KOZHIKODE: Captivated by the Himalayas, a youth hailing from Ramanattukara here has completed a month-long pedalling expedition to a height of 7,988 feet at Khardung La pass in Leh, Ladakh.
The snowy mountains had captivated Dineep TV, 22, a resident of the city, who wanted to experience the mystical sight differently. From the shores of Arabian Sea, he reached Khardung La pass on July 3 and started his return journey on July 4. Khardung La is the world’s highest motorable pass situated in the Ladakh region of Jammu and Kashmir.
Dineep, son of Chandran and Raji, started the expedition on June 4, covering 150-200 km per day. He would begin riding at 6 a.m. and go on till 7 p.m. “The travel lasted 30 days and I reached the destination on July 3. Till Manali, I stayed in petrol pumps, where they arranged the stay in their guest house. After Manali, Dabbas offered me stay, where they charge around Rs.150 for a bed,” he said.
“I did not use GPS much while travelling as it consumes a lot of battery. I had to save my battery charge as I did not have access to plug points everywhere. I preferred asking people rather than depending on GPS,” he added.
He had a minor accident on Delhi Expressway. “I lost my control and skidded while I was ensuring the route on my phone. My helmet broke and I had minor injuries. But that did not stop me,” he said. The cycle got punctured sporadically and lost brake at times. But since he was equipped with puncture kit and other tools, he managed to move on.
“Riding through the mountains was a tough task. But I believe that the more hardship you face, the more would be the feeling of contentment,” he said.
A few Malayali Air Force officers in Chandigarh approached Dineep after coming across his Instagram posts. They warmly welcomed him and gifted him a new helmet and also fixed his cycle. He was overwhelmed with the hospitality they offered.
Dineep has completed his studies in Laptop Mechanism from Bangalore, after which he joined Indus Motors Maruti Showroom in Nallalam, Kozhikode. The total expense for the trip was `15, 000, which he managed from his salary.
“Travelling to Ladakh was one of my dreams. But I wanted to do it differently. That is why I chose the cycle rather than a bike. I was excited and knew that this journey would be a different experience,” he said.
He advised aspiring riders not to travel with heavy luggage and to be equipped with puncture kit, tent, sleeping bed, water, snacks and some emergency medicines. Dineep is now on his way back home and aspires to cover Nepal and Bhutan next time.
