It is so cold in some places up there in the Himalayas that you will wish you were never there. To be around for any normal person is tough enough, but to race in the bitter cold is something else.
CS Santosh, a multiple National supercross champion, had his first experience of something so extreme in this year’s Raid de Himalaya. Winning the Xtreme two-wheeler class was the icing on the cake.
Many a competitor would be thrilled about winning, but for Santosh the experience is important and what he had to endure makes the win sweeter. “It was painful,” he exclaimed. “I was able to enjoy the beautiful surroundings only in bits and pieces. The climate is so extreme. But when you come back home and sleep, you will know that you have done something. I have never felt this sense of accomplishment.
“At the first corner of the first stage, there is a 1Km drop. I saw it and my heart was in my mouth. For six days, it was about life and death. I have never seen anything like it,” is how he sums up the experience.
There are a lot of drivers and riders who will feel like getting out of the place when they are competing. Early morning starts, even before dawn, is the norm. Rough and slippery stages mean that you will plummet to death if you make one false move or brake in the wrong areas. That is what makes the event so challenging and makes people go back again. “There are people who have gone back to the Raid eight or nine times. I was thinking to myself, ‘Are they crazy?’. But now, after seeing it, I definitely want to go back,” he remarked.
Santosh has competed in the K-1000 way back in 2003 but crashed out in the very first stage. After that he took up racing in supercross and motocross. This year’s Raid meant he was back in rallying after a long time. The experience was an eye-opener. “Rallying is not for me but you are never a complete driver/ rider until you have driven in the Raid,” he remarked.
Also, skill is one thing. But having a good machine is invaluable because a lot of power and torque are needed to get the bike out of slushy areas. “I used a Honda CRF450. The stages were superb, tight and twisty. I was awestruck. The bike held up well and I was able to achieve speeds of 160-170Kmph,” he explained.
The Raid is one of the off-road rallies listed by the International Motorcycle Federation (FIM) and Santosh wants more of this adventure now. “I rode (in motocross/ supercross) in Sri Lanka and skipped the Indian championship. I want to continue to do it but not too much. I want to concentrate on rallying, maybe even try cross country and events like the World Cross Country Championship next year,” he said.
While he admitted that it would be hard to find sponsorship, he will nevertheless try his best. Santosh is also aiming to do well in the Desert Storm early next year. But as of now, back in the comfort of his hometown, he can look back at the Raid and feel a sense of achievement.
