mithungovind-blog

[mithungovind-blog]

|Throwback| It’s a special feel to get featured on the front page of my favourite newspaper. Read the whole story to know the highlights of my best and worst moments cycling from Kashmir to Kanyakumari! |Link in the bio| . P.S. On the article it’s wrongly mentioned that I’m from Pollachi. I’m from Tiruppur. . . . #thehindu #metroplus #featured #kashmirtokanyakumari #expeditionpeaceandharmony #specialmoment #throwback #tbt (at Tirupur)

[mithungovind-blog]

‘Risk taking the road less travelled’ . This was one of the many close calls I had during cycling. We need to take that calculated risk. There is always a chance that walking outside will kill us. But life is all about risks. You take some and you avoid some. . |Expedition Peace and Harmony| Kashmir to Kanyakumari| Location- Pang| . #expeditionpeaceandharmony #cycling #India #mtb #travelling #view #potd #travellifestyle #adventuretime #expedition #cycle #cyclist #bikestagram #travel #peace #instagood #incredibleindia #cyclinglife #manalilehhighway #manalilehcycling #cyclingphotos #bikepacking #cycletouring #worldbybike (at Pang : On Leh-Manali Highway)

[mithungovind-blog]

Thanks for bearing with me boys. Spent a couple of days in Mumbai during the expedition and I think it outshines other big cities in India. Hills, City, Sea, Good food... name anything you find it here! . |Expedition Peace and Harmony| Kashmir to Kanyakumari| Location-Mumbai| . #expeditionpeaceandharmony #cycling #India #mtb #travelling #view #potd #travellifestyle #adventuretime #expedition #cycle #cyclist #bikestagram #travel #peace #instagood #incredibleindia #cyclinglife #roadslikethese #cyclingphotos #bikepacking #mumbai #cycletouring #worldbybike (at Mumbai, Maharashtra)

[mithungovind-blog]

The currents of the water streams on the passes along Leh-Manali road makes it really tough to cross on the cycle. My feet along with shoes and socks got wet in icy cold water as I had lost my balance. Had I listened to Mr. Karan Singh, I would have saved myself from getting the feet wet. Listen to the experienced! . |Expedition Peace and Harmony| Kashmir to Kanyakumari| Location- Gata Loops| . #Expeditionpeaceandharmony #cycling #India #mtb #travelling #view #potd #travellifestyle #adventuretime #expedition #cycle #cyclist #bikestagram #travel #peace #instagood #incredibleindia #cyclinglife #bikepacking #cycletouring #worldbybike (at Gata Loops)

[mithungovind-blog]

Konkan is one of the best place to travel if you would like both mountains and the sea. Plus the sounds of the waves crashing gives an absolute eargasm! . |Expedition Peace and Harmony| Kashmir to Kanyakumari| Location-Konkan| . #expeditionpeaceandharmony #cycling #India #mtb #travelling #view #potd #travellifestyle #adventuretime #expedition #cycle #cyclist #bikestagram #travel #peace #instagood #incredibleindia #Konkan #konkancoast #cyclinglife ##worldbybike #cycletour (at Harihareshwar)

[mithungovind-blog]

Happy Earth day🌏| “May the earth live forever” . My favourite location| About the location on the post, it’s along the Konkan coast near Harihareshwar. Without doubt, it’s the most beautiful place during my journey because it is still is its original state and has been untouched! . |Expedition Peace and Harmony| Kashmir to Kanyakumari| Location-Konkan coast| . #expeditionpeaceandharmony #cycling #India #mtb #travelling #view #potd #travellifestyle #adventuretime #cycle #cyclist #bikestagram #travel #peace #instagood #incredibleindia #cyclinglife #stravacycling #instacycling #cyclingphotos #konkan #konkancoast #bikepacking #worldbybike #cycletour (at Harihareshwar)

[mithungovind-blog]

Around the time when I reached the Konkan coast(Maharashtra), it was monsoon. I was told from Childhood that playing or going in rain makes you sick and I did not want to fall sick during the expedition. . So I waited a couple of days and hoped the rain would stop. I was running out of days and the forecast looked worse too. So I decided to wear a poncho and resume the ride! . Turns out it was all a myth that being outside in the rain would make you sick! I felt great riding in the rain. Actually very great. Some days it rained from morning till evening and I was cycling the whole day and I had never fallen sick once. Rain is a blessing! . |Expedition Peace and Harmony| Kashmir to Kanyakumari| Location- Murud, Konkan coast| . #expeditionpeaceandharmony #cycling #India #mtb #travelling #view #potd #travellifestyle #adventuretime #rain #cycle #cyclist #bikestagram #travel #peace #instagood #incredibleindia #bikepacking #cycletouring #rainraincomeagain #cycletour #konkancoast (at Murud Beach)

[mithungovind-blog]

(Clips from the journey) When in doubt, go to the mountains. They never cease to amaze you! . |Expedition Peace and Harmony| Kashmir to Kanyakumari| Location-Sissu, near Manali| . . #expeditionpeaceandharmony #cycling #India #mtb #travelling #view #potd #travellifestyle #adventuretime #expedition #cycle #cyclist #bikepacking #cycletouring #worldbybike #cycletour (at Sissu)

[mithungovind-blog]

KASHMIR TO KANYAKUMARI CYCLING| SRINAGAR| BIG DAY

It’s the big day. The day I had been waiting for more than a year.

I arrive at the Srinagar airport with the cycle packaged. There was a welcome board which said” Welcome to the paradise on earth”.

Without prior knowledge in cycling long distance and with broken Hindi speaking skills, (Yes, I’m an Indian and I do not speak Hindi. Sorry) I’m all nervous and excited about how my journey is going to go. I have not made any itinerary for my Kashmir to Kanyakumari journey. Neither I have made any bookings of the places I’m going to stay nor I know where I’m going to be the following day. But there is some sort of confidence and intuition which tells I’m doing the right thing.

I went to cycle repair shop to assemble my MTB and there I met a person (who was a big support during my cycling in the Kashmir regions) at the repair shop. Looking at me with backpacks and cycle, he asked where I was going and I told him that I was going to cycle from Srinagar to Leh, Attend Vipassana retreat and cycle again till Kanyakumari, he was shockingly amazed. He asked me if I wanted to stay in the army camps during my travel in the Kashmir. My mind was blank for a minute because I can’t believe what he offered. I replied,” I would definitely stay. How can anyone deny such a wonderful opportunity to get to know about our Indian army?” He had called someone and told him that I will be coming. I thanked him for his kind gesture and asked him what he does. The shop owner replied telling he is a Colonel in the Indian army. Colonel Kulawant Singh. Huge respect for this man for the offer. He also asked me to pray for peace since there was tensions in the Indo-China border when I was in Kashmir. It did not strike me that time, but later on that became my message. I felt that would be the right cause at that time. To ride for Peace and harmony.

|Expedition peace and Harmony|

Later that evening, I found a guest house in Srinagar to stay and spend the night. I went on a quick ride on the cycle around Srinagar to see the lake and visit a Shiva temple which lies on a small hill. The were a lot of army men standing at intervals. The Dal lake did keep up the hype and was such a huge and beautiful lake. Indeed a ‘paradise on earth’.

I just wish the media portrays the good side of some places too. It only portrays the bad side because that’s how the media survives in the market. If at all they would mention something good about the place, a lot of people would see how beautiful Kashmir is and how wonderful Kashmiri’s are. But on a good side, at least the city would not be littered like the other touristy places. There are always two sides for a story and we could at the minimum be happy about the positive side.

Excited about the next day. The first day of cycling a distance that I have never cycled before.

|Expedition Peace and Harmony|

TO KNOW MORE INTERESTING STORIES ABOUT MY CYCLING JOURNEY FOLLOW ME ON

Mithun Govind (@gmithun) • Instagram photos and videos

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Kashmir to Kanyakumari Cycling | A short brief |

Just a brief Intro before I describe the whole cycling Expedition: My parents didn’t know that I was going to cycle from Kashmir to Kanyakumari. I had told them I’m going for a Vipassana retreat in Leh (which I’m going actually) for 10 days and then thought I’ll buy time later on with other reasons. It took me a total of 57 days (which includes 10 days of the Vipassana) to cover the distance of 4500kms across kashmir to Kanyakumari covering Punjab, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Maharashtra and along the western ghats till Kanyakumari. I reached Kanyakumari on the 8th of October, 2017.

I should say it all started when I met Lucas Eddy in Arizona who cycled across China and south east Asia for 1 year and also Oleh Stoeiv who was cycling from Ukraine to Vatican city. I was inspired when I heard their stories. I wanted to tour the country on a motor bike, but my protective parents refused.

Though dejected initially, I realised travelling the country on a bike was nothing new. That is when the thought of cycling hit my mind. I would credit the above mentioned people for planting the seed of this expedition into me.

My preparations included 6 months of clean diet, Pranayana, strengthening exercises and flexibility exercises (Yoga). I never really practiced cycling during the preparation. A daily 15kms before the start of the journey was all I did. It was more of a mental preparation indeed to digest the fact that I need to cycle from Kashmir to Kanyakumari.

While I kicked off my journey from Srinagar, I came across a colonel, who spoke to me about the then border tensions between India and China, and asked me to 'pray for peace’. That made an impact on me, and thus, 'Peace and Harmony’ became my slogan.

|Expedition Peace and Harmony|

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''It is a long and endless road and so is life'' . |Expedition Peace and Harmony| Kashmir to Kanyakumari| Location - Ladakh .

[mithungovind-blog]

The difficult part about my Journey was not cycling, it was dealing with boredom and silence. Certain areas you don't find a single soul and the only sound you hear is the sound of silence. It took a lot of patience and mental energy to deal with this factor. The vast mountains and the vibes are the only thing that held me up during that time! |Expedition peace and Harmony| kashmir to Kanyakumari| location- Ladakh|

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(Some clips from the cycling expedition)The road conditions in the Rohtang pass was too bad. Forget cycling, it is hard to even push the Cycle. If at all there was a swamp race, I would definitely place first. Now let me know if somebody wants to Cycle? :P #thestruggleisreal |Expedition Peace and Harmony| Kashmir to Kanyakumari| Location- Rohtang pass .

[mithungovind-blog]

(To those who asked about the cycle used during the expedition) I had used two cycles on my expedition. From Kashmir to Mumbai on a MTB and from Mumbai to Kanyakumari on a hybrid cycle. I flew with the MTB, which I borrowed from my friend @naveen4596 directly to Srinagar, assembled there and continued cycling in it till Mumbai and changed into hybrid later from Mumbai to Kanyakumari. The reason I changed into a hybrid in between was because on plains using a MTB slows down your speed and you put a lot of effort to pedal! I also didn’t use a proper pannier and rucksack since I didn’t have proper knowledge beforehand and also getting them in my place was difficult. I had travelled in jugaad style that’s what you call in India where you use a innovative method to solve problems. With just a 40L backpack tied with a bunjee rope (Well, it worked perfectly) I was able to manage for two months with no problem! The bearded version of me with a |Cannondale Trail |27.5er| 27gears| The non-bearded version of me with a |Fuji hybrid absolute 2.1 |29er| 24gears| |Expedition Peace and Harmony| Kashmir to Kanyakumari|

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The real heroes of our country! I’m so grateful I got the opportunity to stay in army camps in various locations during my journey. Getting to know some of them personally and to hear their stories is truly an inspiration |Expedition Peace and Harmony| Kashmir to Kanyakumari| Location-Srinagar|

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The road to the lost paradise.. |Expedition Peace and Harmony| Kashmir to Kanyakumari| Location- Manali

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Met these guys while traveling on the western ghats. They were travelling in Autorickshaw from Chennai to Goa and I think it's a cool way to explore places. Anybody game for exploring the country in a Autorickshaw? :D |Expedition Peace and Harmony| Kashmir to Kanyakumari| Location- western Ghats|