Serene backwaters and beaches, idyllic village life, and lush green plantations perched atop hilltops. For long, these were the labels typically associated with Kerala. So it’s hardly surprising to learn that beneath the seemingly tranquil setting that these labels prop up lies a burgeoning offroading culture.
Stay for a while and you will see a roaring Mahindra Thar 4x4 bouncing through red mud in Kottayam or a KTM 390 Adventure bike sending gravel flying on a misty slope in Wayanad. Offroading is no longer a niche hobby in the state. It’s a subculture on full throttle.
And if you want to understand how deep the tyre tracks run, there is perhaps no better place to start than in Pala, a highrange town in Kottayam district where 4x4s (usually Willys; ‘jeep’ in local parlance) were once ubiquitous as the only mode of transport.
The estate trail
Riya Mary Bino, a 23-year-old school teacher here, is an offroader – like many others in the Pala region. “I started offroading when I was in Class 8,” she says. “My father and his brother had already been into the sport since 2005. So, for us, it was part of life.”
Despite initial hesitation from her mother, Riya took to the sport. “At first, my mother was scared. But then she saw I was using all the safety measures such as helmet and seatbelt. Now, she’s okay with it,” Riya smiles.
In a sport often considered the dominion of men, Riya stands out – not just for her age or gender, but also for her matter-of-fact courage. “Yes, the car rolled over once,” she says, when asked to describe a memorable event. “But we were strapped in, so nothing happened.”
Much like Riya, many Keralites stumble into offroading before they even know what it is. For Sam Kurien, a plantation owner, the journey started with a Willys and an estate in Kottayam with no proper road.
“Back then, everything was ‘offroad’,” Sam says. “Watching my father manoeuvre our vehicle, which also pulled a one-tonne trailer behind it, over rocks and mud, I realised that this isn’t just driving. It’s a skill.”
Later, in 2006, Sam bought his own Willys for `50,000 and soon, Sundays became offroad trail days. “What started as a family hobby snowballed swiftly and before long, we had 10 vehicles going out together,” he says.
“Then came clubs, both in Kerala and major cities outside, such as Bengaluru, Chennai and Coimbatore, and we began visiting each other’s trails.”
This spirit of community would become a defining feature of the sport in Kerala.
The game changer
The turning point came in 2014 when India hosted its first Rainforest Challenge (RFC) in Goa. Based on Malaysia’s legendary event, it transformed offroading into serious motorsport.
“Preparing for RFC can cost Rs 30 to 40 lakh,” Sam explains. “It pushed the scene to a different level. You couldn’t just show up – serious modification and training were required.”
That bar was raised even higher by competitors like Mohamed Fahed V P, an Ayurvedic doctor from Malappuram, who went on to become the first Malayali to win RFC India (2024).
“I started driving Willys at age 10. I hail from a rural, hilly place in Malappuram, and so, this vehicle was our only mode of transport,” Fahed recalls.
“Later, when I went to college, I learned about offroading and got hooked to it.”
Today, the 38-year-old, who has finished on the RFC podium four years in a row, is emblematic of Kerala’s offroading prowess.
Fahed adds that the number of events in Kerala has increased. “We now gather 200 people easily – 70 to 80 competitors, plus families and crew. It’s not just about competition, but the spirit. Our event is a gathering of enthusiasts,” he says.
The biker boom
While Willys and CJ500s were tearing up trails, another revolution was revving up on two wheels. The Indian adventure biking story has its own strange origin.
“Harley Davidson wanted to enter the Indian market, but the government had restrictions on bikes above 500cc. So a deal was made. India would allow Harleys, and the US would allow Ratnagiri mangoes. ‘Harleys for Mangoes’,” says Ouseph Chacko, lead instructor at The School of Dirt, a premier offroad biking academy in Kottayam.
But as Indian roads revealed their rougher edges, the Harleys gave way to more terrain-friendly models. “People realised these bikes – like the Himalayan, Xpulse, and KTM Adventure – were more suited to our roads. More suspension travel, more ground clearance,” Ouseph explains.
After 2020, especially during Covid, adventure biking exploded. “And we had bikes in India to cater to all demographics: Xpulse for college kids, KTM 390 for young professionals, BMW GS for the older, well-off crowd. At our school, we get riders aged 20 to 65,” he says.
Many of these riders are not just hobbyists. “They are turning to offroad training to get the most out of their machines,” Ouseph adds. “The School of Dirt helps riders understand the techniques as well as the electronics, ABS, traction control, etc.”
The science and expense
Often, this involves unlearning rather than ‘speeding up’. “Offroad riding teaches you to unlearn your street habits,” says former media professional Aparna Umesh, who runs the R&T 4x4 Training Academy in Kottayam.
“Things like riding downhill – you don’t brake or clutch like on the road. You learn to trust the vehicle.”
Aparna has seen riders cry after completing a course – some from joy, others from overcoming long-held fears. “We’ve had people come in with trauma, anxiety… the trail is therapeutic,” she says.
Rish John George, a trainer at The School of Dirt, echoes similar views. “There is a clear surge in interest. People from various walks of life come to us. We train 60 to 80 people every month,” he says. “Some are heading to the Himalayas or the northeast. Others just want to use their bikes better.”
In fact, there are many who assert that offroading experiences have made them better drivers/riders on city roads.
Women in the fray
The surge in enthusiasm is evident among women as well. Among them, P G Deepamol’s story is noteworthy.
She won first prize in her very first 4x4 event using a borrowed ‘jeep’. “I had never even seen a track before. But I had a great support team, especially the senior female participants,” she says.
Here, too, the gender gap does exist. “Women take to this sport after overcoming many personal hurdles and stigma. When we do eventually win, our prize money is usually one-fifth of what is afforded in the men’s category. And for us, sponsorships are almost non-existent,” says Deepamol, who is an ambulance driver.
Yet, she has already participated in half a dozen events and plans to keep going. So do Riya and Aparna.
The soul story
Whether it’s Fahed, who left government service and built his own hospital to balance career and competition, or Riya, who now teaches full-time and still makes it to events with her father’s group, offroading in Kerala continues to grow on its own terms.
“There was a stigma. People thought it was reckless driving,” Aparna says. “Now, families are joining. People are learning that it’s about technique, teamwork, and ultimately discovery.”
“The most thrilling drives,” she says, “are the natural ones - forest paths, estate roads, hill climbs no one’s done before.”
One grouse that almost all offroaders share is has is with the stringent curbs on vehicle modification and organising events. They do not seek leniency, but better legal clarity and value for the sport – a sport that went beyond the realm of adventure during flood rescue ops.
With Kerala trying to project itself as an adventure tourism hub in recent times, offroaders hope things would change for the better.
After all, from CJ500s barreling through RFC stages to young riders learning ABS control on a KTM, Kerala’s offroading scene reflects a changing motorsports narrative. One that blends adrenaline with awareness, thrill with therapy. Where the road ends, the real journey begins.