RHINO CHARGE 2019

RHINO CHARGE

By Rutu Dhanani

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Am on a Thursday morning rather than being tucked in my warm bed I was sitting in a Landcruiser staring out the window into the crack of dawn. As I looked on, we were one of the hundreds of cars on Thika highway making their way to Rhino Charge 2019. I was anxious but also looking forward to the adventure that lay ahead of us for the next three days. Just to give you a brief update for some of us who don’t know what Rhino Charge is and the cause behind it. Rhino Charge started in 1989 and is a motorsport competition; it requires high levels of skill in off roading and navigation.

The vision behind Rhino charge is to raise funds for Rhino Ark; an organization that has been involved in preserving the forests and wildlife in Kenya. They have been working on building a 400km fence around the

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Aberdares ecosystem. In 2010 Rhino Ark also took up on preserving Mt Kenya and Mt Embu regions. Now coming to the actual event. Many people are confused or not aware rather, on how the whole competition works. Basically 13 checkpoints over 100 km of rough terrain and 10 hours. The teams aim to cover all 13 points and return to base in that time frame. Sounds easy? It’s nowhere near that!

This year the event was held in Nanapa Conservency in an area called Ndol Ndol. The region is as serene as it could be, not a trace of urbanization and just the feeling of calmness surrounding you. We had planned to be on the road for about 6 hours to reach our camp by lunch time, as we were on the road pretty early. By 9 30 AM we had left the hustle and bustle behind and were driving past open landscapes for miles to come. With the sun streaming into the car, music playing in the background, packed breakfast being unpacked and the sound of beer cans being opened, we were well into our road trip! 2 fuel stops, 2 toilet breaks and we had arrived! 45 minutes later than we planned but hey it was still in good time.

We had reached our campsite and were offloading and getting our assigned tents. Basically, this year I had joined team 52 and tagged along with them to their campsite to look into their car, team and of course after party! As we were settling in, I noticed the big woks full of oil bubbling and layers of cheese being lathered onto pizza bases under a tent on the far right, the kitchen set up. Lunch was going to be served soon! Accommodation, food and drinks are a major part of the organization as you are in the middle of nowhere and have to go with every necessity. The planning begins form January; well from the set up that I saw, this much time put into the planning was well worth it. I was staying in the glamping part of the group;

so, everyone is given 2 options, one where you rough it out a bit and set up tents and sleep in your sleeping bags while the other, which is more my way, is that tents were already set up, beds, bedside tables with lamps, the works, the glamping option.

Apart from that, toilets, hot showers, bar area and dining area were set up too. No matter what option you choose to sleep in everyone gets to enjoy the same luxury in every other aspect. After settling in we all gathered in the entertainment area where drinks were being poured and the hot jiko pizzas and fries were being devoured. While the spectators who had come along like me, lazed around the camp, the team was busy all afternoon with setting up for registration and making sure everything ran smoothly for scrutineering.

One of the most talked about things is the Heineken bar at Rhino Charge, so just before dinner we made our way there to mingle with the other teams and check out the place. Surprisingly I was informed that this year the

”one of the

swollen river banks had washed out a few tents!

TEAM 52 MEMBERS:

Hemal Pindolia - Driver Raj Shah Arun Rughwani

Paren Hirani Bhavin Solanki Palpreet Jutla

Heineken bar had still not picked up and was not all that crammed as compared to previous charges; this was probably because the camps were more scattered in comparison to previous years. Back at camp, dinner was served. Scrumptious barbeque underneath the stars. A strong drink, good food, good music, it was a vibe. Friday morning, after a hot breakfast I went along with the team members for the scrutineering of the car. I mean I did come to Rhino Charge for the car and behind the scenes. From my quick lesson that morning I learned that CAR 52 had a 3.9 Lt engine, Range Rover Classic V8, and a 4-speed manual gearbox and stock transfer box. The Tyres were Mickey Thompson baja claw at 35 inches and suspension kit was brought in from extreme 4x4 UK. The other thing I learnt was that the car had a single winch up front and a double one at the back along with other minor car interior details. After this very knowledgeable morning, I was ready to leave and make my way back to camp to join the others for a day of relaxation once again. While the team members carried on their preparations for the next day, D day.

The campsite was buzzing with excitement and everyone was definitely enjoying the food and drinks apart from the team members I felt. They sat down in the evening once they received their maps and starting checkpoint and went straight to work on their map, coordination and overall plan. After a quick dinner we were advised that lights out were at 10 PM; dilemma! Well apart from the team members participating the next day, I found out no one really does follow the 10pm bed time rule! Charge Day! Saturday, while we slept in, the team members were up and ready by 5 30 AM and on well on their way after a good breakfast to keep them going for the day. As we woke up leisurely and tucked in to steaming sausages, eggs and bacon the team was already making

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its way quickly through the checkpoints. We soon got ready and with packed sandwiches and chilled beers we were on our way to find team 52. The team moved swiftly through the morning hours over the many forms of terrains. The car performed well as it approached large hidden luggas, river crossings, thick bushes to steep slopes. Navigation proved to be key.

As the day proceeded it was amazing to see the various teams, cars and felt great being a part of such a grand event for a good cause. The one thing that took every charge by surprise this year was the rain. Over the recent years rain hasn’t made an appearance during the time of charge, and this mega storm that hit everyone changed the whole dynamic of things.

The terrains got more difficult to overcome and hence changing the plans for route ahead. With not a soul left dry, everyone made it back to

camp in one piece including the car! I have to say even though my team didn’t finish all the checkpoints but they sure did give it their 100 %.

What a day, and once we got back to camp, we had another surprise, one of the swollen river banks had washed out a few tents! Sleeping bags were moved around to accommodate the tentless but we managed to get through the night! I mean a little adventure is always welcome when bundu bashing! Also, in the joy of the participation and celebrations going on a little hiccup such as drenched tents was easy to overlook. Sunday morning, luggage packed, tummies full we were on the way back. What an experience! In my opinion it’s definitely something everyone should try as its not only a camping trip it’s a gathering of motor heads, you get to see amazing sportsmanship, meet people from all over the world and all in all it’s a celebration of conserving our land.

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