Image gallery: 2016 Maruti Suzuki Raid de Himalaya
The Maruti Suzuki Raid de Himalaya has always had a reputation for being one of the most grueling rallies in the country, and the 2016 edition of event was no different. This year, the Raid attracted 153 participants and started from Manali instead of Shimla - its usual starting point. After the Raid was cut short due to Subhamoy Paul's tragic accident in Leg 3, Suresh Rana and Ashwin Naik were crowned the winners of the Xtreme 4x4 class, while Abdul Wahid Tanveer won the Xtreme Motoquad category.
Here's a look at the 2016 Maruti Suzuki Raid de Himalaya in images
2016 Maruti Suzuki Raid de Himalaya: Of the 153 participants that started, nine teams were from the Army
2016 Maruti Suzuki Raid de Himalaya: The first leg of the 2016 Maruti Suzuki Raid de Himalaya took participants from Manali to Kaza on very rough terrain
2016 Maruti Suzuki Raid de Himalaya: It was around 3 degree Celsius when SS1 started. But that didn't stop competitors from going flat out through the course
2016 Maruti Suzuki Raid de Himalaya: A few hours after the Leg 1 started, it began snowing quite heavily
2016 Maruti Suzuki Raid de Himalaya: Our Maruti made it through the extremely rough terrain en route Kaza without any problems
2016 Maruti Suzuki Raid de Himalaya: By the end of Leg 1, Lhakpa Tsering had V Venu Rameshkumar took the lead in the Xtreme 4x4 class with a time of 1hr 26m 58s
2016 Maruti Suzuki Raid de Himalaya: The route of Leg 2 wasn't as challenging the Leg 1. However, the climb from 6,700ft to 12,400ft in one day can take quite a toll on participants
2016 Maruti Suzuki Raid de Himalaya: Even with the sun high up, the wind and altitude kept temperatures very low
2016 Maruti Suzuki Raid de Himalaya: The competitive stages in Leg 2 were a mix of broken tarmac and dirt roads
2016 Maruti Suzuki Raid de Himalaya: Suresh Rana and Ashwin Naik in the Maruti took a seven minute lead over Tsering after Leg 2
2016 Maruti Suzuki Raid de Himalaya: Abdul Wahid Tanveer meanwhile, had managed to extend his lead over R Nataraj to 3m 40s, in the Xtreme Motoquad class
2016 Maruti Suzuki Raid de Himalaya: Leg 3 took participants from Kaza to Sarchu the same they went in
2016 Maruti Suzuki Raid de Himalaya: The bright orange colour scheme of the Army teams certainly stood apart from the crowd of whites Gypys
2016 Maruti Suzuki Raid de Himalaya: Splashing through water might look fun. But when temperatures are near 0 degree Celsius, they can be quite harsh on motorcyclists
2016 Maruti Suzuki Raid de Himalaya: Although the Xtreme category was truncated after Leg 3, the Adventure Trail continued as per schedule
2016 Maruti Suzuki Raid de Himalaya: Competing in the Adventure Trial is the easiest way to get participate in a rally. It's significantly cheaper than the Xtreme category considering the amount of vehicle modifications are minimal. This near-stock Grand Vitara is a perfect example of this
2016 Maruti Suzuki Raid de Himalaya:Â Narrow bridges that can carry just one vehicle at a time are scattered all over the Himalayas
2016 Maruti Suzuki Raid de Himalaya: The Maruti Suzuki Raid de Himalaya offers some of the most spectacular views in the country. The night skies were especially stunning with a clear view of the stars