Baroda woman biker conquers world's highest motorable road

VADODARA: When a group of 27 bikers left to conquer world's highest motorable road, Khardung La pass, last month she was the only woman in the group. But that didn't deter Neha Patel's spirit.
Patel, in fact, became the first woman from Vadodara to drive to Khardung La Pass on a motorbike. A staunch animal activist, Patel decided to take up the challenge of riding through rough terrains and tough weather among the hills of Leh Ladakh.And she returned with an experience of lifetime.
"I learned many things during the journey. I have travelled to faraway places but driving a motorbike in one of the toughest terrains was a completely different experience. The breathtaking view of mountains and lakes made the risk worth it," said Patel, who is in her 30s.
"We drove 3,400 kilometres during our 14-day trip," she told TOI.
When asked about her journey with the all-men's group, Patel said, "I didn't feel odd as everyone in my group was friendly. I came to know about Devils on Wheelz group that organizes biking expeditions through their Facebook page. I gathered more details about the group and decided to join them. I didn't know any of my group members till I joined them in Delhi," she added.
Patel flew down to Delhi and hired a motorbike from there on May 26 to begin her journey towards Punjab and then Srinagar. "The Mudra Valley was one of the toughest as the road was full of rocks but fortunately my bike never broke down and I didn't face any health issues too. I almost broke into tears of joy as I reached Khardung La pass," she added.
"I met many army men on the way and they were surprised to find a Gujarati woman driving motorbike on one of the world's toughest terrain. Also, I was impressed with the warm and joyful nature of the local Buddhists in Ladakh. Their kids used to extend their hand to us and we used to high five them while driving the bike," Patel recalled.