Bengalureans cycle 660 km to world’s highest motorable pass in Ladakh

A 10-member team, including eight Bengalureans, recently completed a 660-km cycling expedition from Manali in Himachal Pradesh to Umling La in Ladakh. Umling La is the world’s highest motorable pass at 19,024 feet. The team members, comprising six men and four women, were in the 56 to 76 age group. The expedition ended on August 15 after 11 days of cycling, though some members returned to Bengaluru the past Saturday. Each day, the group set off around 6.30 am, covering 40-50 km from one camp to the next.

“We were lucky it rained only after we got back to camp, but the wind was relentless,” said 72-year-old Vasumathi Srinivasan, who led the expedition organised by the Karnataka Mountaineering Association. “Cyclists usually ride up to Khardung La, about 40 km from Leh. But we took it as a challenge to reach Umling La, which is 300 km from Leh in a different direction,” she added.

The expedition also included Vasanth Prabhu, Dr R Chandrashekar, Chetan Sahoo, Chaula Jagirdir, Shilpa Shivkumar, Sumanth Arya, Mauro D’Souza, Jayram Srinivasan and Govind Srinivasan.