High adventure!

Winter is a time that most biking enthusiasts would prefer to stay away from expeditions in the mountains. That’s precisely why Pruthu Mehta, a Hyderabad-based businessman took up the Winter Ladakh Challenge. Accompanied by two friends Rohit Mishra and Deepak Gupta, they took the epic expedition to Leh.

“I have earlier been a part of several adventure rides, and always liked to do something that very few have done before. Not many will choose to ride during these tough winter conditions. But I feel that’s what being adventurous is all about. As adventure bike riders, we were very ambitious and we wanted to complete this challenge,” says Pruthu.

Interestingly, the trio took the toughest and the most isolated route. Starting off from Leh, they rode through Talangla, Tso Kar, Polokangla, Namshangla, Tso Moriri, Mahe, Horla Pass, Kaksangla Pass, Chushul, Man, Merak, Lukung, Tangste and Chang la before returning to Leh. The 700-km long route was covered in one week.

“The-Horla —Kaksangla Pass (at 17,834 feet) — Chushul stretch is normally not used for expeditions. This is because, it is a remote and isolated route that doesn’t have any civilisation up to 90 km. Also, riding the bike in snow was really difficult and we managed to ride with our biking skills only by using accelerators and clutch in the snow chain,” Pruthu shares.

Elaborating, he recalls, “The ride downhill Changla Pass was not only full of snow for 65 km, it was very slippery too. The temperature was minus 25 degrees Celsius. But it was the heights that humbled us showed us the enormity of Himalayas.”

Describing the experience of riding in snow as surreal, the 40-year-old says, “The magical landscape and the demanding, freezing, environment makes for an ideal winter challenge. Despite winter clothing, our hands were frozen, feet got numb but the love for Ladakh survived. Exploring the best frozen landscapes takes any outdoors challenge to a whole new level.”

Accomplishing such an epic adventure gives him a sense of contentment Pruthu states, adding, “I always wanted to do something unheard of, so this adventure means a lot. I am a passionate bike rider and I feel proud of such feats. It furthers drives me to excel and gives me a lot of satisfaction.”