Categories: Automobile

Rajiv Yadav wins 2026 JK Tyre Rally of Himalayas

The sixth edition of the JK Tyre Rally of Himalayas saw Rajiv Yadav and Dhritimaan Singh take the top honours in the Extreme and Moto categories, respectively, while Soham Hazra finished on top in the TSD (Time, Speed and Distance) category. The cross-country rally raid, organised by Himalayan Xtreme Motorsports and Adventure X Fusion Tribe, saw nearly 130 participants across Moto, Extreme and TSD categories competing for four days through the unforgiving Himalayas.

The sixth edition saw nearly 130 participants across categories
The route traversed Manali, Lahaul-Spiti and Zanskar

2026 Rally of Himalayas: Participants and route

The two-wheeler Moto category had 80 competitors, the four-wheeler Extreme category 29, and the TSD category 20. Notably, there were women participants in all three categories, including one female rider in the Moto class, two female drivers in the Extreme class and four in the TSD class. Participants were of varying ages, ranging from rookies to veterans, and also included private teams and Army teams.

A notable highlight of this year’s rally was that it took participants to the Zanskar region for the first time. The rally flagged off from Manali, with the route taking competitors through Kaza, Jispa and Kunzum La before culminating in Padum, Zanskar, on September 30.

Not surprisingly, rally-prepped Maruti Gypsys were the mainstays in the four-wheeler Extreme category, while a couple of Hiluxes, first-gen Suzuki Grand Vitaras and even a first-gen Duster were in attendance. Despite the challenging terrain of the Himalayas, there were participants even competing in a Volkswagen Polo and a Honda Brio. Meanwhile, the two-wheeler Moto category saw participants bring along Kawasaki KLXs, Royal Enfield Himalayans, KTM 390 Enduros and, of course, plenty of Hero Xpulses.

2026 Rally of Himalayas as it unfolded

On Day 1, Rajiv Yadav, competing in the Extreme category, took the lead in the early stages, although local competitor Aaryak Rana remained close behind during the initial phase. Day 1 featured a 72-km gravel stage that was subsequently run in the reverse direction on Day 2. The format required the driver and riders to adapt braking points, turn-in timing and pacing strategies to a familiar route approached from a different direction.

By the end of Day 2, over a dozen competitors in the Extreme category were already out due to mechanical failures, including Lakhpa Tsering, the 2015 Raid de Himalaya winner. That’s testament to how much the riders’ and drivers’ skill, stamina and split-second decision-making were tested at every stage of the rally.

Following the reverse stage, the rally’s momentum shifted towards Daksh Gill, who delivered strong performances over the next two stages, beginning with the reverse Losar to Gramphu stage. From there, the competition advanced towards Shinku La, with the route climbing to elevations of more than 16,500 feet.

The rally then moved into the Zanskar Valley, where the desert-like landscape led to what was arguably the most exhilarating phase of the rally. Daksh Gill reached speeds of up to 200kph across the region’s vast and high-altitude terrain. The rally concluded in Padum, marking the culmination of more than four days of demanding competition across some of the most challenging terrain in the Himalayas.