Karnataka - Mysore   

Bikers pass tough mountain test

Sharath S. Srivatsa

ON TOP OF THE WORLD: Ajay Kumar Singh, Kailash and Santhosh taking a break at Khardung La during their record-breaking expedition.

MYSORE: Braving the chilling cold and the rugged terrain, five youths from the State crossed eight mountain passes in 24 hours to set what could be a record for crossing the maximum number of passes in that time in the Himalayas.

The feat was performed by a group of motorcyclists led by Ajay Kumar Singh of 6th Elements. They began their ride on August 15 in the Ladakh region of Jammu and Kashmir.

Staking its claim for a place in the Limca Book of Records, the team has submitted all the documents, including the log sheet authenticated by the Indian Army and the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP).

Besides, two independent observers witnessed the team breaking the record. The achievement is in the category of team effort in crossing the maximum number of mountain passes in a day.

The five covered a distance of 581.6 km of treacherous road in 23.30 hours, including 17.43 hours of riding. Flagged off at the ITBP camp at Phobran at 8.40 a.m. on August 15, the team rode across the eight passes to reach Nakeela La at 8.10 a.m. on August 16.

Thankfully, good weather helped them achieve the record, said Mr. Singh. The four other who took part in the adventure are C. Kailash, Santhosh and Prasad, all from Mysore, and Chidanand M. from Bangalore. The feat was preceded by several weeks of planning the route and arranging logistical support. Barring Santhosh, who was sponsored by his employer, the rest paid from their own pockets to ensure the success of the expedition, he Mr. Singh said.

In an attempt that called for extreme motivation and physical fitness, the team crossed Marshmeka La (18,634 ft), Khardung La (18,380 ft), Tanglang La (17582 ft), Changa La (17,360 ft), Wari La (17,300 ft), Lachulung La (16,616 ft), Kanga La Jal (15,999 ft) and Nakeela La (15,547 ft), in that order.

"We could have covered more passes if we had opted for a different route. But the team wanted to cover the five highest passes in the world while creating the record. The record is held by a team from a Delhi-based adventure club, which crossed four mountain passes in 23.50 hours," he said.

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