With my Safari at Photi La

This climb is in the same league as Marsimik La through Chang-Chenmo range and beats Khardungla of the Karakorams by several hundred feets. Khardungla is incorrectly publicized as the highest at 18300ft, however it’s actual height is not more than 17,600ft as per the Survey of India maps as well as GPS readings.

Khardungla GPS reading

Photi La - GPS reading

The road from Hanle to Photi La top has barely been leveled and tarmac laying process is ongoing. While the section from the top to Photi Le, near China border, is being blasted and aligned.

This 55km road is like a marathon hurdle race that only a capable 4wd vehicle can finish without falling as a victim to the extreme thrashing. This September we passed this self-imposed test in our Tata Safari, finishing the distance in 8 hours. Three hours out of this were spent waiting for GREF workers to clear certain sections of boulders and landslides and the rest were spent carefully and patiently maneuvering the car through huge rocks, and taking tight hairpin bends through sand and slush.

The ascend from Hanle

The track was barely 'truckable'

The zig-zags in the background are the 'road'

Throughout the descend from Photi La towards its eastern base not even a kilometre was spent when we didn’t have to get down and clear the track of stones before proceeding. Yet the car endured quite a few underbody hits.

The bends are too narrow for anything larger than a hatchback to finish in one go. The truck in this picture was so stuck in the mud it took him about five minutes to take this turn.

A truck stuck in mud on a tight bend

I had the luxury of 4Low gear ratio. At every bend I would – take as much of the hairpin in one go. Engage 4L, reverse in the mud, and complete the bend. Although at some places, we had the front bumper over the edge, but 4L always did the trick.

Journeys like these make me reiterate – where there is a wheel there is a way—through toughest of terrains and over highest of mountain passes.

We started moving in position for SS6 while SS5-Bad Max was still ongoing. Storm arrived as soon as we had finished setup. Only, it was a real-time sandstorm.

Our TC and the next one were responsible for barricading traffic from either side. It was quite a handful of a task and pouring rain only made matters worse. Most of the people weren’t lured into staying put to witness one of ‘the biggest rallies in India’. With t-shirts, candies and other goodies we managed to inspire one local man to volunteer for us. That helped for some time, but we had to allow controlled traffic movement after ensuring clearance from previous TCs.

Such extreme action was underway…

Splashing through sand

Raising ghosts from sand

As if the sand was coming out of the exhaust

We had to pickup the flags numerous times

A lot of negative camber

To imagine that one fellow managed most of the track without headlights

The locals hadn't seen this thing before

Sand trails

We were about 12kms ahead of the previous hop. There were quite a few crisscrossing tracks to confuse the vehicles. A punctured car and a bike with broken headlights took a long while to reach us. The biker had exceeded MPL by the time he reached us. The long sandy ride in darkness had taken its toll on him, yet he was requesting to continue. There was no way that he could’ve made the final 4kms even if there was time. Considering his condition the sweeping convoy decided to escort him till Bikaner. He was so dazed that ultimately he was put in a car and an official rode his bike to the hotel.

We were exhausted as well, as we had been since six days. This time we were assured of long hours of sleep, before the final ‘Sting’. The convoy wasn’t going anywhere till 1400hrs the next day.

Leg 3, SS4 – Mad Max

Sunset near Dengari, Jaisalmer

Don’t know why Max turned insane, or for that matter, who is Max anyway! Could be competitors or officials – mad enough to put themselves through all this, madder still to do it time and again. The villagers where we were posted for SS4 wondered the same as they gathered to watch roaring gypsies go past their farms. Nonetheless, they accepted our madness with warmth and kept feeding us tea, buttermilk, roti, sabzi, and also questions.

Audience at DS11

Our TC for Mad Max

It was a night stage and went on till 2330hrs. Our group was just a couple of hours away from the next halt at Phalodi. Just as we were looking forward to few hours of sleep at the much famed Lal Niwas Haveli, someone came up with a bright idea – to make tea – in the desert, by the roadside. I guess people had become habitual of not sleeping that they chose to defer sleep for some more time.

The portable stoves seemed to be brewing up Birbal ki khichdi instead of water!

Reluctantly the convoy moved on and reached Phalodi at 0400hrs.

Sunrise at Great Rann

It was a long day. We were in position for another Rann sunrise and another run. The track looped through Great Rann 1.5 times and crossed the Tropic of Cancer. It was meant for all four categories of vehicles – Extreme, Moto/Quad, Endure, and Explore.

We were placed towards the end of first loop covering about 300kms. This area is heavily patrolled by BSF. Soon they started their daily firing practice. For hours shockwaves from cannons kept shaking our car. When they were done, the extremes started roaring.

The section under our watch was an expressway of sorts, with wide stretch of land visible till several kilometres. The vehicles would appear as a mirage on the horizon and would seem to solidify as they get closer.

Appearing

The stage had its on hurdles. As is customary with all DS stages, a few cars toppled. A car toppled after crossing the second last TC. With help from marshals the wheels were brought back onto ground and within 15mins the participants had resumed.

Another one overheated and stalled a few kms short of our TC. Somehow they managed to get it going, although at a snail’s pace, and reached the TC. The driver was fuming, as hot as the radiator, while the co-driver was cool enough to socialize with the lady manning the TC. They borrowed water from us, (precious Bisleri, spared generously) poured it into radiator and thoughtlessly turned the ignition, spouting coolant on my car! The driver kept on the disgusted expression and the co-driver continued with his civil enquiries.

Nonetheless they too didn’t give up – moved on, stalled again, moved on again and reached the finish.

Biker buddies

Storm in the distance

Pan through

From SS2 onwards the officials were split into two groups. We were in the group which was to be relieved from the stage earlier because we had to advance to Barmer for SS4, while the other group stayed back for SS3 – Rann Déjà vu.

The first loop was over by 1330 and we swept out of the track. But we couldn’t be spared to be on the way to Barmer till 1730hrs. We had slept for barely an hour the previous night and had 600kms ahead of us.

We decided to drive nonstop to earn a few hours of sleep later. We made it in 8hrs with a little push, an attempt to find optimum routes, some offroad adventure and a lot of help from the excellent GPS system that we were armed with.

PS: the GPS system deserves a dedicated post, may be later

The day began with a mesmerizing sunrise over White Rann. Most of us rushed out before light. Last night’s spectacular moonrise had hinted at what is not to be missed. All vehicles going in were stopped at a BSF post. They advised everyone against taking vehicles off the track and into the salt bed. It was still very wet and as bad as a quicksand, besides the track itself was tricky enough to test off road skills. Going further off was a suicidal attempt. I personally wouldn’t want to do such a thing and spoil the pristine beauty with dirty tread marks. We left our vehicle at the end of the track and paid respect to nature’s magnanimity by stepping down. Soon we were rewarded by the most beautiful sunrise we had seen till date. While an over-enthusiastic driver was too preoccupied with his wheels sinking deeper– donuts being garnished with salt.

The convoy checked out of the camp to go through the first stage. The objective was to familiarize everyone with their locations for the evening so that all hops can be placed quickly during setup. This proved to be a warm-up for everyone. The following can best narrate the journey through Great Rann:

Convoy through Great Rann

Great (Rann) indeed

Competitors flagged off from Ahemdabad were scheduled to enter SS1 – Twilight Rann at 0730hrs. All officials were in place about an hour earlier as per the practice. Our TC was close to village Udai hence it was our responsibility to warn the villagers about the upcoming storm. A stage marshall is responsible for minimizing security breaches for competitors, spectators, as well as themselves.

All villagers soon packed off for the night behind the safety of fencing made out of thorny bushes to prevent wild animals from coming into their houses. We were the only ones left in the open with jackals and foxes, who vociferously made their presence clear.

There we were under the star-studded sky hearing the Canidae opera, until the roaring extremes silenced the rest.

TC setup for SS1 - Twilight Rann

They kept coming out of the bushy labyrinth, which lead suddenly to a wide open stretch where we were place. Many of them will get lost in various narrow tracks within and will emerge out like misguided missiles headed directly at us. In night stages most competitors tend to cut a beeline to the flashing lights of TC.

As always many competitors were lost somewhere or the other in the stage and had to be hunted out. It was 0300hrs by the time we were swept out and reached Bhuj. Only to start rolling at 0500 to setup the next stage – Great Rann.

We left from Delhi in the wee hours of Sunday morning – 20th Feb. We had barely slept last night, for us the rally had already started. Finish packing by 0200hrs, start rolling at 0530hrs – as early as possible to beat the dreadful traffic jam at Manesar. We made it to Jaipur in barely 3.5hrs and drove nonstop till Chittorgarh where we caught up with a group of officials who had left Delhi before us. Our bunch was required in Bhuj by 21st morning. Another batch was on its way to Ahemdabad for ceremonial flag-off and would join the rest of the gang just before the start of leg 1 on 22nd.

Most of our group decided to push for Bhuj the same day. But we had to hold back for our friends in Gypsy – Suzy Blu. This wild one is a pain on highways, takes a lot of push to keep going beyond 100. Anyway, we didn’t mind as we were thoroughly enjoying the roads. The stretch of NH76 from Udaipur to Pindwara was the most amazing. With 100kms of smooth tarmac cutting through the hills, that road rivals the best of the tarmacs around the world.

Just as we were enjoying the ride, we got a frantic call from Suzy – they had run out of fuel. We were in an area infamous for Bheel tribals and there were no petrol pumps 30kms in either direction. The only option we had was to tow Suzy till Pindwara.

Picture this, a 3L Tata Safari towing Maruti Gypsy on the slopes for almost 40kms. It was a test of patience and manoeuvring to move with least tugs and pulls. About 10kms before the expected petrol pump the route morphed into a dirt track and then a narrow road through Pindwara. We were now moving through badly bumpy roads, chasing dogs, and enthusiastic natives gesturing right while directing us to go left.

After what seemed like a long haul we decided to take a night halt at Palanpur and left for Bhuj next morning, on 21st.

It was a cruise from Palanpur to Bachau in Gujarat. There are 15-20kms of straight roads cutting through wide spans of land. The only stoppages were toll booths, too many of them. Neither have I seen such roads in India which are so well kept nor so understanding that they make wrong-side traffic acceptable and expected. The roads were lined with signs warning “careful of wrong-side traffic.”

Once in Bhuj the convoy regrouped and headed out to Camp Dhordo about 80kms away and at the edge of White Rann.

The convoy lined up to take in the first glimpses of Rann and listen to ACOC – Sudev’s insights from the recce. Remaining for the day was training where all officials went through the DCOC manual and road book to understand our duties through all stages and agree upon radio-comm decorum.

Officials lined up at White Rann

Sunrise at White Rann - Pullup your socks!

Here I am, in Bikaner already through six stages and gearing up for the next one. After about 3000kms of driving, there is an hour’s break and I can record and share the experience.

The route in brief before I start pouring out the details:

20th Feb – Delhi to Palanpur in Gujarat
21st – Palanpur to Camp Dhordo 80kms ahead of Bhuj
22nd – Rann of Kutch
23rd Kutch to Barmer
24th Barmer to Phalodi
25th Phalodi to Bikaner

The official convoy will now move towards Neem ka Thana, near Jaipur, and set up the last stage and that would be ‘the Sting’.

So far the rally has proven true to its claim to be the ‘ultimate adventure’, and how!

I shall let the pictures do the rest of the talking for now. Watch this space for more … BRB!

Officials at camp Dhordo in Rann of Kutch

Thar Express on two wheels

Speeding through sandy

My thoughts on the never ending debate of whether an “L” lens is worth the extra money and is the statement “L is always better than non-L” always true?

The ‘L’ lineup of Canon EF lenses are the “Luxury” lenses. And rightly so especially because of the price they demand. But such price is justified by the following features:

1. Tough build, made to withstand trials in the field (some incorporating dust and moisture resistant rubber seals).
2. At least one fluorite or ultra-low dispersion glass element combined with super-low dispersion glass and ground aspherical elements to truly push the optical envelope.
3. Non-rotating front elements, which are optimal for some filters (e.g. circular polarizers).
4. Relatively large apertures compared to other Canon lenses in the same focal lengths.
5. Ring-type USM (ultrasonic motor) and full-time manual focusing.
6. Three additional data communication pins on Canon Extender EF compatible lenses, compared to the standard EF mount.
7. Better sharpness, color and contrast, less distortion, better bokeh, better focus speed (in general).
8. Full time manual focusing (FTM). You can let the camera autofocus, then manually adjust focus yourself prior to the shot – without lifting your finger from the shutter.
9. Many in the Canon L lens series are white in color. This reduces heat gain when a lens is used in bright, direct sunlight. White reflects more light than black – thus, less heat gain. This helps in protect the fluorite element in the lens from heat buildup.

Note: There are some lenses which include one or more of these technologies but which are not designated L-lenses.

So, now comes the questions, are the non-L lenses so inferior to their L counterparts that it becomes imperative to use L lenses?
The answer lies in the fact the purpose for which you do photography.
1.  If you are a professional photographer who doesn’t want to sit for hours in front of the computer correcting defects of the images in Photoshop and cater to a clientile that demands the best, the L lenses make perfect sense.
2.  If you are a serious amateur who has realized the shortcomings of the non L lenses, find them a limiting factor in progressing, and has the budget, the L lens is the way to go.
3.  If you are a hobbyist, who clicks pictures, resizes them to 800×600 and 72 dpi and posts them mostly on the online forums, the difference between an L and a non L would be hardly noticeable.

That said, there are a few non L lenses (canon or third party) that are very close in terms of optical quality (one of the major deciding factors while buying a lens) to their L counterpart. A few that i have personally used and would recommend:
1. Canon EF 100 mm f2.8 USM macro.
2. Canon EF 85 mm f1.8 USM.
3. Tamron 90 mm f2.8 DI macro.
4. Tamron SP AF 17-50mm f2.8 XR Di-II LD Aspherical IF
5. Canon EF 50 mm f1.8 Mk II/f1.4
6. Tamron AF 28-75mm f/2.8 XR Di LD Aspherical IF

Shot this pretty bird using a Canon 7D and a 400 mm lens at 720p/60 fps.

The 7D video is in a league of its own with full control over exposure, shutter speed and aperture value.  All EF/EF-S lenses can be used to shoot video’s with IS also being available. The exposure bias can also be changed while shooting the video. The two major downsides of the 7D video implementation are no continuous AF during video’s and the noise of the dial rotation (to change some settings) being recored. But all in all an amazing experience to be able to shoot video’s with any lens attached..