Ladakh is a land of mystery, speckled with some of the most gorgeous landscapes on the Indian subcontinent. It's a tempestuous mistress and OVERDRIVE has a long standing affair with her. Every year for the last 18 years, since this magazine was kick-started, OVERDRIVE has driven to this mystical land that offers adventure seekers the ultimate driving thrills

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The Live Life In OVERDRIVE experience began in 2013, and we have enjoyed a proud and valuable partnership with Audi who were the first manufacturer in India to support this initiative. In 2016, the fourth edition of the epic Independence Quattro Drive will see you journey for around 10 days in Audi's celebrated range of SUVs to hoist the national flag on the roof of the world, on the 15th of August 2015! This is an adventure that your children will probably narrate to their children over a camp fire, someday in Ladakh, driving an Audi SUV on a Live Life In OVERDRIVE experience!

In this fourth edition, you as an OVERDRIVE editorial member will write this script for us so expect to bear witness to more than the usual. This adventure isn't for the faint of heart, but we will teach you just how to survive in one of the most demanding regions of India. You will also get to experience what a luxury 4x4 SUV brings to the table while you soak in the magnificence of the Himalayas.

We will have the new Audi Q7, Q5 and the Q3 as our workhorses on this drive. Five of these luxurious, capable and stunning SUVs will take us through some extreme terrain. By the time we conclude, we guarantee you will be begging for more. You would probably become as hopelessly addicted as we are and make the trip back again on your own!

In 2016 we will split the entire experience into two groups. The adventure for group 1 will begin from the ‘Fort of Chandi’ or the city more popular for being India's first planned city post Independence – Chandigarh. It's also the city to have given us some of the finest names in motorsport. Get pulled over by a traffic cop for speeding and he is guaranteed to ask if you think you are Hari Singh, five time national rally champion who resides in Chandigarh. Hari will be one of the driving forces on the IQD. This beautiful and orderly city is the gateway for all those seeking to write their stories in remote Ladakh.

From this meeting point group 1 will set off for Manali. The 350 kilometre drive into the Kullu valley takes you past deep gorges with the river Beas rushing downhill alongside the highway. Lush vegetation, smooth tarmac and the crisp mountain will greet you as you drive into Manali. Our foray into the Himalayas begins from this lovely but crowded hill station!

Over the next week we will challenge high altitude passes, extreme cold and winds that have shaped the mighty Himalayas. Around every corner a new and startling vista will unfold, so don't forget to carry your cameras, binoculars, memory cards and plenty of batteries and chargers! You will drive Audi’s highly capable SUV’s over formidable mountain passes that have names like Baralacha La, Tanglang La, Lachalung La, each sounding more formidable than the next. For the last two years The Q3, Q5 and the Q7 have been faithful companions, easily crossing over all the hurdles the Himalayas have thrown at us.

Now while we try and keep you in comfort when the days driving is done, not all of our comfort means a warm room with hot soup and delicious buffets! We promise you a bed. Sometimes it would be under the stars, sometimes with the cold Himalayan air embracing your bones. Sometimes the food may be exactly what you get in the city, other times a bowl of piping hot Maggi may seem like manna from heaven! We urge you to step into this with an open mind, and warm clothes!

Did we mention this trip was the opportunity of a lifetime!

At Leh after a days break, we will be joined by group 2 and together we will proceed towards the Nubra valley. Nubra is home to the Hundar sand dunes and the Bactrian camel, both of which are oddities in this harsh and cold environment! This also means we will cross over what was once the highest motorable road in the world - ‘Khardung La’. This formidable mountain pass is situated at a height of 17582 feet (nearly 5,359 metre) above sea level. The oxygen at this height is thin, the pass is almost always covered in snow, and while you will feel cold, the sun will also give you a sunburn.

From Nubra we will drive across to pangon Tso, one of the most gorgeous lakes in the world at this altitude. This salt water lake starts off in India but crosses over the border with China. Its scale is epic, its even rumoured that the Chinese have a submarine in there! And that on a moonlight night, the lake appears to be oozing silver! Whatever local folklore has to offer, Pangong is an experience that we promise will stay in your heart forever!

From Pangong Tso we will head down to the war memorial at Chushul, where we will honour the martyrs who gave their life defending our borders. It is at this point where we will also hoist our national flag and celebrate India's independence day. Click on the REGISTER link to to sign up - it's your time to write this story for us!

While we intend to remain true to the details of the trip mentioned above, some elements may change depending on weather and geographical conditions.

The Independence quattro Drive road trip ("Road Trip") is being organized and conducted by Network18 Media & Investments Limited ("Network18").

The Terms and Conditions detailed below apply to all entrants registering for the Independence quattro Drive road trip. Selection thereof by every participant is an acknowledgement of acceptance of these Terms and Conditions by the participant.

• The Road Trip shall commence from 9th August 2016 from the city of Chandigarh and shall conclude on 17th August, 2016 in the city of Leh for participants enrolling for group 1. For Group 2 the road trip shall commence from 12th August 2016 from Leh and shall conclude on 20th August 2016 at Chandigarh
• The Road Trip shall cover a distance of 1500kms.

• Indian Citizens who are resident in India and above the age of eighteen (18) years are eligible to participate in the Road Trip. Employees and/or family members of Network18 and its group companies are not entitled to participate.
• Participant should not have any criminal background and Network18 holds the right to check the participants's background any time after the participant is short-listed.
• Participant agrees to provide complete and correct information with respect to his/her identity, contact details, Permanent Account Number, age, education, profession and such other information as may be required by Network18. Network18 may ask the Participant for his/her proof of identity and/or eligibility. Failure to provide such proof by Participant immediately could result in his/her disqualification at the sole discretion of Network18.
• As the journey can be strenuous, Participants must be in good health condition. Participants shall consult a certified medical practitioner prior to undertaking the Road Trip. Network18 may seek from the Participant a Medical Fitness Certificate by a certified medical practitioner certifying good health condition of the Participant to participate in the Road Trip. Failure to do so by the Participant will result in disqualification in Network18's sole discretion.

• Applications should be received by Network18 via online registrations on or before 4th August 2016.
• Network18 shall select participants for the Road Trip from all the entries received by Network18. Selection will be on the basis of BMI i.e. all people sending their entries will have to send their BMI as well. Basis the BMI selection of 20 people will happen.
• Selection of the twenty (20) participants from all the complete and correct entries received for the Road Trip vests solely and exclusively with Network18 and Network18's decision shall be final and binding and cannot be contested.
• Upon selection, participants may be required to complete paperwork and give a declaration, indemnity as specified by Network18. In the event, any of the participants does not fulfill the obligation; the participant will be disqualified from the Road Trip.

• By participating in the Road Trip, the participant acknowledges that he/she has voluntarily applied to participate on this trip and that he/she has read the description of the Road Trip as it appears on the overdrive website.

• By registering for the Road Trip, the participant acknowledges that he/she is aware that adventure travel such as the trip he/she is undertaking involves potentially dangerous activities, some in remote areas of the hilly terrain, with a risk of illness, injury, or death which may be caused by forces of nature, illness, or by willful or criminal conduct of third parties or by terrorism.
• The participant further acknowledges that weather conditions may be severe, adverse and/or unpleasant and that medical services or facilities may not be readily available or accessible during some or all of the time during which he/she is participating on the Road Trip.

• Accommodations and meals as indicated in the itinerary (B = breakfast, L = lunch, D = dinner); pre-departure information; entrance fees, excursions, and sightseeing noted as included in the itinerary; ground transportation during the trip; guides and any other staff; and taxes, baggage handling, and service charges. Please note: The "B, L, D" notations apply to the period during the Road Trip only and do not include any meals on flights to/from the trip.Accommodations will be on twin sharing basis.
• All suppliers of services connected with the Road Trip ("Other Providers"), are third-party contractors and are solely responsible and liable for providing their respective services.
• Network18 shall not be are not liable for any negligent or willful act or failure to act of any third party, such as hotels or other lodging facilities, local ground operators.

• Network18 will not be responsible for providing any reimbursement for delays in the Road Trip due to bad weather, trail conditions, road conditions, transportation delays or government intervention.

• The participant certifies that he/she is physically fit and does not have a condition that would limit mobility. Participant further certifies that he/she does not have any mental, physical, or other condition or disability that would create a hazard for him/herself or other participants.
• For adventures that take place at higher altitudes (above 11562 feet), participant certifies that he/she does not suffer from a respiratory, cardiac or circulatory disorder. We reserve the right in our sole discretion to accept, decline to accept, or remove any participant on the Road Trip at any time during the trip.
• In the event of removal from a trip, refunds are not given.
• Hospital facilities or appropriate medical facilities or doctors are often unavailable and evacuation can be prolonged, difficult, and expensive. Network18 assume no liability regarding provision of medical care.
• Participants will receive appropriate health information and a Medical Certificate to be filled out and returned to Network18.

• Network18 shall take an insurance cover to cover risks involved in undertaking the Road Trip as it may deem appropriate in its sole discretion. It is agreed and understood by the participants that such a insurance may not cover all possible eventualities whether human or any act beyond the reasonable control of Network18, and Network18 shall not be held responsible or liable for the same.

• Participant is responsible for understanding the conditions as described in the Road Trip itinerary and selecting the trip in consultation with Network18 that is appropriate to his/her interests and abilities, and for preparing for the trip by reading the Trip Itinerary and supplemental trip information in the pre-trip materials and for bringing the appropriate clothing and equipment as advised in those materials.
• Baggage and personal effects are at all times the sole responsibility of the participant.
• Network18 assumes no liability for loss or damage to baggage in transit and during the Road Trip.
• It shall be the sole responsibility of the participants selected for the Road Trip to make their own travel arrangements at their sole cost to reach the city of Chandigarh prior to the commencement of the Road Trip as may be intimated by Network18 and for their return journey from Srinagar upon completion of the Road Trip.

• The fee payable for participating in the Road Trip is Rs. 1,00,000/- (Rupees 1 Lakh only).
• Participants will require to paying the aforesaid amount for the Road Trip via transfer of money to the mentioned account and submit proof of the same -- only then it will be considered a registered candidate for the event.
• For reservations full payment is required. After making a reservation, the participant will receive detailed pre-trip information with clothing and equipment list, invoice, insurance information, medical certificate and other information needed to prepare for the Road Trip. Final trip details will be sent 1 week prior to departure.
• All cancellation notices must be received in writing and will become effective as of the date of the postmark.
• Before 4th August 2016: the cancellation charges will be 25% of the total amount.
• After 4th August 2016: No refund.
• Network18 recommends purchase of the optional supplemental travel insurance package to protect oneself in case of an unexpected medical emergency. Network18 reserves the right to cancel the trip because of inadequate enrollment that makes the trip economically infeasible to operate or because of our concerns with respect to the safety, health, or welfare of the participants. If the Road Trip is canceled by us prior to departure, Network18 will provide the participant with a full refund of monies paid to them; except in the event cancellation is due to a significant event that makes it infeasible to undertake the Road Trip as planned, in which case Network18 will provide the participant with a refund and/or credit towards a future trip/event equivalent to monies paid to them. If Network18 cancels the Road Trip while in progress, the participant will receive a prorated refund and/or a credit based on the number of days not completed on the Road Trip.
• Network18 reserves the right, without penalty, to make changes in the published itinerary whenever, in our judgment, conditions warrant, or if we deem it necessary for the comfort, convenience, or safety of participant.

• We reserve the right to take photographs or videos during the operation of the Road Trip or part thereof and to use the resulting photography, videos, or recordings for promotional or commercial use. By making a reservation on the Road Trip, participant agrees to allow his/her likeness to be used by Network18 without compensation to participant. You further agree that photographic or video images of you, containing you, may be used by the organizers, managers or any sponsors or promoters of the Road Trip for publicity purposes. Copyright in all photographs, video, and related materials created by participant ("Adventure Materials") shall belong to the participant upon creation. Participant grants to Network18 and Network18 authorized third parties a non-exclusive, worldwide, irrevocable license to use any Adventure Materials provided to Network18 and/or Network18 authorised third party, in any media now existing or subsequently developed for the following limited purposes: editorial use, promotion of the editorial use, promotion of Network18's travel programs or promotion of the same.

 

Network18 will provide educational enrichment for the Road Trip to ensure safety and security to the participants.

While the organizers, managers and promoters of the Road Trip will do all in their reasonable control to make the Road Trip as safe as possible, all participants take part at their own risk.

None of the organizers, managers or any sponsors or promoters of the Road Trip accept liability for any loss or damaged caused where:

• There is breach of a contractual obligation or legal duty of care owed to you.
• Such loss or damage is not reasonably foreseeable at the time of breach.
• An injury is sustained or property damaged in the course of the Road Trip or as a result of taking part in the Road Trip; or
• Any changes are made to the route or conduct of the Road Trip for safety or operational reasons or as otherwise required for the safe and proper carrying out of the event.

Without limitation, Network18 is not responsible for any injury, loss, or damage to personal property, death, delay or inconvenience in connection with the provision of any goods or services occasioned by or resulting from, but not limited to, acts of God, acts of government, weather, force majeure, acts of war or civil unrest, insurrection or revolt, strikes or other labor activities, criminal or terrorist activities or the threat thereof, of any kind, epidemics or the threat thereof, illness, overbooking or downgrading of accommodations, structural or other defective conditions in hotels or other lodging facilities, dangers associated with or bites from animals, pests or insects, sanitation problems, food poisoning, lack of, access to or quality of medical care, difficulty in evacuation in case of medical or other emergency, negligence of physicians or medical personnel of for any cause beyond its direct control. In addition, the participant releases Network18 from their own negligence and assumes all risk thereof.

Network18 may cancel the Road Trip or other organized activities at its discretion. Network18 will endeavor to give as much notice as possible of any cancellations. Network18 accept no liability for any costs incurred as a result of the cancellation.

Network18 reserves the right to change the Terms and conditions at any time and without notice. You will be automatically bound by these modifications.

All rights, title, claim and interest, including but not limited to the Intellectual Property Rights, in the Road Trip, the promotional material(s)/activity and in any and all content received shall vest solely and exclusively with Network18 at all times.

The participant agrees that he/she shall hold harmless Network18, its employees, officers or any other person in connection with the Road Trip and shall also not file in person/ through any family member and/or third party any applications, criminal and/or civil proceedings in any courts or forum in India against Network18 to claim any damages or relief.

• This event shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the applicable laws in India. All matters with respect to this Road Trip are subject to the jurisdiction of the Courts at New Delhi only.