Kumaon Challenge

EXPERIENCE 280 KM OF EXCITEMENT, WHICH TAKES YOU THROUGH VARIOUS LEVELS OF DIFFICULTIES,

STARTING WITH THE EASIEST AND CONCLUDING WITH THE TOUGHEST.

WITH A CUTOFF TIME OF 30 HOURS, THE RACE IS INCLUSIVE FOR VARIOUS LEVELS OF RIDERS. THE ROADS

ARE 99% TARMAC AND THUS FRIENDLY FOR ALL SORTS OF BIKES. THE LANDSCAPE IS LUSH, TAKING YOU

THROUGH THE BEAUTIFUL YET LITTLE EXPLORED KUMOAN, THROUGH THE BEAUTY OF ITS MOUNTAINS,

RIVERS AND PEOPLE.

ALL FINISHERS GET MEDALS AND CERTIFICATES, WITH TIME DATA. PODIUM FINISHERS GET TO WIN FROM

A PRIZE POOL OF Rs.50000

FIND US ON INSTAGRAM and FACEBOOK

THE RACE IS BEING SOLELY ORGANISED BY MOTOLOGY, A GROUP OF DEDICATED VOLUNTEERS FOUNDED

BY SHEKHOO RAJA

THE FOUNDER HIMSELF HAS BEEN AN AVID CYCLE TOURER AND HAS DONE SOLO RIDES ACROSS LADAKH,

SPITI, ANNAPURNA, UTTARAKHAND, MADHYA PRADESH ETC. HE HAS BEEN ORGANISING GROUP TOURS

AND RIDES ALONG THE SAME ROUTES HE HAS COVERED FOR A WHILE NOW. HE ALSO ORGANISES AUDAX

BREVETS IN GWALIOR ON BEHALF OF THE LOCAL CYCLING GROUP.

HE HAS BEEN A MOTORCYCLIST FOR LAST 8 YEARS, HAVING COVERED VARIOUS PARTS OF THE COUNTRY

ON HIS ROYAL ENFIELD AND KAWASAKI MOTORCYCLES.

OFF LATE HE HAS TAKEN TO ESPORTS, STARTING FROM SCRATCH AND TO GO ON TO ORGANISE THE

LARGEST TWT DOJO TOURNAMENT IN THE COUNTRY IN JUST 6 MONTHS.

MOTOLOGY AS A GROUP GETS A LIMITED AMOUNT OF FUND FROM THE FOUNDER’S INVESTMENTS, WHICH

IT USES TO ORGANISE VARIOUS RIDES, TOURNAMENTS AND CONTESTS TO ENCOURAGE ENTHUSIASTS AND

BRING THE COMMUNITY TOGETHER. IN ADDITION IT ALSO RUNS A NON-PROFIT CAFE OF OVER 2000 SQFT

FOR THESE ENTHUSIASTS TO HAVE A SPACE.

THE MOUNTAINS OF KUMAON ARE DRAPED IN GREEN, STITCHED TOGETHER BY RIVERS IN THEIR YOUTH,

BEJEWELED WITH LAKES, FREQUENTED BY CLOUDS AND OFTEN SHROUDED BY MIST. ROADS MEANDER

THROUGH THE PLACID FORESTS, PAINTED WITH SUNLIGHT MAKING ITS WAY THROUGH THE SIEVE OF OAK

LEAVES. THE BRIGHTER PARTS OF THE ROAD OVERLOOK HIGH MOUNTAINS AND VAST VALLEYS, WHILE

THE DARK ONES CONCEAL THE GROWLS OF TIGERS IN THEIR AFTERLIFE.

I WILL DIVIDE IT INTO 4 PARTS, COVERING 4 MAJOR CLIMBS WHICH RIDERS WILL ENCOUNTER.

● THE FIRST PART IS BHIMTAL TO ALMORA, 63KM. THE MAJOR CLIMB HERE STARTS ARE KWARAB

AND ENDS AT ALMORA, WELL APPARENTLY. THIS PART OF THE ROUTE HAS MAXIMUM TRAFFIC,

ALTHOUGH STILL MEAGRE AS COMPARED TO OTHER PARTS OF THE STATE.

● THE SECOND IS ALMORA TO BAGESHWAR, 72KM. HERE THE MAJOR CLIMB STARTS FROM ALMORA

AND ENDS AT BINSAR CHOWKI. THEN ITS DOWNHILL TILL CLUB MAHINDRA, BINSAR, FOLLOWED BY 3

GRADUAL AND SHORT CLIMBS ENDING 10 KM SHORT OF BAGESHWAR FROM WHERE ITS DOWNHILL

TO THE RIVERSIDE TEMPLE TOWN.

● THE THIRD IS BAGESHWAR TO CHAUKORI, 47KM. THIS PART IS ALL THROUGH A GRADUAL CLIMB.

THERE ARE A FEW SHORT DOWNHILLS TOO, LEADING UP TO THE HIGHEST POINT AS YET, CHAUKORI

WITH A BEAUTIFUL PANORAMIC VIEW OF THE HIMALAYAS

● THE FOURTH IS CHAUKORI TO MUNSYARI, 95KM. THIS PART STARTS WITH A SWIFT DOWNHILL FROM

CHAUKORI TO THAL, THEN FLAT FROM THERE TO TEJAM. FROM TEJAM STARTS THE FINAL CLIMB OF

THE RIDE WHICH IS APPROXIMATELY EQUAL TO ROHTANG PASS, ALBEIT WITH MUCH BETTER ROADS

AND SPARSE TRAFFIC. THE CLIMB ENDS AT KALAMUNI TEMPLE, APPRX 14KM BEFORE MUNSYARI.

THE DOWNHILL FROM HERE COULD BE A BIT ROUGH.

OVERALL THE ROUTE OFFERS AN ELEVATION GAIN OF 5750M (AS MEASURED ON MY GARMIN)

THROUGH THE ENTIRE STRETCH.

THE RACE LIKE ALL OTHER EVENTS OF MOTOLOGY, FOLLOWS A POOL PRIZE SYSTEM. WHICH MEANS THAT

THE PRIZE POOL WILL BE FORMED FROM THE PARTICIPATION FEE COLLECTION. THE DETAILS FOR

REWARDS UP FOR GRABS ARE :

● Rs.50000 PRIZE POOL WHICH WILL BE DIVIDED AMONG THE 6 PODIUM GRABBERS(3 EACH OF MALE

AND FEMALE CANDIDATES)

● ‘KUMAON CHALLENGE’ FINISHER MEDALS FOR ALL FINISHERS

● FINISHER CERTIFICATES FOR ALL FINISHERS

● PARTICIPATION CERTIFICATES FOR NON-FINISHER PARTICIPANTS, AS ITS A LONG HAUL TO BEAR

● EXCLUSIVE TSHIRTS FOR ALL PARTICIPANTS

● ALL CERTIFICATES WILL BE BEAR THE TIMING DATA

PER HEAD PARTICIPATION FEE HAS BEEN DECIDED ON THE BASIS OF VARIOUS INCLUSIONS THAT

HAVE BEEN MADE. I REQUEST THE PARTICIPANTS TO REMEMBER THAT MOTOLOGY IS A NON-PROFIT

GROUP OF VOLUNTEERS AND THUS FEE COLLECTED IS SPENT FAIRLY.

● 2 BACKUP VEHICLES WILL BE AVAILABLE ON THE ROUTE, ONE AT THE HEAD AND ONE AT THE

TAIL. THIS IS HANDLE ANY SITUATION WHERE THE RIDER MAY NEED ASSISTANCE

● ANY LUGGAGE WHICH THE RIDERS BRING, WILL BE TRANSPORTED TO THE HALT POINTS AND

THUS WILL BE AVAILABLE TO THEM AT PRESET LANDMARKS

● DOCTOR WILL BE AVAILABLE ON ONE OF THE BACKUP VEHICLES FOR MEDICAL SUPPORT

● MARSHALLING TO KEEP THE RACE FAIR AND PREVENT CHEATING WILL BE DONE BY THE

VOLUNTEERS

PLEASE NOTE THAT ACCOMMODATION AND FOOD WILL NOT BE PROVIDED, ALTHOUGH THE

PARTICIPANTS CAN COORDINATE WITH THE TEAM TO BOOK THE SAME.

● ORGANISER : THE ORGANISER, MOTOLOGY WILL HOLD ALL AUTHORITY TO ALLOW/DISALLOW

PARTICIPANTS ON THE BASIS OF THEIR ELIGIBILITY, CONDUCT, ABIDANCE OF RULES. DECISION

OF THE ORGANISER IN THIS RESPECT WILL BE FINAL AND UNDISPUTABLE

● ELIGIBILITY : RIDERS WITH ANY FORM OF HUMAN POWERED CYCLE WILL BE ELIGIBLE. ANY

MOTORISED, WHOLLY PARTLY MACHINES WILL NOT BE ALLOWED

● UNDERAGE RIDERS : ANY RIDERS BELOW THE AGE OF 18 CAN PARTICIPATE WITH THE

CONDITION OF PROVIDING A WRITTEN NOC OF THEIR PARENT AND BE ACCOMPANIED BY THEM

DURING THE RACE

● WAIVER OF LIABILITY : ALL PARTICIPANTS WILL BE REQUIRED TO SIGN A ‘WAIVER OF LIABILITY’

DOCUMENT AND PAY ENTIRE PARTICIPATION FEE TO THE ORGANISER PRIOR TO THE END OF

REGISTRATIONS DATE

● INSURANCE : EACH RIDER MUST BE COVERED BY A LIABILITY INSURANCE, GROUP OR PERSONAL

AND MUST SUBMIT THE DOCUMENT OF THE SAME

● BEHAVIOR : ALL PARTICIPANTS ARE EXPECTED AND REQUIRED TO BEHAVE IN A CIVIL MANNER

AND FOLLOW RULES OF LAND. ANY ACCIDENTS, PERSONAL MISHAPS OR SIMILAR EVENTS WILL

NOT BE THE CONCERN OF THE ORGANISER AND THE ORGANISER CANNOT BE HELD LIABLE IN

ANY WAY. THE ORGANISER RESERVES THE RIGHT TO DISQUALIFY ANY PARTICIPANT FROM THE

EVENT IN CASES DEEMED SUITABLE

● SAFETY : HELMET IS COMPULSORY AT ALL TIMES DURING THE RACE AND RIDER CODE MUST BE

DISPLAYED ON REAR AND FRONT OF THE RIDER/CYCLE

● RIDING IN THE NIGHT : ALTHOUGH THE EVENT HAS BEEN SCHEDULED TO AVOID RIDING FOR

LONG IN THE NIGHT, ITS PROBABLE THAT RIDERS EXCEED THESE TIMES AND RIDE. FOR SUCH

CASES, IT IS COMPULSORY FOR CYCLES TO BE EQUIPPED WITH SUFFICIENTLY POTENT FRONT

AND REAR LIGHTS. SUNSET AND SUNRISE TIMES WILL BE MENTIONED ON THE SCHEDULES

GIVEN TO THE RIDERS AT THE START AND BETWEEN THESE TWO TIME POINTS, ITS

COMPULSORY FOR THESE LIGHTS TO BE TURNED ON. CARRY SPARE BATTERIES OR SPARE

LIGHTS, AS EXCUSES WONT BE ENTERTAINED

● CONTROL POINTS : THESE POINTS WILL BE DETAILED ON THE MAPS HANDED TO THE

PARTICIPANTS AND VISIBLY MARKED ON LOCATION. BETWEEN SUCH POINTS, NO PARTICIPANT

CAN PROCURE ANY MATERIAL OR HELP FROM THE BACKUP VEHICLES BE THEIR OWN, EXCEPT

FOR THESE POINTS.

● ROUTE : THE ORGANISERS ARE AWARE THAT THERE MAY BE KNOWN/UNKNOWN DETOURS ON

THE ROUTE, SHORTENING THE DISTANCE. RIDERS ARE THUS REQUIRED TO COMPULSORILY

FOLLOW THE GIVEN ROUTE AS PER THE SCHEDULE DOCUMENT AND NOT DEVIATE FROM IT.

● CUT OFF TIME : THE CUT OFF TIME FOR THE RACE IS A TOTAL OF 36 HOURS, DIVIDED INTO

12HRS,12HRS AND 12HRS FOR DAY 1, 2 AND 3. PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS IS THE MAXIMUM TIME

LIMITED FOR THE RACE TO BE COMPLETED IN, TO BE DEEMED AS A FINISHER. EVERY DAY HAS

START AND END POINTS. THE RIDERS WILL BE GIVEN A MAXIMUM TIME LIMITED TO DEPART

FROM THE START POINT, BUT CAN ARRIVE AT THE END POINT AT THEIR OWN PACE, ON ALL 3

DAYS. OF COURSE, THEIR TIME CALCULATIONS WILL DEPEND ON THEIR PACE AND THEIR

REPORTING AT THESE POINTS. THESE POINTS WILL BE CLARIFIED ON THE SCHEDULE

● CHEATING : RIDERS CAUGHT USING UNFAIR MEANS THE SCOPE OF WHICH WILL BE DECIDED BY

THE ORGANISER WILL BE DISQUALIFIED. IF YOU HAVE QUIT THE RACE FOR ANY REASON AT ANY

POINT, COMMUNICATE THE SAME TO THE ORGANISER IMMEDIATELY

FOR ANY CLARIFICATIONS ON THE RULES AT ANY POINT OF TIME CONTACT THE ORGANISER ON THE

CONTACT POINTS MENTIONED AT THE END OF THE DOCUMENT.

THE RACE WILL START ON 24 DECEMBER AND END ON 26 DECEMBER

REGISTRATION FEE IS Rs.5000 PER HEAD. REGISTRATIONS ARE CURRENTLY OPEN.

FOR ANY FURTHER INFORMATION, CONTACT :

SHEKHOO RAJA

FOUNDER, MOTOLOGY

PHONE : 8085630001

EMAIL : SHEKHOORAJA@GMAIL.COM

FACEBOOK : SHEKHOORAJA

INSTAGRAM : MOTOLOGY