Chennai's Finest 4x4 Community

About

Chennai's Finest 4x4 Community

Started by six friends and a very tired Mahindra, Mile Gobbler has grown into one of Tamil Nadu's most active offroading communities - without losing the thing that made it work in the first place.

Members of Mile Gobbler gathered around a jeep at the end of a trail

Our Story

It started with a stuck jeep

In 2018 a handful of us drove out past Tada looking for a shortcut and found a slush pit instead. It took four hours, two snapped straps and a borrowed tractor to get out. On the drive home somebody said we should do this properly, with the right gear and people who knew what they were doing.

That turned into a WhatsApp group, then a monthly run, then a proper club. Today Mile Gobbler has members across Chennai driving everything from bone stock Thars to heavily built Gypsies, and we run trails from the ECR backwaters up to the Javadi and Kolli hills.

We are not a race team and we are not a tour operator. We are a group of people who like difficult terrain, careful preparation and the drive back afterwards.

Not all of it happens on a trail. Garage days, night drives down ECR, breakfast runs and an annual meet — the wrenching, the arguing about tyre sizes and the filter coffee after are half the reason the club exists.

What we stand for

We drive jeeps.
We collect stories.

  • Trail first

    We leave the tarmac looking for roads worth remembering.

  • No ego

    Skill matters. Showing off doesn’t.

  • Leave it better

    The trail isn’t ours. We just get to pass through it.

  • Every jeep has a story

    Stock, modified, old, new — if it wants to explore, it belongs.

How that works on a run — briefings, convoy discipline, recovery, and what we ask of you on private land — is set out in the rules and gear list.

Badge System

Silver, Gold and Platinum

Recognizing consistency. Rewarding commitment.

The badge system is not a giveaway. It is invite only: a mark of consistency, discipline and contribution to the group. Time on the trail matters, and so does how you operate within the team.

Silver

Entry tier

Eligibility

  • Minimum 7 trails completed
  • Minimum 6 months with MG
  • Consistent adherence to Marshal instructions and club policies
  • Guided and supported at least 1 new member in offroading basics

What you get

  • Priority access to trail registrations before general members
  • 10% discount on all local trails
  • Eligibility to bring a +1 at a discounted rate
  • Recognition as a consistent and active member
  • Occasional invites to exclusive small-group drives and events
  • Silver Badge sticker for your jeep

Gold

Silver badge required

Eligibility

  • Minimum 12 trails completed
  • Minimum 12 months with MG
  • Consistent adherence to Marshal instructions and club policies
  • Guided and supported at least 3 new members in offroading basics

What you get

  • Guaranteed slot on most local trails, even if nearly full
  • 15% discount on all local trails
  • 5% discount on outstation trails
  • +1 at 50% discount
  • Priority consideration for recce participation with Marshals
  • Early access to announcements and limited-capacity events
  • Gold Badge sticker for your jeep

Platinum

Highest tier ยท Gold badge required

Eligibility

  • Minimum 20 trails completed
  • Minimum 18 months with MG
  • Consistent adherence to Marshal instructions and club policies
  • Guided and supported at least 5 new members in offroading basics

What you get

  • Guaranteed slot on all local and outstation trails, regardless of slot status
  • 25% discount on all local trails
  • 10% discount on outstation trails
  • Access to join recce drives with Marshals anywhere, anytime
  • +1 rides completely free on all trails
  • Direct priority access to the Marshal team
  • Platinum Badge sticker for your jeep
Invite only Members are invited once all criteria are met. Final badge allocation sits with the Marshal team and is at their discretion.
Earned in succession You must hold Silver to be eligible for Gold, and Gold to be eligible for Platinum. There is no skipping a tier.
Reviewed every year A badge is not permanent. Once received it has to be maintained, and every badge is reviewed annually.

This isn't just about benefits. It's about how you belong.

  • Ride Together
  • Respect the Trail
  • Grow Together

Meet the Team

Who runs the club

A small leadership team, and a Marshal team who run the trails themselves.

  • Rajiv Menon Club Founder

    Started Mile Gobbler and still sets the direction the club runs in.

  • Nivas Club Manager, Finance

    Looks after club finances and the costing of every trail.

  • Teja Club Manager, Marketing & Branding

    Runs the club's presence across social channels and looks after the brand.

The Marshal Team

Who runs the trails

Marshals are the people in charge on a run. They set the route, brief the convoy, call the recoveries and decide who is invited to a badge. On a trail, their word is final.

Senior Marshals

Lead the trail, own the route and the safety call, and sign off on badge allocation.

  • Name Senior Marshal
  • Name Senior Marshal
  • Name Senior Marshal
  • Name Senior Marshal

Marshals

Run lead and sweep on the convoy, spot the hard sections, and mentor new members through their first trails.

  • Name Marshal
  • Name Marshal
  • Name Marshal
  • Name Marshal
  • Name Marshal
  • Name Marshal
The Mile Gobbler club managers and marshal team together
The club managers and the marshal team.

FAQ

The questions we get asked

Do I need a modified jeep?

No. Plenty of our members run stock vehicles. For a Level 02 trail you need a working 4x4 with low range, decent tread on all five tyres, and rated recovery points front and rear. Lifts, lockers and winches become useful at Level 04 and above, but they are never a requirement to join.

What does membership cost?

Nothing. Joining Mile Gobbler is free and there is no annual fee. We charge per trail, and only for the trails you come on.

What a run costs depends on the run. A local day drive and a multi-day outstation trip are very different things, and the cost of each is shared with members before it is opened for registration. You will never be asked to commit to a trail without knowing what it costs.

Badge holders pay less: 10% off local trails at Silver, 15% at Gold, and 25% at Platinum, with discounted or free passenger slots on top. How the badges work.

I have never been offroading. Am I welcome?

Yes, and we would rather you learn with us than on your own. New members are paired with a mentor for their first two runs, start on Level 02 trails, and are strongly encouraged to attend a recovery training day early on. Being new is fine. Being unprepared is not.

Do you only accept Jeeps?

The name is historical. Thars, Gypsies, Boleros, Fortuners, Isuzus and actual Jeeps all run with us. The requirement is a proper 4x4 with low range, not a particular badge on the grille. Soft-roaders and AWD crossovers are not suitable for our trails.

How often do you run?

At least one organised trail a month, plus ad-hoc night drives, breakfast runs and garage days announced in the members' group. The monsoon months are the busiest and the most demanding - some of the best trails only exist for eight weeks a year.

Can I bring a passenger?

Yes, with a couple of conditions: they must be briefed alongside the drivers, they must stay in the vehicle with a seatbelt on during obstacles unless asked to spot, and children under twelve are only allowed on Level 02 trails.

Apply to Join Read the Rules