Himalayas....So Inspiring

One word makes the adventurer in me hold my breath in anticipation… one word makes the naturalist in me to think of the ideal place to be with nature… one word makes the traveler in me think of an exotic destination… one word makes the pilgrim in me think of salvation……. “Himalayas.” Yes, the Himalayas with its rugged mountain peaks, evergreen forests, bone chilling regions, important temples, makes it an ideal destination for everyone, a traveler, a pilgrim or a hardcore adventurer.

Yes the Himalayas are very dear to me, and always will be, I grew up in a small village in the Himalayas ....we did not have electricity till I was almost 8 and we got running water when I was almost 12, so life was not very easy. We had very limited exposure to the outside world, and what ever we learnt as kids was through radio (satellite dishes n television came there in the early 90’s) or the newspaper which we got late in the afternoon or the next day. Sports used to be limited to very few things because there was no infrastructure and cricket used to be played on the local road because that was the flattest piece of ground around.

(A Typical Himalayan Village)

Something big started happening around in the dusty roads around us in the early Eighties….. and it was not small, it was the only International motor sports event in India and this was the Himalayan Car Rally. Big factory teams from across Europe n Japan lined up to show there power on the Himalayas….and show they did. And that’s when the motor sports bug bit me.

The Himalayan Car Rally Died in the early 90’s lack of sponsorship……and the Himalayas remained silent till 1999 and another event “Raid De Himalaya” was born… The Raid de Himalaya is India's longest, toughest and the world's highest Motor sport adventure. It is the only Indian Motor sport event running on an International Permit for 7 years now. I happened to participate in the early events but haven’t done so lately….but I follow it closely because of it closeness to the Himalayas and a lot of my old buddies are involved in it.

(Tanglang La 5359 m, 17,582 feet)

Some of you would think…. Why would people, to all appearances sane and healthy, dart around mountainsides for 2,000 km, in howling cars and on screaming bikes, over what is arguably the toughest terrain in the world, at speeds that would make hair of most people, stand on end?

The answer my friends, Motorsport is not only about speed and mud ... it is a lot more ... it is also includes endurance, faith in ones self, trust in the team, and the machine, rising above fear, perfect coordination and also the Unexpected. It is more of a mental and physical game where one braves cold, hunger, sleep deprivation, oxygen starvation and general ill health for a few days....and then goes back and tells the world they had the time of their lives!! (Well isn’t that true about GMAT too!)

(Hostile Terrain, Look at the Lack of Vegetation)

The biggest challenge on the event is always the harsh nature, low temperatures and lack of oxygen, which causes Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS).This health condition, if not managed appropriately, can cause coma and eventually death. It can affect anyone regardless of age, gender, and physical condition.AMS happens only at high altitudes above 2,438m., and since the event is mostly at altitudes higher than this and sometimes at heights of up to 6,000m it becomes a serious mental and physical block, AMS is brought on by the body’s inability to cope with a reduced amount of oxygen. As we ascend, the air thins out and there’s less number of oxygen molecules per breath.

(yours truly in Action)

This year’s event ran the whole first week of October a distance of more than 2000 Kms. From Shimla to Srinagar, over some of the toughest terrain in the world…. Traveling over some of the major passes on the way
Jalori Pass 3223m (10,574)
Rohtang pass 4268m (14,002)
Kunzum 4598m (15,085)
Baralacha 4883m (16,020)
Lachhulungla 5064m (16,616)
Tanglangla 5359m (17,582)
Fatula 4108m (13,479)
At the end of it all a mere 53 seconds separated the first from the second, I can imagine how these guys must have driven there hearts out. Kudos to Eveyone who finished and partcipated.... it is this spirit that I salute to.