The 3000+ KM Cross country Adventure in India

So all this started last Sunday when I realized that I would be driving a whooping 3000+ Km across 9 states, 2 UTs, 6 Mountain ranges, and 2 National Parks to reach my next destination in Ooty, Tamil Nadu.

On Saturday 17th of Feb 2024, I was enjoying a holiday with some good old friends in Dalhousie. Situated in the Dhauladhar hills of Himachal Pradesh, these are one of the least touched mountain ranges and way too natural to date. Next day by evening I left from there and reached Pathankot, Punjab. Taking a halt there and bidding goodbye to my friends Ravi Mahajan and Ranvirr Jain till we meet again I started towards Chandigarh an hour later via Jalandhar and Ropar. It was already Monday early morning when I reached Chandigarh.

Took till Wednesday to wind up the things from Chandigarh, I started on Thursday early morning towards Faridabad via New Delhi which happens to be the next stop for a day. Till now I had completed only some 600 odd kilometers. However, they were a bit of a challenge due to some restrictions in crossing the Punjab-Haryana (Shambhu) Border and the Haryana-Dehli (Singhu) Border.

Thereafter on Friday morning, the real challenge started. I started from Faridabad and the day's target was reaching Nagpur in Maharashtra via crossing Palwal, Agra, Dholpur, Morena, Gawalior, Jhansi, Sager, Narsinghpur Lakhnadon, Seoni and Pench National Park in Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh collectively. The route was interesting and full of characters. I covered the Ghats of Pench National Park at night which was a truly amazing experience as the slopes are unpredictable. So after driving for approximately 16 hours with a few pit stops of 1.5 hours, I managed to reach Nagpur and made a halt for the night to sleep and replenish myself for the next day. So summing up to this point, I had covered 1650+ Km and on Friday alone I drove for 1000+ km.

On Saturday morning with all my energy I started my journey again and was intended to reach Bengaluru in Karnataka via crossing Adilabad, Nirmal, Heydrabad, Kurnool, Anantapur and Nandi Hills in Maharashtra, Telangana and Karnataka collectively. The route was good, Hyderabad's Outer Ring Road (ORR) helped to escape the busy roads of the city. After driving for some 20 hours with 2 hours of 5 pitstops I managed to reach Bengaluru in the early hours of Sunday. Took a break to sleep and regain my energy and met a few people in the city. By this time I had covered 2700+ Km and again 1000+ km on Saturday alone.

By noon on Sunday, I sat again behind the wheel to complete the last leg of my journey. Ooty was my final destination and the way was from the majestic views of Belgaluru - Mysuru Highway and Bandipur National Park. As interesting to read the route was equally exciting to drive-thru. But here comes the main challenge when I reached the Ghats with insane hairpin bend curves and unbelievable slopes. These bends make you gain an elevation of 1000 m from Bandipur to Ooty in only 45 Km. I must say the last 30 km were the toughest ever in my life and made me learn a different skill set for driving a vehicle in such a condition.

In the middle of the national park with the poorest network range the car broke down as far as I understood. Fortunately, I was able to send an SOS message with a single network bar on my mobile. It was dark already and Bandipur National Park is known for its wildlife. After a wait of almost an hour, help arrived which made me fill with joy as my life was saved. The person was a local cab driver he fixed the car in minutes and told me it was not the car's fault it was you who was not driving it properly as required on these ghats. He made me understand the technique and accompanied me for the next few km before I reached my final destination. By now I have covered 3000+ Km and reached Ooty.

By this time, Firstly, I have covered 9 states namely Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Telangana, Karnataka and Tamilnadu. Secondly, 2 UTs namely Chandigarh and Delhi. Thirdly, 6 Mountain ranges namely Dhauladhar, Shivalik, Aravali, Vindhyan, Satpura, and Nilgiris. Fourth and lastly 2 National Parks namely Pench and Bandipur.

Route taken was Dalhousie,H.P. >154A > NH154 > NH44, > NH344A > NH205 > NH5 > NH 152 > NH44 > NH19 > NH44 > NH275 > NH766 > NH181 Ooty,TN.

While driving from Faridabad to Bangaluru one of my best buddies accompanied me for no reason and all the way he just sat beside me navigating the route and keeping the environment alive. Dr Prafull Chand Shahi

The car used Mahindra KUV100 K4 D75 6-seat 2016 model with a fuel efficiency of 24+. In addition to that, a toll of INR 5065.00 was paid in total from Dalhousie till Ooty.

Summing it up in 10 points...

Long Journey Across India: I embarked on a road trip covering a distance of over 3000 km across 9 states, 2 Union Territories (UTs), 6 mountain ranges, and 2 national parks.

Scenic Stops and Natural Beauty: The journey started from Dalhousie, Himachal Pradesh, passing through the Dhauladhar hills, and covered various landscapes, including mountain ranges like Dhauladhar, Shivalik, Aravali, Vindhyan, Satpura, and Nilgiris.

Challenges and Restrictions: The trip faced challenges such as restrictions at state borders (Punjab-Haryana and Haryana-Delhi), making some portions of the journey more difficult.

Marathon Driving: I drove for long hours, with notable instances of driving for 16 hours straight and covering 1000+ km in a single day.

Interesting Route: The journey included notable stops at Faridabad, Nagpur, Bengaluru, and finally, Ooty. The route covered places like Chandigarh, New Delhi, Agra, Hyderabad, and Bandipur National Park, offering a mix of urban and natural environments.

Night Driving and Wildlife Encounter: I drove through the Ghats of Pench National Park at night, providing a unique and challenging experience. Additionally, the car broke down in Bandipur National Park at night, known for its wildlife, requiring assistance from a local cab driver.

Cultural Interactions: I took breaks to sleep, replenish energy, and interact with people in different cities, providing a blend of adventure and cultural experience.

Learnings and Challenges: The journey posed challenges, especially in the Ghats with hairpin bends and steep slopes, requiring me to learn new driving skills. The breakdown in Bandipur National Park highlighted the importance of adapting driving techniques to challenging terrains.

Achievements: By the end of the journey, I covered 9 states, 2 UTs, 6 mountain ranges, and 2 national parks, showcasing the diversity of the Indian landscape.

Final Destination: The journey concluded in Ooty, Tamil Nadu, after navigating through the challenging terrain of the Belgaluru-Mysuru Highway and Bandipur National Park. The last 30 km, with hairpin bends and steep slopes, proved to be the toughest part of the trip.

Hope you enjoyed reading my experience. Have a safe journey whenever you are behind the wheel. Cheers to life.