Bangalore lad Deepak Natarajan is listed in the Limca Book of Records for being among 104 bikers riding to Khardung La peak, the world's highest motorable road
Bangalore lad Deepak Natarajan is listed in the Limca Book of Records for being among 104 bikers riding to Khardung La peak, the world's highest motorable road
Deepak Natarajan is on top of the world after riding to the world's highest motorable road and reaching Khardung La Pass, through snow and rain.
A final year B Com student, he's the only participant from Bangalore to complete the strenuous National Motor Biking Expedition, an event organised to celebrate the 60th year anniversary of the Youth Hostel Association of India. The team is listed in the Limca Book of Records for having the largest number of bikers travelling to a summit and they hope to make it to the Guinness World Records too.
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On top of the world: Deepak Natarajan's (above) group of bikers started from Delhi and covered 2,500 miles in 12 days, riding through some of the most difficult and dangerous terrain in the world |
The start
"I love riding and I jumped at the offer of a momentous journey," says Deepak.
A select team of 110 riders from across India set out to travel 2,500 km over 12 days. On August 26, the bikers started out from Delhi and 104 of them made it to the final destination. "I didn't know this travel would be so hard till I experienced it myself.u00a0 We would ride on paths in rain and snow and would not pass a road for days on end," says Deepak.
As tough as it gets
The climb was not easy either. "When we reached Sarchu, a place up north, the oxygen levels kept dipping as we travelled uphill. More than 50 of the riders battled nausea and breathlessness. The next day, we had to reach Upshi, which was 202km away. The path ahead was like a roller-coaster ride, uphill one minute and downhill the next. We were riding on muddy paths through constant rain. I was riding at 20kph and it almost took me 14 hours with a one-hour break in between, to reach Upshi. The stretch was certainly a challenge," claims Deepak.
The right training
Before he set out, Deepak was nursing a broken leg for about a month before D-day. "I could not exercise due to my injured leg. Instead, I learnt yoga and breathing exercises. I never had a problem with the altitude while riding," he says.
The finish line
"When we reached the summit, I felt like I had conquered the world. It's a feeling like no other," says Deepak.u00a0
"I loved Kashmir. We took many school kids for a ride on our bikes. The joy on their faces made our ride back a pleasure," he says. "At Leh, when it snows constantly, people travel in helicopters, paying Rs 700 for the ride. I found that fascinating," he adds.u00a0
The next step"I plan to travel to Khardung La every year. I also want to participate in motocross. I will participate in the Nandi Hill Climb in January 2010," he says.
The journey
Deepak travelled 2,500 km on a motorbike starting from New Delhi to Chandigarh, Kullu Manali, Leh and Khardung La Pass, covering the most challenging mountain route via Rohtang Pass (13,051 ft), Bara Lacha Pass (16,040 ft), Lachung La Pass (16,600 ft), Tanglang La Pass (17,582 ft), and finally to the world's highest motorable road reaching Khardung La Pass (18380 ft). He returned via Kargil, Drass through Zozila Pass (11575 ft), Srinagar, Jammu and Ludhiana, and was back in Delhi on September 9.
Deepak's diary
Here are excerpts from Deepak's travelogue:
"As I rode today, I realised the hardships one would face. Each day of my riding in this expedition has been a test of my abilities as a rider, my skills, my body resistance and mind power. But I know I will triumph in the end. The final day: Reaching Khardung La, I felt like I have reached the top of the world. It is an exhilarating feeling.
Dad on Deepak"My son always liked riding and I encouraged him," says Venugopal Natarajan, Deepak's father. Everyone in the family seeks adventure, says Venugopal, who has trekked his way to the Mount Everest base camp up to 18,900ft and to the Annapurna base camp.
"I believe in achieving what I always aim for and I am proud of my son's achievements," he says.
