Do you have the wheels?

No parallel parking challenge this, the Raid de Himalaya will have you wondering every day if you are ever going to make it to the finish line, alive. Stephen Cunliffe hazarded the hell-raising ride across the beautiful and deadly Himalayan terrain to emerge an awestruck adventurer

Type: Adventure
Best from: Shimla
You need: 9 days



Even if the snow, ice, sub-zero temperatures, dangerously narrow mountain tracks, and oxygen-depleted high altitude Himalayan passes don't terrify you, the brutal pounding that your vehicle takes might thwart your best efforts to cross the finish line. The Maruti Suzuki Raid de Himalaya is as much about endurance as it is about driving.
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The terrain is rough, the weather conditions can be horrendous, and the route is often downright brutal. So, this begs the question: what possesses people to sign up for this seemingly insane event?

I grappled with this conundrum for much of the second week of last October as I accompanied 180 participants on the 11th edition of Raid de Himalaya: a motorsport event that is widely acknowledged as the longest, highest and most strenuous race in India.

To describe the Raid as brutal is an understatement. It tests drivers and their vehicles beyond limits. Vehicles are jolted, bashed and rattled to within an inch of the scrap yard. Driver cunning and stamina are essential if you are to survive the hardships and challenges of Raid de Himalaya and claim a much-coveted
finisher's medal.

To illustrate just how vicious this race is, here's some data: only eight of the 33 vehicles entered in the Extreme racing category were able to cross the finish line at last year's event!

The 2009 race flagged off from Shimla on Wednesday, October 7, before moving north across Himachal Pradesh over the notorious Baralacha Pass and into Ladakh. When we attempted to cross this icy high altitude pass shortly before dawn, the mercury hovered around -8 C. This was just the beginning.

After overcoming the snow and black ice on Baralacha, the world's second highest motorable road over Tanglang La followed. We then gained entry into the remote Buddhist enclave of Ladakh and stayed overnight in Leh.u00a0

The race's latter stages detoured into the idyllic Zanskar Valley before returning via Kargil for the final leg to Srinagar. Himalayan Motorsport spokesman Manjeev Bhalla jovially described this as "an opportunity to have some fun racing right under the noses of the Pakistanis!"u00a0

As the race wore on, more and more competitors dropped out; yet, surprisingly, with the passing of each day, I began to better understand the attraction of such an event. There was the almost primordial appeal of pitting yourself against the extreme Himalayan elements, coupled with the irresistible allure of embarking on a genuine adventure.

En route to the finish line, everyone is plagued by the same question: can I last the distance? It is not just stamina that is tested, but vehicle endurance too since the terrain and weather gods dish out innumerable obstacles on a daily basis. It is life at its most simple; survival becomes paramount.

There is, however, much more to this event than torturous terrain and racing hardships. Each year the route takes participants into some of India's most beautiful, pristine and unexplored regions. Competitors are treated to the breathtaking beauty of north India's landscapes, along with some of the finest Himalayan views imaginable.
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The bluest skies are juxtaposed against snow-capped peaks, glaciers and icy mountain streams.
The rally traverses over 2,000 kilometres of India's finest wilderness areas. Largely uninhabited due to extreme weather conditions, these areas offer a never-ending kaleidoscope of jaw-dropping vistas to keep even the dourest competitors in awe.

The Raid organisers recognised that the event lures not only professional motorsport afficionados but also everyday adventurous souls. So, in response, they created an Adventure category to accommodate these spirited amateur enthusiasts. Vehicles in the Adventure section follow exactly the same challenging route as the extreme category, allowing amateurs to take on the Himalaya, but without the racing dangers and competitive pressures inherent to the extreme category.

Adventure participants are given an optimum average speed to maintain over an unspecified distance. They are then marked on the accuracy of their arrival at various checkpoints. Arriving either early or late incurs penalties. However, the optimum speeds and timings are still challenging enough to keep Adventure
category drivers on their toes!

With over a hundred people involved in the more social Adventure group, this is by far the most popular option. Last year's event included husband-wife teams, mother-daughter duos, even a disabled competitor. Most participants compete for the fun, challenge and thrill. So, that leaves just one question ufffd why don't you sign up for the 12th edition of Raid de Himalaya?

More information
The Maruti Suzuki Raid de Himalaya is organised under the auspices of Himalayan Motorsport and covers over 2,000 km through rugged mountainous terrain.
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The next edition takes place from October 8 to 17, 2011 and is widely acknowledged to be India's toughest and most prestigious motorsport event.

Further information is available at: www.raid-de-himalaya.com