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Help OffroadPakistan's Flood Relief

Handed out food packages

OffroadPakistan and friends have put together an effort to help people effected by the floods in Pakistan. We are providing relief ourselves (delivery and distribution) in Sindh area. Right now it's food and essentials and temporary shelter. Next we would support run a refugee camp (our choosing of location) providing food, water, medicines/medical camps, clothing etc. Later help some really needful families to rebuilt their homes etc.

Since we are not an NGO, we have got the help of Behbood Association (local NGO) working far last 35 years - they have set up a separate account for us, they will manage, supervise and audit for us.

If any one wants to help contribution can be sent to this account (details here)

Please pass it on to friends!

Hamid Omar

Life is miserable with everything under water from the flood OffroadPakistan working together with Behbood

To find out more check these out:

Submerged house in Jamshoro Happy to have received food enough for two meals. One of the many tent cities Photo by Ali Khurshid for OffroadPakistan There is water everywhere, and this water will stay a while

August 26, 2010, by Hamid Omar | Comments

CNN on 4x4 Offroaders Club Karachi's Flood Relief Efforts

CNN Flood victims wait for food and water at a makeshift camp in Sukkur on August 23, 2010 Holly Yan of CNN caught up with our 2nd relief trip on August 24th and spoke with Offroaders Awab Alvi and Faisal Kapadia:

(CNN) -- "Everywhere we go we see eight to 10 feet of water," said Kapadia, who traveled through inundated villages between Shikarpur and Sukkur. "All we see are the tops of houses."

Just a month ago, Kapadia was a recreational rider in the 4x4 Offroaders Club of Karachi. He didn't expect to use his off-roading skills to deliver life-saving supplies to flood victims across nearly impassible terrain and waters.

"We never thought of that," Kapadia said. "But when you see things happen like this, you can't just sit on the side and watch thousands of people die."

So club members, family and friends raised money for supplies to the neediest survivors.

So far the 4x4 Offroaders Club of Karachi has distributed 100 tents and about eight truckloads of food.

Photo credit: CNN

August 26, 2010, by Abid Omar | Comments

Pakistan Flooding 2010: link blog

Photo by Ali Khurshid for OffroadPakistan

So far at least 1,500 killed, 14-20 million affected, 3.5 million children at health risk, nearly 1 million houses damaged, and $1-2 billion upwards of crop damage. Possibly the low numbers of people killed has resulted in the lackluster international response. A timeline is here.

Most comprehensive source for information is ReliefWeb's Pakistan Floods page. Frequent updates on news, situation, maps (lots of maps), and funding.

Dave's Landslide Blog -- an excellent overview of how the flooding began: The regular seasonal monsoon rains started on July 27th, initially impacting the Khyber-Pakhtoonkhwa province (formerly NWFP). The following graph shows the sudden increase in rainfall in that region from July 29th.

Unprecendented increase in rainfall in Pakistan

"The loss of life appears to have been the result of a combination of losses in the main rivers and their tributaries, flash floods in upper catchments, collapses of mud brick houses, and landslides." -- Dave's Landslide Blog.

Downstream the impact of the incredibly heavy rainfall on the Indus River catchment shows increased inflows.

Indus River System Hydrograph on 1st August

Daily rainfall records from the Pakistan Meteorological Department -- you can map your own data! Compare the rainfall over the July and August 2008 and 2009 with what we see now. The worst seems to be behind us.

Devastating floods cut off parts of Pakistan: "Shelter, plastic sheeting and household goods are the most important gap. Stocks need to be urgently airlifted to the affected areas." -- DAWN

Continue reading "Pakistan Flooding 2010: link blog"

August 17, 2010, by Abid Omar | Comments

Flood Relief

The earthquake's that have hit Pakistan in 2005 and 2008 were regarded as the worst tragedy for the nation. Few have realized that the recent floods have in fact caused more damage then those earthquakes did. As per latest reports official figures stand at 1600 dead and 20 million left homeless.

The Monsoon rains began three weeks ago and have washed away roads, bridges and communications lines, hampering rescue efforts by aid organizations and the government. The downpours have grounded many aircraft trying to rescue people and ferry aid.

Continue reading "Flood Relief"

August 16, 2010, by | Comments

Off-roading to Hingol

I stood there amongst the trees, the wind moving through the leaves, making a whistling sound. The entire campsite was bathed in bright moonlight, so bright that you did not need a torch to cook something. Before me, the Hingol River flowed along lazily between the mountains, a silver serpent in a landscape that is otherwise harsh.

This reads like an excerpt from a fiction novel, does it not? Well one need only travel 240 kilometres from Karachi to make this fiction a reality. That is, if you have the gumption to make it out to Hingol National Park in Balochistan.

I recently had the chance to do so with the team of adventure travellers known as Offroad Pakistan. I refer to them as a team and not a group of individuals because that's what they are, and that's what one needs to make it through the terrain of Balochistan, which comprises bogs, jungle, mountains, and quicksand with a few wahgus (local slang for crocodiles) standing in as an audience. On this trip, the team included inventors, photojournalists, lawyers, doctors and a few lowly scribes such as myself, all with one thing in common: "the love of nature."

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March 19, 2010, by Faisal Kapadia | Comments

Concordia: The world's greatest museum of shape and form

"The world's greatest museum of shape and form" is how Italian mountaineer/author Fosco Maraini described Concordia in his book, Karakoram. Galen Rowell called it the "Throne of the Mountain Gods". Come 2007, somehow or the other, 5 of us from Karachi ended up hiking to Concordia, and on to K2 base camp.

Click here to see the pictures of the hike along with captions, and go here to see the travelogue of the hike.

July 2, 2008, by Khalid Omar | Comments

30 years after the Indus River Expedition

Sir, in December 2008 it will be the 30th anniversary of the historic "Indus River Expedition". This Expedition of three people started from Amb- Darband, upstream of Tarbela Dam, and covered 1,600 miles in 30 days right up to the "city of lights" - Karachi.

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March 30, 2008, by KM Ali | Comments

Medical Camp at the Hingol National Park, March 14-17, 2008

Our group has been approached by the Management of Hingol National Park to help them in organizing a free medical camp at Jhal Jhau for the villagers living along the Hingol River in the Northern Part of the Park. We are going for 4 days to Hingol, Baluchistan, March 14-17, 2008 and setting up a medical camp. Read on for the details.

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March 7, 2008, by Khalid Omar | Comments

Information on being 'self-sufficient' for those who would like to accompany us on one of our many off-road + camping trips.

For those of you who haven't camped out in the wilderness under the open sky, here are some helpful hints and advise.

Continue reading "Information on being 'self-sufficient' for those who would like to accompany us on one of our many off-road + camping trips."

February 3, 2008, by Hamid Omar | Comments

The Ford F1 Story - From California to Karachi

Soon after we got married, my wife Sabiha asked me to get a Ford F1 truck for her. I tried my best but could not find any in Pakistan. Some thirty years later, on one of her visits to America, she found one in a small town called Dry Town near Sacramento, California. She convinced the owner to sell it to her and I think she got it for $140 (exact amount she has not told me - only that it cost more to have it towed to our friend Javed Akber's house in Sacramento). Till we could figure out how to have it shipped to Karachi, for over a year the Ford truck remained parked in Javed's garage (while their own two cars remained out in the open).

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September 29, 2007, by Hamid Omar | Comments

K2 Base camp hike planning

Like any long trip, we started planning this a long time ago. Some (Asad, me) had wanted to do a major hike for years, and Concordia was always at the top of the list of the many, many places to go hiking in Northern Pakistan. "The world's greatest museum of shape and form" is how Italian mountaineer/author Fosco Maraini described Concordia in his book, Karakoram. Galen Rowell called it the "Throne of the Mountain Gods". Come 2007, somehow or the other, 5 of us decided to finally go.

The pre-trip preparations involved a lot of research, finding hiking and cold weather equipment, and trying to get into shape for the long hike ahead. Our plan is detailed below, and hopefully anyone else looking for information on planning this hike on their own will find it helpful. The pictures of the hike are up over here, and an article about the actual trip will be up soon.

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September 6, 2007, by Khalid Omar | Comments

Google search for best offroad club

Offroadpakistan is the number 1 result on Google for "best offroad clubs" and for "4×4 Offroad"!

July 29, 2007, by Khalid Omar | Comments

Disaster hits Baluchistan and Sindh

The year 2007 is called the 'Visit Pakistan Year'. Nature, however, seems to be against us as rainstorms and floods have hit most parts of the country leaving thousands homeless and in desperate need of assistance. The Lal Masjid issue has overshadowed the devastation in the areas and the nation sits glued to their televisions regarding the crisis. The United Nations has deployed a five member assistance team to assess the situation in the flood hit areas, according to John Homes, the UN Emergency Relief Coordinator. The greatest danger lies in the growing probability of an epidemic outbreak. According to sources, the top priority goods in need in the areas include tents, blankets and emergency medical kits but above all of water purification tablets. These tablets are known as 'Puritabs' are available at most local chemists. Besides these medicines, according to the Daily Times, more than forty victims of snake bites have been reported in Baluchistan, and the government is also making arrangements for anti-venom vials for the areas.

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July 9, 2007, by Abid Omar | Comments

Two-day Consultative Workshop on the Hingol National Park

The Hingol National Park, largest National Park of Pakistan, is one of the three sub projects of the Protected Areas Management Project (PAMP). The principle objective of project is to achieve the sustainable conservation of globally and nationally significant habitats and species through community participation.

The Hingol National Park Management is organizing a two-day consultative workshop
on "Scientific Surveys for Park Management" on 2nd and 3rd of February 2007 at, Karachi, in order to finalize the management plan of the Park.

Continue reading "Two-day Consultative Workshop on the Hingol National Park"

January 24, 2007, by Taimur Mirza | Comments

Coleman sleeping bags and tents available at Makro

People looking to get sleeping bags and camping equipment in Karachi can now get Coleman Brand at MAKRO on very reasonable prices. Its located in SITE after you cross the Railway bridge on the way to Orangi from SITE DC office--also known as Habib Bank Chowrangi.

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January 23, 2007, by Khalid Omar | Comments

Dureji Expedition 27 to 29 January 2007

The Second Dureji Expedition is scheduled for the 27th - 29th of January 2007. It will be a 2 night / 3 day trip with departure at 8 a.m. on Saturday, the 27th of January 2007, travelling staight to the base of Andahar Mountain (height - 4,000 ft) and setting up camp there for both nights. The second day we'll 4wheel up the mountain, have lunch there, then return back to camp for the night. Return scheduled for the Monday, Jan 29th.

Continue reading "Dureji Expedition 27 to 29 January 2007"

January 11, 2007, by Salim Khan | Comments

M38-A1 Jeeps available at Ghani Mills

There are 15-20 ex-army M38-A1's available at Ghani Mill Godown in Karachi. They are original Army color, fresh from Auction with NO RUST.

Buy an engine with gear box complete from Shershah and first get it mechanically functioning, and get the wiring etc done then re-paint outer shell to your choice color.

November 29, 2006, by Taimur Mirza | Comments

Dureji Expedition - 17th to 19th November 2006

"Dureji Expedition" is a 4×4 Jeep Eco Rally being organized by the Outdoor Adventures & 4×4 Club of Pakistan. This is an environmentally conscious rally which aims to provide owners of 4×4's to experience the beautifully rugged yet pristine areas of Baluchistan very close to Karachi.

Continue reading "Dureji Expedition - 17th to 19th November 2006"

November 9, 2006, by Salim Khan | Comments

Best 4x4's of All Time

Petersen's 4Wheel & Off-road magazine July '97 issue ran a feature story on the best 4×4s of all time. Drum rolls... and the list is:

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October 17, 2006, by Khalid Omar | Comments

A Willys Jeep v.s Isloo mud

Fahad wrote in from Islamabad: "My jeep got stuck in Rawal dam & it took three days day & night effort & finally with the help of Col.Ikram (Pak Army) by the help of chain cuppy we pulled it out of that slushy mud. The clutch plate had slipped, I restored it again & beauty is back on the road." It was truly, deeply stuck, as the pictures below show:

Continue reading "A Willys Jeep v.s Isloo mud"

June 12, 2006, by Khalid Omar | Comments

CJ7 rescues Hummer H2

H2 being winched out by TM's CJ7

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May 25, 2006, by Imad Ali | Comments

Jeep Rebuilders Redux

There are a few Jeep workshops in Karachi who do world class restoration work. I had known that many of their jeeps from Karachi end up abroad, with one great example in the Smithsonian Museum in the World War II section, and another in the New York Museum of Arts. Recently I found out that there was even a documentary made by an American channel about the local jeep rebuilders:

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May 17, 2006, by Khalid Omar | Comments

The Hingol FAQ

i.e frequently asked questions about the Hingol. We've missed quite a few, so feel free to add your question in the comments, and we'll update this FAQ soonest. Read on....

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February 25, 2006, by Abid Omar | Comments

Cholistan Rally 2006

There's a rally being held in Cholistan, organized by the TDCP. For those going from Karachi it'll be a five day event, from March 9 to 13, 2006:

The rally distance is 230kms distance, with a 10,000 rupee entry fees.

Continue reading "Cholistan Rally 2006"

February 13, 2006, by Khalid Omar

East meets West in Koh-i-Taftan on the Pakistan-Iran border today

KARACHI: "East is East and West is West, / And never the twain shall meet..." wrote Rudyard Kipling more than a hundred years ago. But what he said doesn't always apply. In this context, consider, for example, an event that will take place at about 4 o'clock this afternoon in the small town of Koh-i-Taftan on the Pakistan-Iran border. Koh-i-Taftan (let's call it Taftan for short) is not exactly the hub of the universe, and many Pakistanis may have never heard of it. Nor would they be any the wiser if one were to tell them that it is about 60 km northwest of Koh-i-Dalil. Yet it is here, in Taftan, that East and West will meet today, in a manner of speaking.

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November 21, 2005, by Kaleem Omar | Comments

EarthQuake Report

I just got back to Karachi after spending two weeks filming in Balakot.

Balakot is a small town in the North West Frontier Province of Pakistan, about 60 miles north of Islamabad. Located near the quake's epicenter, it is said to be among the worst devastated.

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November 12, 2005, by Mahera Omar | Comments

First Pakistani Motorcycle/Scooter

scan0001.jpg A view of the first motorcycle/scooter built in Pakistan. Built by Hamid Omar, inspired by plans from Popular Mechanics.

It was built from pine wood because in those days I had no tools available, nor access to welding, steel etc. I needed a transport, and couldn't buy one.

These were the days when nobody ever checked for things like licenses, etc - the old Lahore of 1960s. I used this bike for a few months.

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November 4, 2005, by | Comments

2005 Kashmir Earthquake

The devastation caused by the 2005 Kashmir Earthquake is beyond words. Our hearts go out to those who are suffering and face an uncertain future.

We ask that if you can, please donate to help those affected. If you are not able to donate, please offer your thoughts and prayers so that all survivors find hope in the face of this terrible event.

For more information on how you can help with your donations, please click here.

October 15, 2005, by | Comments

Wind, Sand and Stars

This book is number 1 on Outside Magazines list of The 25 (Essential) Books for the Well-Read Explorer and National Geographic magazine named "Wind, Sand and Stars" the third best adventure book of all time. So it had to be good... and turned out to be jaw droppingly amazing. This is not just a book - it's sheer poetry. See Outside magazine's review below:

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August 26, 2005, by Khalid Omar | Comments

Outside Magazine: 25 Essential Books

Outside Magazine's 25 Best Adventure Books of the Last 100 Years

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July 5, 2005, by Khalid Omar | Comments

There's no turning back once you've been Jeep-ed

Here's is how it all started for me.

Ever since my childhood I've been riding in Jeeps and dreaming about them. After reading volumes of illustrated War history books, I spent hours in my uncle's CJ-3A imagining myself to be a World War II soldier. A few years later my father bought my eldest brother his first Jeep. It was a Willy's M38. I still remember that day; it was our very first Jeep.

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May 8, 2005, by Yaseen Ali | Comments

Offroaders - Friday Times Article

They were on their way to Khuzdar from Karachi, following the old camel trail, when they came across a wizened old local. He was surprised to come upon this caravan of jeeps on this little used dirt track and asked them where they were headed. To Khuzdar, they said. The old man stared at them in stunned disbelief- "sahib, aap ko malum nahin key Khuzdar tak to eik bohut achhi sarak jati hai." But given the choice, the members of Karachi's Offroaders Club would rather choose a dirt track than a tarred road.

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April 5, 2005, by Umbereen Mirza | Comments

Unveiling Baluchistans Past

Wednesday March 9 6pm at the Goethe Institue.

A lecture by Ute Frank-Vogt on "Unveiling Baluchistan's Past"

Results of the recent work of the German-Pakistan archaeological mission to Kalat.

March 6, 2005, by | Comments

Site Copyright Notice

Creative Commons License This website is now licensed under a Creative Commons License. Please follow the above link for more details about the license.

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February 27, 2005, by Khalid Omar | Comments

The Red Car - First Pakistani Car

The very first car built & registered in Pakistan.

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January 29, 2005, by Khalid Omar | Comments

Jeep Gladiator

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January 12, 2005, by | Comments

Jeep Hurricane Concept

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January 12, 2005, by | Comments

Day Trips from Karachi

Just outside Karachi in any direction is some marvelous sightseeing country. Most people living in Karachi do not wander far from the city, at most to the beach and back. Those who do travel, go further away to other cities, or all the way north to the mountains. Like just about any large city, the surrounding areas of Karachi have a lot to offer.

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October 19, 2004, by Khalid Omar | Comments

Jeeps in Pakistan

In Pakistan, there is a limited choice when it comes to choosing a 4×4 vehicle. The major types are listed below, with a short description and rating for each vehicle. With the older 4×4's, their offroad prowess depends mainly on their owners, while with the newer 4×4's, it's mostly up to the vehicle as it cannot be modified much. With these old jeeps, its the driver that's the most important part of the drivetrain, which is what makes them so much fun off the road.

The following jeeps are rated according to Pakistani terrain, where we hardly ever see any mud. We've got rocks, more rocks, even bigger rocks, and lots of fine sand! Most of the local jeeps would do terribly in deep mud, so luckily there isn't any! 4×4 lowrange can compensate for lack of power in any terrain, but with mud you need raw power coupled with fast throttle response.

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October 5, 2003, by Khalid Omar

Neza-e-Sultan

The knowledge of a monolith almost 900 feet high in the remote region of Baluchistan was based on a narrative by Captain G.P. Tate in his book on travels in Baluchistan and published in 1892. An effort worth every second of the long journey from Karachi to see this Natural Wonder almost at the Pak-Afghan border north of Nok-Kundi, would be remembered by all our members. The topography en-route to the Neza of this area varies to such an extent where one encounters one of the largest salt pan approximately 125 miles wide by 150 miles long a salt crusted flat ground stretching for miles in all directions, the Oases of Mashkel, the extinct volcano called Miri Mountain, a sight to see both in the satellite image by Nasa and yourself, the cascading sand dunes of Kharan, and above all the vastness and open space, un-tampered by modern technology.
Reproduced below is the narrative of Captain G.P. Tate.

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August 6, 2003, by Taimur Mirza | Comments

The Karakoram Highway

The lands route most of the way from Rawalpindi to Gilgit follows the Karakoram Highway up the deep Indus River gorge. The best way to go by road to Gilgit is by following the Grand Trunk road west over the insignificant ridge called the Margella Pass, a place that the noted British historian Sir Olaf Caroe considered being the boundary between the South Asian subcontinent and Central Asia. Then you pass the turnoff to Taxila, and extensive series of archaeological sites from successive civilizations dating from 600 B.C to 600 A.D. that stood at the cultural crossroads of China, India, Central Asia, and the West. Next you swing south of Wah, a town favored by the Moghuls, who built elegant gardens and pavilions here in the sixteenth century. The route turns off the grand Trunk Road cluttered intersection

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July 17, 2003, by Dr. Mansur Ahmed | Comments

Explorers and Adventurers

Mountain exploration began in Europe only in the eighteenth century. Until then the mountains were feared, with most cultures believing them to be home of hungry dragons and fairies able to seduce the unwary to an untimely death. The climbing of Mont Blanc in 1786 created the kind of attitude necessary for the exploration of the greater Himalayan ranges, and this coincided with the expansionist plans of the British East India Company.

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July 17, 2003, by | Comments

History of Pakistan

Pakistan is a land of contrasts; the land of the Indus, which flows through the country for 2500 kilometers. It is a land of snow covered peaks and burning deserts, of fertile mountain valleys and irrigated planes. It is a land of striking variety of colours and customs. Its name means the 'land of the pure' in Urdu. The best way to see this rich countryside is to travel by road. The deserts, the mountains, the rivers, the arid plateaus, the green field all hold a special attraction. Their enormity and grandeur can only be experienced if you have seen them for yourself for it is impossible to appreciate the beauty of the scenery by just reading about it.

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July 17, 2003, by Dr. Mansur Ahmed | Comments

Baluchistan

Having travelled all over Pakistan, I have finally come to the conclusion that Balochistan is one of the least explored and most fascinating place on the blue planet.

An archaeologists paradise, a geologists dream come true, Off-roaders, camping enthusiasts, trekkers, star gazers, nature buffs, desert roamers, history diggers, miners, prospectors, in short every one who is associated with or loves the out doors would find this land pulling like a magnet if once visited.

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June 22, 2003, by Taimur Mirza | Comments

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