We were always fascinated with Chakrata as a destination for the simple reason that our fellow BOP Rider Gaurav Soni had been to Chakrata 8 times and each month there were new pics in his Orkut Profile…There had to be something special in a place where somebody can go 8 times inspite of so many options available in & around Delhi…
So me & Dips decided to go to Chakrata for our March Bike Ride and started to get the information about the places to see & the places to stay at…at every step Soni was there to help us in taking our final decisions considering his vast knowledge about the place…
This ride was going to be a big occasion for me as during the course of the ride I was supposed to cross 20,000 kms mark since I bought my Bike on 15th March 2008…my dream was to reach the 20K mark within 1 year and here I was !!! All thanks to God and BOP for making my dream come true exactly the way I planned it…
I also decided a name for the ride…Chakrata Chucklers…as you all know we are the biggest chucklers around…smiling & laughing for no reason whatsoever…
The Comrades:
1. Dips on his Black 4S Electra
2. Rohit on his Red 5S Electra
3. Dhruv on his Silver P220 (special invitee from Torque-o-Logy)
4. Vihans on his Orange FZ-16
5. Chadha on his Vintage Black Standard
6. Rishi on his 1981 Standard
7. Gyan on his Red Karizma
8. Che on The Mighty One
What follows is a day-to-day account of the Chucklers Ride…enjoy…
Day 1 – 6th March 2009 – Friday (Gurgaon – Delhi Border – Panipat)
We were supposed to start the ride at 5:30 PM and I got free from Office at 5 PM only but Dips had some urgent work the way he always has on every Riding Friday and he could not leave before 8 atleast…so I waited and waited endlessly…believe me those 3 hours were one of the longest of my life…I mean I was all set & excited but had to stay back at home for some 3 hours, believe me not funny…at 8:15 PM Dhruv called up and said that he was starting from his home and would reach in another 15 mins, I was like what the fuck, the distance is atleast some good 30 kms and reaching in 15 mins must be impossible but this guy Dhruv is simply unbelievable and as promised he was the BOP Ride Starting Point – The Leisure Valley Park at 8:30 PM, Dips also arrived in another 20 mins and then we met Rishi Maurya(another debutant, more about him later as believe me there is so much to tell) at the Toll Plaza Point and started the ride, the moment we hit Naraina all hell broke lose, the traffic was as expected like crazy shit and we finally reached the Landfill Site at 10:15 PM where another debutant Vihans was waiting for the last 1.5 hours and soaking in the fragrances of that place but he was not at all pissed at our delay, I had heard a lot about him from Dips about his gala nature during the BOP Corbett Ride and we struck the right chord the moment we greeted each other, somewhere in my heart I knew I would completely gel with this guy…
And then the arduous NH-1 riding…its not that the road is bad but it is very boring, by now I even know the placements of the potholes on that road but to reach Panipat – The Mecca of BOP BBB Sessions one has to transverse this 100 odd kms road…the first stop was expected, by now you can easily guess…yes a Theka, and surprisingly the first one to stop was a teetotaler Dhruv as he had heard enough about our reputation by now from me and our blogs.
We stocked up for Gyan’s place and moved on without wasting any further time as Gyan was waiting anxiously for us to arrive so that we could start the party…Rohit Sir(another debutant) joined us on NH-1 itself coming straight from office and hats off to him, this was his first ever ride and he did a solo from Delhi till almost Panipat…doesn’t speak much but is an extremely sensible person and a very safe rider and a tea & Navy Cut addict, give him regular doses of these two and he won’t complain about anything, not even Mayawati’s governance or non-governance you might say…
We finally reached our BBB Mecca at 12:30 in the night and without any further adieu got down to the basics, opened up the alcohol and started a long-long Bakchodi session which was legendary to say the least…laughter was flowing like River Amazon in South America and there was no end to it just like the legendary river…the pics taken by Dhruv from my camera proved every bit of it, the expressions said it all…here we were a bunch of crazy motorcyclists meeting for the first time(save some) but the camaraderie was unbeatable, nothing could stop us that night…nothing could…Gyan had cooked Gahori(Pork) and also ordered some Chicken & Dal and it was vanishing at knot’s speed along with the Hercules Rum and Foster’s beer, and this rum is bloody potent, Dips had got this from Jammu and reserved it for this occasion and it surely was making all tizzy…
But we were in no mood to stop, the session went on till 5:30 PM when we made a senseless decision to go for a short night ride…
We thought that we had to start the Panipat-Chakrata ride early morning at 8:30 so there was no pint sleeping but never realized that after some 10 beers and 1 bottle of rum down our senses were not in their intended place and the only awake non-drunk rider amongst us named Dhruv was the one who was all gung-ho for this and we made this near-fatal decision, fortunately Rohit Sir & Rishi were asleep both due to altogether different reasons though, Rohit was tired and Rishi was dead drunk…
Gyan was leading the ride and as expected it had a tragic end…Gyan took us to a road whose exit was blocked inspite of being a local and me & Vihans were following him at full blast 70 kmph, he saw a road blocking pole and veered away but I saw it at the very last moment and in panic braked and due to the sandy road slipped and luckily came to a halt after some 50 odd metres, just behind me was Vihans who also slipped and his bike finally stopped some 5 inches away from me, in the end just some minor bruises on our elbows and knees and the idiot I am, I was not wearing any helmet or gloves…big mistake…we got lucky…that’s it…but the drama wasn’t over…Dhruv & Dips reached and told us that when we were slipping away to glory and tasting the sand Dips had also fell down and here also no major injuries to the man or the machine, just some minor bruises…we all heaved a sigh of relief, thanked God and laughed it out and then sanely decided to go back and sleep like normal human beings, the last decision of the day was the most sensible one we made!!! See even we get sensible at times, you might think that we are all insane but at times the good part of our brain takes over!!!
Day 2 – 7th March 2009 – Saturday (Panipat – Yamunanagar – Vikasnagar – Kalsi - Chakrata)
The Plan was that Chadha Paaji would reach at Panipat at 8 AM and we would start the onward ride in another 30 minutes, but I was so dead drunk and in so much pain that like an idiot I had switched off my phone and when he was calling me I had no fuckin idea and royally kept on sleeping, luckily he had Gyan’s number and luckily he picked up, the poor guy Gyan to go to the main road to pick him up, when he reached he saw a bunch of tired and very drunk people sleeping and he joined the fun…he also slept, we finally woke up at 10:30 AM and very gingerly left Panipat IOC Township at 11 AM…the weather was getting painfully hot, the first stop was the Yamaha Service Centre at Karnal where Vihans had to get some running repairs on his bike, the aftermath of the last night’s mayhem, it was taking quite a long time to get the bike ride-ready, me & Dips also got some minor repairs and finally at some 2 PM I started our ride to Chakrata with Chadha, Rohit & Dhruv and the rest started later after getting everything done…as they say better late than never…
When I reached Yamunanagar I made my first stop at a clinic to get an anti-tetanus shot and then smsed Dips & Vihans to get the same, just to be on the safe side, as always I was riding in the front of others and checking the route from the people so that we don’t get lost, though our Navigator par-excellence Tomar Bhai had made an amazing route map but knowing my map-reading abilities(or none) I was not going to take any chances plus we already had lost so much of time…we kept tugging along through innumerable dusty UP villages before we reached Haripur when the real fun started…the mountains…yes finally we were in the hills…the moment we were waiting for…this was also the place where the entire group was to get together and start the final spojourn…
And when we all finally met it was a re-union of sorts and was a great feeling, it was already dark by now and me & Dips decided to visit a theka before starting the Mountain Ride, yes beer makes us more cautious, believe me our physiology is completely different from normal & boring people back in the big cities and we utilize it to the T!!! THE Theka had an amazing painting which read “if you can dream it, you can do it”, now you would think that the picture accompanying this would be of a fighter or something like that, but surprise-surprise it was nowhere close to it…see it to believe it and then get SHOCKED!!! Only our amazing country can throw such surprises and don’t I love India…I simply adore it!!!
The last 42 kms towards Chakrata were going to be damn fucking tough as we had no idea of the road and it was pitch dark with only our headlights being the night saviours but the brave bunch of motorcyclists we are, we were all gung-ho about this new challenge, believe me tough roads bring the best out of us and all of us got ready to face this big challenge.
The Plan was that I would lead the pack of 8 Bikes and ensuring that all 8 of us always stay in one line and nobody would overtake and continuously seeing the rear-view mirror for added safety…but as you all know I am one crazy rider when I am riding in the mountains…I rode till 60 kmph and was simply enjoying the thrill of it…Gyan was just behind me and with the shitty headlight his Karizma has he also made the mistake of speeding and not seeing the cut in the front skidded off the track, good sense prevailed and he let Vihans overtake him!!! It was an amazing sight…8 bikes in one line cutting the roads with the headlights…simply surreal…the time was ripe for the BOP Ride Video and I didn’t disappoint…I stopped and made the first night-riding video in BOP’s short history and it came out amazingly well…after that I stayed at the rear and rode slowly till we reached Chakrata…
Now to tell you one interesting fact, Chakrata is one of the rare towns in India where strictly no foreign nationals are allowed, my Bhai told me the reason but I won’t disclose it in a public forum and we had to get our papers checked, Soni who had reached Chakrata had notified the Army Folks about us coming our papers were not checked.
We finally reached our Hotel Snow View in Chakrata at 10:30 PM some 26 hours after we started this ride and then all hell broke loose!!! There was one happy family who had come to the same hotel to enjoy some peaceful moments, the girls were out talking on the phone, the doors of their rooms were open and they were enjoying some tranquil moments together, the moment our 8 bikes entered the compound we vroomed our RE Engines and announced our arrival in pure BOP style and after that moment the family was not seen!!! Nothing intentional though, we never wanted to disturb them, its just that the emotions got the better of us!!!
The first thing I indulged in when I reached was to dump and boy-oh-boy wasn’t I satisfied after that dump!!! But the others were not as the loo was not used for some 3-4 hours after that…the fragrance was in the air for that long!!!
Another BBB Session started after that, it was getting very chilly and a bonfire was set up amidst the peals of laughter and another alcohol therapy session!!! Then Dhruv took over, he had an innovative idea of writing BOP in flames and he set out for his task using petrol and the final result was out of this world…a big thanks to Dhruv…
Vihans was at his very best, cracking one joke after another, Soni blurting out his useless gyan quotes, Dips as always laughing away to glory without saying much, Gyan trying his best to stay afloat, Dhruv using the camera endlessly, Rohit Sir having his silent sips of Tea and Rishi…Mr. Rishi Maurya speaking as if there was no tomorrow, his Discovery & Nat Geo Gyan was senseless but it was his first ride so we were trying our best not to be rude and we let him speak up…but the special moment came from Chadha Paaji…nonchalantly and out of the blue he got his Mobile Phone out and showed us a Cartoon Video…a mix of Raavan, April Fool, Sita and Rakhi Sawant…what a combo and after we all watched it the laughter sounds were heard till Delhi which was some 350 kms away!!! You have to see the video to check for yourself the voracity of the laughter sounds or should I say howls!!! At 11 PM Chadha Paaji gave another shocker to us, very calmly he got up and said “Let me have a night Walk”…I mean we were in the middle of nowhere and having the time of our lives but here was this man Chadha Paaji…the legend of BOP taking a stroll in the compound…believe me, beat this man at logic and I would be your slave for life…his respect & stature is unparalleled and can be countered by a rare few and I am yet to meet his contemporary till now…
Then a plan for a very late Night Walk was hurrilly made after certification from Soni who said it would be amazing to walk through the scary hills in pitch darkness, I started but had to retreat as my foot was hurting after last night’s accident and came back…Dips, Dhruv, Rohit Sir and Rishi continued their tryst with the night though…
I finally called it a day at 2 AM after we were completely exhausted after laughing uncontrollably and also exhausted after a very long & arduous day but victorious in our minds…we had reached Chakrata after so many delays & the mishaps…we had done it…
Day 3 – 8th March 2009 – Sunday (A relaxed day in & around Chakrata)
The day started on a easy note with all of us coming out of our beds gingerly and ordering Breakfast, I opened up a can of Carlsberg to gargle away to glory.
Dhruv & Gyan warmed up their 220 + CC engines, only God knows why they do it but still they love doing it and its their unique way of taking care of their machines, Rohit Sir had endless cups of Tea before we all got ready for the customary bike line-up pics, hundreds were clicked and then off we went to the Tiger Falls – Asia’s 2nd highest falls and another record-conquer for BOP…the list continues…
The 20 kms-odd ride was simply amazing, through the barren mountains and some tough mountain curvy roads we finally reached the point where we had to park our bikes and trek downhill for some 2 kms, Chadha was as always extra cautious with the harmful UV rays affecting his body and he prepared a very odd looking protection gear using his Rajasthani Bandhni style Bandana & his Riding Visor…innovative and very effective!!!
Reached the falls and once again fell in love with the sheer beauty of nature, the falls were monumental and very-very beautiful, in the middle of nowhere the water was falling down vigorously from a height…we got ready to get soaked in the water, the first few steps were a bit tricky as due to the pebbles the surface was very slippery and water bone-chilling cols, all of us held our hands together and reached the foot of the falls where the water was falling on us like crazy, spine-chilling but great fun…we didn’t stay under the water for long but Dhruv being the exuberant youngster amongst us was in the water for quite some time…
We reached the mountain top after a tough uphill trek and panting endlessly…there was a small shop right at the place where we had parked our bikes and Vihans got to his act preparing Maggi & Omelettes for the group, all of us were damn hungry and devoured all the food in a matter of seconds, the next plan was to visit another place recommended by Soni named Kanesar but due to paucity of time we skipped that, maybe in the future I would be able to visit that place…
Off we went to the Chakrata Market where some of us shopped for Military Gear, stocked up Alcohol for the night session but once again the killer blow was made by Chadha Paaji…he was looking for Lassi & Jalebis and his wish was duly granted by God…we all had a bout of the Jalebis but only Chadha Paaji had lassi and that too with a straw, yes he is one of the rare breed of Sardaars who enjoys his Lassi with a Straw and not straight from the gut…after all he is a legend and he is allowed to do anything which is humanly impossible…stand up and say…HAIL CHADHA PAAJI…
We reached our hotel at 7 PM and a long BBB Session ensued all over again, loaded with Rishi’s gyan and Fish which was specially ordered for the last night in Chakrata, Alcohol was guzzled up and a bonfire was lit as the night was even chillier than the one before…
A special mention for Vihans Paaji who actually fell down at the feet of Rishi’s for his unlimited display of factual knowledge but Rishi bhai being the indomitable man he is didn’t take the hint of stopping and continued unabashed!!! What a scene it was…
We slept a little early at midnight as the next day we had to ride non-stop towards Delhi…this day was extremely relaxed but the next one was going to be tough, with some 400 kms of riding involved…
Day 4 – 9 th March 2009 – Monday (Chakrata – Kalsi – Yamunanagar – Panipat – Delhi - Gurgaon)
We started the ride back home at 10:30 AM and then got a shock of our life, the 42 kms ride which we had done 2 nights ago was really scary, never did we realize in the darkness of the night what big risk we had taken, the road was really bad and the inclines extremely steep, we thanked God for showing mercy on us and reached Kalsi where we had planned to see the 14th Century Rock Edict of King Ashoka which has been displayed in a park, it was a history lesson for all of us but as expected Rishi Bhai tried to tell us that he knew all about it’s history and obviously we were not going to believe him…
Another of Chadha Paaji special was reserved for the next break, I started felling a bit hungry and stopped at a Roadside joint which was operated by a middle-aged village female serving just Dal & Rice, I enjoyed the short meal and Chadha also tried some but then he felt thirsty and blurted out one of his legendary quote and innocently asked the aunty “ Madam, Mineral Water milega?”, the harried-looking aunty gave him a nasty look and banged a Bathroom Mug filled with Water towards him, obviously Chadha being the hygienic guy he is didn’t take any risk and decided to skip her kind offer but I didn’t disappoint her and drank half the mug!!! Chadha Paaji ke liye ek aur tribute… “Jab tak suraj-chaand rahega, Chadha Paaji aapka naam rahega”…just can’t stop myself being in awe with this nice Sardaar from GK in Delhi….I know him since my GIM days as he was my junior then and we have also rode to Ladakh & a host of other rides together and always have had an amazing time in his company…
We reached Yamunanagar and stopped for Lunch at 2 PM and enjoyed an amazing meal of Dal, Paneer and what not…Chadha orderd his favourite meal of LAAAACCHA Prantha with Dal Makhani and quietly enjoyed his meal…the meal was very satisfying but the roads ahead were not the same…filled with potholes and trucks all the way…
I then saw the biggest flag of India I had ever seen…it was truly gigantic…one sight I would never forget…saluted the Tricolour, clicked some pics and move on…Jai Hind…
We finally hit NH-1 and made a Theka Pit-Stop at Pipli but only Rishi, Gyan & Dips had a beer each; the rest of us just relaxed a bit and expectedly Rohit Sir enjoyed another 2 cups of Tea…
Moments before we were to start the final leg towards Delhi Chadha Paaji angrily shouted at us “Agar kisi ne ab bike ke upar se gaand uthaayi…to uski gaand tod dunga”…little did he realize that the first person to stop next would be him!!! Strange are the ways of God to teach everybody a lesson…unfortunately the electricals of his bike had given way and then the suggestions session started, all of his tried using his extremely limited knowledge and tried everything but to no aavail…finallyw e made a sensible decision and then towed his bike to Kurukshetra and get it repaired…luckily we found a decent mechanic and that too a Paaji who used his jugaads to set the system right in some 20 odd minutes…Chadha Paaji was smiling again after some agonizing moments of anxiety!!! And finally we started the ride back home after this unexpected hiccup…
We stopped for dinner at our favourite Murthal and enjoyed another bout of Butter-infested paranthas which we thoroughly enjoy and reached the Landfill site at 11:30 PM, surprisingly not too late…
Reached home at 12:15 in the night and just dozed off....exhausted & excited to say the least…
Another awesome ride had finally come to an end…some 750 odd kms of mad riding filled with million moments of crazy fun…the camaraderie was unbelievable and the debutants duly played their part…
Che would be back on the road again…
Till then ride safe & have safe sex…
Hasta la Victoria Siempre…
The Pics of the Ride:
Dhruv’s Camera: http://picasaweb.google.com/manurules07/ChakrataChucklersRyd#
My Camera: http://picasaweb.google.co.in/jha.nishant/TheChakrataChucklersRide?feat=directlink
Chadha’s Camera: http://picasaweb.google.co.in/sandeepschadha/200903RideToChakarata#
The Ride Videos: http://www.4shared.com/dir/13726047/c5926631/Chakrata_Chucklers_Videos.html
Dips’ Blog: http://butcheredsoul.blogspot.com/2009/03/chakrata-chucklers-06-to-09-march-2009.html
Final Thanks to Dips as its due to his continuous pushing I have finally completed this blog, this was the only blog which I had missed from all my rides till date…plus his blog provided me with all the details which I had forgotten after over an year of completing this ride…cheers to life Dips Bhai…
