At the fag end of a difficult year, the Himalayan Adventure Challenge 2021 (HAC’21) in Rishikesh served up a fest for fitness enthusiasts to ride-race-and-raft right in the lap of Uttarakhand.
Sportstar wasn’t just a media partner. This writer took part in the race and fought through with teammates to take the podium in the 30K category (casual flex, more on that later).
Test to your limits
Accommodating a gamut of participants, from novice to seasoned adventurers, the triathlon tests your grit and endurance across three formats:
1. 10km Intro – 5km rafting + 5km hiking
2. 30km Open – 16km hiking + 14km rafting
3. 65km Zealot – 30km mountain biking + 21km hiking + 14km rafting
The race is based on teams of four participants, while the 65km leg is targeted at the elite, the 30K and 10K are for weekend athletes and beginners who are getting started on their fitness journey. If you are someone for whom fitness is more than just a New Year’s resolution, do checkout their 2022 calendar .
The race organised between December 11 and December 12 featured a few noted athletic personalities. Speaking of the experience, Sanjay Negi, India’s Elite OCR ( Obstacle Course Racing ) athlete and Spartan race ( world's toughest obstacle course race ) winner, says, “It is a premium adventure challenge that keeps your spirits up especially after being hunkered down for close to two years.”
Raghul Sankaranarayanan, seven times Ironman finisher, recalls the Himalayan trail to be one of the most breathtaking views and believes people must attempt this for a lifetime experience.
Seasoned adventure racer, triathlete and Mt. Everest summiteer, Susan Hunt, says, “I have never seen such energy in an adventure race such as this. It was extraordinary.”
Sanjay, Raghul were a part of team Enerzal and had a close win of just four minutes faster than Susan and her team in the 65K category.
Out in the open
Participants were put up in bunkers at Atali Ganga, a quaint resort perched on a hilltop alongside the picturesque Ganges. You can take stunning views and invigorating fresh mountain air for granted. While the serene vibes did get a few folks clicking some snaps for the gram, all-in-all everyone was seen basking in the moment, a break from the rigmarole of living fast-paced professional lives in big cities.
A day before the race, the participants chimed in to fill in their registration forms and to collect cool race gear from the organisers. After the registration, guides took the participants through the trail. While the information on the hiking, biking parts was straightforward, there was a detailed orientation on paddling, as it’s not every day that city dwellers raft in the Ganges.
Varun Gunaseelan , the co-founder of Wild Warrior and organiser of HAC’21, says, “While, it is difficult to get back on your toes, thanks to the pandemic fatigue which crept in, acclimatising out in the open and letting loose in the company of fellow participants, will help you rebalance your energy levels and get you back on track.”
As the sunset set in on the eve of race day, so did the sense of competition. Some went through their pre-race regimes, a few drafted plans, and others tucked into their bunkers. A sense of calm prevailed before the competitive claws came out.
Dawned the ‘D’ day. It was 5am and the weather was 5 degrees Celsius. The participants were seen warming their shins and stocking their toolkits for the long road ahead. My team ( Sportifying India ) and I were in the 30K category. Our start time was an hour after the 65K category. On being summoned next, we donned our race gears and assembled near the start line. The race was flagged off at 6am. The terrain challenged our spirits with hurdles that ranged from steep climbs rife with boulders to narrow and slippery downhills. While we battled it in nature alongside injuries and fatigues, a voice of purpose running in the back of our head helped pick us up and move forward.
After a gruelling three-hour hike, our team finished first and we got ready for a 14-km raft down the mighty Ganges. With the life jackets on and the paddles in our hands, we set off for the next leg. Paddling through the swift currents and finding our rhythm, we headed forward. It all seemed great until the first rapid, where violent waves knocked us out of sync and we struggled right in the middle of the rapid, paddling as hard as we could. We got ourselves out of the rapid and out of breath, too. The competition was right on our tail and we didn’t want to lose the lead we gained in the first leg. The guide patted our back and adrenaline kicked in. We firmed our grips on our paddles and started making our way out through one rapid after the other. Oodles of water gushed into the raft. We paddled harder and harder until we caught the glimpse of the finish line. Mustering the final ounce of energy, we rowed the raft through the finish line. One after the other all the teams trickled in, and the exacting race came to an end.
The winners were still unknown as the point system was set up in accordance with international marathons where the individual race timing is adjusted for age and gender and then it’s added to the team's total time. This means you have as much of a chance as anyone else in the race.
However, the finishers, who were seen warming themselves with hot cups of chai after getting drenched by the winter water of the Ganges, were handed finisher medals to mark their display of grit and character.
The day ended with a gala dinner by the pool where the participants recounted their experience of the race, a glint of achievement in their eyes.
The winners were also announced and we were the lucky ones in the 30K category alongside the record-breaking Enerzals (in 65K) and Ravishing Rowdy Rascal (in 10K).
What was pioneered by Vaibhav Kala and the team as a fundraiser for the 2013 Uttarakhand deluge to bring back opportunities and resources into the lives of many by promoting activities in this beautiful part of India, is currently attracting people from different pockets of the world yearning for this sense of accomplishment and personal transformation.
The eighth edition of the HAC was hosted jointly by Aquaterra and Wild Warrior . As we enter the third year of the pandemic, if there is this one lesson that I personally take over from the mystical charms of the mountains, the situation changes.
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