The 2011 Alfa kilo Challenge Conquered!

[Mud Slinger]

Dear Kunal, Huda, Kunal's dad & mom, Akshi, Mr & Mrs Singh.

I would personally like to thank you for this Event. I had a blast.

Kunal - Buddy your the best when it comes to planning the Offroad trail. Even after doing a couple of recces i was surprised to see 60% of a new trail. Which made it more exciting for me..

I didnt think the Mudslinger would go through all of that. But she stood by me and just didnt let me down at a single obstacle..

AP gang - You guys rocked.. I loved your vehicles.. Specially your hoods.. Bharat bhai i am geting my Mud Slinger to you soon to get some stuff like the hood, Lights etc done.. Goutham it was great to see you perform with you THar.. I am highly impressed and she is the next slinger on my list. Sandeep you always remind me of Guru.. Big man with a small machine.. :-)

Prasad - Buddy you are amazing company.. Sorry if i went beyond a point.. :-) But bro trust me your Jonga is a Eye catcher.. We need to get some good tires with Alloys / Steel rims and a good paint job done and she will kill it..

Imran Saudagar & Gang is was good fun with you guys too..

Pune guys we killed it.. I hope none of us took and Chicken routes..

But i have to go back to DADA's Grill to have the Pasta's / Pizza's & Curries.. :-)

Somaya, Preeti, Amey, Mohonish, you guys were also good company..

How can i forget Mr Venket my all rounder who accompanied me from the time i woke up till i had my last drink..

Mr Basak & family i was good seeing you guys too..

Cheers..

[mohan]

@ Prasad: Your Jonga is coming out awesome and when you are driving it around it makes quite a formidable presence. I too have the G 90 tires and I have them placed tubeless. Its easy to repair,especially if you are carrying a good quality air compressor.

[genesis]

On the way to AKC I spotted something menacing in my rear view mirror...








Heard that he had a blast at the event...

[tigerranch]

AKC

Posting the pictures, it was an event which will be in our mind for a long time.

Hyderabad-- your machines were the best. You all came so well prepared for the event that we all need to learn from you guys.

i am glad Kunal build my machine as a tank, there was no obstacle where she couldn't go thru.

I thank the Kunal for the same.

Huda you proved you the best instructor.

Prasad I apologize again for the argument,

Soumya you played your role very well.

Imran saudagar- hats off to you,

Nishant proved that a one litre engine running on GAS can perform like any big machine.

James Kunal Imran your spotting is amazing.

DOC Mohan- The ambulance was most welcome, though we didnt need them but you never know if there are any casualties at times.

I just know one thing it is man and his machine- fear kills you, so just look at the obstacle and beyond and you can wade through any obstacle.

Ajit and Vaidavi Singh I shall always stand by Kunal and Huda for every Alfa Kilo Challenge.

Pune I am proud of you guys. you all performed well.

Cheers to AKC

[tigerranch]

Some more pictures of Alka kilo challenge. some more coming

[tigerranch]

Some more pictures of Alfa Kilo Challenge.

[SPIKE ARRESTOR]

Originally Posted by genesis

On the way to AKC I spotted something menacing in my rear view mirror...

Heard that he had a blast at the event...

He surely looks to be going for a blast in a RCL Jonga. Mean looking JONGA, good job Prasad!

Could someone take us through narration with pics of the obstacles? 20 obstacles 1 day and 40+ vehicles all finished in time? That's one heck of a planning. I had witnessed AKC last year and had no doubts this years AKC would be even better. Great job Kunal and team.

Spike

[R32_GTR]

Originally Posted by fazalaliadil

I couldn't have put it better than Prasad in the preceding post about the personal attention, organizational skills, warmth and so much much more that we enjoyed here.

You are being too humble Sir!! It was an absolute pleasure meeting you and the MARS team!! You guys managed to do what people half your age with newer vehicles couldn't.. Not that I'm calling you old

Originally Posted by genesis

On the way to AKC I spotted something menacing in my rear view mirror...

Heard that he had a blast at the event...

Ahh the Blast... How can I forget the Chembur connection for tackling scary decents. I'm getting to know the brute slowly.. will be blasting a lot less from now on

Originally Posted by tigerranch

Prasad I apologize again for the argument,

What argument chief?? We had fun.. its all good!

Originally Posted by SPIKE ARRESTOR

He surely looks to be going for a blast in a RCL Jonga. Mean looking JONGA, good job Prasad!

Thank you Spikey!! There is please more work left and its taken a little over a year already!! It was supposed to be ready for the last AKC/EXAMM (I'm an eternal optimist).

Originally Posted by mohan

@ Prasad: Your Jonga is coming out awesome and when you are driving it around it makes quite a formidable presence. I too have the G 90 tires and I have them placed tubeless. Its easy to repair,especially if you are carrying a good quality air compressor.

Originally Posted by Mud Slinger

Prasad - Buddy you are amazing company.. Sorry if i went beyond a point.. :-) But bro trust me your Jonga is a Eye catcher.. We need to get some good tires with Alloys / Steel rims and a good paint job done and she will kill it..

Thanks Doc / Nishant, The G90's are like NDMS on steroids and I really like them. As much as I want to get fat rubber on the Jonga (it has the power to boot), I want to keep the vehicle in its original form.. The stock wheels with the 6 bolt design is my biggest issue right now.. can't go tubeless in them but I'm working on it

Lets get back to AKC reviews!!

I'd like to apologise to anyone who I might have accidently yelled at as I was sad that I had to walk or hitch a ride for 80% of AKC.. but it gave me an opportunity to interact with the participants more and act as a responsible marshal. Thank you for bearing with me throughout the event!!

Prasad

[Frankenstein]

Just got back yesterday evening to Hyderabad. What an awesome trail , tuff is not the word . Very well organized and the food was fantastic . Thank you Huda and Kunal for your wonderful hospitality .

Met some fantastic down to earth guys , Kishore bhai and the pune gang , you guys rock .

One request , please make it a 3 day event for next year , we will be there.

Pics of our group of 7 vehicles .

[V-16]

Here comes my report, a bit late as i was wondering how and what to add in the already eloquent description of the wonderful trail and the execution of this whole event. Kunal, Huda and family, you have done AlfaKilo proud...more so than last year.

I reached on the 15th morning and immediately attended the briefing. Clear, sharp and on the dot instructions. Then i requested Kishore to show me how to engage and disengage the 4X4 levers on the MM550, this being my test drive fro my newly prepared (well just basically and not fully) MM550. Also thanks to his mechanic who adjusted my clutch lever and also topped up my gearbox oil. It glugged one whole litre of oil, which was borrowed from Fazal Bhai. Thank God for the preparedness of the Hyderabadi nawabs. We have to learn a lot from them. Thanks Fazal Bhai for the gear oil.

I awed at the AP jeeps and we then lined up for the obstacle one. I was in the last pack with Kishore as sweeper.


The sheer beauty of the picture trail was the first highlight. After we had a whiff of pure Oxygen filled in our lungs we continued to a small decline as a initiation for the trail. This was loose, wet mud and no amount of crawling was possible here. 1st low was engaged but the Jeeps just slipped to the bottom, luckily it was not very long.


My MM550 XDB




The line up





THE USUAL SUSPECTS

The Brothers Soudagar- Faisal at the wheel and Imran with his infectious smile




Vicky and spouse in what i fondly call the "First Floor Gypsy"....Guys hows the weather up there?




Timmy bhai (Timbothy) and Jarvis seated at the rear.




Huda and Friend




Immy with Biggerfoot. Drives his Gypsy like an RC racer.




Obstacle 1




Reason for not being able to crawl- very wet grass and loose mud or maybe I braked.



I thought maybe i used the brakes but then no jeep could crawl. I really dont know.



My first attempted obstacle (attempted crawl) video with the mm550

‪otr- AKC 2011 Obstacle 1‬‏ - YouTube

Two generations of Jeeps, each a formidable off roader.




......More to come.......

[Ricky_63]

Wow each picture is worth a million words...each narration is worth reading as it is written with passion !!

Kudos to the organisers & participants.

I think I should get my back operated - just so I can be part of this M A G I C !!!!




Cheerio

[Jaggu]

Kicking myself again and again, again and again

Weather awesome, more awesome the gang and the vehicles! Really missed it this time. Keep updating the report and pictures guys!

[Kandisa]

Mind blowing pics, jeeps and trails! V-16, your 550 looks superb. Loved the alloys, the 1st on a jeep seen by me. Great outcome overall

[V-16]

........Taking from where i left.


A series of ups and downs, all exciting and keeping one wondering what the next obstacle would be.







On to a notorious incline. Curvaceous, inviting and slush ridden with huge boulders and trees on both sides. If one wanted to avoid the trees, which one had to by all means, we're environmentalists in our own little way, then that meant taking the boulders head on. The climb was short but very steep and with each vehicle passing by, it became slushier and sloppier. Someone tried the extreme left approach only to discover a huge ditch. Once in, the vehicle had to be pulled out, no other way. Something tells me, Kunal and team had expected this and that explains their grins. The recovery vehicles were in place ready with their winches. Of course there was a chicken route to this, but who wants to be called chicken?

The Gorkhas couldnt make it. I guess the body to weight ratio has a lot to do with this. Gypsys had a tough time and so did some of the MMs. Many were stuck and eventually pulled out and then when it was decided as undoable officially, the chicken route made sense to get to the next exciting obstacle.

Notorious climb after a deadly decline. One had to be very artful here else......... this would be the result.... Love Timmy bhai's spirit and enthusiasm though!!




the result could be..... winching out............



My Attempt

‪Otr AKC 2011 Obstacle 2‬‏ - YouTube

In between, some of us decided to partake this natures bounty, available free and plentiful




The next obstacle was a long rut. Coming down to the rut was another decline which had a boulder sticking right in the middle of the path. This path would test all driving and spotting skills as avoiding the boulder meant turning the vehicle which in these slippery conditions meant a tentative roll. Also, any kind of braking here would mean slipping to the level ground and the speed at which this could happen would be disastrous.

The steep approach decline to the rut, an obstacle in itself. Heres my attempt

‪Otr AKC 2011 decline‬‏ - YouTube

After this one had to follow the rut with a small stream running through it on a curve over boulders and an almost 90 degree left turn to a climb again turning menacingly left. At no point from start to finish, this obstacle was easy. I was reminded of last year's Exxam obstacle no.1, though that one was a bit steeper and shorter. Many a Gypsy found this obstacle tough but they all cleared this with sheer determination and driving and spotting skill.




David in action





Andy and Malti







Gypsy on steroids





.....more to come.....

[V-16]

......Conclusion........

The Nawabial Lynx






Yours truly











Video of Attempt

‪Akc 2011 Rut climb‬‏ - YouTube

Then onto the next obstacle, "The Jeep Breaker".

A steep decline turning into a sharp curve. One had to make sure that one did not oversteer for fear of toppling. Then almost immediately a steep rocky descent. The approach to this descent was through a sharp right and to clear the descent one had to turn a sharp left. Words dont do justice, look for yourself.

Soumya, the Punju Bong!! He seems more Punjabi than Bengali to me, each time i meet him. He goes in with his SWB CJ3B with the trusty Hurricane engine. The NDMS performed amazingly with a little drop in the air pressures.






My Attempt at "The Jeep Breaker"

Prasad was my spotter here. Must mention here that he has over the years, developed immaculate spotting skills. His humour needs to be tweaked though
He also spotted for me on another rut very early in the challenge, very successfully. Take a bow Prasad.

‪MOV00879‬‏ - YouTube

The lunch table!! A marvelous setting.





After a quick lunch break, we drove on through a series of inclines and declines each having its own set of difficulty and skill levels.

‪AKC 2011 descent‬‏ - YouTube

Until we came to a place a small decline and a steep incline which a few vehicles going through had completely gutted. We had to take a an alternative route to reach the infamous "Gogi Point". No im not being pompous, its the same place where i got stuck in flash floods. This time on we were doing it in reverse. It had not been raining the whole time we were offroading and as many people joked, it started to pour as soon as we reached the infamous point. Jokes apart but the river was now a tame stream and hardly looked like its furious self as last year. We crossed the river, still deep in certain points and climbed up to where from we had descended and started the obstacle last year.

Climb up from the river bed

‪AKC 2011 Gogi Point‬‏ - YouTube

After the climb up we headed back to Dada's Grill, where we were supposed to stay overnight for dinner and Bonfire. The Bonfire i thought would not have been possible as the rains were now coming down strongly. We headed back, had a hot meal. Participation certificates and a lovely memento was handed over to us, those who were leaving for the preparation of the EXAMM to be held in Lonavala for the next few days.

We thanked the organizers, said a small prayer and drove off into the night, with a smile on our lips and a will to be back the following year.

Thank you Kunal, Huda and team. Bravo for a job well done. I look forward to being there next year.