If it is silky smooth ride with fair amount of challenge you are after, the stretch of autoroute on the roof of the world is ideal. After the many motorway challenges have been faced and conquered for the first 100 kilometers to Kodari, the ride gets truly adventurous as soon as it begins to chase the celebrated Friendship Highway. Roads and the driving conditions on the highway best suit the superbikes. Flanking Tibetan landscapes, snaky lefts and rights, soaring passes close to the sky and glimpses of treasured Tibetan culture during the frequent stopovers- this ride genuinely offers the pleasure of lifetime.
A team of adrenaline hungry Nepalese riders took on Everest Challenge 2014 on their pet beasts- Ducati Superbikes. The Ducati Everest Challenge 2014 began on 10th of June. Six riders of the burgeoning Ducati Community Nepal set off to enjoy the pleasure of riding the Roof of the World. Launched from the Nepalese capital, Kathmandu, the monstrous Ducati bikers rode 1000 kilometers on the Friendship Highway to the Tibetan capital, Lhasa and then rallied back to Kathmandu on the 19th of June via Everest Base Camp of the Tibetan side. The 1000-kilometer stretch along the foothills of Himalayan giants is a fantasy with unrivaled scenery—windswept Tibetan landscapes, magical highland lakes and the dramatic rise and fall of the winding curves of the highway.
Pramod Shrestha (Goofy), the Road Captain of the Event and five other Nepalese Ducati Riders experienced smooth rides. The power of the Ducati beasts was unleashed on the roads of Tibet. On the road to Lhasa, the ride over Khamba La Pass was much anticipated. On the open highway, the bikes fared exceedingly well and succumbed to no altitude issues- none at all. The weather was favourable throughout and the joy of riding was thus exceptional. The beasts scored an average speed of 80 km/hour, allowing the riders to stay ahead of schedule, even arriving in Lhasa three hours earlier than the projected time. The ride itself is larger than life, but the major celebration going on in Tibet during the time was a fascinating fortune. The Shakadawa festival, the year of the horse, which is celebrated once every 12 years, and the revelry and festivities had reached its pinnacle on this full moon evening that our riders pulled into town. The guys had fun walking around and also feel extremely privileged to be able to witness these merriments.
The time to triumph over the Challenge was on the ride back to Kathmandu. However, to grab the most out the trip the Ducati riders planned to take on every challenge head-on. The team of adrenaline junkies arrived to the top of the famous Yam-drok Tse Lake and established an idea to traverse down to the bank of this alpine beauty and daringly they made it. The adventure continued and the fleet of Ducati arrived at Shegar. From Shegar, a divergence from the Friendship Highway that unfolds mishmash over a 68 kilometers stretch is the way to Everest Base Camp. The hard-hitting and unpredictable road was so challenging that the monster Ducatis had to slow down to 10km/hr. Despite these adverse conditions, the wheels rolled to the Base Camp of world’s highest peak, Everest. The Ducati Everest Challenge 2014 was accomplished and the experiences of the ride would forever fondly haunt the heads and souls of all the riders.
Ducati Everest Challenge 2014 was supported by Explore Himalaya Travel and Adventure and Turbo Motors Trading Pvt. Ltd. After the completion of the Event the Road Captain, Pramod Shrestha said, “It felt great to ride a bike worthy of excellent roads in Tibet. There was not much traffic and hence my machine and I had the freedom to fly across the Tibetan Plateau.”
