Berhampur: Passion for cycling has taken K Tirumal Kumar to Ladakh’s Khardung La Pass, one of the highest motorable roads in the world. The resident of this city of Ganjam district has pedalled around 500km from Manali in Himachal Pradesh to Khardung La. The journey took him around 10 days, from July 2 to 12.
The 57-year-old trader was one of the 10 members of the ‘Racers and Runners Club’ in Bhubaneswar, for the expedition to Khardung La, situated around 70 km north of Leh at a height of 17,582 feet from the sea level.
During their 10-day rigorous cycling, the cyclists traversed through Rohtang, Baralacha and Nakeela paths and finally reached Khardung La. Several other cyclists and motorists of other states also travelled on the road during their journey.
“After reaching Khardung La, I felt like the dream came true for me,” Kumar said here Sunday during a felicitation programme organised by the Ganjam Chamber of Commerce. “It was a challenging and adventurous trip,” Kumar added.
Kumar, who undertook such an adventure for the first time, cycled around 50 km daily on an average and took rest near any spring before dusk. For Kumar, cycling has been his passion from childhood. Once he pedalled from Bhubaneswar to Berhampur – about 170 km – in an eight-hour journey.
The purpose of the Khardung La journey was to promote cycling, especially among youngsters, Kumar said. “Age is no bar for a person who wants to go into cycling, but a strong willpower is necessary for this,” asserted Kumar.