Jyotishko Biswas, a 29-year-old traveller, trekker and cyclist from Nadia has embarked on an adventure that might bag him a record — a cycling expedition with the Everest Base Camp as his final destination. Astride a gravel bike, the Bengali adventurer started his journey, which he has named Sea to Summit, on February 9 from the Digha beach in Purba Medinipur, and reached the Bhithamore border checkpoint, crossing the Indian border into Nepal on February 19. His mantra, he said, is “Keep cycling, be happy, and inspire each other,” and his expedition is inspiring others.
A childhood dream and a nudge from Che Guevara
“I was quite little when someone told me the height of Mount Everest was calculated from the sea level, and that fascinated me. As I grew up, I did not forget that anecdote, which eventually gave birth to the Sea to Summit expedition. Since I am from West Bengal, I wanted to start the trip from a location near Bay of Bengal,” said Jyotishko, speaking to My Kolkata from Nepal.
Jyothishko makes it a point to document his journey
For Jyotishko, cycling became a regular habit from 2018. It is the adrenaline rush more than the allure of a record that attracted the traveller to the open road. His first road trip was from Kolkata to Meghalaya, followed by a trans-Himalaya trip, and then yet another covering the Kanyakumari to Kashmir stretch — all between 2018 to 2019. Two-wheeler journeys aside, he embarks on approximately 20 treks every year and has worked with the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute in Darjeeling. “I recently returned from Mongolia. Apart from cycling, I also do trail running, marathon runs, and trekking,” said the adrenaline seeker.
Apart from the Mount Everest factoids from his childhood, Jyotishko’s passion to take roads less travelled was also inspired from the Walter Salles directorial The Motorcycle Diaries (2004). The film, based on revolutionary Che Guevara and biochemist Alberto Granado’s memoir of the same name, highlights the 1956 road journey of the duo. A mass communication and animation graduate from Surendranath College in Barrackpore, Jyotishko had film studies as an additional paper, and that’s how he was introduced to the film. “A person who changed my life is DC sir (Debasish Chakraborty) from my college, who showed us the film, which resonated with me at a personal level and inspired me,” reflected Jyotishko.
An uphill battle
Jyotishko got a health checkup ahead of his journey
As of February 20, Jyotishko has covered more than 900km on this trip on his two-ringer bike, but distance is not a consideration for the cyclist. In fact, he is looking forward to the challenge of the “difficult” part — the leg of the journey that will become an “uphill battle”, quite literally. “Kilometres do not matter to me. The real game will begin with the elevation gain from Solukhumbu in Nepal, which will be challenging. But, adventure, after all, is the real adventure,” shared Jyotishko.
So far, it has been a good journey for the man from Nadia’s Karimpur, who thinks the Sea to Summit tour is a test of his physical and mental endurance. “I wanted to do something new in the field of adventure sports, pushing my own limits,” he said. Jyotishko has been fully committed to adventure sports for almost seven years, and wants to channel his experience to popularise multi-adventure expeditions combining cycling and trekking.
Eco-friendly travel memories
The cyclist’s gear for the journey
Jyotishko realised his love for cycling during the lockdowns of the first phase of Covid-19. Not only was cycling an eco-friendly option, it also helps mental wellness along with physical fitness because cycling releases “happy hormones,” said the fitness enthusiast.
In an era of high dependence on technology and increasing use of mobile phones and social media, he finds cycling as a welcome break that allows him to meet new people and make memories. “I have met people on the way who have offered me a roof above my head, helping me make my journeys a little comfortable,” Jyotishko reminisced.
Coming home to Baba
Jyotishko with his parents
Some of his favourite travel memories also include coming home to his father, who is always there to welcome him back. Jyotishko reckons that gets his love for sports from his father, a retired school teacher, ex-army personnel and former volleyball player who runs about five kilometres every day, even in his 60s.
The pride in Jyotishko’s voice as soon as he mentions his father is unmissable. “My father always makes it a point to receive me at the bus stand at my native place Karimpur in Nadia, after every expedition. The happiness on his face is my ultimate motivation, because he is my best friend, my everything. He is my superhero without a cape,” he said.
His parents always keep a track of their son’s journey, and on his return, there is always his favourite dal-rice mishti (sweets) waiting for him.
Everest Base Camp and onwards
Man on a mission
When talking about what awaits him at EBC, braving sub zero weather is the first challenge that comes to mind. “Currently, the temperature is approximately -20°C. My plan for the journey is to take it slow, acclimatising myself,” shared Jyotishko. Apart from the climatic conditions, the trails, some murkier than others, are among the challenges that lie ahead of the cyclist. “There are a few trails that are good for trekking, but I might have to take my bike on my shoulders while crossing them, which will be the most challenging part,” he said, sharing how he is assessing the risk factors with careful considerations, chalking his road map ahead.
One of the common health hazards that climbers face while in Nepal, especially in the Khumbu region, is the Khumbu Cough that happens due to breathing cold, dry air, and the seasoned trekker is well aware of the risk “You have to take precautions to prevent getting infected, because once you do, it makes even swallowing cold water a painful experience.”
Jyotishko is taking it one day at a time, soaking in the sights and sounds during the journey, also giving himself enough time to heal and march on. He expects to reach the Everest Base Camp in another two weeks, tentatively.
