It takes two to pedal!

The inspiring story behind India’s first blind-and-sighted tandem cycling expedition to Khardung La, Ladakh, the world’s highest motorable road

A scene from the expedition (picture courtesy: Adventure Beyond Barriers)

We’ve heard about song, dance, theatre, and the likes being used as tools for social inclusion. But what is being termed as India’s first blind-and-sighted tandem cycling expedition, will see able-bodied people partnering with those who are differently-abled, to cycle from Manali today, all the way to Khardung La, Ladakh, the world’s highest motorable road.

Pune-based Divyanshu Ganatra, who is leading the expedition, has already completed this route once, last year. The only difference is that he rode the 550-km Himalayan trail on a tandem cycle with just one companion — software professional Gagan Grover. “I wanted to pilot the route. The intent was to do this trip with more people with and without disabilities,” says Divyanshu, founder of Adventures Beyond Barriers Foundation, a Pune venture that seeks to facilitate adventure sports for people with and without disabilities, as a means of promoting inclusion. Now, Divyanshu, who is visually-challenged, is all set to lead the tandem cycling expedition beginning today. “There’s no record of a trip of such nature being conducted before. To my knowledge, it is India’s first,” he adds.

Thirty people will ride across two separate trips. Of these 30, six are visually-challenged and four are amputees. There was a filtering process to get this team together. “Some people didn’t make the cut in terms of their physical fitness or the time they’d need to commit to practice. But they are working towards being part of next year’s trip,” says Divyanshu. For the past four months, the group has been practising in earnest. They’ve done 100-km rides to Lavasa and back, and covered routes including Bopdev Ghat and Lavale in Pune.

From a 15-year-old to a 69-year old, there’s immense diversity in the group of cyclists. “We have an ex-army general, a wealth manager, corporate and IT people, businessmen and journalists,” informs Divyanshu. While most participants are from Pune, some are from Mumbai, Delhi and Bengaluru, with cyclists even joining in from Israel and USA.

I did not have a single differently-abled friend before this. The sheer independence with which they lead their lives has become an inspiration for me. I believe that Khardung La is not the end. If we believe in this cause, it is only the beginning. ~ Christopher Louzado, who’s part of the expedition

For 62-year-old General Kay Surendranath, the process has been enlightening. He says, “During my tenure in the army, I was also involved in running the The Queen Mary’s Technical Institute for Disabled Soldiers, Khadki. But this experience has been different, in the sense that you are personally involved in captaining someone who’s differently-abled. The fact that you have to act as their eyes gets you emotionally involved.” Quite in sync with his fellow rider Vineet Saraiwala, General Kay has a list of subjects he’d like to discuss with him on the trip. “Tandem cycling keeps you in close proximity with your fellow rider. It is capable of encouraging interesting conversations,” General Kay quips.

This is perhaps the key take-away from the experience; to break barriers. Divyanshu says, “When people play together, they forget their differences. It's important for software professionals, CEOs and others to be part of such expeditions. Only when you befriend someone having a disability, will you be sensitized to their access issues. Sports is a great unifier.” says Divyanshu, signing off, promising to bring back rich experiences from the sojourn.

A bicycle built for two

The tandem cycle is designed to be ridden by two people. It comes with its set of challenges, made more prominent on hilly terrains. “It involves team work. Over time, you learn to communicate non-verbally and understand each other. Both riders play a key role in the process,” says Divyanshu. Because they aren’t easily available in India, five tandem cycles have been imported for the expedition.

When others see able-bodied people riding in tandem with those who are differently-abled, they will learn about such possibilities. Initiatives like this will help create awareness about persons who are differently-abled.” ~ Vinod Rawat, a single amputee who’s part of the team

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This article was written for and published in The Times of India.

Articles > Diversity and Inclusivity