Events
1) The Himalayan Rally (4 Rallies: 1987, 1988, 1989 & 1990)
Spearheaded by Wing Commander A.V Condillac, “The Himalayan Rally” came to Himachal in the early eighties. In what is now known as the dawn of international motor sports in India, The Himalayan Rally was one of its kind and showcased the versatility of the landscape this region had to offer to international rally teams and drivers, many of them veterans of the World Rally Championship and the Paris-Dakar Rally, two of the most grueling motor port events in the world. The Himalayan Rally in 1987 saw the team coming together to assist as marshals and be a part of the only international rally India has seen till now. Over the years, 1988, 1989 and finally 1990 the team grew leaps and bounds and was independently responsible for the execution of the Himalayan Rally in Himachal Pradesh.
2) The Great Desert – Himalaya Raid (2 Rallies: 1988 – 1989)
Team Avalanche prides itself on its association with The Great Desert Himalaya Raid held in 1988 and 1989, till now the longest event in India traversing through the plains of Delhi to the Deserts of Rajasthan and finally into the cold desert of Ladakh and finishing in Srinagar, Kashmir. The team officiated through the event legs in Himachal and Ladakh.
3) The London Sydney Marathon (1993)
One of the biggest events ever to take place in the world, The Indian leg of this trans-continental rally passed through Delhi and Himachal Pradesh before moving on to the Australian continent. Again Team Avalanche was the preferred choice of the organizers to officiate and execute the Himachal leg of the Marathon.
4) The Bajaj – Army Himex Endurance Challenge (Delhi to Khardung la in 1994)
The Indian Army organised the Bajaj – Timex endurance challenge from Delhi to Khardung La in 1994, the highest motorable pass in the world. The event featured motorcycles and was the first official rally in the world to reach this location. Team Avalanche provided the logistical and organizational support to The Indian Army to execute the event.
5) The Mountain Challenge Series, Shimla
(6 Rallies: 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996 & 1997)
The Mountain Challenge became one of the most successful events in the country, shaping the rallying careers of today’s rally icons. The Mountain Challenge in all its running years was a part of the National Rally Championship and ran almost exclusively in the state of Himachal Pradesh. Team Avalanche was overall and exclusively in charge of all aspects of running the event in Himachal for consecutive six years.
6) Jaipur Desert Challenge 1998
The Mountain Challenge avatar in the deserts of Rajasthan was the Jaipur Desert Challenge held in 1998. In addition to helping organise this event, Team Avalanche fielded its team of motor cycle riders in competition, becoming the first club in the country to do so. The team came out with flying colors at the event, in both organisation as well as competition.
7) Raid de Himalaya (1999, 2000, and 2001)
Team Avalanche had been closely associated with the Raid de Himalaya since 1999, a grueling long-distance event testing the riders and drivers to the limit across harsh and inhospitable terrain. Team Avalanche was handling safety and marshalling for the Raid in 1999 and 2000 and also ran a full competition team in both 2-wheel and 4-wheel categories in 2000 and 2001. Though the organisers and participants from the club fared very well in the event, unfortunately in 2001 the team lost two of it members in an unfortunate accident while participating in the Raid, that ended the club’s association with the Raid for a few years.
8) The Great Hornbill Raid, Arunachal (2000)
Team Avalanche traveled through the length of India to the north-eastern corner of the country to organize the Great Hornbill Raid in Arunachal Pradesh in 2000. From reconnaissance to logistics and finally the execution of the entire event, Team Avalanche assisted the Motorsports Club of Arunachal Pradesh in organizing the first motor sport event of the north-eastern states.
9) Highland Rally (2002, 2003, 2004)
Keeping the flame of motor sports alive in the region is yet another club from Solan, organizing one-day events for cars, scooters and bikes. Ever since its inception the club has been inviting Team Avalanche to officiate and execute the event with them.
10) The SJOBA Rally (2002).
Team Avalanche entered the SJOBA Rally and participated in the cars category in 2002. One of the most popular motor sports events in Chandigarh saw Team Avalanche finishing 3rd in the cars category amongst a field of competitors reputed to be the best in the country.
11) The Apple Festival, Royal Enfield Limited Speed Race (2003)
With Royal Enfield as the sponsor and Team Avalanche at the helm, the historical Ridge and the residents of Shimla witnessed the first ever Royal Enfield Limited Speed Race circumambulating the main promenade of Shimla; the Mall and the Ridge. The three-lap race was well received by the spectators and participants and was organised as part of the Apple Festival 2003.
12) The Avalanche Open Challenge (1998 & 2004)
Team Avalanche organized the first motocross in Himachal in October 1998. The event was a grand success and was held at The Ice Skating Rink, Shimla. The event was successfully repeated in 2004 and riders from Shimla and other parts of Northern India participated in both events in large numbers. The event is still etched strongly in the memories of riders from the region and served as a platform for promoting various riders from the state who went on to win laurels in many events subsequently.
13) The Shimla Motorcycle Challenge (2008)
Team Avalanche has also organised the Shimla Motorcycle Challenge 2008, which was a series of events in the Rally Sprint format, the first of its kind in the country. All four rounds of the Challenge have taken place. Yogesh Lakhani (C Open), Sanjay Kumar Sharma (D Open) and Piyush Chauhan (D Himachal) were declared the Shimla Motorcycle Champions in their respective classes.