Lanka Challenge 2010 Explores East Coast on Auto Rickshaws, the Most Awkward yet Enjoyable Drive Designed by Mankind

28th August to 8th September 2010, www.lankachallenge.com

After officially captivating the world in 2009 through the first edition of the Lanka Challenge, we must now continue our meaningful adventure and achieve the unthinkable. From the 28th August to the 8th September 2010, we will once again traverse the spicy island of Sri Lanka on our humble steeds and this time we will also explore the East Coast; wild, adventurous and less travelled territory - where you can expect even more remote, scenic and challenging roads. Our social projects, now involving the Tamil speaking areas, will reach a broader audience and our eco-friendly initiatives will continue to grow whilst touching many more lives.

The Lanka Challenge 2010 is endorsed and supported by the Sri Lankan Ministry of Tourism & the Sri Lankan Tourism Promotion Bureau (SLTPB). Through our event we intend to promote tourism, help the local communities and show the new face of Sri Lanka to the world. In 2009, we managed to get some excellent international exposure on Daily Telegraph, CNN, BBC, ART and Ten Sports which created positive publicity for the country and its people. Lets see what we can achieve this year!

The Ride

Standard issue Indian made, Sri Lankan modified Auto-Rickshaw. This three-wheel mean machine is by far the most awkward yet enjoyable drive ever designed by mankind. The humble steed can adapt to almost every single surface, climate, situation, idiotic driver and use (or abuse on certain occasions). It defies the law of gravity and doesn’t believe in simple logic.

An auto-rickshaw is generally characterized by a sheet-metal body or open frame that rests on three wheels, a canvas roof with drop-down sides, a small cabin in the front of the vehicle for the driver (called an auto-wallah in some areas), and seating space for three in the rear. They are generally fitted with an air-cooled scooter version of a two-stroke engine, with handlebar controls instead of a steering wheel. The triangular form of the auto also makes maneuvering easy, with the front single wheel negotiating the available gap, and the rear two wheels forcing a larger space.

Auto-rickshaws are light vehicles and only two or three people are required to fully lift one off the ground, which may be necessary when one breaks down and it probably will.

Auto-rickshaws have a top-speed of around 50 km/h (about 31 mph) and a cruising speed of around 35 km/h (22 mph).

The Challenge

The Lanka challenge is NOT a Race – it’s a CHALLENGE! The format of the Challenge has been put together in such a way that speed should not be your number one priority. The Lanka Challenge is a combination of timed legs and challenges. The winning team is determined by the total accumulated Challenge time minus the total time deductions resulting from challenges successfully completed.

My Leg Time – My Challenge Time Deductions = My Result (Total Time)

The team which completes each leg in the shortest possible time and successfully completes applicable challenges will win the leg and wear the notorious yellow sarong and jersey on the following days' leg.

The Lanka Challenge will be broken up into different driving legs (as per the route). Each team will be given a road map book and daily navigational sheet which they must use to navigate from the beginning to end of each leg. Warning – No GPS’s allowed!

Each day there will also be a number of challenges that will need to be completed by each team. The challenges will be made out of adventurous, cultural & ecological activities and will involve the local community. In some instances, teams will compete against each other and in others they will need to work together in order to achieve a common goal. In addition to this, teams will also need to successfully complete different picture and video challenges.

The Reward

The team that finishes the Lanka Challenge in the least amount of total time and that successfully completes the most amount of challenges, will be declared winners and have the most prestigious title in the world for one whole year: “The Lanka Challenge Champions”.

More Info:
Lanka Challenge