The plans for this trip began in 2012. The original idea was to start from Cochin and travel north through almost all the states of India. Our main destinations were Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Jammu & Kashmir, and Leh-Ladakh. To cover the proposed route, we estimated that we would need 20–25 days. But as five IT professionals working on the same team, finding that much time away from work seemed almost impossible.
For a while, the idea was nearly abandoned. Then, in July 2013, one of us brought it back to life, and this time we were determined to make it happen. Our manager—also one of the five, collectively known as “The Barnstormers”—managed to convince the stakeholders that August was a non-peak period and that the team could continue operating with fewer resources.
The helping hand behind the plan
The plan would not have been complete without HVKumar, also known as High Vay King. A Thane-based Chartered Accountant and motoring enthusiast originally from Kerala—God’s Own Country—he helped shape the route with a blueprint for the journey.
The idea had been waiting since 2012. In July 2013, the five of us finally decided to turn the plan into a road trip.
Delhi: the journey begins
We worked for a company based in Thiruvananthapuram, and the plan was to fly to Delhi on 16 August 2013. A self-drive Toyota Innova had been booked in advance. It had the distinctive registration used for self-drive vehicles: a black number plate with yellow lettering, something we did not see often in Kerala.
We landed in Delhi at around 22:00 that night. After getting the vehicle, the actual trip began as planned. Following the blueprint provided by HVKumar, we set off from New Delhi at about 1:00 a.m., with one of us behind the steering wheel and the road north ahead of us.
The route at a glance
The map below traces the planned route through the northern states and Himalayan region.
Watch the journey
Watch the video accompanying this travel story.
To be continued
This was the beginning of the Barnstormers’ Himalayan road trip. The next episode continues the journey.