IN PHOTOS: How this Mumbaikar rode a 100cc scooter to Umling La, the highest motorable pass in the world

Follow Kandivali-resident and culinary entrepreneur Ankita Thakur’s journey to the current highest motorable pass in the world on a 100cc scooter

Updated On: 2023-08-20 09:38 AM IST

Compiled by : Nascimento Pinto

Ankita Thakur completed her expedition on June 13, after a journey of 2,800 km. Pic/Aishwarya Deodhar

Beginning with a train ride from Mumbai to Amritsar with Cheetah, Thakur commenced the expedition on her two-wheeler in Amritsar and made her way to Batote and Srinagar in Jammu and Kashmir. Thakur poses at the border of Thang village in Ladakh (in picture).

The scooterist traversed cold desert landscapes as well as scenic but harsh routes, including Zoji La Pass and Pangong Lake, which are notorious for sharp bends and cold weather conditions. She also rode through Chang La, Tanglang La, Lachung La, Nakee La, and Baralacha La. The scooterist at Drass in Kargil district in Ladakh (in picture).

But the experience did not come without obstacles or doubt. On their way to Hanle Village in Ladakh, her group crossed paths with bikers on their second leg of the trip. Obviously, Thakur’s white-green scooter stood out and they remarked after their high-end bike broke down en route to Umling La, a scooter had no chance of making it through. Photo Courtesy: scoot_anku/Instagram

The final countdown to Umling La from Hanle, through Nurbula Top was a difficult path to conquer. The visibility was low due to heavy snowfall and she had to follow the tyre marks of the bikes in front of her, riding at 10-20 km/hr. It took a lot of patience to reach the top but she was determined and finally did it. Photo Courtesy: scoot_anku/Instagram

Thakur, who started her journey in May this year, reached the top of Umling La, the current highest motorable pass in the world at 19,024 feet, on June 13 on her 100cc scooter, Cheetah.

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