Most of the days are spent pondering over questions like :
"Why is the sql not returning correct data?", "Staffing profile not able to send resource requests!!??".....
Sometimes, it feels good to ask oneself "Will I be able to cross that slush patch without getting stuck?", "How long before the rains hit hard while I am on the hills?"...

This small trip was just that... rains, slush and refreshing nature.

Riders:
Tanay - Pulsar 180
DevilisH - RTR 160

Destination: Lansdowne and Pauri

After a number of calls, IM's and a meet, the destination was set as Lansdowne. Initially, me, Tanay and Prateek were to ride on, but a day before the ride, Prateek had to drop off because of office stuff (he will be duly rewarded )

The ride started on a overcast Sunday morning.Tanay reached my place and we started off around 6:30 am. The ride on the plains was simple and smooth and with a cool breeze, quite enjoyable ! Riding quite leisurely and taking a few breaks, we reached Dugadda.... and then the fun began !!

The road upto Lansdowne is simply wonderful and beauty all around is mesmerizing !! And to top it all, the whole place was covered with clouds !!
The moment I started that climb, the clouds, mist brought about a calmness I had not felt for a long time While going up, we saw a waterfall from amongst the clouds.... and met it while going up !



By the time we reached Tip-n-Top, it had started raining. We just barged into the GMVN hotel and checked in !! And almost immediately ordered for lunch! After filling in our tummies, we decided to look around a bit....



After this, the rain pelted us and we ran inside.... the camera also died!! and seeing that.... me too!! Tanay assured me that it was just a case of condensation and to leave it overnight. So, that was it for photography !!
Evening, we went to the market (still raining...), got ourselves "punchos", and came back.

Next morning weather had cleared a bit, and the cam switched on.... so clicked for sometime...







got some close ups...









While coming down, stopped a few times to capture these views...









We came down to Dugadda and filled up our bikes, and then decided to go back up to Pauri !! Though there were some time constraints, we went up.... and what a decision this would turn out to be !!

While the roads till Lansdowne were butter smooth, after venturing a few kms towards Pauri, we had close encounters with roads of a third kind!.....basically no roads.



and places where we could go, we were happy if we found just mud, not slush upto a feet in depth!!



For most of the part till Pauri, we were in slush or gravel.... and RTR, true to its nature, sliding happily. I learned a good thing here: I don't interfere with the sliding, sliding doesn't interfere with my riding !!

Good thing that came out of this part was, now if I see mud and slush and stuff, I know I can ride on

We didn't stay for more than 10 mins at Pauri. After Lansdowne, the place seemed overcrowded. So, it was back to lots of off-roading... nah, it was in-mudding !! and then back to the plains.

In all, this was a trip which we enjoyed a lot and for me it was more of a ride to clam myself and re-start in a new way...

Many thanks to Tanay for patiently stopping for my photography breaks and for sticking with me in the Pauri run !! And a wonderful rider !!

He will be putting up his part of the log soon... and also his bonding with landslides