Loving the rough ride

With clubs mushrooming all over the country and events around the year, off-roading is seeing a surge in popularity. Ranjita Ganesan and Indulekha Aravind talk to enthusiasts about what drives them to

Face-to-face with a devious incline on the sun-kissed hills of Igatpuri, 120 kilometres from Mumbai, a driver revs up his SUV’s engine determinedly. Seconds later, the vehicle hurtles forward and conquers the slope, clutching at the slippery mud for nearly a minute before backing down. The small crowd that has gathered for the finals of the Mahindra Adventure Off-Road Trophy rises to its feet and applauds. It is the prospect of accomplishing such brave albeit graceless feats that led 39-year-old Kurian Kurian to take up off-roading almost a decade ago. Off-roading is different from rallying, explains Kerala-based Kurian. “I love speed and my motive used to be to finish first. Off-roading is more of a mind game, focusing on control and vehicle preservation.”

Though not as fast or noisy as racing and rally driving, off-roading exercises are intensely technical. The challenge lies not in finishing first but in how skilfully you power through the big pool of slush on the dirt track, climb that steep incline, or bash those dunes. “It was hard to see why people would want to slug it out in the heat and dust, but when I experienced the thrill of overcoming an obstacle, it all made sense,” says auto journalist Bunny Punia who got interested in the sport after he was invited to participate in a competition.

Kurian and Punia are part of a rapidly growing tribe that is passionate about going off the beaten track, literally, whether it is corporate executives who head out of the city for a high-adrenaline weekend or off-roading junkies who set off on days-long events.

* * *
 

One sign of the surge in interest for off-roading is the number of clubs that have mushroomed all over the country in the last five years. “It’s almost as if everybody who owns a Jeep wants to start his own community,” says HB Vivek, a Bangalore-based software executive, and a founding member of Jeep Thrills, one of the oldest clubs in India. Jeep Thrills happened by chance, when a blog Vivek wrote about his restoration of a 1967 petrol model Willys was picked up by a Canadian website on Jeeps, which also had articles by off-roading enthusiasts in Kolkata and Chennai. They got in touch with him, leading to the formation of Jeep Thrills in 2004. Ten years on, the community of a few has grown to thousands, with city-wise chapters and events, says the 41-year-old. The Bangalore chapter of Jeep Thrills alone has over 2,000 members, half of whom own off-roading vehicles, and each chapter has monthly off-roading trips, as well as an annual event. This is besides independent clubs such as Terrain Tigers based in the National Capital Region, a dedicated group who go off-roading in their four-wheel drives every weekend.

Those who want to give off-roading a go now have a range of vehicles to choose from, unlike earlier, when the choice was limited to souped up Maruti Gypsies or Army-disposed vehicles. Those who can afford it now have the option of buying Pajeros, Land Rovers and BMWs though owners of high-end SUVs would, naturally, be more careful about roughing it out. Auto companies have also noticed the increasing interest and have launched or are planning to launch vehicles dedicated to off-roading, such as the Thar from the Mahindra stable, which entered the market in 2010. All-terrain vehicle major Polaris too plans to introduce more models in India, and there are reports that the Tatas will be renewing focus on the SUV segment.

* * *
 

Mahindra and Mahindra has gone one step further and launched an academy dedicated to off-roading in Igatpuri in 2012, which has held around 15 courses over weekends so far. For the company that began organising “Great Escapes”, which are multi-day off-roading trips in the late ’90s, this was an extension of a brand-building exercise. Company executives say the academy was set up to to allow Mahindra customers to explore the potential of their off-roading vehicles and SUVs in a controlled environment, though the courses are open to everyone. The academy gets veterans passionate about the sport as well as novices, who are given an introduction and training in one-day sessions.

Back at Igatpuri, Sabrina Wahlang from Meghalaya, one of the few women off-roaders there, says the sport also explores the relationship between man and nature, “It is just you, the vehicle and untamed paths.” Off-roaders are encouraged to go out in groups since lone drivers could be stranded without help.

Until five years ago, off-roading was more of an outing with friends where you drove, ate, drank and returned, remembers former public relations executive Sapna Gurukar. The scene has changed since with beginners joining regional clubs and battling it out in competitions. Women are slowly getting interested, too, she adds. When Gurukar started entering competitions in Karnataka two years ago, she was often the only female participant. “I learnt to ignore remarks about women being bad drivers. But I always took revenge for it on the track.”
HIT THE TRENCH
The Pushkar Great Escape
Part of Mahindra Adventure's Great Escape series, which conducts 10 off-roading events through the year, last year's off-road challenge was held around the same time as the famed cattle fair, when Pushkar comes alive. Challenges included driving across sand pits and trenches.
Where: Pushkar, Rajasthan
When: November

The Palar Challenge
Dubbed by its organisers, the Chennai chapter of Jeep Thrills, as the toughest 4x4 challenge in the country, the trail takes participants through the dry bed of the Palar river. The website declares that the ride is “not for sissies” and asks “whiners” to stay away.
Where: Palar, near Chennai
When: August

Bangalore Annual Off Road
Organised by the Bangalore chapter of Jeep Thrills and held over two days, each year's terrain varies — previous events have been held in Avalakonda.
Apart from these, clubs like Terrain Tigers, based in the NCR, and the Northern India Off Road Club regularly conduct off-roading events.
Where: Varies
When: January