Car India was invited to experience the second edition of the Rain Forest Challenge (RFC), an off-road event like no other
Report: Ryan Lee
Photography: Force Motors
“Welcome to the jungle / We’ve got fun ‘n’ games”. Nothing describes RFC better than the iconic Guns n Roses song, ‘Welcome to the Jungle’. RFC is one of the most extreme off-roading events in the world. Force Motors and Cougar Motorsports are the pioneers who brought this event to India last year. Held for the first time in Malaysia, RFC is now held in eight countries, including India. Last year RFC set a new benchmark for the Indian off-roading community and this year it was bigger, better and tougher.
The RFC is held in the green and dense forests of Goa. The event comprises 26 special stages (SS) which are divided into four categories: Prologue, Predator, Terminator and the Twilight Zone. This challenge is spread over six days of unlimited fun and serious off-roading. The event is open to anybody who has a registered 4×4 or an ATV and has the passion and the guts to participate.
The Prologue SS – Get down and get dirty, this is where it all begins. It is the first part of the challenge and was held in Dona Paula. The event was easily accessible to the public and people gathered there by the droves to watch the teams battle it out on the courses. The Prologue SS was like a training arena for the drivers as well as a means to fine-tune the prep work of the machine for the tribulations to come.
Next was the Predator SS which was held at a picturesque location in Quepem (south Goa). The Predator SS has various different courses such as steep hill climbs, water crossings, hill descents and rocky trails, the main objective being testing the compatibility of the vehicle in different off-road conditions and the ability of the driver to tackle such off-road terrain.
After the competitors took a beating at the Predator SS it was time for the Terminator SS – and it was quite a tricky one too. This SS put the driver’s and spotter’s skills to the test. It involved various sprints, more water crossings (waist-deep water), pipe crossing, winching and various other recovery techniques.
The various Special Stages were designed by experts from RFC International and they were arduous tasks to complete. Each SS tested driving skills and recovery skills in various extreme off-road conditions, and with the clock ticking, the tasks were highly daunting.
