It was in late 2022, that I got introduced to a cycling group (Cultsport, Eros Gurgaon) by a friend who encouraged me to try group rides. Cult was just starting its outdoor cycling rides from right outside my condominium, so it was super convenient for me (or say difficult to find an excuse to say no), and that is how the journey began.

Approaching it with a closed mind, I was very sure of doing just a couple of rides and thereafter return back to my regular routine. Such closed mind was a culmination of advice from my doctors to give up strenuous sports all together due to medical reasons and at best do walks for staying fit.

Life had but different plans. In no time, what started as an adventure I was only exploring, had turned into enthusiasm where I wanted to challenge myself to do more. Very soon these weekend experiments turned into something to look forward to and soon I did my first 25km, then 50km, then 75km and finally the first century ride! We were exploring newer routes every weekend all across NCR, meeting new members, new groups and much more fun along the way. 

While it is still early days for me, as every adventure in life brings in experiences/ learnings this cycling journey thus far has been no different, some of which I am sharing here under:

• If you want to do something, paths emerge, or you make one! (‘jahaan chaah vahaan raah’) – When the doctors asked to give up active sports, I sulked.  Fear mongering was persistent with voices in the head saying ‘no’, but I was adamant to find a way to get courage to atleast give it a try. Assuming ‘no’ as the answer in mind, with apprehension, I asked my physio if I can take up cycling. To my utter surprise he encouraged me with a yes!! Fast forward a year, I recently crossed the milestone of 10,000 km of cycling (starting in Nov’22). This journey reinforced my belief that anything is possible if you dedicate yourself to it, for there is an ‘invisible force’ which gives you that extra little you need to get to the finish line. In true sense, “when you want something, the whole universe conspires in order for you to achieve it.”

• You miss something to gain something (‘jaago mohan pyare’). In this case, it starts with your sleep and family time. Getting up at 4 am (sometimes even earlier) is not easy, only your passion can get you out of your cozy bed. Then you miss out on your morning cups (plural in my case) of tea in the comfort of your home.  You do end up exhausted at times with a black eye, but the sense of completing that ride makes ‘daag acche hain’ moment.

• Don’t think much (‘sab ho jaata hai’ attitude) should be the mantra – While you may be very meticulous in planning, life is full of surprises and the best you can do is deal with it. Basic minimum planning is essential, but more important is to learn from your experiences and make amends and figure the rest out. In the end, you will deal with it when it hits you one way or the other, if you train yourself to deal with uncertainties, it would be less uncomfortable to deal with it. Contextual example would be that when you get a flat tyre, you repair it or replace it with the spare you have, but what when both options are exhausted? Ask someone for help or take a uber figure it out?

• In the end you are on your own (‘apna apna dekh leejiye’) – While group rides and moving with company is any day better than going solo, but in each ride, you are on your own as well. This in some way exposes you to manage things on your own and at the same time also opens up multiple options like be at your own pace, or push yourself to be with the team ahead or slow down to be part of the ones (if any) coming behind. Such is life as well, there are moments where you have to manage on your own, take your own decisions and then there would be moments where you can seek help. Likewise, you can lend a helping hand to those in need and be there for them as they navigate any challenges along the journey.

• Keep moving (‘chalte raho’) to get to your destination – For moving forward you keep pedalling, else the cycle comes to a halt and so does your journey. Take short breaks, rejuvenate yourself and move forward is the mantra. While the journey is as enjoyable, but the high you get reaching your destination is unparallel. In life too, your every day grind and in between breaks, help you push yourself at times, unwind briefly and then work towards your goals.
• Getting to technicalities (or call them jargons) is a learning curve in itself. You start with getting ‘arre tumhe yeh nahi pata’ stares when someone throws these heavy weights at you, to you doing the very same – from the ideal saddle height, to the size of cycle which best suits you, to bike fit, to the material of the frame, to the type of gearset, to repairing punctures, to lubricating the chain and last but not the least swanky terms like cadence, crank, cassette to what not (I am yet to understand / learn a lot of things still). Then, as if these are not enough, you have to deal with event names like BRMs and abbreviations like GCR, GFR, QM. Guesses?

• Respect others (‘arre ruk jaayenge’ / ‘arre dekh lenge’ attitude won’t work for long) – Always give the same respect to others, what you expect for yourself. For example, every persons’ time is equally important for he/she would have sacrificed something to get to that ride; always give way to someone you see riding a cycle to work since it takes huge efforts to stop and start again; respect lane driving, apply breaks carefully, do not stop abruptly anywhere on the road. Last but not the least, irrespective of a persons’ stature, respecting him, giving him his due talks a lot about what we are as individuals.

• No budget is enough and by no means cycling is a poor man’s sport (it just seems from far that it runs on your own fuel (power), but that isn’t true!!…..‘paise kam hi padhenge’) – Every one of us makes budgets, trust me none is enough in this case. You can upgrade your ride, its gears, its accessories, clothing et and all besides the regular wear and tear.  Differentiate between what is a necessity where no compromise should be made and give it preference over comfort and luxuries.

This note is incomplete without Thanking all those who have made it possible for me to come thus far and I hope shall continue to support me going forward – three cheers to my Family for tolerating all absences from home and a barrage of cycles and accompanying gears occupying much space at home, to the trainers whose guidance has been the foundation stone, to my fellow riders for the chit chat fun along the way and bringing in the competitive spirit, to our regular ‘chai wallahs’ without who the pedal would halt, the mechanics for fixing the cycle each time in crises, to the uber drivers who allowed to carry the cycle in their car in case of a breakdown, and to every other person who supported the ride in any way! You guys ROCK!!

Ending 2023, with hope to continue this momentum forward and make cycling part of my life. Leaving you with some glimpses from the journey this far…..

Is that but enough? Is being considerate limited to the ones we know (i.e., the ones who expect us to be doing it anyway and not doing it would instead make it a big deal) OR does it extend to every aspect of our day-to-day life?

I often observe situations which makes me wonder, if a similar reaction would come if this involved someone own vis-à-vis a third person whose judgement does not matters to me. A few examples (more of observations) to illustrate this point:

• Disposing garbage carelessly; not arranging/ picking-up things……as the help is hired to do this very thing (“who utha lega” attitude);
• Finding shortcuts ~ reach without an appointment and try and fit in; jump queue (‘ho jaayega’, ‘dekh leenge’ attitude);
• Avoiding eye contact on a metro to not concede the seat to someone who needs it more than I do;
• Shout out loud on the customer care executive who has no control on resolving that situation than to just take your request for resolution;
• Not slowing down when crossing a flooded road where fellow commuters are either walking or are on a two-wheeler having no protection from any splash;
• Not paying heed to give way to someone in need (say, an elderly, or someone on a non-motorised vehicle where he is putting in manual efforts to keep moving vis-à-vis you being in a car and could give way without much of an hassle);
• Abruptly stopping on roads, coming from the wrong side, enter/exit incorrectly et and all (“kuch nahi hota” attitude).

Even I need to be conscious and mindful about my actions and maintain consistency across all situations, for that would define the real me. Likewise, each one of us needs to realize if they are really considerate or are using this word conveniently and not in the true spirit, for, the real you is how you are when no one is judging / watching your action (or inaction)!

As I was thinking of concluding this note, the advertisement campaign from Federal Bank crossed my mind which has the tag line “Rishta Aap Se Hai, Sirf App Se Nahi”. While today, most of our banking (actually not only banking but a lot more….) needs are taken care of with the ease of e-banking without having to interact with anyone, but it cannot replace the ‘gupshup’ you had over ‘cutting’ chai (especially at PSU banks) with the branch manager. While machines can do a lot what humans do today and this would only become more competitive with time, it is the empathy which would be the biggest differentiator with machines. Your being considerate and empathetic towards others, would make this world a better place.

I wonder if there is a magic wand at a wave of which you are in your dream destination with everything meticulously organized and you know what exactly to do. Alas, there isn’t anything like this except a close second called ‘pile-on’ where you make someone’s itinerary yours and see things from their eyes. At the outset pile-on sounds preposterous, but it is a good starting point ….Well our planning for Kashmir was a perfect mix of own research, references to travel and food forums (food guide is a holy book to abide by for us so much so that we may leave a sightseeing to fit in our food trip!!) and some piling on as well, mostly to affirm of the dos and don’ts!

The only part of the trip that I executed were the flight tickets and as it turned out, this was the single biggest uncertainty of the trip. By now you wud have guessed it that it was on Spicejet (thanks to Go First stalling its operations and our ping pong with finalization of our plan, last minute fares on Indigo were going through the roof!). Thankfully, my prayers were answered, and the flight was neither cancelled nor delayed by 6/7 hours (their usual on Delhi-Srinagar sector) and with a moderate pre-informed delay of an hour (which in hindsight was a relief as else the flight was slightly early), we landed in Srinagar ~ the city of lakes and gardens.

Without wasting much time, we straight headed to our first destination ~ lunch @Ahdoos. Then followed some Garden hopping which we winded-up quickly and headed to Dal Lake for Shikara rides (we did two rides, one early evening and the other during sunset). [Few tips: ~ Enjoy a nice nap (forget the damp grass!) under the shade of the sky touching Cedar trees averaging a century in age; don’t forget to try the Kashmiri Wazwan and the chocolate cookies at Ahdoos; binge on the Shikara (fruit chat was the best of all we had there!); do ask (rather insist) for low sugar in your tea and Kahwa unless you like it loaded and keep space for tonnes of bakery products you ‘should’ buy from some great bakeries in Srinagar like Jan, Taj and must buy and carry home walnut fudge from Moonlight].

Retiring early from a tiring day, I did not plan to go for my walk the next morning. Weather but had other plans for me, for the nip in the air got me moving. The WOW of Kashmir struck as I stepped out of the hotel onto the over bridge on the Nigeen Lake for it presented a scenic view I was awestruck with. It was a picture perfect moment. With some (a gross understatement about the number of clicks during the entire trip) customary pictures taken, I moved along for an hour exploring the city during its calm time. Repeated the same the next morning too just with an add-on of a longer walk right upto the Hazratbal Shrine. 

When we visited Sonmarg the next morning, I decided to walk upto the Thajiwas glacier instead of taking the usual pony ride. This was not out of being adventurous but for the fear of breaking my already broken back on the pony. From setting out to walk for just a few kilometres, the nice cold (but sunny) weather gave the push to go for it. The locals (including our driver) discouraged the idea of walking in the area for it being rough and exhausting. Believe me, the scenic views in a perfect day setting made every inch of a walk memorable for years to come and this motivation kept me going! [Tip: ~ if you are physically active, this walk is very much possible, but do not adventure into this if it has rained since it would be slippery and dirty to walk the path in rain. I was rather lucky to have got a perfectly dry and sunny day and that I could explore the unchartered path thanks to some help from the locals].

Now it was time to experience some snow and chill at our next destination, Gulmarg. Gulmarg was a relatively lazy time for I did not venture out for my long walks but instead went for small walks which too the hilly roads were making it difficult but the weather made up for the tiredness. Staying very close to the Gondola the place was very peaceful at night. Gondola ride was fun filled and the family enjoyed the adventure in the snow as we reached the second point. [Few tips: ~ Try staying in Gulmarg the night before your Gondola ride (also take a place closer to the starting point such that you can just walk across); book the Gondola for the first slot at 9 am to avoid the rush as most people do day trips and hence reach Gulmarg around 11 am and onwards. Keep a close watch on the advance e-bookings for Gondola (the entire adventure would go for a toss if you don’t get the tickets which open at the beginning of the month) for both the phases; and last but not the least, the guide for the Gondola is a good idea as regards negotiations for adventure rides is concerned and also someone ensuring your children complete the activities safely and have a good time].

When it comes to my take on the best place in Kashmir it is a tough choice given each place has its own unique charm. For the places I covered, our last destination, Pahalgam, is close to my heart for its serenity, river, and mountains giving a perfect view from pretty much every angle. Just close your eyes and turn to any side and open your eyes to find a view you cannot miss to click a memory of….. this is Pahalgam. Each morning I would venture out for my walk before the city’s hustle bustle started. Our hotel’s location was quite ideal with its garden right on the lidder river. You move out of the hotel and onto the Chandanwari road there is a picturesque setting waiting to welcome you ~ lidder river flowing through, mountains right across it and the town road leading all the way upto the city garden. I had discovered a nice little Kandur (a bakery) which did the daily supplies of fresh breads in the area. I would pick up their staple bread, ‘girda’ as they call it, and a cup of tea from a nearby shop, and then just sit on the river side witnessing natures best creation, as I sipped my tea and enjoyed the crunchy fresh out of tandoor bread. [Few tips: If you are an adventure enthusiast and brave heart you could try rafting in the icy cold lidder river with overwhelming rapids; do enjoy the early morning long walks, cherish the ‘do nothing’ time, do not miss the trout fish if you are a non-vegetarian and ofcourse the fresh ‘girda’ with letting some butter melt onto it when it is fresh out of the tandoor and if you are an early riser, you would have the company of the shepherds and their herds!]

As we had to fly back to Delhi from Srinagar, we kept the houseboat as our last night stay of the tour. We were not very excited about the houseboat given the negative feedbacks we had received, so we started with lower expectations. Guess our trip was blessed as there were overnight showers. The otherwise quiet surrounding of the Nigeen lake charged up to the noise of the rain water dripping on the wooden panels and water which somewhat disturbed our sleep! BUT as they say ‘no pain, no gain’! We witnessed ‘Jannat’ the next morning with a nice nip in the air, the picture perfect view of the mountains and the serene lake. After enjoying the morning tea on the deck of the houseboat, we then ventured into the waters on the Shikara while sipping kahwa on the Nigeen lake (tip: If you prefer a peaceful environment, book your house boat at the Nigeen Lake, and I would recommend to not skip the houseboat for its different experience and an early morning Shikara).

As there is always a room for improvement, here too there are a few. Before I start there, a clarification, that these improvement areas are not a deterrent at all but just that it would be an incomplete description of the place if I don’t mention. There is a lot of dust which when swept early mornings is all the more irritant (this I am sure is a summer problem); the manholes/ pavements are largely damaged/ missing making it difficult to walk on footpaths; the cattle manure is all over the town; the drivers have a great fondness to honk deafening your ears (so much so that almost every day my watch alerted me of the high environmental sounds around me), lack of fixed rates for activities always leave you confused if your overpaid and last one the time of visit should be early in March/April as in June the weather isn’t great especially during the day time (we were lucky to have a got only one warm day in Srinagar) or during winters (as the locals say you have to experience both summers and winters in Kashmir, latter being on my list now!!).

In essence, Kashmir is truly a paradise everyone must visit. People there are very welcoming and the place safe as any. Go with an open mind and heart and create lifetime memories.