Twelve young riders were on an adrenaline rush as they embarked on a journey through uncharted Himalayan terrains on their Scooties. Baishali Nath, Anjali Manoharan, Mohit Bhardwaj and Andre Camara shared their indelible experience with Kritika Dua
Most of us think that a 4x4 vehicle or a powerful bike is needed to scale the Himalayan terrain. But defying what most of us think are a dozen people, who embarked on a journey which took them all the the way to Khardung la on, hold your breath, Scooties. Yes, that plebeian ride to college has possibilities. Only if the human will is ready to test them.
The 11-day journey from Mandi, Himachal Pradesh, to the world’s highest motorable road was filled with adventure, enthusiasm, fun and some unforgettable lessons that the riders learnt along the way. The group consisted of 10 women and two men who had never met before but the shared experience made sure that they would be friends for life.
Baishali Nath is a lively 26-year-old from Assam. She came on board for the trip through a Facebook ad which seemed to call out to her. It said, “win a free trip to Himalayas” and for a girl who had not seen the northern part of India, it was the perfect opportunity which she grabbed with both hands. Baishali said, “I love travelling but I’ve never done it outside Northeast and that too on a two wheeler.”
There was a reason why a two-wheeler was considered a better mode of transport for the journey. “There’s a famous quote which says, ‘Four wheels move a body, two wheels move a soul.’ And it holds true for me. I looked around with awe as we roamed the exquisite Himalayas and watched the wild flora and fauna,” said Baishali. While the Himalayas gave her peace, Baishali also had a lot of fun along the way. “Before reaching Khardung la pass, we danced into the night. The surroundings brought out our conviviality and we chatted and danced throughout the journey,” she said. Seeing the rugged terrain and the enormity of the moonscape, Baishali was convinced it was in her destiny to experience the mountains at a visceral level.
Mohit Bhardwaj is 21 and pursuing a Masters in Automobile Engineering from Delhi. He has been riding the mountains for the last three years. Agreeing with Baishali, he said the group bonded so well that it was difficult to part ways from his co-travellers. Reaching Khardung la was an emotional moment for them. Mohit said, “When we reached the highest point, we were crying and hugging each other. All the emotions spilled over.”
However, travelling alone on a bike or with strangers is something that is not supported by families, especially when it comes to women. Thankfully for Baishali, her mother has always been supportive of her life choices and she did not face any opposition. “My mother made me so strong that she knows I will be safe. My strongest motivation is my mother as she calms down my demons,” she said, confidence brimming in her voice. The journey was filled with positive vibes and she would love to do something like this in future.
However, for another traveller, Anjali Manoharan, a 21-year-old from Kerala, the experience has been completely different. Anjali pointed out that people often restricted her with “you won’t be able to do this, how will you go, where will you stay” and “you can go with your husband after marriage.” For her, the trip was about demolishing easy presumptions.
Anjali Manoharan is an avid traveller and has travelled extensively in Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka. But a mountain terrain with snowfalls and snowcaps was unknown territory. “I became part of this journey as I wanted to experience the treacherous terrain which I had only heard about. This is the mother of all travels,” she exclaimed. She studied at what could be called an all-boys school as she was the only girl in a class of 39 boys.
She wanted to prove herself and break the preconceived notions about roadie girls. After the successful completion of the journey, Anjali told us, “I am my own inspiration now. I feel like I have achieved something.” The journey has also brought about a change in her personality and she feels more confident now. She explained that she had always been a solo traveller and this was her first and an exceptionally good experience with a group.
Manoharan shared her experience: “We saw frequent changes in the colour of mountains from Mandi till Khardung la. It was unpredictable. There were many riders who got carried away because of the scenery and almost went over the edge.” She said that they often broke journey at some points to take in the divine moment of submitting to the might of creation. Her journey’s high points included witnessing her first snowfall, trailing the band of Milky Way and shooting stars. Anjali said, “The Sachu valley had the harshest weather conditions with temperatures dipping to -2 degrees, which was accompanied with cold and harsh winds. Despite being in tents we managed to survive due to the constant support we got from each other.” The group of 12 helped, took care and encouraged each other. Tough terrains and unpredictable weather were the only little bumps in the otherwise pleasant journey. She said that her fellow riders motivated her. Her parents were apprehensive about her travelling to tough terrains but now they are proud of her.
Mohit had travelled to Dehradun, Chamba, Sach Pass and Shimla earlier on a bike but had never been to ladakh. Visiting Khardung la was on his wish-list since a long time but somehow the dream never materialised. Naturally the trip was really special for him. Mohit talked about how the two wheeler outperformed his expectations, “I rode a Scooty for the first time and I was sceptical about its performance but I was proved wrong. We had to cross patches of deep sand dunes which was adventurous but we negotiated it. It was the best journey of my life.” Now, he is ready to take on whatever life throws at him.
Andre, a 28-year-old from Goa who lives in Bangalore, is an architect. He said, “The journey tested us physically and mentally. There was general and altitude sickness along the way. The weather was rugged at places and tested our souls. But we held on no matter how intense the challenge. Completing this trip is only possible for those who have passion for travelling.” He now plans to do more bike rides with his wife. They say you can never expand yourself till you have tested yourself on the edge. And on a Himalayan high, this motley group certainly grew wings.
Photo: Pankaj Kumar