The short answer
Choose a route by its grade, season, fuel, permits and exit options, not just by how it looks. Start with easy grades, write down what you learn, and use the route card below to record each route.
Do
- Read the grade and the reasons for it
- Check the season, permits and fuel
- Note the escape options and the nearest help
- Update the card after you drive it
- Start with easy routes
Do not
- Pick a route from photos alone
- Trust an old description
- Ignore the weather and the season
- Skip the exit plan
- Jump to a hard grade
Difficulty grades
| Grade | What it means | Suits |
|---|---|---|
| Easy | Sealed or well-graded gravel. No special skills or kit needed beyond normal checks. | A first trip, or families. |
| Moderate | Rough tracks, shallow water, some steep sections. Needs 4WD, care, and basic recovery kit. | Drivers who have done a few trips. |
| Hard | Technical ground, deep ruts or water, steep climbs or descents. Needs low range, boards and experience. | Experienced drivers, ideally in a group. |
| Expert | Very technical or remote. Recovery, spotting and big margins are essential. | Experts, with full kit and a team. |
Grades depend on the day. Rain, snow or a washout can make an easy route hard. Always check the current conditions.
A route card
Use the same format for every route, so you can compare and so others can follow it. Here are the fields.
| Field | What to write |
|---|---|
| Name and region | Where it is, and the start and end points. |
| Distance and time | Realistic driving time, not the map time. |
| Grade and why | The difficulty, and the features that make it so. |
| Season | Best months, and months to avoid. |
| Fuel and water | Pumps, the longest gap, and where water is available. |
| Permits and rules | What is needed, and where to check. See the permits guide. |
| Hazards | Water crossings, steep sections, wildlife, landslide zones and weak bridges. |
| Exit options | Where you can turn back or leave the route. |
| Help and signal | The nearest help, and where there is phone coverage. |
| Last checked | The date and who checked it. |
Using the route booklet
If you have a route booklet, such as the Gypsy Overlanding Family route booklet, use each route in it as a card. Add the grade, season, fuel, permits and exits in the format above, and note the date you last confirmed them. That turns a collection of routes into a planning tool people can trust.
- Mark each route with its last-checked date
- Update the card after every trip
- Keep the route's file (GPX) with the card. See navigation apps
- Remove or flag any route you cannot confirm
Choosing a route type
- Easy forest and plantation tracks in the Western Ghats suit early trips, with permission and in the right season
- Desert tracks are best in the cooler months, and need sand skills and pressure management
- Himalayan passes are seasonal, high and remote, and need acclimatization, permits checks and a margin
- Technical trails and event routes are best done with a club or an experienced group
Pick your experience
Tap where you are to see the kind of route that suits you.
Tap your level (5 to try)
Route type for First timer
- Route type
- -
- Details
- -
Common mistakes
- Choosing a route from photos. Pictures do not show difficulty.
- Trusting an old description. Conditions change.
- Skipping the exit plan. You need a way out.
- Ignoring the season. An easy route can be closed or dangerous.
- Not recording the last-checked date. Readers cannot judge how current it is.
- Jumping to hard grades. Build up in steps.
A final word. This page gives a format and a way of thinking, not specific routes, because routes need current local checking. Confirm every route's conditions, permits and fuel close to your travel date, and be ready to change the plan.