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X-Treme FAQ's |
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After starting from Shimla, we run through some lovely forest and
mountainous terrain to Manali and on to the high altitude desert roads
leading to Lahaul, Spiti and Ladakh. A series of truly adventurous rally
stages take you over half a dozen of the world’s highest motorable
passes, past large lakes, high altitude wildlife parks and some of the
really old historical monasteries!! You would be spending at least four days above an altitude of
15000ft ! On one front, these seven days will test qualities of
endurance, ingenuity , physical and mental toughness. On the other side
will be tested, dramatically, the levels of vehicle preparation
and planning for the unexpected !! Which
version of the Raid should I opt for…. The Raid de Himalaya 2008 will run two versions, concurrently, as last year - 'X-Treme' and the "Adventure Trial". The X-Treme version on a scale of 1 to 10 would rate an 9 in terms of difficulty. The Adventure Trial version would rate a 6. It
is suggested that all first timers participate in the Adventure Trial
this year and then move on to the
X-Treme
levels next year. However this is not cast in stone and first timers may
be permitted for the
X-Treme
version after being assessed by the "Participation Committee"
of Himalayan Motorsport for competence. You are taking on the mightiest mountains in the world at
altitudes where nothing much survives. You need to be physically fit and
mentally strong. The unexpected lies around the next bend and it need
not always be pleasant!! Our earlier "Raids" attracted a wide array of
vehicles……both motorcycles and 4 wheelers. The drivers and the
riders ranged from first timers to professionals. The program is drawn
such that it offers a reasonable degree of challenge each day and yet
allows sufficient time to recover for the next. A well-prepared car and
a generally fit person can easily cope up with the rigours of our event
and all that the high altitude route has to offer. "Through the night" driving is not part of the plan. We
try and get to our night halts by early evening, but it is possible you
may finish with headlights on, especially if you are running late. Each
day normally starts just after sunrise, though this year a few Legs will
be flagged off at dawn! However some competitors in past
years have driven through the night when plagued with problems. Though
not encouraged, this can give you a fresh perspective on life ! There is a special camaraderie that springs from long distance
events, and meeting up at the end of the day is very much a part of the
flavor of the event. That and the fact that the moment the sun goes
down, Ladakh changes in 15 minutes from a scenic landscape to a deadly
cold one, are the main reasons to get everyone safely in before sunset !
How
do I prepare…. Vehicle Preparation: The Raid Office team can help you –from the choice of car or
bike, how to prepare it, personal preparations, recce plans,
medical advice-you have the support of an experienced team behind
you. The Raid Office is available to answer your questions. Vijay, Atul,
and Manjeev- all having driven in many long distance events aim to give
you as much "back-up" support for your planning as
possible. Just write to Himalayan Motorsport at info@raid-de-himalaya.com
for any assistance. Though you may decide to take it as it comes and fix things
as they break, our advice is that it is better to set off with a totally
reliable car than have to seek workshops for a rebuild, halfway.
You should endeavour to set off, knowing that the car has been fully
prepared with all of the Raid Office advice notes taken into account by
your workshop during car preparation. Finally, you are flagged off with the peace of mind of knowing
that you have the support of a highly experienced organization as
your back-up. Downloading the
pre event scrutiny form will give you a good idea of what
makes up the compulsory safety modifications that have to be made to
your car or motorcycle. Medical Preparation: Our Medical team is highly experienced and we issue "Health
Notes" in the run up to the event to help you prepare well. The
medical
lists will give details of what all you must carry to battle High
Altitude Sickness as well as sunburn. What
cars are best..... As this is primarily an off road marathon event any vehicle
having a decent ground clearance, 4 X 4 capability and the capacity to
take a beating for 7 days would be the best. Our T1 Group allows
you to practically mix and match engines , gear boxes and chassis of any
vehicle with another, to produce the finest tailor made weapon for
this terrain !!!! However as a lot of the course is tarmac you must keep in mind that a Maruti Esteem won the event outright in 2000, being well ahead of all the 4X4 vehicles entered ! This hasn't been repeated subsequently so unless you are preparing a Baja buggy for the event stay with the 4X4 options! What
needs to be done to make the vehicles ‘Raid worthy’…. The Raid Management requires that the motorcycles and 4 wheelers
are prepared to internationally acceptable safety standards. The bike entrants need to prepare the motorcycles keeping in view
the Regulations detailed in the National Competition Rules (NCR) under
the section for two wheelers. The
Supplementary Regulations provide for certain modifcations that are
permitted for this event, due to the extreme nature of the terrain
traversed. These will override the NCR as and where specified. It is
recommended that you order your copy of the NCR by logging on to the net
and mailing fmsci@vsnl.com
to order your copy of the NCR for 2 wheelers. The 4 wheel category vehicles need to follow the FiA rules which
can be either downloaded from the FiA site at www.fia.com
or from this link for the FiA
Cross Country Vehicles Regulations. On the FiA site one should
download Art 281 through to 287 for the General,Safety and Technical
regulations for Cross Country Cars i.e T1, T2, and T4 for Cross
Country Trucks. Adobe Acrobat 6 would be the optimum reader for the PDF
Files that these documents are encoded in. The cars or trucks have to be equipped with a roll cage, 4 point
seat belts, electrical cut out switch on the exterior of the vehicle,
fire extinguishers and the passengers need to wear helmets. Downloading
the
pre
event scrutiny form for cars will be of great help here. Additionally, all participants need to bring along a sleeping bag at the pre event scrutiny, without which a start will be denied. The sleeping bag needs to be suitable for temperatures as low as –10 degrees centigrade. It is compulsory to carry it on board on each day of the event. This
is primarily to ensure you stay warm even on the coldest pass, in the
event of a breakdown, as you wait for the sweep vehicle to rescue you ! Who
can enter…. Just about anyone who has a regular driving license and obtains the Competition Driving License from the Motorsports Association of India ( MAI) or the Federation of Motor Sports Clubs of India (FMSCI). This must be done well before the pre event scrutiny i.e the 28th Sept 2008. Contact us on e mail for the license forms at: info@raid-de-himalaya.com or better still; Download the FMSCI Competition License Forms for 2 wheelers and the Medical Forms , follow instructions and send to the FMSCI with the required draft payment. Download the MAI Race / Rally Competition License Forms for 4 wheelers after clicking on the 2008 Rally / Race License link. For license fee please navigate the required links. Your doctor will fill out a basic health format...included in
the forms ...and you can forward the document directly to the MAI /
FMSCI as the case may be. Photocopy of your civil drivers license need
to be attested by a notary public along with required annexures. How
do I acclimatise and can I do a route recce ..... The route will be finalised by the middle of July 2008. All those
who submit their entries will receive a copy of the Road Books / or recce notes to do an entire route recce if they wish. However, it is not
necessary nor practical in terms of both costs and time, to do the
entire route beforehand. Just a few stages, two weeks before, and
above the 4000 mtrs mark would give you an idea of the terrain and
acclimatise you for the event. What
are the costs involved…. Entry fees ,insurances, vehicle preparation, service backup, the
expenses of the recce and running the Raid are the main costs incurred.
For details click on the costs
of participation link here. |
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Do
I need any special qualifications…. No, but any kind of past experience will of course be useful. A
lot of determination and perhaps a sense of humor will often see you
through the most testing of times. While mechanical knowledge can be
useful not everyone has it !! If
you drive safely and to a game plan you probably would not need it. Physically you need to be very fit. You will need to
consult your physician if you suffer from Hypertension ( high blood
pressure) and/or breathing disorders like asthma. We would be crossing
passes in excess of 18,000 ft and oxygen is in short supply. Do
I need any special insurance covers…. Yes, you will have to obtain a special insurance cover for using
your vehicle in the Raid. This is called a Rally
Insurance and is only for the vehicle you plan to use for the event. It is
only valid for the days of the Raid and you can easily get it from your
Insurance agent. A Personal
Accident Policy covering the participant for a minimum amount of Rs.
2,00,000/- is a must. This policy should also be easily available from
your Insurance agent and should mention it is for the purpose of the
Raid. This policy should cost not more than a few hundred rupees. As the Raid runs in the most desolate Himalayan regions
sometimes it is imperative to use professional medevac either by ground
or air ambulance to tackle an emergency. What
about stay and food arrangements at the night halts…. All your hotels at the night halts are a part of the entry fee. In a few cases these may be only tents laid out on a freezing wind lashed plain. Where possible, should you want a single room, or, upgrade to a better hotel, you are welcome to, but at your own cost. We would be able to advise you on the various accommodation possibilities available at the locations of the night halt. If
for whatsoever reason you decide to drop out of the event board and
lodging facilities would cease to be provided. However you would avail
of these facilities for any Leg you start and can make it to the
official night halt even though you may have dropped out of the Raid
during that Leg. Our Entry Fee reflects good value-
blended with professional support and administration. Food arrangements
are a part of the hospitality only at the few places where the Raid will
camp out and no restaurants are available. We do not make any arrangements at places that have
many restaurants and eating joints and here the choice of eatery is
yours. The Raid dinner at the end of the event is on us though!!!! How
cold does it get…. The day temperature
hovers around 2 to 26 degrees centigrade and the night temperature
plunges as low as –21 degrees centigrade. Good woollens along with
thermals and windproofs are a must. The bike entrants are advised to
take special care, as with the wind chill factor the temperatures can
get very uncomfortable. It is absolutely essential that all participants
carry their sleeping bags on board. Though the sweep vehicle makes every
effort to ensure that every individual along the route makes it to
the night halt location, it may mean several hours waiting in subzero
temperatures for the Sweep Team to show up. The sleeping bag will most
certainly be the lifesaver during this wait. Do
I have to make any special arrangements for my service teams…. Yes you do. Firstly, you have to register the service
team/s with us against a small fee. As the Raid runs into the forward
areas that border Pakistan and China every service crew member must
carry a proper identification. No member of the service crews will be
permitted beyond Sarchu unless they are carrying this I.D. which will be
supplied by Himalayan Motorsport. Secondly, you will have to book, against payment, with us for the
teams stay at Patseo/Sarchu or Pang, where the Raid will stay overnight at a campsite.
Details of this fee can be had in the costs
section. Where
do I get fuel halfway to Tibet......? Petrol pumps along the route will provide for 87 octane unleaded petrol and normal diesel, every 350 kms of the way. Extra range tanks on all the vehicles are a good idea. Remote area refueling on the Ladakh plain is provided for competitors only. The diesel provided in Ladakh will not be the special zero wax anti freeze diesel. It will be the normal oil that can freeze during the nights! Fuel to be provided to participants will have to be booked in advance and paid for before the start of the Raid as was done in 2006. To figure out the fuel requirement you can call Himalayan Motorsport for assistance. Service vehicles have to carry their own fuel, as no calculation
and thereby arrangements for their fuel requirements, is possible. How
late can I enter…. The last time and date for the entries is 1700 hrs on the 31st
August 2008. However, an early entry (before 1st June 2008) will attract a
lower fee and will give you enough time to get all your paperwork in
order well in time.
Standard entry (between 1st June and 31st July 2008) will be at a
higher rate than the early entries. However, this time frame too has
enough time leeway for documentation etc.
Late entries (between the 1st Aug and the 31st Aug 2008) will
attract the highest fee. This fee is non refundable in the event that
your paperwork does not come together in time for the event. Details of the various
entry
fees can be had directly from this link. What
happens if I break down in the middle of never never land....or even get
lost....... On
an event of this magnitude there is every possibility that you will have
the problems associated with a high speed endurance event that runs day
after day through inhospitable terrain. You will break things along the
way and your vehicle may give way completely before the last time
control. So what do you do stranded in the middle of nowhere without a
soul in sight... or worse still go off the track and get lost? Fortunately,
if you break down in the middle of nowhere don't worry. Himalayan
Motorsport has a Sweep Team for every stage and they will
eventually reach you as they bring up the rear mopping up the
stragglers! If you are a motorcyclist your bike will be loaded into the
back of the Breakdown truck ( if there is space) and brought to the nearest town from where
you can arrange repair or alternate transport for your machine. If a 4
wheel participant, your vehicle will be left where it is, unless it is a
short distance to a town or village and towing is possible. You will be
given a ride to the end of the Leg night halt. Himalayan Motorsport will help you arrange for a transport back home for your car/bike on the next day. This will normally be a local recovery truck from the nearest point possible and will be paid for by the competitor. Army recovery assistance, wherever possible, is normally for free. Incase
you wander off the track, which is highly unlikely, as on most stages
there are no alternative routes, your absence from the pack will be
missed immediately. Himalayan Motorsport has radio cars reporting
the progress of each rider or driver every 10 kilometres of the route
and these are manned by the best crews in Indian Motorsport !!!. Before
you have been lost for ten minutes we know you are missing. Also your Road Book has been made with a highly specialised Rally computer equipped with GPS, that is accurate to the last metre. You will be given the Road Book well in advance to enable you to do a route recce which reduces, hugely, the chances of getting lost. It is probable that the road book for this year will be a GPS track only. As you can recce a month in advance Pace Notes will be necessary for 4 wheelers. GPS (preferably Garmin 76Csx is recommended). With a RAM Bar Mount, external antenna and a lighter power cord it should be in the region of Rs 33,500/- with a pukka bill. Contact Info: For specific answers to queries that are either not covered above, or arise from the above information, please mail us at info@raid-de-himlaya.com . You
will receive a quick response. Further , as a large number of our
correspondence is also on paper, all serious enquiries may be
accompanied by postal addresses and contact phone numbers. |
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