Everester among three to cycle 1,500 km across Sahara Desert
Times of India | 19 January 2026
Kolkata: Three adventure sports enthusiasts from Kolkata, including Mount Everest summiteer Malay Mukherjee, will start a 1,500 km cycle journey from Alexandria to Lake Nasser across the Sahara Desert on Monday.
The expedition will start from Alexandria, and the three cyclists—Mukherjee, Debashis Chakraborty and Partha Pratim Hazra—will take the road west of the Nile river deltaand head towards Cairo.
From Cairo, the team will pedal for nearly 400 km towards the Bahariya White Desert—home to surreal chalk formations. With scarce resupply sources during the stretch, the Bahariya White Desert is known for heavy gusts of wind, which can even knock people down. From Bahariya, the team will head towards Lake Nasser, crossing volcanic rock zones, or the Black Desert, and Crystal Mountain.
"The area near the Bahariya White Desert and beyond is the toughest part of the journey. Heat, isolation from human settlements, and the need for a lot of stamina make this journey a serious one," said Mukherjee.
"The challenge starts with negotiating the large stretch of desert. For miles, there will not be anything other than desert on both sides of the road," Mukherjee added.
Since it is winter in Egypt now, the team will not have much trouble sustaining the heat. However, the stretch gets very windy at times, making it difficult for the cyclists. The roads going through the Sahara Desert often face wind speeds of 30 km per hour, and these can increase at times. Cyclists have to negotiate sidewinds or headwind drafts.
"We will hire a cycle from Alexandria, as it is more cost-effective for such budget-constrained expeditions. We will carry spare parts with us. However, if there is a major breakdown, we will not have any backup. But that is the thrill of adventure. We know that it will not be smooth at all," Mukherjee said.
The team, which completed a 900 km cycle expedition in Vietnam, set a target to complete the 1,500 km journey in 11 days. They will carry the message to save nature and start using bicycles more.