What happens when you let two reckless ATV riders run amok?
In this episode, Meraj and Johan, get astride ATVs also known as quads, and lay waste to one of the toughest, and certainly the most picturesque ATV courses in the country. Located in Naggar, an ancient capital city in Himachal Pradesh, the duo tackles The Alternate Terrain–a full-blown obstacle course with sand pits, water crossings, slush, you name it!
The ATVs here are capable of handling some serious off-road terrain. You sit on them like you would on a motorcycle but instead of banking, you turn like a car and throw your weight in the opposite direction that you’re turning to keep all wheels on the road.
It’s pretty good fun; remember those bumper cars at amusement parks?
These are like adult versions of those, but way more fun and capable. Our hosts get a refresher course, and are none the wiser for it. There’s an all-wheel brake where a motorcycle clutch would be, and there’s a foot brake only for the rear wheels. Most unusual is the throttle on the right which is pushed by the thumb, like a fuel choke lever on a motorcycle. That’s to make sure that you don’t accidentally pull the throttle while going over rough terrain.
Meraj has a close call when his ATV stalls in the middle of a stream with Johan right behind him.
Thankfully he’s able to get it going and we made it to the other side. They drive through rocky outcrops on the riverside, cross a few streams, go uphill, downhill, through a forest, and over the hill. It ends up being the most fun either of them has had on an ATV in India.
The story of The Alternate Terrain’s founder is one that’s become all too familiar: young people choosing a different narrative from the big city job and life.
Veer Chatrath comes from one of the oldest families in the region, and the decision to move back to Naggar from Mumbai was probably not as difficult as one would imagine.
Veer has gone from crunching numbers in a finance job to setting up probably the country’s finest ATV course, which runs right along the banks of the Beas River.