JOIN USAt 7.30 am Saturday last when 100 bikers dressed in black vroomed into the vicinity of India Gate from Zakir Hussain Marg, all eyes were glued on them and the beastly machines they rode.
This huge congregation was the flag off ceremony of the 10th Himalayan Odyssey – a road trip to Leh, in the heart of Himlayas. It included both first-timers and experienced riders who alike shared their excitement over the journey whereas their families expressed concern over the bad weather. Still all eyes remained fixed on the black, mud-brown, cherry red and partial white Royal Enfields that accumulated and got set to accomplish a distance of 2700 kms in 17 days.
“My parents were shocked when I told them that I will be participating in the trip,” said Arun Karara, a young Delhiite who bought his mud-brown Enfield last year and was elated to be participating in such a rally for the first time. All excited to explore the adventures of the Himalayas, he admits with a heavy heart, “I will miss my family. If possible they would have packed everything for me take along,”
he added.
The expectations were different with Prakash Chomachery from Kerala who has been riding since 1982. A businessman by profession Prakash has taken several road trips on his black Enfield. “The trend of bike trips is gradually picking up,” he says adding, “I reached Delhi by road. Till Nagpur it was raining but after that the weather has been holding up.”
Besides passion, what else is required to undertake such a journey? “Self-confidence, knowing the machine and team-work,” said Ramakrishna, a rider from Andhra Pradesh. But what made the trip a must for Snigdha Chavan, the sole woman rider in the rally was the chance to conquer Himalayas on bike! “It is the dream of every biker to go to Himalayas,” says Snigdha who started riding the Bullet after getting married! “I used to ride bikes in college but my husband made me fall in love with the Bullet. He too is a rider and leading this group. Ours was an arranged marriage and we just clicked because of our common passion for bikes,” she shared.
But Snigdha also admitted that she is under a lot of pressure to perform. “Since he is so good, I have to prove my mettle too. I look upto him and he has taught me a lot of things,” she says pointing towards her husband Sachin who advices, “All riders must keep their common sense during the journey and not get carried away by the
adventure element.”
Well said the leader, as all the riders mounted their vehicles and bade Delhi goodbye with the motto ‘Here we come, Himalayas’!