New Town man begins 1,500 km journey across Himalayas on moped
Times of India | 4 August 2025
Kolkata: A 55-year-old Kolkata resident and former Guinness record holder, Subrata Boral, is all set to start a 1,500-km journey in the Himalayas, covering nearly a dozen motorable passes across Kashmir, Ladakh, and Himachal on a moped. Boral, who held the Guinness record for biking at 20,488 feet, is a resident of Kalipark in New Town.
He set off on his journey on Tuesday afternoon from Gulmarg after the humble 110 CC moped left the hill town. In next one month, he will traverse more than 1,500 km while crossing nearly a dozen passes. The highest pass Boral is scheduled to cover is located at an altitude of 19,024 feet. "Umling La is the highest paved road and mountain pass in the world. Apart from that, I have plans to cover passes like Marsimik La (18,314 ft) in the Chang Chenmo range in Ladakh, Khardung La (17,582 ft) in the Ladakh Range in Leh, Tanglang La (17,480 ft) in Leh, and Zoji La (11,575 ft) in Ladakh," Boral said.
Boral started riding bikes in 1995 and began covering long stretches on 100 CC bikes. In 1997, he went to Khardung La and reached the Everest Base Camp on a bike in 2000. In 2008, he reached the Chang Chemmo range in Aksai Chin on a bike and made it to the Guinness World Records.
Boral started toying with the idea of riding without a powerful engine. "It is not the machine, but the man who rides it. I gave it a try with a scooter last year. I traversed nearly 2,000 km in the Himalayan range and decided to use a moped this time," he said. "While a moped is easy to manoeuvre, it lacks the momentum needed to tackle mountain stretches. The one I am using can reach a speed of up to 60 km. But a moped is easier as there are areas where the rider has to drag a two-wheeler," he said.
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