"Monsoon Madness #2 " August 4th - 17th 2008

the challenge

A 1,000 km trail from Chennai to the Southern tip of India (with not a straight line in sight). You will be entering an epic adventure through varying conditions including unpaved roads, jungle tracks, chaotic city streets and sweeping coastlines.

the wheels

An auto-rickshaw (a.k.a "tuk-tuk"). A 3-wheeled marvel capable of reaching buttock clenching speeds of 35mph!! Totally unsuitable for off-roading and therefore perfect for this event!! You willl be expected to crash in style so all rickshaws will get a fully pimped up makeover.

the rules

Just remember buses are bigger than rickshaws and don't be late for the party

the route (ish)

Day 1: Chennai

Chennai is the automobile capital of India and aptly, the challenge kicks off here. Talk about going in at the deep end. This will be your first chance to experience the "free for all" highway code. By the time you leave Chennai city limits you will be battle ready...

Day 2: Mahabalipuram

Travelling along the beautiful eastern coast you will reach Mahabalipuram, one of oldest cities in Southern India and home to the Shore Temple. Possibly a good time to start praying now you've realised what you've let yourself in for...

Day 3: Pondicherry

Home to a million people and most unlike any other city in India in the sense that some planning has actually gone in to it - the roads actually work in a grid system. This probably means the accident rate goes up ten-fold. Most importantly however the beer is really, really cheap.

Day 4: Thanjuvar

This city boasts the amazing Brihadeeswara Temple, a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site. The main tower, at 70m, is the tallest in the world. So tall in fact that no one has yet managed to balance a rickshaw on top of it...

Day 5: Madurai

A sprawling metropolis with palaces and temples. Something for every type of adventurer lurks here. Go explore!

Day 6: Tuticorin

Tuticorin is a main Port city of India. The major harbour of Tuticorin is well known as pearl diving, fishing centre and shipbuilding. The city is also known as " Pearl City ”. It is famous for it's production of salt, fishing and other related businesses.

Day 7: Courtallam

The faithful flock to Courtallam for wellness retreats at its many spas and waterfalls. After 7 days of arse-pummelling in the rickshaw you'll be glad to bathe your haemorroids and feel almost normal again.

Day 8: Kanniyakumari

The southern tip where Bay of Bengal meets Arabian Sea meets Indian Ocean and where there is nothing else due south until you reach the frozen wastes of Antarctica. Good job you're stopping here then for the the party to end all party's!!

N.B expect the route to change as come the next monsoon some of the "roads" might have disappeared :-)

expected difficulty rating

This is your chance to experience the chaos and diversity of India whilst playing roulette with pedestrians and lorries and some of the world's most infectious diseases like rabies, malaria, and this season's "must have" disease, bird-flu!!