‘They Said Women Can’t Ride And Then...’ - 6 Girls Share!

A woman’s life in India is never devoid of struggles. At every juncture of life, we have someone or the other telling us that we are better off not taking on a challenge or doing something which we have aspired to for the longest time. So much is this ingrained in our psyche that a group of adventurous young women biking to the highest motorable road in the country would inherently seem like a bad idea. But a bunch of feisty and determined women recently rode till the Khardung La Pass for the Himalayan Highs Season 2 and proved all the naysayers wrong.

1. Excitement overdose for Antara Pal

Even if one rides in the city, the incessant traffic, noise and pollution keeps them from taking in and enjoying any sights and sounds of the place. No wonder Bengaluru girl Antara Pal was stoked for her trip. She says, ‘At the beginning, I was too psyched to start the journey. I just wanted to get on my bike and start the ride. It was challenging, yes, but too much fun. I did my first water crossing during this time and it made me squeal like a 2-year-old.’

2. Bikes were the wings we wished for, says Ebronah Dorothy

Content writer Ebronah Dorothy recalls one of the happiest moments of her life as the time she bought her first scooty. She describes herself as someone who just loves taking off for impromptu long rides.  ‘A lot of my friends tried to convince me that riding in the Himalayas on a scooty is a bad idea but I knew I had to do this for myself. A lot of funny things happened on this ride - I was rammed by a cow for one. Coming from Chennai, my only challenge was the cold weather but once you put your mind to it, anything is possible.

3. A leader on duty - Anam Hashim

Team leader Anam Hashim is a professional bike stunt rider and performer. She was, in fact, the first woman to have ridden to Khardung La on a TVS scooty. She was the one looking out for the other riders this time around. She adds, ‘I was the one keeping an eye out for everybody. Sometimes I was going ahead, sometimes I was at the middle, sometimes at the tail to make sure that all of our riders were safe and sound.’

4. Work in progress for Megha Chakraborty

Getting used to the mountain roads is obviously difficult and a considerable hurdle. But is giving up ever an option? Megha says, ‘I was wearing the entire biking gear for the first time, so it took me some time to adjust to it. But I loved the journey in spite of the extreme weather conditions, difficult terrain, etc that came our way.’

5. A lesson in sarcasm by Surbhi Tiwari

Clenching her teeth and shivering in her tent under several layer of jackets and blankets, rider Surbhi Tiwari let out a chuckle, ‘It is extremely hot here. It is so hot that we feel that we should take off all our clothes.’

6. Couldn’t wait to get back on the scooter, says Pallavi Fauzdar

In spite of our inherent expectations, some journeys just manage to overshoot our expectations. The ride to Khardung La did just that for Pallavi, ‘I was excited to get back on the scooter all through the journey. I didn’t expect a scooty to perform so well at a high altitude. Once we took an off route which was a bit scary, but we managed to ride through the most difficult roads with a smile on our faces.’

These women have managed to go on the journey of a lifetime… We can #feelthepower! What about you?

*This is a sponsored post for TVS