Amit Saraswat 
It all started when an industry peer called me to check if I had nodded my head for the road trip that was taking place with MG Motor India. I, on the other hand, completely oblivious to such a drive, didn’t spare a second before dialling folks at MG to reserve a seat.
Now the friend for whom I had jeopardised my whole week’s plan, was not coming citing “health issues”. Well that was disappointing, but I would have been even more upset if I did not go for this drive.
Manufacturers thrive on the immense sale of cars, and it’s essential to keep products under the limelight. Every car manufacturer has a different approach to selling its cars, yet MG often comes up with smarter ways to rise above the rest in this ever-so-crowded Indian automotive landscape.
Last month, we went to Sambhar to experience the MG ZS EV on the salt flats of Rajasthan and this time around, we headed to Auli, a small hill station in Uttarakhand that you may recall as ‘mini Switzerland’ or ‘skiing paradise’.
We were hitched to the Hector Plus diesel manual for this drive, which initially started from Noida. Upon igniting the car, we noticed a low tyre pressure warning on the instrument cluster, the outcome of which will unfold later.
The roads in and around Uttarakhand are surprisingly good- boasting long switchbacks, winding sections and more importantly smooth and consistent tarmac. Nonetheless, what kind of hilly roads are you even driving on if they are not riddled with occasional landslides and JCBs sweeping rocks?
Till Rishikesh, we cruised on the smooth highway averaging good speeds and letting the Hector Plus stretch its limbs. It is worth mentioning that the Hector Plus feels right at home, even at higher speeds, ironing out all expansion joints and undulations. The challenging roads appeared upon crossing Rishikesh and heading towards Srinagar, which was our stop for the night. Along the way, the roads became single carriages and one was expected to stay careful at the blind corners.
It was all smooth sailing until the tyre pressure monitoring light came back on the instrument cluster. I jumped out to find a completely flat tyre. It was a point where I believed that miracles do happen. Out of nowhere, at a point with low network coverage, I turned back to find a puncture repair shop that was less than 2 metres away from the car. Jacked up, lug nuts unbolted and the tyre drawn out revealed a deep cut into the rubber, which has no fix than recycling and getting a new one.
Of course, you can imagine that there was no fancy tyre shop selling fresh rubber. The spare tyre was bolted and it ruined the side profile of the Hector Plus, but soldiered on the remaining journey. As the sun set behind the mountain peaks, I realised an annoying shortcoming of the MG Hector, which was the lack of cornering lamps. The turn-ins into the dark blinding turns don’t inspire confidence since the long nose of the Hector takes some time to follow the curves and light up the path. Once the road straightens up, the headlight performance is rather impressive.
Nonetheless, we reached our destination, which was a beautiful riverside resort nestled below the lush green mountains. The next day, we started early in the chilly morning from Srinagar and the agenda was to reach Auli. The roads became even more challenging and narrower and we witnessed multiple road closures along the way, all of which resulted in a slower pace than usual.
We reached Chamoli at 1 PM, and freshened up for the fun activities that were lined up ahead. Till this point, I didn’t get to see any signs of snow other than the Himalayas on the way, but we were yet to reach Auli, which is about 14 odd kilometres up from Chamoli.
As we headed upwards, the roads started to turn wet and surrounded by snow, it only built our excitement more. The last time I recall myself soaked up in snow was in 2010 and it’s not an experience I enjoy recalling.
Nonetheless, the highlight of Auli at this time of the year is skiing. After all, it is one of India’s most popular skiing destinations for novices and professionals alike. The mini hill station also boasts one of India’s largest cable cars, which runs above the snow-covered oak forest and offers a spectacular view of the Nanda Devi peak. To reach the skiing point, we got on to the cable car, gripping the guard bar as firmly as possible and our legs shaking. The cable car started and every time it crossed the linkages, it juddered along with our poor souls. The hesitation soon turned into astonishment as we reached the peak and caught a glimpse of the vast snowy landscape. There is something with these snow-capped mountains glistering with sun rays, which will astonish you every time.
Since no one from our group had ever done skiing before, we were trained with the dos and don’ts of the sport, which turned out to be challenging and a painful experience. Keeping your knees slightly bent and tilting the body forward were the two basic instructions given, and much harder to execute than one would expect.
As we descended, the speed rose dramatically and the only way to stop was to fall sideways. The snow became stiff since many people tried their luck at the skiing patch and every fall felt more painful than before. Speaking for everyone, the experience may have been thrilling for all including those who either toppled on their head, or mastered the skill in a short period.
After attempting it close to eight times, it was time for me to head down and take some rest. But there was a catch: authorities do not permit cable cars to operate after 4:00 PM. Which is why we had to walk, slide or slither over the snow and make our way to the base. I did whatever it took to reach the base camp and I had enough adventure for the day. All I wanted was to rest under a hot blanket as the temperature was minus 10 degree celsius.
The next morning was our final day in Auli, and it was time to head back to our base in Noida. I didn’t want to miss the sunrise but the low temperatures held me curled inside my blanket. Yet I gathered the courage and headed out for a hopeful mesmerising view. After soaking in the scenic sunrise and filling my belly with a lavish breakfast, it was time to say goodbye to the beautiful Auli Valley.
The journey back to Noida was a little more problematic than what we had imagined. The Hector Plus we were driving was apparently a dealer car and didn’t feel right from the beginning. It instantly showed up the check engine light, which we had neglected as a warning for the low tyre pressure. The matter worsened when the car went into limp mode and cut down the power. After driving at a reduced pace for a certain distance, the engine came back to life and enabled us to cover the remaining distance.
Upon inspection, we got to know that the intercooler was damaged which resulted in the dysfunction of the turbocharger. I would call this the only sore part of this rather entertaining trip, which was full of fun and adventure. Like I said, I would have been very disappointed to skip this one, but I, thankfully, did not!
