Pretty Damn Quick

Works In Progress

Sun, 22 Jan 2012 16:27:00 +0530

A couple of months ago, we started experimenting with wood and the idea of building things with wood. In the last month, we’ve had our hands full with pine wood, putty, primer, sand paper and lots of paint. Here’s our first batch of work.

Handpainted and handcrafted in the Nilgiris, woodwork from...

Sun, 22 Jan 2012 16:04:00 +0530

Handpainted and handcrafted in the Nilgiris, woodwork from PrettyDamnQuick.

Notes from the Raid

Sat, 31 Dec 2011 14:15:00 +0530

Notes from the Raid: The Parrot, the Coconut and the Gypsy. // Text: Shuchi Thakur // Published in the January 2012 issue of Business Standard Motoring magazine.

Breaking down and subsequently getting out of the Raid is the single worst thing in the world. You don’t see it coming. No signs from the Universe, no premonitory dreams, nothing.

I have a theory. Come September when the planets align and when the crouching Mummy of Gyu raises its head and the lamas of Lamayuru blow them long horns, high up in the mountains, Nawang Thinley’s three-legged pet parrot hops out into the courtyard and with his incredible beak, pulls forward the names of people from the Raid de Himalaya DNF deck of cards. Clearly, the parrot is on to something big here.

Pray, what, you ask, is a DNF? It stands for “Did Not Finish.” When abbreviated, it can be put to versatile use: as a phrase (I Did Not Finish), a noun (I am a DNF), a proper noun (Oh, look! It’s the DNF Gang), a verb (You DNFed? Me too!) and an adjective (The DNF party in the service park was a big hit).

A rally driver deals with a DNF in his/her own way. For some, a DNF brings forth a grand bout of PMS (Poor Me Syndrome). For some, it’s simpler to just transfer the blame onto something else entirely – the workshop, the service crew, the navigator, the organisers, other drivers, pigeons, goats, the sun, the snow, Frooti; the list is long and fantastic. Then again, most drivers take a moment off to feel bad and then start counting down the days to next year’s Raid.

Out of the 7 times that I have participated in the Raid de Himalaya, I have DNFed 3 times. On Day 1, in 2007; On Day 3, in 2008; and more recently (two months ago), on Day 5 in the second last competitive section of the rally. Having achieved this mean feat thrice and at different stages of the Raid, one would imagine that I’ve paid my dues/ had my share/ done my bit to tip whatever Good Driver - Evil Driver scales that exist in the rally cosmos. Only time will tell.

Keep the car running // The Raid De Himalaya is the highest altitude motorsport event in the world. The list of things that can go wrong when rally driving in those mountains is so long, it can circle the Earth 5 times.

Given what we’re up against, rally drivers are great believers in all things that promise success. I, for one, try not to subject myself to anything remotely hocus-pocus on a daily basis. Yet, two years ago, at a session with a face-reading clairvoyant: Keep a coconut in your Gypsy. (Gulp) Why? Because otherwise, you’ll break your left leg! Eh, and the coconut? If you keep it in your car, it will absorb all the bad stuff coming your way. And hence, die a sad shriveled death? Keep the coconut!!

Typically, I forgot. Well, at least I had forgotten until I found myself staring at a cart full of coconuts in the middle of the road, en route to Shimla for the Raid Scrutiny. And I was reminded of the leg, at which point the clairvoyant would have surely exclaimed: See, God sent you coconut!

It wasn’t the possibility of the leg breaking that bothered me. What ate away at my pea-sized brain was that if said leg broke and broke in a manner that was bad, then I would not be able to drive further on the Raid that year. Enough said. It’s the Raid de Himalaya. One coconut please.

This year, for the Raid, lemons were deployed. Instead of lying staidly in the glove box like the coconut had in the previous years, the lemons were called into action every morning before flag-off. In the bitter cold, and I say this with a heavy heart, 4 lemons were detailed to go stand in front of each of the wheels. And then driven over, thus meeting a quick albeit painful end. What is more is that disaster struck anyway, on the second last day, in the second last stage of the rally.

Having been at the receiving end of simpler forms of rally driver misfortune, what transpired on Day 5 of this year’s Raid can only be explained by means of a step-by-step diagram, not unlike those used to describe crime scenes. I initially suspected it was karma; in lieu of the Lemon Massacre, the Universe meted out electrical failure. Or maybe I should be less stupid and not leave gaping wide holes in the center of the car, into which carelessly tucked away leg warmers may fly, and in furiously wrapping themselves around the drive shaft – snap essential electrical wiring!

So much for unscientifically proven evil-energy-sucking abilities of sour yellow fruit. Evil leg warmer-1, Lemon-0.

Shake break bounce // Mumbo-jumbo aside, the Raid is one of the finest tests of the endurance levels of human beings, motor vehicles and human beings driving their motor vehicles.

Over the years, a lot has been said about the Maruti Suzuki Gypsy – the ride quality, the archaic leaf springs, the high center of gravity, the 1298 cc engine. It has been called names, good and bad – everything from mountain goat to battle tank to torture on wheels. Then again, it is the only vehicle which can take a beating that phenomenal; across terrain where everything you see on the road is custom-built to break your car. No wonder that the Gypsy is the vehicle of choice for almost all the X-treme category drivers. It’s exceptional. It’s a star.

Putting together an event, a 2200 km car rally no less, in the Himalayas is an exercise in logistics unlike any other. One would imagine it’s largely a thankless job too, especially since there are enough people bleating around the mountains complaining about all sorts of inane things; it’s too cold, the stages are too rough, the transport sections are too tight, flag-off is too early the snow is too white, the sky is too blue; yet, for more than a decade, the Himalayan Motorsport Association has made the Raid happen, seamlessly, bleating goats et al.

In dust we trust // For the last 13 years, the Raid has been bringing together people from all walks of life, to race, for 6 days, in the highest mountain range in the world. Naturally, then, the attrition rate at an event such as this is pretty high. Only a handful of those who start, actually end up past the finish line. The spirit of competition is immense, but camaraderie forged at 16000 ft in sub-zero temperatures is extraordinary. The mountains of Himachal, Ladakh and Kashmir are peppered with stories of broken axles and failed brakes, of near misses and lucky finishes, of tenacious drivers and loony navigators, of a Drang Drung glacier and a Zing Zing Bar, of a Killing Sarai and a Whiskey Nullah.

So why go back every year? Why break your car? Why spend time, energy and resources on this in the first place? “Because it’s there” doesn’t quite cut it. So, shut up and drive already.

For how to participate in the Raid de Himalaya 2012, visit www.raid-de-himalaya.com

On the trail of the thunder dragon!

Thu, 29 Dec 2011 19:30:00 +0530

The Raid de Himalaya was our last rally of 2010. Though we’ve been trying to organise ourselves for February’s Desert Storm Rally, we reckoned that Rangdum sub-zero temperatures during the Raid were not enough, so we took off to even higher mountains at even higher altitudes, to trek in the land of the thunder dragon. Trekking in Bhutan in the December is superb. More on the Druk Path trek soon!

On the Druk Path Trek: 4200 mts, -15 degrees, frosty tents, icy...

Thu, 29 Dec 2011 19:00:00 +0530

On the Druk Path Trek: 4200 mts, -15 degrees, frosty tents, icy trails, frozen lakes and some great food!

Also in Bhutan: Taktsang Monastery(Tiger’s Nest),...

Thu, 29 Dec 2011 18:55:00 +0530

Also in Bhutan: Taktsang Monastery(Tiger’s Nest), Jomolhari(the highest peak in Bhutan), the national animal - the Takin(half goat-half cow!) and the handloom weavers and incense makers of Thimpu.

ACRES WILD

Sun, 11 Dec 2011 07:05:00 +0530

Earlier today, we visited Acres Wild, Coonoor’s very own organic cheesemaking farm(and farm-stay). There’s a natural pond, ducks, geese, fish, cows, a few turkeys, a bio-gas unit, and farm-grown organic vegetables. We were told that sometimes, even elephants visit! There’s also a Cheesemaking Cottage, where all kinds of cheese is made - from Gouda, Cheddar and Parmesan to Feta, Halloumi and Camembert. And there’s even a two-day Cheesemaking Course(available to guests who stay in the farmstay). Great place, good for spending an idyllic weekend in the Nilgiris and learning how to make gourmet cheese.

At Acres Wild // organic cheesemaking farmstay, Coonoor

Sun, 11 Dec 2011 07:02:00 +0530

At Acres Wild // organic cheesemaking farmstay, Coonoor

At the Raid de Himalaya 2011, Days 4, 5 and 6.

Tue, 18 Oct 2011 20:32:00 +0530

At the Raid de Himalaya 2011, Days 4, 5 and 6.

Raid de Himalaya 2011 {Rangdum-Thang-Rangdum} D-Day. Shortly...

Sat, 15 Oct 2011 09:30:00 +0530

Day 5 - Rangdum to Thang.

Day 5 - On the way back to Rangdum.

Raid de Himalaya 2011 {Rangdum-Thang-Rangdum}

D-Day. Shortly after the second photograph was taken, our electrical wiring snapped and the car stalled.

Raid de Himalaya 2011 {Simla - Manali - Leh - Wari La -...

Thu, 13 Oct 2011 19:22:00 +0530

Raid de Himalaya 2011

{Simla - Manali - Leh - Wari La - Khardung La - Parkachik - Rangdum - Thang}

Photographs by Nitin Yadav.

Raid de Himalaya, Day 2 {Manali-Leh}, in the transport stages.

Wed, 12 Oct 2011 14:20:00 +0530

Raid de Himalaya, Day 2 {Manali-Leh}, in the transport stages.

Fri, 07 Oct 2011 21:30:00 +0530

In Coimbatore, at Kari Sports.

Sun, 28 Aug 2011 09:30:00 +0530

In Coimbatore, at Kari Sports.

The 2006 Raid story: Here comes the Raid again

Thu, 16 Nov 2006 04:42:00 +0530

The 2006 Raid story: Here comes the Raid again :

Shuchi’s account of her first “X-treme” category Raid de Himalaya, 2006. As published in Business Standard newspaper(21.10.2006) and in the November 2006 issue of Business Standard Motoring magazine.

At the Raid de Himalaya in 2005, driving a Maruti Suzuki 800....

Fri, 11 Nov 2005 19:22:00 +0530

At the Raid de Himalaya in 2005, driving a Maruti Suzuki 800. Photographs: Mohit Midha.

My first rally ever was the Raid de Himalaya in 2005. For the highest rally in the world, I was driving a 799 cc Maruti 800, no less. At the end of 6 days, we just about managed to limp past the finish line into Srinagar. We finished 10th in a pool of some 28 cars in the TSD category. I was hooked, but I promised myself that I would never put myself through the mind-numbing experience that is a TSD rally. So henceforth, X-treme category rally driving it is.