Thar 2006 (4x4 Offroaders Club Karachi)

Decorated truck

Sat, 26 Aug 2006 00:29:04 +0500

A typical nicely decorated goods truck spotted enroute to Khipro, near Tando Allahyar.

Sunset at Tando Allahyar

Sat, 26 Aug 2006 00:33:18 +0500

Driving along the edge of the Eucalyptus forest

Sat, 26 Aug 2006 00:35:04 +0500

Here we're heading out of Khipro heading towards the Thar desert. This used to be a very large forest, planted by the British - It is now being cut down to make room for fields.

Lightning

Sat, 26 Aug 2006 00:38:29 +0500

On the way to Khipro we got stuck in a severe thunderstorm. There was an impressive lightning display lasting almost 5 hours!

Winching a Tree

Sat, 26 Aug 2006 00:40:54 +0500

The thunderstorm had knocked down a number of trees on the highway. At this point there were three trees in a line bocking the road. We chopped them up and winched them away from the road to clear the way.

Chopping up a Keekar Tree

Sat, 26 Aug 2006 00:44:08 +0500

This was one of the trees blocking the road. Maqsood was the hero of the day, making fast work of the ultra hard keekar tree.

Ali in his Vigo

Sat, 26 Aug 2006 00:47:46 +0500

The Hilux performed beautifully in the desert.

Doc filling up air

Sat, 26 Aug 2006 00:51:34 +0500

There's an onboard air compresor in Doc's CJ7, which comes in real handy for flats.

Dark Clouds Gathering

Sat, 26 Aug 2006 01:04:40 +0500

A severe thunderstorm is about to start.

Lights at Camp

Sat, 26 Aug 2006 01:08:12 +0500

We had to keep the lights far away - thousands of moths instantly gathered around every light.

Thar Desert 1

Sat, 26 Aug 2006 01:13:36 +0500

The view in the morning from the campsite. The rains had molded the sand dunes, and softened all the sharp edges.

Thar Desert 2

Sat, 26 Aug 2006 01:23:55 +0500

An oasis in the desert.

Thar Desert 3

Sat, 26 Aug 2006 01:26:59 +0500

Sand Dunes.

Date Palms

Sat, 26 Aug 2006 01:29:51 +0500

Date palms growing wild in an oasis in the Thar Desert.

Campsite

Sat, 26 Aug 2006 01:33:45 +0500

Our campsite. This was 22km from the Indian border. At night, standing on top of a nearby dune the Indian floodlights on the border were visible, spaced every km or so apart.

Desert track

Sat, 26 Aug 2006 01:38:02 +0500

Driving into the Thar desert. The greenery is thanks to the unprecedented rains.

M38 towing Nissan Safari

Sat, 26 Aug 2006 01:42:28 +0500

The M38 is lined up to tow the nissan out. While not apparent in the picture, the Nissan stopped on an incline, and so got stuck here.

Spider

Sat, 26 Aug 2006 01:52:45 +0500

One of the many crawlies spotted in the desert.

Rain Water

Sat, 26 Aug 2006 01:55:37 +0500

Thar Desert 4

Sat, 26 Aug 2006 01:57:22 +0500

More Sand dunes. The rains completely changed the look of the desert, making them look all soft and molded.

CJ7 driving past an oasis

Sat, 26 Aug 2006 02:04:54 +0500

Thar Desert 5

Sat, 26 Aug 2006 22:56:04 +0500

The greenery was stunning.

Waiting

Sat, 26 Aug 2006 22:58:45 +0500

7 vehicles waiting for the last one to catch up.

CJ7 crossing water

Sat, 26 Aug 2006 23:03:30 +0500

This is a fine example of how not to cross a large body of water. At a couple of points the depth was above the bumper - the high speed caused enough water to enter the air intake that the engine shut off right after crossing the water.

Cherokee crossing water

Sat, 26 Aug 2006 23:35:45 +0500

The better way to cross water, slow and steady.

Fields of Green

Sat, 26 Aug 2006 23:37:27 +0500

We kept looking for the desert, but it was hidden below the fields of green. The camera hasn't captured the colors properly - the desert green is really really green, with vibrant colors all bursting with life.

Water reflections

Tue, 29 Aug 2006 20:42:34 +0500

Water, water, everywhere.

The scenic route

Tue, 29 Aug 2006 20:45:57 +0500

It's still raining.

Storm clouds gathering

Tue, 29 Aug 2006 20:47:25 +0500

While the storm clouds gather, KO and Maqsood are doing a field repair on the M38's radiator.

Thunderstorm

Tue, 29 Aug 2006 20:49:18 +0500

Hiding from the rain.

Desert Jungle

Wed, 30 Aug 2006 19:55:49 +0500

Somewhere in Thar

Sea shells on an old sea shore

Wed, 30 Aug 2006 19:59:24 +0500

Many years ago, the Thar Desert was under the Arabian sea.

Mushroom

Wed, 30 Aug 2006 20:04:09 +0500

After the rains, mushrooms grow wild in the desert.

En route to camp

Wed, 30 Aug 2006 20:25:44 +0500

Pouring rain

Wed, 30 Aug 2006 20:29:31 +0500

A thunderstorm arrived just as one Jeep broke down, and another one was being worked on.

M38 stuck

Fri, 01 Sep 2006 00:46:33 +0500

Scouting the way for the rest of the vehicles, I got stuck in the mud a couple of times. This stuck was serious enough that it required a winch out.

Fixing the radiator

Fri, 01 Sep 2006 00:54:59 +0500

The field repair done earlier in the thunderstorm the day before failed enroute to Karachi. In this picture the radiator is being installed back in the vehicle.

Loading Jeep onto Truck

Fri, 01 Sep 2006 01:02:41 +0500

Engine troubles meant it had to be trucked from Khipro, back to Karachi.

Oasis in the Desert

Fri, 01 Sep 2006 01:04:29 +0500

More landscape pictures.

Thar Desert 5

Fri, 01 Sep 2006 01:09:51 +0500

A lot of these bushes remain throughout, and have especially evolved to withstand the harsh summers.

Desert Tracks

Fri, 01 Sep 2006 01:12:37 +0500

Jeep tracks in thar desert - after the rain the dunes harden and it makes it much easier to drive on the sand.

A pool of sodium carbonate

Fri, 01 Sep 2006 01:14:56 +0500

The Thar desert is home to lots of minerals, and this pool in particular is full of them. One of the industries in Thar is harvesting these minerals.

The painted desert

Fri, 01 Sep 2006 01:23:22 +0500

The rain turned the desert into a painting in the morning light.

Flooded Fields

Sun, 24 Sep 2006 14:56:05 +0500

A common sight along the way.

Truckin

Sun, 24 Sep 2006 14:59:40 +0500

En route to Karachi.

Group photo at Khipro

Sun, 24 Sep 2006 15:01:36 +0500

About to leave for Karachi from Khipro.

Morning desert

Sun, 24 Sep 2006 15:11:01 +0500

The view from the campsite in the morning.

Wind and rain shaped desert

Sun, 24 Sep 2006 15:13:01 +0500

Village in the Desert

Sun, 24 Sep 2006 15:14:28 +0500

Sunset

Sun, 24 Sep 2006 15:20:07 +0500

A cloudy sunset

Sun, 24 Sep 2006 15:21:43 +0500

Flooded trees

Sun, 24 Sep 2006 15:25:04 +0500

Nara Canal

Sun, 24 Sep 2006 15:26:09 +0500

Full to the brim.

Setting the winch cable

Sun, 24 Sep 2006 15:29:36 +0500

Too much water

Sun, 24 Sep 2006 15:35:26 +0500

Water clogged up the air filter.

CJ7 winching M38

Sun, 24 Sep 2006 15:36:43 +0500

A quick rescue by Doc. In this picture he's winding the winch cable.

Late night rescue

Sun, 24 Sep 2006 15:44:45 +0500

CJ7 winching out Ali's Nissan Patrol in the rain.

The Thar desert after the rains

Sun, 24 Sep 2006 15:51:07 +0500

Thar Desert 6

Sun, 24 Sep 2006 15:55:09 +0500

Lake in the desert

Sun, 24 Sep 2006 16:11:12 +0500

This is a permenant, year around lake in Thar, 20 km from the Indian border.