Tip to Toe: Raipur girl pedals her way from Kanyakumari to Ladakh in 49 days

The passion for adventure sports has taken a meteoric rise in the country of late. Reasserting this notion, the 24-year-old Tahseen Amber who hails from Raipur decided to embark on an ambitious cycling journey, which saw her travelling from one tip of the country to the extreme other. Fuelled by adrenaline and the whiff of adventure in the air, Tahseen, along with her trip partner, Pankaj Bose, began their journey from the coastal climes of South India in Kanyakumari and navigated their way cross-country, ending it on the highest motorable pass in India, Khardung-La, in Ladakh. Beginning their journey on June 14 and culminating on August 1, the duo covered 12 States and 2 Union Territories en route.

The trip spanned over 49 days and involved cycling for around 4,000 kilometres before reaching their destination, cradled by the Himalayan mountains. Throughout their journey, the duo of Amber and Bose spread the message of #BeGenerous. The idea for this message evolved when they were helped by a lot of people, unconditionally, who had a hand in shaping their success today. Their desire was to propagate this attitude of helping others without thinking of benefits in return and spreading positivity all around.

Tahseen, who is full of big dreams, had been planning to pedal her way cross-country for a long time. In fact, the feisty 24-year-old had pitched the idea to her family last year. However, her father was unwilling at first because of the safety issues which are sure to crop up with a young girl like her pedalling across the country. After much deliberation, the law graduate, Tahseen, convinced her parents as they agreed to let her go provided a safety vehicle assisted them on their cycling expedition.

The love for adventure sports had been planted in her heart way back in 2009 when she went for a trekking trip with her sister. Since then, Tahseen has completed 10 adventure courses which range from mountaineering, rock climbing, paragliding to even, skiing. Bred by this constant desire for being on the move and chasing down unknown roads in the quest for adventure, Tahseen, is a firebrand of a woman.

Recalling the trip, Tahseen mentioned that she underwent gruelling training to prepare for the expedition. She would cycle for 50 kilometres every day in her hometown in Raipur to familiarise herself with the demanding routine of the trip. During the journey, she made it a point to cycle 125 kilometres on even plains and around 50-60 in the mountainous terrains of Northern India. The challenges were several but Tahseen did not feel discouraged at any point. After 40 days of intense cycling which were spaced out by 9 days of breaks in between, the duo of Tahseen and Pankaj Bose set an example that cemented India's recent love for adventure sports. The future looms ahead for Tahseen who wants to embark on short solo cycling trips without the assistance of a safety vehicle now, pedalling her way to adventurous destinations.