This Mumbai resident is on her way to the highest motorable pass in the world

Umling LA pass in Ladakh is the current highest motorable pass in the world at 19024 feet Riding through this pass has been a dream that Kandivalibased Ankita Deepak Thakur has had for over 10 years The catch is she would not ride on a motorbike but on her eightyearold 100cc Honda Dio scooter If she completed the feat she would possibly be the first woman scooterist to do so The 29yearold finally decided to take the trip in May this year But the experience did not come without obstacles or doubtThakur poses at the border of Thang village in LadakhOne such incident wasnrsquot Thakurrsquos hesitation or uncertainty among the group she was riding with that she or her scooter Cheetah wouldnrsquot make it to the finish line On their way to Hanle Village in Ladakh the group crossed paths with bikers on their second leg of the trip Obviously Thakurrsquos whitegreen scooter stood out and they remarked after their highend bike broke down en route to Umling La a scooter had no chance of making it through Thakurrsquos ride leader Shehbaaz Sheikh was quick to retort ldquoCheck her Instagram laterrdquo he said pointing to the fact that Thakur would post her accomplishments on the social media platform And she didThakur who also coruns a food stall in Malad relives the journey for us Beginning with a train ride from Mumbai to Amritsar with Cheetah Thakur commenced the expedition on her twowheeler in Amritsar and made her way to Batote and Srinagar in Jammu and Kashmir The scooterist traversed cold desert landscapes as well as scenic but harsh routes including Zoji La Pass and Pangong Lake where scenes from 3 Idiots was shot which are notorious for sharp bends and cold weather conditions She also rode through Chang La Tanglang La Lachung La Nakee La and Baralacha LaThe scooterist at Drass in Kargil district in LadakhSome of her most memorable moments from the trip are mini success stories She recounts videocalling her mechanic in Mumbai to help her repair an issue with her scooter shouting ldquoIrsquove done itrdquo after crossing Khardung La pass mdash one of the worldrsquos highest motorable passes and miraculously covering a long distance with minimum petrol There were other dangerous episodes like conquering steep inclines after parts of her scooterrsquos wiring burnt out riding through heavy snowfall without functional headlights and escaping a fox chase after her slowerthanusual scooter suddenly picked up speedThe final countdown to Umling La from Hanle through Nurbula Top was a difficult path to conquer ldquoVisibility was low due to heavy snowfall I had to follow the tyre marks of the bikes in front of me riding at 1020 kmhr It took a lot of patience to reach the top but I was determinedrdquo Thakur pauses and thoughtfully explains ldquoI have a connection with my scooter wersquove achieved dreams together There were times I spoke to her saying lsquoCome on Cheetah come onrsquo And we came through I am glad that I didnrsquot have to bring her home in the back of a truck or leave her anywhererdquo On her return at Magnetic Hill in Ladakh people received the scooterist with much fanfare ldquoTourists from Maharashtra were excited that a girl from their home state had successfully reached the summit They took selfies with me I felt like a celebrityrdquo an elated Thakur laughsAnkita Thakur PicAishwarya DeodharShe completed her expedition on June 13 after a journey of 2800 km ldquoI am proud of myself I started with the biggest ride and accomplished it Next I want to do an allIndia tour I would love to take my Dio with me but shersquos getting old So letrsquos seerdquo Thakur signs offRide smart1 Itrsquos possible to circuit on a 100 or 150cc scooter you need to be mentally prepared 2 Find a supportive group My group encouraged me a lot3 Practise well ride shorter distances to build your confidence4 If yoursquore a woman rider stay alert of your surroundings wear fitted and not tight clothing for a comfortable journey and be confident of your abilitiesLog on to Scoot With Anku on YouTube