On August 8, 2005, Kenneth Carden, a resident of Cape Town, South Africa, along with nine other cyclists from around the world, embarked on a journey that few had tried before. The intrepid travellers fixed their gear on to their hardy bikes, strapped on the helmets, donned the gloves and raced off from Manali, Himachal Pradesh towards the horizon ? in this case, the treacherous mountain roads up towards Rohtang Pass. Their final destination was Leh, the capital of Ladakh ? a 500-km journey over 17 days through the remotest parts of the northern Himalayas. The route included four high passes, including the Khardung La Pass, the highest motorable road in the world. On their journey from Manali to Leh, the dedicated bikers made an accumulated altitude gain of 9,000m ? to put that in perspective, that’s the equivalent of cycling to the top of Mount Everest from sea level.

“It’s something I wanted to do for a long time. Most people hike in the Himalayas, I’ll be cycling, and somehow combining the two,” says Carden on his website describing his Himalayan adventure. The Manali-Leh trip was organised by UK-based adventure travel company Red Spokes (www.redspokes.co. uk) that arranges mountain biking trips all over the world. In India, the company offers trips in Ladakh, Sikkim and Darjeeling. While mountain biking in the Himalayas is yet to take off among Indians in a major way, India is one of the leading lights of mountain biking hotspots from around the world for adventure seekers from abroad. While the northern Himalayas ? locations in Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh and Uttaranchal ? are the most popular spots, especially for short and long trips between Manali and Ladakh, biking trails in Sikkim and Darjeeling are also fast becoming popular.

Biking in the northern Himalayas is breathtaking ? and there are trails that suit the beginner while the more experienced cyclist will also not feel cheated. There are various levels of biking trails around Dharamsala, Chamba valley, Kangra valley and Kullu, and conditions for biking here are best between May/June and October/November. In Uttaranchal, the Garhwal and Kumaon Himalayas are best for biking between May and November.

One of the most exciting routes in the northern Himalayas, and the one followed by the intrepid Carden and his group, is the 17-day trip from Manali to Ladakh. The trail kicks off from Manali, taking in quaint Himachali villages with snow-capped peaks in the distance, through the hairpin bends and switchbacks on the way to the Rohtang Pass. Then there’s a descent into Gramphu and from there on unmetalled flat roads towards Khoksar, crossing the raging Beas river. Further on, the trail crosses the Baralacha La pass to Sarchu, and further on, the Nakeela Pass. The highlight of this 17-day journey is crossing the Khardung Lapass at 5,600m, say veterans.

Accompanying the bikers on this trudge up the mountains is a back-up vehicle carrying luggage, supplies and medicines. While this is not extreme adventure ? the distances covered each day and the gradient are carefully planned and quite doable ? the altitude and the terrain make it somewhat tough, and a trip that only experienced cyclists ought to consider. Which is not to say amateur cyclists have to give up their biking hopes. There are short rides in and around Manali and Ladakh ? day and weekend trips ? that are perfect for those eager to get a taste of mountain biking but lacking in the endurance and skill necessary for long-haul trips.

In and around Ladakh, the mountains offer some fantastic trails as well as carpeted roads that often have no traffic. The landscape here is ideal for mountain biking, especially around Nubra, Zanskar, Changthang, Kinnaur, Lahaul and Spiti. The best time of the year for biking in this region is between June-end and September.

Biking enthusiasts are now also heading towards the eastern Himalayas, with newer trails opening up around Darjeeling and in Sikkim. “Sikkim is growing into a biking paradise,” says Pallab Bhattacharya, director of NatureBeyond (www. east-himalaya.com/adventur e/biking/index.htm), a Siliguri-based adventure sports company that organises biking trips in Darjeeling and Sikkim. One of their most popular routes is the 16-day biking-hiking trip between Siliguri, through tea-gardens around Mirik, to Darjeeling and then on to Sikkim covering Pelling, Singtam, Ravangla, and ending in Gangtok.

NatureBeyond also offers a shorter 8-day trip around Darjeeling, again starting at Siliguri, climbing up to Mirik and then Darjeeling, and encompassing beautiful little towns around Darjeeling like Mongpu, Kalimpong and Lava. “Though mountain biking has been more popular among foreign independent travellers (FITs) than Indian tourists till now, we are beginning to get enquiries from Indian adventure enthusiasts as well,” says Bhattacharya. People are also showing interest in biking around the remote village of Sandakphu in the Singalila range, he says.

Darjeeling-based Benoy Thapa (contact: travel@darjeelingnews.net) also organises biking trips in Sikkim and around Darjeeling. The most popular route offered by his company is the Singalila tour that combines biking, trekking and driving. It starts off at Darjeeling, then on to Maneybhanjyang on cycles, and from there to Sandakphu on bikes and a jeep.

If you’re an amateur ready for some biking adventure, it would be advisable to prepare yourself before undertaking a mountain biking trip, advise operators. A regular and disciplined biking regimen in the plains is a must, as are aerobic training and chest exercises.

Most operators also insist that you get your own travel insurance with policies covering potential risks involved in a mountain cycling holiday. Also, to prevent high-altitude sickness from striking, it is always better to acclimatise yourself by a couple of days’ rest at the starting point before starting off on the adventure of a lifetime.

My favourite holiday

Shamlu Dudeja,
kantha revivalist

I’ve been on several beautiful holidays ? right from the very first trip I took with my late husband to Darjeeling, to our last getaway together in Australia. But there’s one particular holiday on which I went when I was just 12 that has stayed with me over the years.

It was post Partition. My parents and three of us siblings had gone to the village of Jalalani Sharif in the interiors of Sind to visit my father’s guru who was a Sufi Muslim. What makes this trip so special is that it changed the way I thought about life. Whilst there, we would recite couplets from The Koran, and at the same time, our night prayers would include a prayer from the Sikh text, Sukhmani. My father’s guru also initiated us into pranayam meditation. That’s what was so wonderful! He was so open about religion. In that village, there were no distinctions of caste, creed or status.

I remember it being ramzan time and I actually sat with the other girls for a roza. That very night, I dreamt of Krishna on horseback. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a picture of him on a horse. It was most one of those memories that have endured. Indeed, that trip to Jalalani Sharif was one of the most significant in my life.

Route map

International airlines have been busy beefing connections to and from India. Recently Turkish Airlines touched down in Mumbai, connecting it with Istanbul with thrice weekly flights. The airline already operates 4 flights a week to Delhi. Having strengthened its operations to 7 flights a week from Delhi and Mumbai to Istanbul, Turkish Airlines can further connect travellers to over 100 cities globally. In case you hadn’t noticed, Turkey is growing into a hot tourist destination.

Meanwhile the German carrier, Lufthansa launched daily, non-stop flights between Hyderabad and Frankfurt — an increase of 4 flights between the two cities, from the existing 3 in a week. To celebrate this launch, the airline is offering a special fare on the Hyderabad-Frankfurt sector. Passengers booking tickets till April 30 will pay Rs 19,900 to Germany and for travelling to Chicago, Los Angeles, New York and San Francisco will pay Rs 38,000. For travellers, more connections imply greater flexibility and increased travel options.