Eves on icy roads

Their destination was the grand Himalayas. Among the 14 women who participated in the Royal Enfield’s first all-woman ‘Himalayan Odyssey – Women’ edition, there was this Malayali with an indomitable will and courage- Soumya P.N. She has every reason to be proud of as she traversed 2,500 kilometres over some of the roughest terrains and highest mountain-passes riding all the way up to 18,000 feet and concluding in Khardung-La, one of the world’s highest motorable roads in her RE Classic Desert Storm 500cc bike , which she named Nirvana.

The grand Himalayas, the stark landscapes of Ladakh, tough and tricky roads, biting cold, and risk for life- challenges were many for Soumya when she decided to start her trip.

Originally from Kasargod, Soumya  is now settled in     Bangalore after her marriage to Vipin Gopan. Working as an instructional designer at CogBooks India Pvt Ltd, Soumya’s love for Bullet rides began after her husband taught her how to ride one. And that in fact was the start.

“I was not an excellent rider earlier but I decided to embark on this journey. My only experience for long rides was travelling with my husband to Kerala and back. To set off on a Himalayan ride was truly a challenge,” said Soumya.
Soumya and the other members of the team were selected for after several rounds of physical fitness tests. But their faith was shaken even before they started their ride: the organisers  themselves were apprehensive of the bumpy journey up the hill from Delhi. “Our confidence was shaken when the organisers themselves showed their doubt and fear. It is not supposed to happen such a way. However, we decided to go ahead. Our team leader was Urvasi Patel, the founder of ‘Bikerni’, the largest women’s Biker group in India. We had to cross 9 passes to reach all the way up to Khardung-La. One of our fellow riders met with an accident in the highway to Parwanoo. That was a terrible situation but we continued our journey,” she recollected.

The roads in Himachal Pradesh passed though scenic spots but the team missed some of them as they met with small accidents enroute. “My bike skidded at an 80 degree slop and my hands all got swollen by the time we reached Manali. Our leader Urvasi got sick when we reached Manali and had to discontinue the ride. So from Manali, we had a leader-less ride,” she recalled.

It was much more difficult to travel from Manali as the team was going through high altitude and the riders started getting high altitude sickness, pressure and breathing problems. “It was raining all the way, too. The roads were narrow, muddy and bumpy. We couldn’t see what was ahead, whether a curve or a vehicle coming ahead. It was just too risky,” Soumya recalled the bumpy roads the team traversed.

The other challenge was the ravines — more than 25 of them—that they had to pass. The flow was forceful as the ice started melting in the mountains. “But when we could reach each pass, our confidence started increasing,” she says. The team had its most trying occasion when one of them fell into a valley. “But she, and we were all, lucky the Army men there came to our rescue,” she said, adding the faith in themselves had occasional ups and downs but “when we reached Khardung-La, there was no greater feeling.”

What is the take off from the ride of a life time? “I learned a lot from this ride. My bike has become my soulmate now. It is sometimes too hard to believe I am alive now. In the first place, motorcycling is an art and if you know your bike well, it is easier to go with the ride. Even though it was challenging at many points, I held on to my willpower of reaching my dream destination,” said a happy Soumya, who is now getting ready for her next trip with her husband.

How did she manage to get the support? “I come from a middle class family and my parents would not support such adventures. My husband first came forward supporting me, and that convinced my parents, too. They knew it was risky and but didn’t know it was way too risky. My bike was actually a Gurudakshina for my husband, because he taught me how to ride.” “I believe if you dream it, you can achieve it,” Soumya signed off.