The first person ever to attempt this record — across four Himalayan passes, in temperatures down to −12°C.
The event started on 10 October 2020 from Leh, after 20 days of acclimatisation and training in Ladakh. This record had never been attempted before, and I had a cut-off of 40 hours to get into the record books. The terrain was unforgiving — 40% of the roads in bad state — and the low night temperatures tested our grit, the lowest being −12°C at Sarchu.
It was very challenging to hold the handlebar straight in the freezing cold, and braking on the downhills was genuinely dicey. The route crosses four high-altitude passes — Tanglang La, Nakee La, Lachulung La and Baralacha La — the highest at 17,480 feet, with a cumulative elevation gain of 29,200 feet. The Guinness authorities did not permit the newly constructed Atal Tunnel, so I had to take the longer route over the Rohtang Pass, adding about 40 km to the distance. I took 35 hours 32 minutes and 22 seconds to set the new record.
Official record. The attempt — the first of its kind ever recorded — carried a 40-hour cut-off. Bharat set the new mark at 35 hours 32 minutes 22 seconds, ratified by Guinness World Records and also listed by the World Ultra Cycling Association (WUCA). Press coverage included The Indian Express (13 Oct 2020), The Times of India Bangalore (16 Oct 2020) and Zee News.
