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  Off-roaders from Terrain Tigers showcase a tricky manoeuvre

It's a mild afternoon in late March and a convoy of sturdy vehicles is snaking its way in a cloud of dust through Bhandhwari, in rural Haryana. This is no ordinary convoy of vehicles and they certainly aren't sticking to the state's highways. They careen through narrow gorges, dried up streams and rock-strewn terrain. At the wheel in these vehicles are the intrepid members of Terrain Tigers, a Gurgaon-based off-roading club, who take their four-wheel monsters slipping and sliding over hill and dale every week.

A similar scene is unfolding at the crack of dawn in the sleepy hamlet of Kakkabe, 38km from Madikeri in Karnataka's Coorg district. More than 45 heavy duty vehicles lumber through a rugged 24-km stretch of the Western Ghats, their rural trail passing through coffee estates, the Choma Kunda Hills, spice plantations infested with leeches, boulder-filled streams and waterfalls. The rugged dirt paths of Kakkabe are the favourite stamping ground for members of Coorg Jeepers, who are taking part in Jungle Mount, an off-roading extravaganza.

It's all about taking the rough with the... well, more of the rough, for clubs like Coorg Jeepers and Terrain Tigers. These weekend thrill-seekers have been bitten by the off-roading bug in a big way and get their kicks from wallowing in axle-deep mud or rough and tough surfaces covered in snow, sand, gravel and rocks. 'The terrain is always challenging and the vehicles tough,' says Neeloy Sarkar, who founded Terrain Tigers last year with Sanjiv Singh.

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  Gerrari Offroaders from Chandigarh specialises in slush off-roading and are regulars at competitive events like Uncaged

For generations of Indians raised to look after their Ambassadors and Premier Padminis with ultra-loving care and making them last for decades, the idea of belting out destructively across the countryside in expensive 4x4s may seem almost heretic. But for a younger, more well-heeled generation, bored by their sedate weekday lives as bankers and corporate lawyers, off-roading is the perfect way to work off steam and have fun over the weekends.

For anyone who finds that hard to believe, just take a look at what happened when Sarkar announced he was turning the ignition on Terrain Tigers. He says: 'When we announced the opening of our club on Facebook, we notched up almost 50 members in a single day. Now we've got 800 members.'

Similar scenarios are unfolding behind the wheel in different rough-and-tumble locations around the country. In Chandigarh, you will find Gerrari Offroaders which started when five friends — Kabir Waraich, Dushyant Khosla, Kirpal Tung, Padam Chawna and Karan Bali — decided to take their cars bouncing up the hillocks in nearby Mullahpur and go river crossing at the flowing Ghaggar. And down south, Jeep Thrills, Chennai leads the off-roaders' pack, with more than 1,300 members. Looking west you'll come across Mumbai's Soumya Banerjee, CEO of educational e-bookstore Attano.com who loves working the trails of Alibaug and Lonavla with a convoy of vehicles. 'It's exciting to meet people outside your regular sphere. In your group there may be a hotshot surgeon, a hotelier, a CEO and people who run garages but everyone's on the same footing,' says Banerjee, who started out by accompanying friends on out-of-town trips and finally bought his own 1972 jeep CJ3B.

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  Adventures Overland heads for spectacular off-roading destinations like Kargil, Dras and other high-altitude passes

What's off-roading all about? That depends. It could be about bouncing and careening through places like Kakkabe, Bhandhwari or Alibaug. Or, it might be about seeking specialised challenges like a spot of rut crawling — creeping along vertical grooves on rocky ground — in Tijara, Rajasthan. Alternatively, you can also try your hand at dune bashing in Alsisar, Shekhawati or even snow off-roading in Kufri near Shimla.

A variety of vehicles are taken out into the countryside on these almost masochistic expeditions. They range from super-expensive Land Rover Freelanders, BMW X5s and Mitsubishi Pajeros to more affordable Mahindra Thars, Scorpios, Tata Safaris, Force Gurkhas and even ex-army jeeps. But the hot favourite remains the Maruti Suzuki Gypsy, which is considered perfect because it's rugged and not too expensive. Explains Singh of Terrain Tigers: 'Typically repair costs for a Gypsy are around Rs 2,000 to Rs 3,000 after an off-road trip. By comparison, you'll need to pay the price of a Gypsy to repair a Land Rover.'

It goes without saying that many of these vehicles have been souped up dramatically. So, they may have monster tyres and raised suspension for higher ground clearance as well as front and rear locking differentials.

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  Polaris vehicles boast superb acceleration thanks to their powerful engines and low weight

However, as the market grows and becomes more sophisticated, new vehicular options are roaring into this space. Polaris, global manufacturer of all-terrain vehicles (ATV) and other specialised drives has entered India to cater to the growing tribe of off-roaders. 'In 2012 we did the first mass exposure of our products at the Auto Expo, asking visitors to drive and experience our offerings,' says Pankaj Dubey, managing director, Polaris India. Up for grabs are the Sportsman 500 Touring and RAZR S 800 from the brand's inventory. 'They are meant to be driven on uneven, un-metalled roads,' says Dubey.

Other automakers are also eager to cash in on the off-roading craze. For instance, when the Safari Storme, the new SUV from the Tata stable was launched in October, Terrain Tigers was roped in to create artificial off-roading tracks for test drives. And auto enthusiasts are waiting excitedly for Fiat's launches of the Jeep Cherokee and Wrangler, two stars of the off-road world, later this year.

The mushrooming of four-wheel drive clubs and new models means it's easier for anyone who'd like to try their hand at the wheel. Also providing a boost are several competitive off-roading events that push drivers to the edge. 'At least five major tournaments are being held right now. Also, a lot of action is happening in Gurgaon, Faridabad and Chandigarh,' says Dubey.

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  Neeloy Sarkar (left) and Sanjiv Singh, founders of Terrain Tigers, hold regular weekend OTR events for their club in rural Gurgaon

For instance, there's Uncaged, held in Punjab's Derra Bassi, that's all about dragging your vehicle through a specially designed track featuring depressions bridged by logs and pits filled with goop. Says Sudev Barar, one of the organisers: 'There are plenty of people with hardcore machines like the Mahindra Thar, who are keen on serious off-roading as opposed to tinkering with their SUVs. Events like Uncaged offer them that window.'

But if you're game for more, head to The Palar Challenge in Chennai. Conceptualised and managed by Jeep Thrills around the Palar river, it's advertised on the club's website as one that's 'Not for sissies,' with organisers urging 'whiners (to) stay away.'

The trail, which passes through the Kancheepuram and Vellore districts of Tamil Nadu, is almost 100-km long and includes two skill-testing days of strenuous off-roading. 'It's excruciating because the entire trail has no tree cover which leaves participants completely baked in the tropical sun,' says Arkaprava Datta of Jeep Thrills. 'At the end, very few reach the finish line.'

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  Bishan Monappa has combined his passion for rough road driving with bird-watching and has spotted many rare species over the years

One reason why off-roading is particularly exhilarating is the variety of landscapes on offer. While rut crawling one needs to figure out which wheel is touching the ground and avoid using momentum. River crossing, on the other hand, presents a different set of challenges. 'That's when drivers use the snorkel, which prevents water from entering the engine and allows higher air intake,' explains Singh.

There are other bonuses too for these auto daredevils. For instance, Bishan Monappa, an orthopaedic surgeon from Coorg, has combined his love for birdwatching with trail driving. 'On one trip, I spotted the Lesser Florican, a large bird from the bustard family,' he recalls. Professional rallyists like Singh also recount equally impressive experiences.

Most clubs offer beginners introductory sessions before they take newcomers racing into the wilds. 'Off-roading routes have blockades that require the driver to worry about details like steering and suspension while applying them with regard to the terrain and his vehicle,' explains Datta, who is a regular at the annual Bangalore OTR (off the road) event which records the highest participation in India.

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  The simulated log crossing event in Uncaged requires participants to cross a ditch perched on planks of wood

But there are also other ways to pick up off-road skills. In fact, tourism outfits like Adventures Overland, a self-drive expedition company based in Gurgaon, promises to take travellers on epic off-road journeys.

On offer are several holiday packages to spectacular off-roading destinations including Kargil, Dras and high-altitude passes like Baralacha-La, Tanglang La, Chang La and Khardung La. 'When you are driving a 4x4, you cease to be a tourist and become a traveller,' says Tushar Agarwal, co-founder of Adventures Overland. 'Lots of things go wrong and you come across landslides, breakdowns and bad roads.' The company provides all its travellers with a radio set, GPS device, road maps that indicate bad stretches and villages along the way.

Similarly, Mercury Himalayan Explorations (MHE) helps vacationers tackle four-wheel drive vehicles in remote corners of the country including dense tropical forests of the Northeast and the Thar Desert. 'Once you book the tour, our dedicated off-road team sets you up with a 4x4 Mahindra Scorpio/Bolero and puts you in the driving seat,' says Sharan Singh of MHE.

The travel companies don't promise that off-road holidays will be easy. But, Adventures Overland has interesting advice on its website: 'Stop worrying about the potholes in the road and celebrate the journey.'