Seven days soaking in the mystic beauty of the Himalayas! From a start in the foothills of Shimla, onto the greenery and mist of Manali and Dalhousie, then a couple of days being wowed by icy, yet breathtaking Ladakh, and finally onto the timeless beauty of Srinagar. Sounds serene, the ideal vacation maybe?
Factor in sub-zero temperatures, tyre-shedding gravel-covered paths and potential 100 feet drops into ravines and one will understand why Raid de Himalaya is considered one of the most extreme rally events in the world.
The Maruti Suzuki Raid de Himalaya has long been the holy grail for rally enthusiasts in the country. The 17th edition of the Raid, which made its debut in 1999, concluded in Srinagar last week. For many, planning for next year started the next day. “My planning starts soon after I finish the Raid,” says Raj Singh Rathore, winner this year. “There are a lot of things to be decided – what vehicle to drive, what modifications to make. So we have to start early.”
The Raid is organised by Himalayan Motorsports Association, whose current president Vijay Parmar was instrumental in its inception. The organisers claim it to be the highest rally in the world, and one of the most extreme ones. With participants reaching altitudes of up to 16,000 feet and temperatures exceeding -15 degrees Celsius, such claims are anything but hollow.
While most rally or race events involve participants battling each other, the Raid is unique in that it’s man against mountain. The Himalayas are the principal antagonists in this tale.
“When you start, you are thinking, not about winning it, but finishing it,” says Rathore, who has participated in nine editions.
“It’s great if you win it, but your primary objective should be to get yourself to the finish line safe and sound.”
For those who think it’s akin to one of those Bollywood thrillers where the hero constantly flirts with danger but everyone knows nothing will happen to him, cautionary tales abound. In 2001, the Raid had its worst year in terms of casualties, when three participants died in two accidents. Another died shortly before the flag-off in 2011. Even this year, Samrat Yadav and co-driver Gaurav were injured when their vehicle rolled into a 150 feet gorge. The danger is very real!
To combat every possible scenario, participants are required to take a vast array of security measures. “Roll cages are strengthened according to Raid regulations. We have to change cabin seats and wear special helmets. I also modify the car, better strengthening the suspension. We carry a 2kg fire extinguisher and oxygen cylinders. What we wear is also important, considering we spend a lot of time in sub-zero temperatures. After everything, the car is so loud that I have to use the intercom to communicate with my co-driver sitting next to me,” says Rathore.
Yet, for all the safety measures, a driver’s most important assets remain technique and instinct. Suresh Rana should know a thing or two about it! The Manali-man running apple orchards has participated 14 times and won in nine of them.
The former Indian National Rally Championship winner’s last victory came in 2013, and he was in the lead for most of it this year as well, before dropping to third.
“A lot of it comes down to technique and ability to understand the car. You have to gauge what condition it is in and how much to push it,” he says. And danger is one misread instruction away! “Last year I was leading, 12 minutes ahead of my nearest competitor. The instruction said sharp right when it should have said medium right. And the next thing I know, I’m plunging into a 20 feet ravine,” says Rana.
The Raid is not just for the light-hearted, but, unless you come fully sponsored, not for the shallow-pocketed either. “My vehicle this year cost around Rs 30 lakh,” says Rathore.
“The entry fee is around Rs 75,000. You spend around a lakh on fuel during the Raid. Your support staff will cost around Rs 2 lakh, navigator will have to be paid anything between Rs 25,000 to a lakh depending on who he is. I had sponsorship, so it was easy. Otherwise, it can be very expensive,” he says.
In spite of all this, why do people still flock to the Raid every year? “To win,” says Rana. “Who wouldn’t want to boast of having won one of the most extreme rally events in the world?”
The Winners
Extreme category
1. Raj Singh Rathore and Amber Udasi
2. Tsering Lhakpa and Venu Ramesh Kumar
3. Suresh Rana and Parminder Thakur
Extreme Category (motorcycles)
1. Arvind K P
2. Natraj R
3. Ashish Saurabh Moudghil
Adventure
trial category
1. Jagmeet Gill & Chandana Sen
2. Ajgar Ali and Mohd Mustafa
3. Karthick Murthi and S Sankar Anand