Situated at the elevation of around 5,600 m, Umling La Pass in Ladakh is the highest motorable road in the world now, surpassing Khardung La. Recently, the Border Road Organisation opened it after a road was constructed in this region in 2017. Due to high steep and harsh weather conditions, it is still very challenging to reach there. However, Indian Forest Service officer Vishwanath Neelannavar did the unthinkable. He reached there on cycle. His unmatched passion for cycling drove him to complete an expedition to Umling La on cycle, this after he had successfully completed an expedition to Khardung la in 2021.
Starting his journey from Leh on 15 July this year with a team of fellow riders, he reached the pass on 22 July crossing Rumtse, Debring via Tanglang La, puga, Nyoma,Hanle, Chusumle on the way. During this journey, they had to face harsh weather conditions like rainfall, hailstorm and snowfall but they didn’t stop. In an exclusive conversation with Indian Masterminds, the officer who is currently posted as DFO, Sambalpur, shared about the expedition and his plan for the next one.
HIS FIRST CYCLE
The love story between Mr. Neelannav and the cycle began at a very young age. His father owned an Atlas cycle and it was on it that he first learned cycling. He was so excited to be able to ride that he asked his father to buy him his own. Like every other father of a middle-class family, his father advised him to buy a piggy bank and save money for his cycle. He did exactly that and finally bought his first cycle. He drew very close to that cycle and used it for many years, all through his school and college days. “The body was intact but the pedals, tires and tubes had to be changed for 4-5 times. I kept it for many years and now my niece is using it,” he said with a smile.
However, after joining the forest service, he would hardly get any time for cycling at leisure. So, he started cycling on tours, inspections and field visits. In his last posting, in Balliguda Forest Division, he cycled for 100 km as it’s a big range. This instilled confidence in him and on advice of a few friends, he joined the Youth Hostel Association of India and did two cycling expeditions with them.
About the time consumed on cycling to field visits, he said, ‘It’s all about time management. If I have to reach somewhere at 9 in the morning, then I would start at 5 am. I would plan my day and route based on the road condition.”
STRUGGLING WITH HEADWIND
Coming to his latest expedition now, the officer reached Leh on 13 July and began his cycling expedition on 15th. The time in between was to acclimatize and select the cycle. He said that selection is very important as per one’s convenience as that cycle would remain with him for the next 8-9 days. The goal was to reach Umling La and they decided to move towards it slowly and steadily.
During the journey, the major challenge was the weather and the headwind. He said, “It was so unusual for us that it made the ride really challenging. Even on the downhill, we had to pedal.”
The other challenge was to wash the dinner plates because of the severe cold. “Four-five of us used to eat in one plate and wash it by turn. This helped in team bonding, too,” Mr. Neelannav said. He also shared an important tip about cycling on such high elevation: one should eat every hour, as the journey is so exhausting and you need energy.
AWARENESS ON CONSERVATION
The next tour for him would be Kashmir to Kanyakumari. If everything goes fine, he will attempt next February. His goal is to create awareness on environment, nature and wildlife conservation, through his long distance cycling. He has already planned out some awareness activities on his next tour. At present, he is happy that many have started cycling because of him and wants more people to start doing it daily for health and environmental benefits.
