LMVs to cross. But this adds an extra hour of driving on narrow roads through villages. At Dumka another bridge on the Mayurakshi river has broken and a shallow riverbed needs to be negotiated by LMVs. Never a dull moment on Indian roads!
Solo Drive Day-2 (17.12.20) : Drove 335 km from Bhagalpur to Rangpo, Sikkim. Excellent drive, enjoyed thoroughly. Stayed in a hotel in Majitar on the outskirts of Rangpo.
Solo Drive Day-3 (18.12.20) : Drove 120 km from Majitar to Lachen (at 9000 ft altitude). This stretch being ghat (mountain) road throughout, much of which is bad (narrow, broken, treacherous), it took 6 hours (average speed 20 kmph).
Night temp in Lachen was minus 4° C. Due to electricity shortage Lachen hotels are prohibited from providing heaters. My unheated room was really COLD and I was shivering till I put on thermal inner wear and several layers of woollens.
Solo Drive Day-4 (19.12.20) : I had been dreaming about driving to Gurudongmar Lake in North Sikkim for many years. Today that dream came true. Drove 66+66 km from Lachen to Gurudongmar and back. About half the Lachen - Gurudongmar road is quite good but the other half is unpaved with some pretty bad stretches.
Solo Drive Day-5 (20.12.20) : Left Lachen at 5 AM and drove to Zero Point via Lachung and Yumthang Valley. These areas are very scenic with huge mountains all around, lots of dense forests (this is not rhododendron blooming season, unfortunately) and plenty of snow / ice. After enjoying these areas descended to Mangan. Drove 186 km today.
Solo Drive Day-6 (21.12.20) : Started from Mangan at 5 AM to start my return journey home. But while having breakfast at Rangpo at 8:30 it struck me that though I saw many mountains during this trip, I hadn't saluted good old KJ. Checked Google Maps and found that awesome KJ viewpoints in Darjeeling Hills are not too far. Took a spot decision to drive to Rishyap!
I had visited Rishyap twice in the past and was impressed by the fact that it offers one of the widest views of Himalayan peaks.
The drive to Rishyap from Rangpo was very scenic and enjoyable. The last few kilometers to Rishyap are extremely steep. I had a view of KJ from my hotel room. But there was a lot of haze and I wasn't lucky to get a clear view.
Solo Drive Day-7 (22.12.20) : Descended to the plains from my beloved mountains, finally. Started from Rishyap (at 8,500 ft) at 5 AM and descended to Siliguri via Kalimpong and Teesta. Thereafter drove to Raiganj, taking the Dhantola - Botolbari route. Stayed at Raiganj Tourist Lodge.
Chose the Kalimpong route as compared to the Gorubathan route because I was told it is better and wider. Crossing Kalimpong was a breeze at 6:30 AM. Nothing new to report about the 60 km long Botolbari stretch - about 50% is OK and 50% painful.
Solo Drive Day-8 (23.12.20) : Drove 407 km from Raiganj to Kolkata, using the Moregram - Bardhaman route. Thus ended my 8-day solo driving expedition to the Himalayas. I drove a total distance of 1,960 km, a major chunk of it on challenging and treacherous mountain roads.
Some friends and well-wishers, including some of my near and dear ones, discouraged me saying that this expedition was too risky and foolhardy for a lone 69 year old, more so during the pandemic. I don't entirely disagree with their well-meaning opinion. I do have a streak of madness in me and I am not apologetic about it.
Driving alone to Lachen / Gurudongmar, Lachung / Yumthang / Zero Point and Rishyap during winter was anything but easy. But it gave me immense joy and let me fulfil my long cherished dream of driving my own car to Gurudongmar Lake. To tell you the truth, I am feeling at least 10 years younger after doing this! Isn't that priceless?
I must make a special mention of my Ford Endeavour which made things much easier. People have done such expeditions in Maruti Vans or Tata Nano's and I salute them because their degree of difficulty was much higher. The Endy with its strong and incredible suspension, powerful engine, artificial intelligence driven automatic transmission, 265/60 R18 tyres and many other high-tech features made my job much simpler, comfortable and enjoyable. And mind you, my Endy is the 2.2 litre, RWD version (it's not 4x4).
I continue with my stock MRF Wanderer All-Terrain tyres which have withstood, with aplomb, the worst imaginable surfaces and driving conditions.
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