Shimla bikers conquer 3,650-metre-high peak

Shimla, Nov 4:

Four bikers from the Himachal Pradesh capital have created a record by conquering the 3,650 metre-high Churdhar peak, the highest mountain in the Shivaliks, an event organiser said Tuesday.

The four riders – Ankush Arya, Gurman Reen, Shiven Sharma and Sanchit Sood – were part of the Hero Action Team.

They created a record by conquering the Churdhar peak in Sirmaur district for the first time on mountain bikes, team manager Ashish Sood told IANS.

The peak is located at an elevation of 3,650 metres above sea level and the entire track was off-road and inhospitable.

The event was organised by the Himalayan Adventure Sports and Tourism Promotion Association (HASTPA), a Shimla-based club.

“It was an adventurous expedition and a lifetime experience with lots of thrill. During the expedition people were excited and shocked at the same time as the paths where they were scared to walk, that very same route and the Churdhar peak was conquered by us on the mountain bikes,” team captain Arya told IANS.

The hike started from Nauradhar. The first section was 20 km uphill. The route was very tough and only 20 percent of it was “ride-able”.

“A leopard was spotted on the way. It gave a quick glance and pounced away,” he said.

“The last three km were impossible to even walk on but the grit and passion of the boys kept them riding and they rode on all the way up to Churdhar, much to the surprise of the local people who thought the boys were crazy and were on a suicide mission,” Ashish Sood said.

Another rider Sanchit Sood, who is a Class 10 student, said: “The return was even more joyous as it was fast flowing single track downhill except for the first two km. We did the whole stretch in four hours whereas we have taken a little over 10 hours to reach the top.”

HASTPA every year organises the MTB Himalaya rally, billed as the third toughest mountain biking event in the world after the Trans-Alps Challenge (Europe) and the Trans-Rockies (Canada).

(IANS)