Belthangady to host off-roading event in August

Mangalore Today News Network

Belthangady, July 24, 2015: Belthangady in Dakshina Kannada will join the off road movement with the first off-roading event - 4X4 Nature Trail and Skill Drive - being organised at Maddadka, about 50 kms from here, on August 9.

 

As a precursor to the event - Nature Riders 2K15 - will be held inside the private Ranjan Plantations, Bangady on August 8. Ranjan Gowda, one of the event organiser and president of Nature Riders, told TOI: We have been into off-roading since a decade. We have seen such events being regularly organised in neighbouring districts like Kodagu, Hassan and Chikmagalur and thought why not here as the terrain offers much more or equal thrills in monsoons like others.

While the first event will test the drivers and also offers them fun with less arduous route of about eight to ten kms inside the plantation, the second event is gruelling. "It will be a 2.5 km track which will test the nerves of the drivers as well as the vehicles’ off road capabilities. Though we have restricted participation to 50 jeeps, we have received more than 60 entries till date from all over south India. We will allow only vehicles that conform to off-road capabilities,’’ said Rajesh, another organiser. The skill drive track is six kms from Belthangady near the Mangaluru-Bengaluru National Highway.

The preparation has been on from a fortnight. The 2.5 km tracks has ups and downs, slush winching curves, obstacles, water dips - all in all what an off road event needs. Ranjan and his team of 11 members who have taken part in several such events in Somwarpet, Sakleshpur, Wynad, Mudigere and Chikkamagaluru will put the learning experience into the track.

Not that the team had not tried this feat earlier. In 2011, they had organised Nature Riders event which was a success. This event has off-roading, which is being organised for the first time in this district, says Ranjan.