Let’s bike up the Himalayas!

. by Samarpita Mukherjee Sharma

Every athlete knows pain as a constant companion – for it is the only hurdle in that quest for the top, and it is the ability to deal with it that separates men from boys. Here too, as in most of life’s metaphors, it is the journey rather than the goal that shapes the individual, putting that ‘steel in one’s’ step as the quip goes.

Cycling, of which most of us have surrendered to during some part of our lives, is an activity that can survive anywhere from the urban chaos to absolute remoteness. While the world gloats upon the former with the Lance Armstrong-s (who, incidentally, is not such a bad rider off the road as well) of the world, mountain biking is often wrongly conceived as the haunt of unruly adrenaline junkies; what makes it even more ironical is the fact that it is an Olympic sport, thereby certifying the activity as a ‘discipline’ rather than a time pass for rowdy teenagers.

– Parth Joshi, Youth Leader India

As a well deserved reprieve, the trend is now changing for the better. Although still confined to the backyards to a large extent, the sport has really organized itself during the past couple of decades, with international organizations and consortiums coming together and giving a ‘shape’ to the sport, lending it a structure through rules and regulations, infrastructure, management and liaisons, sponsorships and certifications (the International Mountain Biking Association is one such example), and associations with other forms of cycling events (BMX, stunt riding, downhill, XC etc.). Off road cycling today has become a composite of all such events managed under one umbrella with accredited events held all over the globe, thereby making the sport viable for sponsors to put some money  into the sport, thereby making it a feasible career choice for talented riders.

In India, the ages old stigma of ‘academics v/s sports’ has still persists in an age where alternative career choices are no longer a scarcity. With the increasing commercialization of cricket and droplets of glory in other sports like Olympic medals, the sports infrastructure is getting a boost, especially with the implications of the biophilia hypothesis worrying the modern Indian ruing the lack of physical fitness; but the general perception is still unwavering, with not many considering sports as a viable career option. Add a sport like mountain biking with high levels of risk and steep cost of equipment (and virtually no sponsorships or monies in any other form), and disapproval lies served on a platter. A large portion of the lower strata of the society in urban areas still rely on cycling as means of transport, and it has always been the preferred mode of door-to-door transport in rural areas. Moreover, with cycling gaining momentum as an alternative form of urban transport to reduce congestion and pollution, the momentum is in the right direction.

Bike touring, although not popular or widespread, has existed in India for quite a while now, especially in the southern parts of the country, but it was intermittently sparked by entrepreneurs undertaking the suffering for a social cause or dedicated youngsters with sufficient means to fund their hobby. The surge during the past decade can to a large extent be attributed to the It boom and the consequent economic growth at the turn of the century. The result was that a large mass of youth who were interested in adventure activities were now equipped with sufficient disposable incomes to fuel their passion (one can still see that a majority of adventure enthusiasts are based around IT and industrial hubs like Bangalore, Pune, Chennai etc.).

Imagine trying to organize an international mountain biking event in India in such a scenario, and one can easily imagine the daunting road ahead. However, bracing the rough tide, Mohit Sood and a group of friends started MTB Himachal in 2005, billed as one of the toughest MTB races in the world with tracks amounting to 500 kms over a period of eight days with altitudes reaching upto 3, 000 mts. The first five races editions featured a route from Shimla to Manali, but from 2010, a circular loop has been devised from and to Shimla, meaning better management and logistics. Seeing participation from countries like US, Austria, Germany, Nepal and Bhutan, the event has now built up a reputation for itself, and has a good number of sponsors with TI Cycles (of the Hercules brand fame) as the principal sponsor and support from Himachal Tourism and Incredible India campaign.

I had the opportunity to cycle through the first two days of the race and it was one of the toughest and most competitive trails I’ve ever come across. Catching up with Mohit for a brief chat (for nothing more was possible with the track beating everything out of us riders), we had his views upon the event as it has grown from being an enthusiast’s  fancy idea to one of the premier cycling events in the country.

Parth: What was the idea behind the event?

Mohit: It was simply a passion for the outdoors, and from a need of finding good tracks to race on, it grew into an aim of promoting the beautiful and often neglected Himalayan backcountry to the outer world, exploring new frontiers and territories and making it an enriching experience for everyone involved.

Parth: What were the difficulties faced?

Mohit: Raising monies for operations and prizes, getting sponsors and publicizing the event. Getting good, dedicated people to man the operations was also a problem.However, with the event having grown in stature over the years and mountain biking emerging as a popular form of recreation in the country, we see a bright future for the event.

Parth: How has the support been from the authorities?

Mohit: We have had excellent support from the government, especially the Department of Tourism, Government of Himachal Pradesh, who have been very gracious in assisting us with the logistics, permissions and other arrangements.

Parth: How do you manage the environmental/ socio-cultural impacts?

Mohit: We have environment partners (local bodies, NGOs) who not only manage proper waste disposal at break points and campsites, but also educate the volunteers, riders and local population on garbage disposal, conservation and the deep bong between nature and cycling which makes littering a sacrilege.

We also interact closely with locals, encouraging them to involve themselves in the event and not be a bystander, which we believe is the primary reason why local populations often become antagonistic.

Parth: Future plans for the event?

Mohit: We want mountain biking to grow as the sport in the country as it is the biggest adventure sport in the world, we are constantly on the lookout for more locations in association with local groups and associations, and are working towards involving more enthusiasts and cycling groups and associations across the country to organize frequent and professionally managed events and rides across the country.

One can visit the MTB Himachal website and check out their Facebook page. But we’d rather you’d just pick up a bike and start riding your way to those grueling but life changing trails.

——————————————————————————————————————————————-

About the author

Parth Joshi: I work as a marketing no-good, while away time, squander on monkey see, monkey do idiosyncrasies, and think of myself as the cleanest dirty soul around! Love to wander, cycle, click, scribble… If all the world was apple pie and all the seas were ink and all the trees were bread and cheese what would we have to drink?!