Vrooming to London

While many like going on long drives, there are a few adventure-seeking folks, who are taking it to the next level. About 30 people from varied fields have got together for a cross-border expedition titled “Road to London” that begins today from Imphal. It will see them drive for 49 days and cross 18 countries to reach their final destination — London.

The participants will be driving through  challenging terrains, off-beaten tracks, mountain passes, expressways to reach the British capital. The group includes enthusiasts  from Delhi, Haryana, Maharashtra, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Arunachal Pradesh, Punjab, UK, and Tanzania. They will be riding in a convoy of 13 SUVs. The explorers have an well chalked-out itinerary in place. They will be visiting the Great Wall of China, drive through long stretches of deserts in Kazakhstan and also cross the English Channel to reach London. On successful completion of the journey, each participant will enter the Limca Book of Record for being a part of the largest Indian group to drive from India to London in such a short span of time.

The youngest participant is nine years old and the oldest participant is 72 years old and people from different age groups have taken up this challenge. Ravinder Kumar Sharma, a city-based businessman, who will be travelling with his wife and son, says, “I am very excited. I have drove for 4,000 kms earlier in a trip, but to travel for 16,000 kms, will be way different. It is challenging but at the same time it is exhilarating. My wife will also be driving.” Dilpreet Singh Bindra, another Delhi guy says, “Last year, I rode from Delhi to Bangkok and now I have taken on a bigger challenge. Moreover, the best way to explore any country is by road as only then you get to experience the food, culture and beauty — up close and personal.”   

Tushar Agarwal and Sanjay Madan are the brains behind the initiative, who run Adventures Overland, a Gurgaon-based company. While Sanjay is an active participant and official for many major motor rallies in India, Tushar has spent the last 10 years travelling to more than 70 countries and driving in most of them. As a team, they hold one Guinness World Record and 15 Limca Book of Records for long distance driving expeditions. “We both share a common love for travel, and now we are getting to share the joy of travelling with our clients. It’s not business for us, we are here to present life experiences to like-minded people,” says Sanjay.