Raid de Himalaya to start Oct 4

One of the toughest off-road motorsport events of the country, the Maruti Suzuki Raid de Himalaya will hold its 16th edition Oct 4-11 in Himachal Pradesh.

After the ceremonial flag off Oct 4 from Simla, the rally will cross several picturesque and challenging terrains across Himachal and Jammu and Kashmir to finish in Manali Oct 11.

"For the last 16 years, the Raid has been at the forefront of extreme motorsports in India. What started with just a handful of entries is now a revolution with over 150 teams," Maruti Suzuki India vice-president marketing Manohar Bhat said.

In the first leg - Shimla to Manali - which is considered as the most treacherous and challenging, motorsport enthusiasts are expected to experience 10 percent tarmac and 90 percent dirt.

In the second leg, rallyists would pass through Kunzum La, Spiti Valley, before halting at Kaza. This is where the drivers taste the first low oxygen levels and their machines experience the long hard climbs. Smart moves and sharp maneuvers will make the difference here.

In the third leg, the Raid will move from Kaza to cover monasteries - Komik, Dhankar, Ki and Tabo. The ratio of tarmac to dirt switches to 60:40 here.

Leg 4 tests patience as the Raid crosses Gramphoo, Darcha and rests at Sarchu. This leg will have the competitors acclimatised but the machines exhausted.

Leg 5 is where rallyists will cover Debring, Daat and then halt at Sarchu.

In the final leg, the rally will move from Sarchu, pass through Patseo, Keylong, Zanskar and halt at Manali.

The rally will have the following categories: Xtreme and Adventure (for 4X4 cars and trucks). Xtreme and Alpine are for bikers and scooters.

All eyes will be on Manali man and nine-time winner of the Raid Suresh Rana.

"In the last 10 years I have grown as a rallyist and have had the pleasure of competing with other thrill seekers across India's highest motorable passes. This year is special as I look forward to take home the numero uno title for the 10th time," said Rana.

"I will be competing in the Xtreme category in my Grand Vitara and hoping to taste success once again."