“Himalayas! Here is the Abode of Rishis. Here is Shambhala. Here are the Archives of all the ages. Here are the Tablets of the Covenant. Here is the Light of the World. Here are the Seeds of the Future. Here is the Heart of Asia. Himalayas, Jewel of India. Himalayas, Treasure of the World. Himalayas, the sacred Symbol of Ascent.”
– Nicholas Roerich, the famous Russian explorer and artist, in his book ‘Himalayas-The Abode of Light’
Seven years after my epic Arctic to the Andes bicycle tour, the call to return to a long adventure tour grew shriller. Closer home, the Himalaya beckoned—the bells of temples and monasteries tolled in my heart and bird songs and sighs of the pine trees filled my senses. The desire to return to my inner self was compelling. Ashim, my wife, shared my vision for an adventure that would seek the quiet wisdom and strength of the mountains. The Himalayas had always called to us—not just as a physical landscape but as a spiritual one.
Both of us were born in the cradle of the mountains, though a thousand miles apart. Ashim is a Tangkhul Naga, from the eastern Himalayan highlands of Manipur, and from childhood was close to the ways of the mountains—its rivers, forests, and animals. The fragrance of pine, the grand forests of cedar and the mighty oak, the sounds of birds and the glistening snow peaks created an overwhelming desire in both of us to return to feel the essence of the mighty Himalaya from a bicycle—unfiltered and raw but for epic adventure. The plan was simple: bicycle the length of the Indian Himalaya, unsupported, and carry all our gear (camping, cooking, clothing, and tools) on our bicycles, and let the road determine our experience.
However, before that dream could take shape, I had to train Ashim on how to ride a bicycle—a long process that entailed hundreds of kilometres of training on paved roads in Delhi, from the Aravalli trails to the remote gravel road leading to Padri Pass at 10,000 ft. on the border of Himachal and Jammu & Kashmir, and to the rainy, windy roads of Goa during the monsoon. After a thousand kilometres of riding, Ashim was ready to take on one of the most ambitious bicycle tours ever attempted by an Indian couple: to ride expedition-style and unsupported from the Eastern Himalaya in Arunachal Pradesh to the Northern Himalayan ranges of Spiti in Himachal. It was to be a massive journey of over 4,000 km of exploration and adventure, all on mountain roads, over a period of 10 months. The intent was to capture and experience the unfiltered life of the Himalaya—its indigenous cultures, landscape, and brilliant natural habitat.
Months earlier, before the start of our bicycle travels, I had to undertake extensive expedition planning and gear curation: ultralight tents and sleeping systems for camping, cooking and kitchen essentials, stove, water filtration, multi-layered clothing for high-altitude extremes, and photography gear. All this equipment weighed 25 kg, and with the bicycle, the total gear weight for each of us was 40 kg plus.
Our gruelling adventure, ‘Pedal the Himalaya’ began from Tenzin Gaon in Arunachal Pradesh at 6,000 ft in September 2023, and over the course of the next 10 months, we traversed on bicycle from western to eastern Arunachal, then through Sikkim and Meghalaya. From the Northeast, the route moved to the eastern Kumaon range of Darma Valley, Johar Valley and Pithoragarh and Almora district, winding into Garhwal in Uttarakhand, followed by routes into Kullu Valley, Sainj Valley, Lahaul and Miyar Valley, Kinnaur and Spiti valleys, finally culminating at the pinnacle of the toughest passes in the Himalaya - the Kunzum La in Spiti at 15,000 ft in June 2024.
For us as a daring couple, the high-endurance Himalayan bicycle odyssey became a slow unfolding—not of distance and speed and altitude, but of spiritual depth and embracing culture and biodiversity. Some of the most fascinating and culturally rich places we encountered included Tawang Monastery for its 1,000-year-old heritage and sacred essence, the mystical Zemithang Valley near the Sino-India border, Sela, the treacherous high-altitude pass, and Thembang the oldest village in Arunachal Pradesh. The ride in Dong Valley to Kaho, the easternmost frontier village of India bordering China was particularly unforgettable. So were the Sacred Forest, the Split Rock near Mawlyngbna, a million-year-old geological marvel, and the Neolithic monoliths of the Khasi Hills in Mawkyrduk that posed mysteries and myths.
We witnessed jaw-dropping views of the Kanchenjunga, from Pelling in Sikkim and cycled to Yuksom, the ancient capital of Sikkim, home to the state’s oldest monastery.
In Eastern Kumaon, the Darma Valley and Narayan Swamy Ashram ahead of Dharchula, revealed a dramatic winter world of extreme hardship and cold, serenity and isolation. From Sarmoli village in Munsyari, we witnessed the majestic Panchachuli Peaks, and the descent from Kalimuni Top to Birthi was dangerous but thrilling. In all these regions, we met and stayed at homestays run by the indigenous people from the Rang, Bhutiya and Shaukya tribes. In Garhwal, we cycled in terrible winter conditions to Harshil Valley and cycled through snow to Gangotri Dham at -16 degrees Celsius. After Uttarakhand, we started our expeditions in Himachal from Mandi and cycled into the Sainj Valley, climbing to the reclusive village of Shangarh on the edge of the Great Himalayan National Park. Thereon, we headed to Naggar and Manali along the Beas River, and via Atal Tunnel, into Lahaul’s Sissu and Tandi, before discovering the wild, glacier-carved Miyar Valley. We were likely the first touring cyclists to venture into it. The final expedition began in Narkanda, sweeping into Kinnaur via the Old Hindustan-Tibet Road. The ride into the cold deserts and thinning air of Upper Kinnaur and Spiti Valley was extremely tough.
On any given day, the average altitude was 12,000 ft, dotted by 1,000-year-old monasteries in Dhankar, Tabo, and Key. We finally pushed and pedalled to Kunzum La at 15,000 ft, a ruthless and rigorous climb on dangerous roads.
We interacted with many indigenous communities on our long cycling tour: the Sherdukpen, Monpa, Adi, Apatani, Mishmi, the Lepcha, Khasi, Shauka, Rang, Vyas, Jadh Bhotiyas, Lahaula, Tharanga (Bodh), Kinnaura, and Chesang—through homestays, roadside interactions, and shared meals. These exchanges were among the most enriching parts of our journey.
What set this long expedition apart wasn’t just the distance or the endurance needed to complete it, but how we struggled, rejoiced, and travelled: together, slowly, vulnerably. We weren’t out to conquer anything. We weren’t supported by a crew or sponsors. We rode through rain, blazing heat, over rivers and steep roads, past landslides, shooting rocks, wild animals at night, and climbed high passes, camped at high altitudes for weeks—sometimes in silence, sometimes laughing, sometimes irritably—the fatigue, vagaries of weather, and altitude playing mischief with our emotions. Emotionally and physically, it stripped us down—there’s no hiding on a bicycle in the remote and raw wilderness of the Himalaya. Symbolically, it felt like reclaiming a rhythm we’d lost in the noise of modern life and returning like bees to our hive—the forests of pine, cedar, and oak, the silence of valleys and still glaciers. We moved with the land, not over it.
Q1-What gear to carry for a Himalayan bicycling tour?
This was a classic self-supported Himalayan cycling tour covering over 3,000 km without a support vehicle, so every gear item had to be practical and essential. We carried touring bicycles with racks and panniers, a two-person tent, three-season sleeping bags, mats, multi-fuel and wood stoves with kitchen gear, repair tools, spare tubes, knives, water filters, dry rations, medical kit, layered clothing, headlamps, torches, power banks, and cycling outfits. To document the journey, we also carried two cameras, an action camera, tripod, and foldable trekking poles.
Q2- Top five camping spots and homestays/hostels each?
Most homestays and eco camps we stayed at were lovely, but some stood out for location, warmth, food, hospitality, and value—like Mibo Homestay (Roing, Arunachal), Dalai Eco Retreat (Hayuliang, Arunachal), Travellers’ Nest (Mawlyngbna, Meghalaya), Sunder Homestay (Harshil Valley, Uttarakhand), Dondrub Homestay in Tawang, Pro’Z Cabins (Udaipur, Himachal), Namkhapa Homestay (Tabo, Himachal), and Losar Singha Ling Homestay (Losar, Himachal). Our top camping spots for views and challenges included Lohit riverbank (Arunachal), Army Camp below Sela Pass (Arunachal), GHNP Shangarh (Himachal), near Dhankar Monastery (Spiti), Druk Tashi Choezong Monastery (Miyar Valley, Himachal), and Mawphanlur Lake (Meghalaya).
Q3- Which are the most memorable routes?
The vast expanse of the Indian Himalaya is truly wondrous. But some of the most memorable routes are Tezu to Kaho via Walong (Arunachal), Shillong to Mawlyngbna via the Sacred Forest and the pre-historic Monoliths at Mawkyrduk (Meghalaya), Tawang to Zemithang (Arunachal), Pelling to Yuksom (Sikkim) , Dharchula to Darma Valley (Uttarakhand), Harsil valley to Gangotri (Uttarakhand), Tandi to Udaipur and Miyar Valley on the Kishtwar road (Lahaul, Himachal), Kaza to Kunzum La via Kibber (Spiti, Himachal) and Dalhousie to Padri Pass (Himachal).
Q4- Where did you usually stay? Did you camp with your tent? What tips do you have to share on how to camp safely?
On our 200-day tour, we camped about a third of the nights, otherwise staying in village homestays and hostels. Key practices included stealth camping—pitching tents late in the day, hidden from the road, but not deep in forests, instead on fringes with clear views. We avoided camping near rivers or streams, chose higher ground, and informed locals if near villages. We never littered, kept fires safe and distant, and stored food in waterproof, odourless bags away from tents in bear country. Crucially, we always had a Plan B and ensured someone knew our location if network was available.
Q5- What are the main life lessons or messages from this tour?
The Himalaya are a relatively vast and unexplored treasure in our country. When we explore them, we must travel responsibly and support local eco tourism by staying at village homestays and strengthening the limited local incomes. In doing so we would also gain a lot of knowledge on indigenous cultures and traditions. Secondly, we must be more acutely aware of the impact of overdevelopment and climate change on the Himalayan people and environment and must enter the dialogue in our own way to raise awareness. Thirdly, it would be a life-altering shift if we spent more time in Nature, and dwelt on the silence of the mounatins’ forests and valleys to gain inner peace and tranquillity. And lastly, the cycling tour reinforced the belief, after meeting hundreds of fellow citizens on the road and in villages, that practicing kindness, compassion and humility are the key paths to happiness and harmony.
