It was a muddy weekend as Mahindra Adventure hosted their 156th edition of the Great Escape in Lonavala with the Off-roading trophy round. Close to 21 participants took the challenge, in an effort to prove their mettle across various obstacles in one of India’s most popular off-roading events.
The Mahindra Off-roading trophy in Lonavala was held on January 12, 2019 at 19 Degree North Resort. It was made up of four challenging stages, each of them having their unique flag and route points. The participants arrived in their Mahindra Thars, MM 550s and other off-road prepped SUVs to take on multiple axle-twisting obstacles, while also gathering as many points as possible. Points were awarded for retaining vehicle condition, picked flags and a clean run without destroying cones or bunting. To add more drama, the stages were timed. The hill of Lonavala offered an appealing experience, encompassed by thick woods, waterfalls and the dam close to the lakes.
The first stage comprise of two steep inclines, one of which was an almost vertical climb. The driver had to pick four flags on his way out, while the co-driver/spotter directed him safely. Crush a cone or bend a flag, and the driver loses points. If the driver is unable to make the climb, he is winched out and given points only for the flags.
The second stage involved mild water wading, technical flags
Ravi Bhalla grabbed the first place in the Stock Category while Digvijay Singh Parmar won the Modified Category and Dr. Vani Parmar took the win in the Ladies Class Category.