From Kanyakumari to Leh, a cycle trip to conquer fears, chase dreams

PUNE: On May 28, Vasanti Joshi, a 55-year-old associate professor from the city, will start pedalling from the southernmost tip of the country. Roughly 40 days later, she expects to be cycling on the world’s highest motorable road — Umling La — in Jammu and Kashmir, the country’s extreme north. Along the way, she will “overcome all challenges and conquer all fears.”
Joshi, who will be riding a bicycle from Kanyakumari to Leh, to promote a campaign called Conquering Fears, which aims to empower young girls and encourage them to achieve every dream. She will pass through Madurai, Bangalore and Kolhapur to reach Pune within 10 days. From Pune, she will use the Nashik Road to approach Surat Highway and reach Manali via Jaipur and Chandigarh in 16 days. The last leg of the journey would be from Manali to Leh via Umling La at 19,300 feet.

“I have been an associate professor at SNDT Arts and Commerce College for Women since 1984. Before that, I was a 2nd Lieutenant, Ex-associate NCC Officer at the 2 Maharashtra Girls’ Battalion,” said Joshi about her background. “I have noticed that students, especially girls, are not getting adequate exposure to adventure sports due to a variety of reasons and fears. I started the Jigar Club in college to inculcate interest in trekking. We conducted a Pune-Kanyakumari expedition with 25 girls. We found numerous changes in these girls in terms of confidence level and morale. With this expedition, I want to give a clear message to the youth that one must not bother about age, gender or other perceived shortcomings while chasing dreams.”

With a target to cycle about 150 km every day, Joshi said she is set to experience three different climatic conditions. “In the South, I will experience the onset of the Southwest monsoon. Heading north, I will face severe heat between Malegaon and Jaipur. With the snow only melting now, I will meet the bone-chilling cold Manali onwards. The plan is to be on the move for at least eight hours a day,” she said.

But she still needs an approval from the ministry of defence to use the Umling La. “We are confident we will get the permission. We have conquered our doubts and are sure we will be able to ride on this road. I have already filled the application for the Guinness Book of Records on Tuesday for the Umling La feat,” Joshi said.

Joshi will be accompanied by her mentor Shubhada Joshi and daughter Ketaki Joshi as her logistics team. Shubhada Joshi, 62, said, “Defying age is my contribution. In India, turning 58 years of age is a barrier for many. People give up on everything and embark on a life of retirement. They fear decision-making and harbour questions like: ‘Will I be able to do this; will my family agree etc.’ The idea is to take on challenges regardless of barriers.”

After the expedition, Joshi wishes to work on Conquering Fear. “The support team will conduct a survey by speaking to women across the country about their fears, inspirations, goals and constraints. The data collected will help us to organise focused activities,” she said.