Car India was invited to the Mahindra Adventure Off-road Training Academy to participate in a course designed to put Mahindra’s four-wheel-drive vehicles to the test
Story: Ryan Lee
Photography: Rommel Albuquerque
Get Down and Get Dirty – The Mahindra Adventure Off-road Training Academy situated in the lush hills of Igatpuri, near Nashik, is a perfect playground to learn and have some off-roading fun.
The academy has three levels of courses on offer. Getting Dirty is a one-day basic course for beginners and enthusiasts who wish to experience the thrill of off-roading. The next level is Trail Survivor, a course for serious off-road junkies. The course includes theory about vehicle mechanics, the working of part time/full time 4WD (four-wheel drive), the use of a differential and different off-road equipment.
This year we took part in the Trail Survivor Course and it was an adrenaline-pumping, heart-pounding experience. We arrived at the Academy in the evening, and started the course with a theory lesson about the Thar’s off-road mechanics from Manish, our instructor. The weather co-operated too, and it started to rain, making the tracks wet and slippery, which would put our skills to the test from the word go.
The first challenge was the Zig-Zag Hill challenge, which was supposed to be done at night. With the rain pouring down, the ruts had become slippery and trying to figure what line to take up the hill was a task left to the sixth sense and luck. After finishing the challenge we had chai and vada-pav, after which we made our way back to the hotel.
