Twenty one cyclists of the Ahmedabad Bicycling Club pedaled their way to Mount Abu on the 18th of July, 2010. As a guest author, Nirmal Shah – one of the riders shares the experience of the journey in the post below.
“It is now a day since we rode and "conquered" Mount Abu our first challenge. It is a proud feeling to have been successful as a team.
We owe our success to the assistance and mentorship we got right from the day the Abu-climb was planned and a date put to it.
A special thanks to all the drivers who provided support and encouragement on the way up. They kept everything ready and handy so that our ‘pit stop’ would be minimal. They too had their dos & don’ts list to follow and they did it flawlessly.
Our Abu climb started from the day we started our training. The ‘super-steep’ ISRO slope. I did it twice and decided for myself to check out what mount Abu is all about.
There was more to the preparation than just the ISRO slope. Harshbhai and Gauravbhai were on to it. Every minutest possibility was considered and prepared for. The truck, the cars, the loading and packing of the cycles so that they would not get damaged, the assignment of tasks for the support materials, the dos & don’ts list for the riders, the drivers and also the car owners. As Atulbhai rightly said and complemented, everything was planned to perfection right to the minutest detail.
On the day before our Abu ride, as per the plan, we all delivered our cycles to Harshbhai’s place. It did not end there. He helped check our cycles and did the needful. Handle-bars adjusted, brakes checked, gears checked and adjusted. I had my brake-shoes replaced, for the ride down the Abu hill. The ride down was going to be only if the roads were dry for it. Ofcourse, the weather forecasts had been checked and like all other things we were sure we would be riding down. Vivek was already looking forward to it ignoring the fact that the ride up, our main challenge would be hot and stuffy. But then, I guess his concern was how fast and not anything else. Few of the team loaded and packed the cycles in the truck. Cardboards on the sides, cardboards between the cycles, bubble wraps and all cycles tied to prevent them from moving. Some cycles rode on the back of the cars on special stands.
Finally the day dawned, 21 enthusiastic riders and 5 amused drivers at Fun Republic and we were off. The meticulous planning also included who sits in which car, so there was no confusion. The bags were already deposited with the car owners the previous day, so not a minute to waste. As usual, we started on the dot, reached the pre determined location where the truck was waiting for us.
We unloaded the cycles from the trucks and the cars, the final checks were made, the air-pumps put to use. The energy food was eaten, fluids loaded on the bottle holders, ipods clipped in ready to play. Then came in the instructions for us and the drivers. They too had a very important role to play to ensure we made it to the top. We had few photos clicked and we started off. Now there was no looking back, we were there the climb ahead of us.
We did the 6 km warm up ride. The locals looked at us and our cycles curiously. Few assumed we had cycled all the way from Ahmedabad. Well, not this time, but next time yes we shall be doing that. We again stopped as decided, 1 km before the actual ascent. The final set of instructions from Harshbhai. It was important. We had to know what we were getting into. There were things we had to keep in mind with regards to safety.
Then we were off, each one to himself, each one with a personal challenge to conquer and compete with self. Each one of us set off with a resolve of not to let the mind accept defeat since the confidence of physical ability was already there ever since we registered for the climb.The first few kilometers were a challenge. I pedaled, changed gears, did everything that I felt was right to conserve energy. It was hot and humid. The first milestone was the support car waiting for us at the 3 km distance. It remained that way since the support cars were stationed at every 3 km distance. Gradually I got into the groove. The weather changed, it got cooler and enjoyable. Then came the fog. It was like riding through the clouds. I would pass by some riders, would need to stop somewhere to stretch my legs and drink the fluids, eat the energy food. Other riders would pass by each with a smile on their face and determination to succeed. The feeling of riding on the hill through the fog with music playing in your ears, being alone with yourself enjoying the scenery, it is something each must experience on his/her own. There is no substitute to it. Last 5 km to go, Atulbhai, Harshbhai and Vivek were there, sitting and encouraging us who were passing by. It was safe to assume that they had completed the ride and had come back down. Suddenly I came upon a board which said there was a toll booth for paying entry tax 500 meters away. That was it, this is why we were pedaling up all this time, to pay the entry tax to enter Abu. The last 500 meters were luxury. I knew I had done it. There was our group in front of me, all cheering and happy. They too had done it. Each proud of the achievement.
We all had great fun up there. There was a 100% result. All the riders who had set out and completed the climb. The sweeper cars didn’t need to go. We relaxed, had lunch, enjoyed the cool foggy weather with a cup of tea.
It was then the time to go back.
Again we had our round of instructions. Rolling down was going to be fun but it was also dangerous. We had to ensure we did not get carried away in the enjoyment to end up with an accident. Gauravbhai was to lead and Harshbhai stayed at the rear. One ensured we stayed within the prescribed speed limit of 40 km/hour the other ensured each one completed. The ride down was amazing. The group was going down in one single file. It was a site. The brakes needed to be applied to maintain the speed and navigate the curves. I would do the climb again just to enjoy the ride down. One could pack the cycle in the car and go up, but that would not be satisfying, not now after having done this ride. We all gathered down, packed the cycles back in the truck, celebrated our journey with an ice cream party. The next trips are already planned. The ride from Ahmedabad to Abu, the Leh-Ladakh trip, Tour de Gujarat, maybe a Dehradun-Mussoorie climb.
So, all those friends who did not join us, this is what you actually missed. Thank you all fellow riders for having made this a success, congratulations to each. "
