Uttarkashi, Once the maddening rush for the Chardham pilgrimage comes to an end. Uttarakashi based, Tilak Soni a man who wears many caps, from being a mountaineer to an adventurist and entrepreneur gets busy. Under the banner ‘Where Eagles Dare,’ pioneers in Winter Adventure and Alternate Tourism, Tilak Soni revs up his Garud, his loyal Royal Enfield and sets out with team members to begin an adventure of a lifetime, appropriately called Snowstorm.
Like Tilak puts it, “Riding on mountain roads in the heart of winter when all is covered under a white carpet of snow and ice, is something that only a foolhardy adventurer or a skilled traveler would dare, and that’s where we exceed.”
Come January, and Tilak rides to places where people fear to set foot in. This winter season, from 6th of January, the Badrinath tour group will flag-off from Dehradun and cover a total of 765 kms. The team will comprise of close to 25 members including mechanic, cook and support team.
The ride will take them to the highest shrine of Lord Vishnu in Uttarakhand i.e. Badrinath, then onto the last Indian village of Mana where they shall witness the confluence of Alaknanda and Saraswati at Keshav Prayag, and will culminate in Rishikesh on the 9th of January.
The trip will include a complete on-the-job workshop and hands-on training by international trainers, with a booklet on every minor detail pertaining to biking, riding, weather reading, survival-skills that can save lives.
Soni reminiscences, “In 2017 most of my riders skidded on snow and black ice on the very first day but post the ride and training not one skidded on the way back! A great achievement for the riders, ” who at the finish line are handed over a certificate of, ‘Extreme Weather Rider,’ a well-earned feat!
So, if you too are one of those who we like to ‘live the thrill’, then Snowstorm is where you need to head in the heart of winter, coming January.
