All-women motorbiking team on Himalayan Odyssey

Fifteen years after she first began riding motorbikes, 31-year-old Sara Kashyap is now leading an all woman bike team to the Himalayas.

Kashyap has teamed up with motorcyclist Urvashi Patole to lead the 13th edition of the Royal Enfield Himalayan Odyssey, which has an all women's component this year.

In its maiden voyage the HO-W flagged off here took off with 20 women for a 17-day adventure ride that is set to traverse approximately 2,200 km in some of the roughest terrains and highest mountain passes in the majestic locations across Himalayas and come to an end on July 23.

“Be it man or woman, irrespective of gender, negotiating the terrain of the mountain is very difficult. It is not like riding 100 km on a straight road. On a mountain it is more extreme,” says Kashyap, who lives in Chennai. She was also the first woman from India to finish the coveted Raid-de-Himalaya, one of the country's oldest international motor sport events.

Kashyap’s fellow biker Patole is from Pune and began biking as a 14-year-old. After having been on numerous rides she particularly remembers her first all woman ride.

“In 2011, I went on a journey with Royal Enfield and nine  other women to Leh-Ladakh which was a feat that was a turning point in my life... We scaled the passes together and opened our eyes to many other things we could achieve and overcome. It really was a big moment of our lives,” says Patole.

The contingent will pass through Solan, Narkanda, Manali, Jispa, Sarchu, Leh, Khardung La, Tso Moriri, Tso Kar, Jispa and Gushaini.

The event is being organised in collaboration with STRE, a community of women motorcyclists who ride a Royal Enfield across the globe.