OT Interview: Trailblazing Biker Kanchan Ugursandi Discusses Her Achievements And Ascent To The Lipulekh Pass
In November 2024, Kanchan Ugursandi, an Adivasi woman from Jharkhand, became the first person to bike to the Lipulekh Pass, a 17,500-foot mountain crossing that straddles India, China and Nepal. She started her extraordinary feat in Delhi and, on the way, faced challenging terrain and high altitudes that tested her physical limits. Ugursandi has recorded many firsts in the world of motorcycling adventures: she is the first biker to traverse 18 mountain passes in one go, the first to cross the Umling La—the highest paved road and mountain pass in the world at 19,024 feet—and the first biker to cross the Saser La at 16,500 feet, a mountain pass which connects the Siachen (Galwan Valley) to Daulat Beg Oldi Road.
Outlook Traveller interviewed Ugursandi about her achievements, why she started biking and what she will do next.
What was life like before you took up biking?
Why did you start biking and when?
I have been fanatical about bikes since childhood. Seeing the boys from the village riding motorcycles made me very happy. I loved bikes so much that when I got a little older, I pestered my father for driving lessons. He would refuse my request by saying that girls do not drive motorcycles, only men do.
I did not give up. I insisted to my parents that I wanted to learn how to ride a motorcycle. Finally, my father gave in and took out a loan to buy a Scooty, but I told him that I wanted to ride a motorcycle, not a Scooty. I did not even touch the Scooty and stubbornly pressured him for a motorcycle. One day, in a fit of anger, my father said that if I wanted to learn how to ride a motorcycle then I would have to earn it myself. His words stung me.
While preparing for government exams, I was working for a private company and saving up my earnings bit by bit. When I was selected to work for the government service, I moved from Jharkhand to Delhi.
After a few months, I bought my first motorcycle, a Suzuki. Even then I did not know how to ride it. With the help of a senior employee, I learnt how to ride a motorcycle. Slowly, I embarked on solo rides to Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh.
In the past few years, I have ridden all the way from the Rann of Kutch in Gujarat to Rajasthan, Punjab, Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh and the Uttarakhand border on my motorcycle. The Ministry of Defence and the Ministry of Home Affairs have fully supported me on my border rides. Because of my respect for the Indian Army and in honour of my border rides, the Defence Minister of India, Rajnath Singh, nicknamed me “Border Girl.”
Today, my parents support my dreams and are proud of me.
What were the challenges you faced when embarking on the Lipulekh Pass?
The Lipulekh Pass was the toughest journey I have had to make so far. The area is very difficult to navigate. Biking amid the dangerous mountains is a very risky task. The pass lies at the tri-junction of India, China and Nepal. The winds here are so strong and cold that I fell four to five times because of the gusts. The lack of oxygen badly affected me, too. Despite this, I did not give up and moved forward with the help of my portable oxygen cylinder to make it to the Lipulekh Pass. From the pass, Mount Kailash in China looks very beautiful, and it is a mere 42 kilometres from the border post. If relations with China become normal, people can travel to Mount Kailash via Pithoragarh in Uttarakhand. In the last 10 years, the Border Roads Organisation, an agency of the Ministry of Defence, have rapidly built up infrastructure like roads and bridges in the border areas.
Among all your achievements, is there any that is most special to you?
My biggest achievements have been climbing the three passes of Shinku La, Umling La and Lipulekh. The first was the Shinku La at 16,580 feet where I rode my motorcycle on two feet of frozen ice with snow tires. My second biggest achievement was navigating the world’s highest mountain pass in Ladakh, the Umling La. I became the first motorcyclist to fly the Indian tricolour there. My third biggest achievement, and the toughest one to date, was the Lipulekh Pass, where I had to navigate extremely big stones and rocks with my bike while facing freezing, icy winds. Because of the lack of oxygen, I suffered headaches and vomiting and was in a bad condition physically. Despite this, I was successful in getting to the end of the Lipulekh Pass and flying the Indian flag. I am the first civilian to reach the Lipulekh Pass on a bike. I failed on my first two attempts due to bad weather and severe landslides, but I succeeded on my third attempt.
Have you received financial backing for your next adventures now that people know about you?
Indian Oil is now sponsoring my rides. In addition to this, my border rides are fully supported by the central government and the defence ministries when it comes to accessing permits. Recently, I have been tapped to promote ethanol as a clean energy source by the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas.
What do you look forward to tackling next?
My goal is to map India’s borders with my motorcycle. Right now, I am preparing to travel to the ends of the international border that abuts Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, Meghalaya and Tripura. My dream is to do a world tour on my bike, for which I am accumulating money.
What message do you have for young women, and Adivasi women as well, who draw inspiration from you?
Whether you’re a girl or a boy, the motorcycle does not discriminate, society does. I want people to discard the idea that girls cannot ride motorcycles. I want girls to take part in adventure motorcycling for their own joy.
My message to girls and women is that they must recognise their boundless potential. What they want to do and in which field they want to make a mark is a decision that should be solely left up to them.
