Great experience participating in an official Thar Roxx off-road event

Overall, it was a fantastic event that was extremely well managed. Full points to Mahindra and the team.

BHPian Warwin recently shared this with other enthusiasts:

The Mahindra Thar Roxx at the Rocks...

January 15th, 2025—right in the middle of a meeting, my phone rings. With the flood of spam calls, my patience is razor-thin. But, given the nature of my work, ignoring calls isn’t an option.

A lady on the other end says, "Hi, is this... can I speak to you for a moment?" Ugh, another spam call.

Just as I'm about to hang up, she hurriedly adds, "Sir, sir, sir... this is regarding the Thar off-roading event in Igatpuri." Wait, what? My mind freezes—should I stay in the meeting or take this call? "Can you call back later?" Beeeep.

The meeting turned into a blur. All I could think about was off-roading in the Thar—yes, the Thar, not the Roxx, because Roxx wasn't even mentioned!

The next day, the phone rang again. This time, she explained it was about an adventure trail activity.

"Are you serious?" Which celestial bodies had aligned to bless me with this opportunity? Should I thank Mahindra or the universe?

"What exactly is this activity?" She elaborated on the 4x4 off-roading event in Igatpuri, and then popped the golden question—"Would you like to join?" My brain screamed, Darling, I wouldn't just like to join; I would LOVE to join! And just like that, the excitement kicked in, setting this day apart from any other.

We circled January 18th, 2025, on our calendars—just one day away!

My experience as a 4x4 driver... 9 on 10 basis my experience of driving an Omni in Mangalore and breaking a number plate, driving an Indica through a river and of course driving a few MM540s, A gypsy with an Isuzu engine and a Tata 207....

My rating to myself post the event 2.5 on 10...

Kudos to Mr. Satyendra the 4x4 chief at the facility (In the army cargo) who insisted that we unlearn before we start the trail, which I partly listened to before the trail and completely became a student after the first hurdle. The one in the Cowboy hat - Ryan from Marketing and his team were extremely hospitable.

Up at 4:30 AM, the plan was to leave by 5. A quick glance at the map showed a 3-hour journey—phew, a relief considering the ongoing road repairs. The stretch between Thane and Kalyan felt like an off-roading track in itself. Dropped off my 4-year-old at my sis-in-law's place and made it in 3.5 hours, with a 30-minute breakfast break thrown in.

A swift entry at the security gate, and I parked under the shade of some trees—my ride for the day. My beloved 16-year-old Swift, recently repainted, with 2.2 lakh kilometres on the odo and a still-efficient diesel engine. The turbo still gives me butterflies, and despite its quirks, I adore it for the million ways it makes up for them.

As we walked in, all we could see were Roxx, Roxx, and more Roxx—except for a lone Scorpio Classic and an old Thar, which seemed more suited for hardcore towing duties than actual participation.

The marketing team was already on-site. Indemnity forms were signed, T-shirts swapped, caps donned, and breakfast wrapped up—ready to roll! Or so we thought. But hey, this is India—we eagerly waited for a few more participants to arrive. While our impatience grew, the Mahindra team remained composed, fully understanding the excitement of enthusiasts eager to hit the road and ensuring no one missed out just because they were running late. Full points to Mahindra and the team.

The Mahindra training center isn’t a manufacturing facility. It’s where training and testing happen. The center boasts a 28-acre space with off-roading tracks and various challenging terrains for testing vehicles.

Interestingly, this was the first time Thar Roxx event was happening in Igatpuri even though it was extensively tested here. It was made clear that the vehicles were highly capable, but we should follow the instructor’s directions to avoid mistakes.

The entry to the trail feels like a restricted area of a tiger reserve.

The first hurdle - home run - A 45-degree drop. All activities were done in 4L - and 1st Gear.

Yours truly

Next a steep turn right into a ditch.

The next few hurdles were steep climbs and an almost 90-degree drop. The car even without the 4x4 gear is quite capable but, with the hardware, it does every single thing.

I will let the pictures do the talking.

Signing off with the best image from the event.

Overall a great event and extremely well managed. The hospitality was top notch and the expertise of Mr. Satyendra and his team is impeccable.

You can also register on the Mahindra Adventure site and do the trail for a fee. But, if you get an invite - don't miss it.

PS: A big Thank you to Rahul who is standing next to Ryan - It was my 10th year anniversary and he managed a wonderful cake in the middle of nowhere...Thank you Mahindra team

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