Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Monday, November 16, 2009
Sunday, November 8, 2009
In the words of the co-driver
Sean showed us the Land Cruiser we would be driving. There was something nice I felt about it as it was the same colour as my jeep. This was not only our vehicle for the competition but also our home for the next four days. The vehicle was pretty stock other than the tires as Sean has already mentioned. Sanjay was quick to check out the vehicle’s revebility and familiarized himself with the instrumentation and layout while I was busy checking out the tools, winch equipment, spare wheels, ‘D’ shackles, snatch blocks, tree savers, etc in the kit Sean had provided. Each one was nicely stowed away and secured properly. Kudos to Sean for the meticulous detail in which the vehicle had been equipped
It was here, Sanjay and me met Sean’s friend Prashan – ‘old fox’ as we call him affectionately. Prashan is a walking encyclopedia on Off-roading- the rare kind you get to see these days- the kind of person who has acquired knowledge by actually doing it on the field, time and again, on different vehicles and different terrain- recorded and analyzed every bit of it. In the next hour he gave us a few tips and techniques that proved invaluable through the event and whose lessons we would never forget. It was disappointing to know that he would not be competing as his gearbox could not be fixed that night. The Ceylon Parotta he offered us was delicious.
Next we fuelled and set out to Putlam, nearly 160 kms away from Colombo. On arriving and setting up camp we were informed that the first SS (Special Stage) would be held at 1:00 AM. Sanjay did a fantastic drive through the slush and I had a hard time navigating as it was pitch dark in the jungle and was easy to get lost and lose time.
We camped for the night in our tiny tent and headed to the Wilpatta forests in the morning. What a sight and what terrain. We were escorted by armed soldiers of the Srilankan Navy as Wilpptta had been under LTTE control for almost 20 years. Infact we were informed that we were the first non-locals to visit the place in 60 years. It was fun camping in the dense forest amidst elephants with nothing other than goose neck lamps to keep them away.
During the course of the day, we did the Special Stages. Each one was drafted with such ingenuity that it tested the skills of man, machine and their interaction to the extreme. We were spellbound by the variety of terrain that was offered during the course of the event. Water crossing, clay, slush, mud (in which Sanjay was the undisputed king), red sand, jungles were all present and course drafted in a manner which was self limiting in its own nature.
As a co driver my experience was amazing. Learnt winching techniques, knots, safety aspects and navigation. Although I am quite fit thanks to my regular running, tennis sessions and of course the kind of work I do everyday nothing prepared me for level of fitness the event demanded and it realized it in the first day. I had to carry the anchor rope, D shackles, snatch block, winch cable as Sanjay was reeling it out. After about 5 metres, you realize something was not right. The steel rope gets so heavy that you can barely hold it above the ground. What I had to do was carry all this across a flowing river (and its level was rising and a flash flood warning was issued) almost 25 M wide and wade through shoulder high water, reach the other bank, throw the things I was carrying on the bank, climb onto the bank through the slushy mud almost 5 feet high, tie the tree saver around a 4 feet wide tree, 7 feet above the ground, walk back across the river with the winch rope after securing it to the snatch block and fix it back to the vehicle and guide Sanjay as he winched himself out. I can’t remember having done anything so exhausting in my life for years now and it is not that I am a software engineer or someone in a white collar job. Being a mechanic I am used to physical exhaustion while removing engines and separating gearboxes but what I experienced there is unprecedented. Guys, being a co driver is tough. In another instance, I dropped a shackle into flowing water and had to literally put my head into the flowing river to take it out, else there was no way out vehicle would have got out of the obstacle.
Sanjay was an amazing driver and showed to other competitors that a driver is not a celebrity and we exhibited what team work was on numerous occasions. He would get down from the vehicle and analyse the situation first hand. We would have quick discussions and Sanjay would help save time by anchoring things at the vehicle end while I winched the rope or carried the other devices to the other end. This was how we saved a lot of time. On the 3rd day we observed that a lot of teams started following our style and drivers started getting out of their vehicles.
We approached obstacles sensibly. One of the most important pre-requisites in off roading is instilling in us respect for the terrain and understanding the capabilities of the vehicle. The terrain was so majestic that we held it in such high respect from the time we arrived and it helped us in not over estimating ourselves and making stupid mistakes which would have cost us dearly. The vehicle was another story though. It was stock and was not as well equipped as the rest of the competition. Even the treads in the tires were worn out. Also, Sanjay was driving it for the first time. The learning curve was steep but our basics were so strong that we were able to pull it off.
We also realized that our MM 540, CJ3B and gypsy were excellent vehicles after all. Maybe we will do the Taprobana challenge next year in a MM550 on which I am working in my workshop right now. Again nothing fancy, just blue print the engine, maybe turbo-charge it and we’ll see how it fares. People who are learning off roading on Mahindras and Gypsys- this is the way to go. These are very capable machines and it was only because we had ground our axe on these machines that we were appreciated on numerous occasions about our skills. As our dear ‘Old fox’ said, ‘Technology has replaced skills in our drivers and it is so refreshing to see you guys show our top drivers what skill is all about’. Dare I say that I was even telling Sanjay that obstacles that Land cruisers and Land Rovers were struggling I thought my petrol 3B could clear and he nodded in agreement.
The Taprobana challenge was a great experience. The event was excellent, people were very friendly and I am sure it would remain as an experience of a life time for me and one of the best OTRs in my life. Thanks Sean, Darshan, Rushi, Prashan and others. On this side of the Adams bridge I thank Sanjay (who convinced me to make the trip), Kaushik, Arka (ex670c) who has been extremely supportive and gave us valuable tips before the event), Headers, Petrolhead, nitrous, fieryenzyme, hotrod and others who were very supportive.
Last but not the least we thank Jeep thrills and its members. It was here we learnt off roading and our performance in the Taprobana International challenge bears testimony to the lessons learnt on our various OTRs.
Apologies for the late reply- had to leave for the TED conference happening at Mysore as soon as I arrived in India and did not find the time to post a detailed report.
From Palar to Puttalam
Over the last few years, the Palar Challenge has set the benchmark for both man and machine, demanding complete skill and dedication. Held under the auspices of the Chennai chapter of Jeep Thrills, it is one of the toughest off-road terrains in India. Set in the bed of the Palar – a subterranean river that flows into the Bay of Bengal, the event involves extreme special stages(SS) stretching from Wallajabad to Marakkanam. In the event spanning three days, competitors will have to course through the river bed (a task by itself, considering the harsh and humid weather) to reach every special stage.
This year’s Palar Challenge gained a whole new dimension with international participation. Ace Sri Lankan off-roaders Sean Hameed and Darshan Maralanda competed in a locally sourced MG 413W and stole the limelight with their extraordinary skills. In the ‘Most Performing 4WD’ category Sean won first prize. And this came as no surprise from a man who is a regular at the Rainforest Challenge, Malaysia.
Sean’s efforts truly deserve a special mention. He accepted Jeep Thrills’ invitation and competed in the Palar Challenge. He also reciprocated the comradeship by inviting Indian teams to participate in the Taprobana Challenge 2009. And that’s how the journey began; from Palar to Puttalam.
When Sanjay David and Raghav R from the Chennai chapter of Jeep Thrills decided to participate in the Taprobana Challenge, their enthusiasm to represent India and the Indian off-roading community was not marred by the fact that they were not backed by sponsorships or financial support. Their determination and the encouragement of the entire Jeep Thrills community proved to be the driving force.
As someone who grew up in a plantation estate, Sanjay’s initiation to off-roading can be best-described as natural. Over the years he has nurtured his skills and is an active member of the Jeep Thrills Chennai chapter. He steered his passion to the next level when his team won the Palar Challenge 2009. Prior to this, Sanjay and team were the runners-up in the Palar Challenge 2008.
An automobile professional by default and design, Raghav has years of experience in leading automotive and motorsport companies. He owns and manages IGNITE - a multi-brand service centre in ECR, Chennai. With a strong technical background, Raghav’s role as co-driver gave the team a double advantage.
For practical reasons, the team decided to source a vehicle in Sri Lanka to participate in the event. To quote Sean Hameed, Event Director of the Taprobana Challenge and Founder Member of the Four Wheel Drive Club of Sri Lanka – “Sanjay and Raghav drove a LJ 70 Land Cruiser 2.8 Litre 4 Cylinder Diesel. The vehicle was pretty much stock with standard coil spring suspension, compared to their fellow competitors. The only two vehicles to run with 33" tires and without diff locks during the event were Sanjay David’s and Zubin Mohammed’s (a fellow competitor from Kerala). Even our marshalling vehicles were more souped-up than this.”
The Taprobana Challenge was the fourth of the series of off-road events conducted by the Four Wheel Drive Club of Sri Lanka for the year 2009. The winner who would be judged on the basis of the final points tally of the four events, gets to represent Sri Lanka in the prestigious Rainforest Challenge 2009 in Malaysia.
The event involved four days of extreme off-roading covering 20 special stages (SS) over a variety of terrain amidst harsh sun and rains. Flag-off from Puttalam town happened at 8.00 pm on 28th Oct, 09. The extreme 4x4 convoy then proceeded to the first campsite at Vanathavilluwa. Competitors were given a short break to set up their camps, before commencing the event’s first SS: an exciting SS in the pitch of the night.
The first SS concluded around 2.00 am on the 29th October. At the break of dawn, competitors were welcomed with traditional rice cakes and fish gravy for breakfast followed by a series of tough hilly and muddy SSs.On its part, the weather greeted the competitors with surprise showers.
On 30th October, the competitors moved camp along the banks of Kala Oya bordering Wilpattu National Park. They were rewarded with some challenging SSs on the river bank. The test of man and machine was beginning to make its impact. After the SSs, several competitors burned the midnight oil repairing their machines to prepare for the next day. The organizers were busy too. They had chosen the man for a very special award. Roshan Amarasinghe, the competitor from Seeduwa was awarded the prestigious Camaraderie Award for his knowledge and will to help fix his fellow competitors’ vehicles before dawn.
31st October was a really tough day. Even the most formidable competitors suffered to conquer the deceptive terrain. Those who tried to substitute caution with speed paid the price. Winches snapped. Engines choked. Every man had learned his lesson. By 2.00 pm the convoy left Kala Oya after four grueling special stages. Some competitors had to seek tow assistance from the marshals. They had to resort to external service assistance which also meant a 100 point debit penalty. The others went on to do one more special stages en route. By evening, the convoy reached Kalpitiya beach and was welcomed with a dinner feast of exotic sea food and lively cultural entertainment.
The morning of 1st November began with much fanfare, as the Kalpitiya beach wore a festive look. Leading brands in Sri Lanka had put up stalls in the venue. And a crowd of spectators from the neighbouring towns had eagerly lined up to witness the day’s events. The first SS for the day from Kalpitiya Beach to Dutch island and back was a combination of a speed-run and an obstacle course. This was followed by a dedicated SS to test the reversing skills.
The Indian team evoked a lot of appreciation with Sanjay David finishing 8th in the event. Considering the time they had to familiarize themselves with the terrain and the machine, they made a positive impression on their peers. The highlight of the Taprobana Challenge 2009 for the Indian team was that Sanjay David clocked the fastest timing in the last SS. He was the only competitor to better the timing of the reigning champion Indika Sanjaya in an individual SS.
At the close of the event, Indika Sanjaya and his co-driver Naveen Marapana of the Land Rover team topped the points tally to officially represent Sri Lanka in the forthcoming Rainforest Challenge at Malaysia.
There was also a special stage for the standard class for encouraging new enthusiasts. The chief guest, deputy minister Mr Neomal Pereira sportingly participated in this special stage in his Toyota Land Cruiser and clocked an impressive timing. The event concluded with prize distribution and the Sri Lankan competitors bid adieu to their Indian counterparts promising to make it to the next Palar Challenge.
| OFF-ROAD AS A SPORT IN SRI LANKA · Sponsorships and support from Automotive companies,
· Supported by several ministries of the government · Simple procedures for transporting vehicles abroad · Variety of choice for vehicle and equipment imports/upgrades |
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Sri Lanka here we come!
We are a team of experienced enthusiastic off-roaders from Chennai, India. We made it our agenda to promote off-roading, travel and adventure while having complete fun doing it. We are all out for new experiences and adrenal rushes, which explains why this page is called "The Road Not Taken".
One of our top priorities is to participate in raids, trails and off-road events in India and abroad. Our first step is the Sri Lankan Rainforest Challenge from 28 Oct, 09 to 1Nov, 09. We are making it all by ourselves this time. Hopefully, we'll be ready to go whole hog with sponsorships in our future endeavours.
So here's our team for the Sri Lankan Rainforest Challenge
SANJAY DAVID: Driver
Avid Offroader & Traveller
Runner-up (Team) of The Palar Challenge 2008
Winner (Team) of The Palar Challenge 2009
RAGHAV R: Co-driver
Avid Offroader & Automotive Professional
Owner, IGNITE - The Garage: Eco-friendly multi-brand automotive service centre
MAHADEV KAUSHIK: Team Manager (Yeah, that's me)
Avid Offroader & Automotive enthusiast