Mahindra Adventure Dirt School

We call this one ‘balls-in-mouth’,” quips Manish, our instructor for this course in off-roading. But it’s hard to find the humour in it while rubbernecking down a near-vertical drop from the back seat of a packed Thar. This despite the fact that I know the Thar is literally in safe hands, thanks to Manish’s opening line for the theory session, “Off-roading is about getting from point A to B in not the fastest, but the safest way possible.”

I am at Mahindra Adventure’s new Trail Survivor training programme, held over a day and a half at their bespoke 28-acre off-roading course in Igatpuri. It’s designed to teach you everything that is essential in the art of driving through rugged terrain. Also included in the package is your stay at the Mystic Valley Resort and Spa and, of course, use of the cars.