Excelsior Sports Correspondent
SRINAGAR, July 25: Four young cyclists from Kunzer area in Baramulla district of Northern Kashmir pedalled 460 kilometres to Ladakh in just five days.
The cyclists travelled to Ladakh through the highest motorable road despite having few resources. They were forced to shorten their trip due to unfavourable weather.
“We had intended to go from Baramulla to Manali through Leh, but unfavourable weather, a lack of prior travel expertise, and poor health forced us to alter our plans and limit our trip to Leh. We were inspired by the excursion, and we plan to participate in more,” said Zahid Hilal Dar, one of the cyclists.
The youngsters had prepared by planning short cycling trips within the Valley before embarking on this cycling expedition. The idea of peddling to Ladak struck them in 2021 and since then they have been preparing for the trip. “We used to go for short (30-40 kilometres) cycling trips to prepare for the longer journeys. It also took us some time and effort to motivate our families,” another cyclist, Danish Hamid, said.
He stated that the journey started on July 13 and took barely five days, during which they endured the heat to go between 90 and 100 kilometres every day. “Despite undergoing leg surgery a few years ago that involved inserting a rod into his leg, I keep myself motivated,” he said.
The riders admitted that the trip was challenging and that they frequently considered turning around, but their enthusiasm kept them continuing. “A visit to Ladakh is a lovely experience. We often got encouragement from the bike groups who passed us alongside. The Ladakhis are very helpful, and this gave us more energy,” cyclist Junaid said.
The cyclists urged the youth to give up bad habits and become involved in sports so they could have real-world experiences.
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