THE PEDAL NOMADS

In an extraordinary journey of endurance, love, and purpose, Dhruv Bogra and Ashim Shatsang-known as The Pedal Nomads-cycled 3,000 km across the rugged Indian Himalayas. Jaun Shahi caught up with the duo to delve into their motivation, challenges, and what it means to live slowly, purposefully, and in harmony with nature.

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WHAT INSPIRED YOU BOTH TO EMBARK ON THIS AMBITIOUS 3,000-KILOMETRE CYCLING EXPEDITION ACROSS THE INDIAN HIMALAYAS AS A COUPLE?

A significant period of each of our early lives was shaped and chiselled in the Himalaya and the memories came alive each time we travelled to the mountains. The smell of pine and cedar, leafy trails, beautiful views of rolling hills and valleys, the toll of the bells of temples, churches, and monasteries, the earthy sounds of a running stream and a graze of a mountain breeze were part of our souls even though they had experienced it in vastly different regions of the Indian Himalayan range. I had cycled to some of the highest roads in the Himalaya in short, week-long expeditions, from Khardung La in Himachal to Ravangla in Sikkim, almost 2500 kilometres of solo bikepacking by 2022, but yearned to explore the length of the Indian Himalaya extensively. He was inspired by the magnificent grandeur, the spirituality, the sacred mystique and the rich cultural traditions of the indigenous people who had lived here for centuries

Ashim had just learned how to ride a bicycle and had accompanied me on a fairly risky and tough unsupported ride to Padri Pass at 10,000 ft. on the Himachal - J&K border. She discovered the joy, freedom and challenge of a bicycle tour on this week-long expedition and she aligned with my intention to cycle the entire Himalayan range and, in that endeavour, explore lands unknown, find inner peace, reclaim strength and carve our life purpose.

DHRUV, HOW HAS YOUR TRANSITION FROM CORPORATE RETAIL TO FULL-TIME ADVENTURE CYCLIST SHAPED YOUR OUTLOOK ON LIFE AND TRAVEL?