Off-Road Day 2017: Top 11 moments of the day

We’ve done it! For the second year running! We have hauled five SUVs and 8 human beings from the comfort of our 12th floor office in Navi Mumbai to the lush and slush filled plains of 19 Degree North outside Lonavala to spend two days reconnecting with Mother Nature.

This time we put science and method into our process. After two days of trudging, climbing, descending and directing five burly SUVs through various obstacles the result of our endeavour has been, frankly, quite amazing!  So here are our photos for the top 11 moments from CarWale off-road day 2017. The eyes behind the lens belong to our Chief Photographer Kapil Angane, whose work you can see throughout various sections of the website.

I declare the proceedings open
Literally or figuratively, this was the start of our CarWale off-road day 2017. In the background are our five SUVs lined up and ready to go while in focus is our boss-man, Vikrant Singh, hammering a start board into the ground.

Wheee!
If you stare at the front of the D-Max V-Cross in this photo for a bit, one gets the impression that it looks like a rather large child. Well, in this case, the child is splashing through a large puddle and savouring the joy of getting soaked. 

Come at me bro…
In this light and angle, the  Tata Hexa looks poised to leap from its position and jump into a fight. The wipers look like arms in fight mode, while the water glinting on the hood could be interpreted as a furrowed and sweaty brow.

Reflecting reflections
Hard work is always preceded by preparation and this frame, we can see the Volkswagen Tiguan in a moment of quiet contemplation before the mud storm. From a photo point of view, the frame is heavy with various objects and the reflection in the water lends some lightness to the frame.

Mind blown
It came as big a shock when the Toyota Fortuner cleared the hill climb. We imagined that it would struggle up the incline, but as our title suggests, we were quite mind blown when it reached the top. Our shock has been conveyed through the lens blur.

Full focus
The Jeep Compass might be new but its seven-slat grille has given it a signature look that will take it a long way. This, in combination with the headlamps and partial bumper visible behind the water, give the impression of concentration and determined focus.

Water, water please don’t splash anywhere
Our portly colleague Sagar Bhanushali was the beaker holder for the beaker test. This meant his pants took the brunt of most of the splashing around as he clutched his prize. In this photo Kapil has managed to capture Sagar just seconds before the ‘storm’ began.

Taking stock
 Our two day off-road sojourn went by in a blur but we still managed to find time between activities to stand around, have some tea and reflecting on the proceedings. Here is most of the team gathered near the Jeep Compass.

Rain or sun, the show must go on
A heavy downpour and a big SUV hunting for grip as its sets off, what a sight it is huh? Kapil thought so too and thus clicked the Fortuner going about its business in a downpour that can be best described as ‘soak you to the bone’.

Earning respect
The whole team fell in love with how the V-Cross performed and to do this it really had to earn its place. The marks of this effort are visible in the layers of dirt on the mirrors, wheel and wheel arches. On a side note, the V-Cross logo still stands prominently even under so much muck.  

The muscle men
We have shown you the vehicles, the terrain and even a beaker full of water destined for someone’s pants. Well now our final image is of the team that pulled off the show. L-R Omkar Thakur, Ameya Dandekar, Sagar Bhanushali, Venkat Desirazu, Vikrant Singh, Santosh Nair, Abhishek Nigam and Kapil Angane. 

Photos: Kapil Angane

CarWale off-road day 2017: A spotters View