Twenty two drivers from Bangalore, Mumbai, Pune, Noida and Bhuvaneshwar belonging to different walks of life and professions undertook the journey of a lifetime as they drove out from Greater Noida in Uttar Pradesh, through Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand & Jammu & Kashmir, on Wander Beyond Boundaries (WBB), 4×4 extreme terrain winter expedition across remote & forgotten roads in the Himalayas recently.
Passionate drivers, adventure sports enthusiasts, couples and families (including childen), belonging to diverse professions (Chartered Accountants, Cost Accountants, Doctors – Anesthesiologists, Surgical Oncologist & Gynaecologist, Software Engineer, Management Consultant, Photographer, Journalist, Educator, Students, Automotive, Miner) travelled for 14 days covering 2200 km and faced up to extreme weather and the elements on the Himalayan Winter Expedition – a true test for both man & machine.
Nidhi Salgame, Founder WBB said “Our route on the forgotten roads in Kinnaur, Lahaul & Pangi valley was specially chosen because not only was this drive a test for the human and auto endurance but also meant to be a learning ground for life. When we started, we were a group of 26 mostly unknown people, but in enduring the drive, the terrain, the road and the weather, we have returned as one strong team of reflective individuals who have each other’s back.”
WBB is one of the pioneers in introducing extreme overlanding to the Indian motoring landscape. The drive was powered by Mahindra Adventure, Yokohama and Terrain Fit.
Flagged off from Greater Noida on January 14, 2021, post a detailed orientation and training, in expedition ready 4×4 Mahindra Scorpios, fitted with Yokohama extreme terrain tyres Geolander AT and outfitted for extreme weather by Terrain Fit, the crew of 22 drove 8-10 hours each day through Chakrata, Chanshal Pass, Sungri, Kalpa, Shoja, Manali, Keylong and Killar.
The challenging sections included an attempt to ascend to Chanshal Pass, the snow bathed drive across Atal Tunnel, descending into the Pangi valley via Tandi, Udaipur and Shour. Col S Malik, Co-Founder, WBB adds “the day we drove out of Manali towards Killar was epic. Drenched in heavy relentless snowfall, we negotiated cliffy roads driving in temperatures below -15 degree C. The drive culminated in Greater Noida on January 28, 2021.