22 Riders from ABC went for Abu Ascent Tour-1 on 16th-17th of July 2011 .
Several veterans and several rookies which includes:
Several veterans and several rookies which includes:
1. Harsh Shah
2. Gaurav shah
3. Vivek Shah
4. Parth Vasavada
5. Mitul Shelat
6. Nirav Parikh
7. Rishi Goyal
8. Samir Shah(Jr)
9. Parvez Hashmi
10. Renu Mittal
11. Rajal Thaker
12. Nandini Mehta
13. Kumaril Patel
14. Samir Shah(Sr)
15. Neeraj Sharma
16. Jaikrishna Agarwal
17. Satpal Chhabda
18. Shravan Shah
19. Sunny Parikh
20. Rishi Goyal
21. Nishit Shah
22. Kaushal Mehta
Mitul Shelat, Nirav Parikh, Parth Vasavada, Parvez Hashmi - were the rookies.
All 3 ladies were also rookies (Nandini, Rajal and Renu) who completed a climb in good time.
Great company, great ride.
All 3 ladies were also rookies (Nandini, Rajal and Renu) who completed a climb in good time.
Great company, great ride.
Description of Abu Ascent-1(by Mitul Shelat,ABC Member):
I was ushered into cycling by Jayeshbhai ( Modi) in early October of 2010, after a couple of rounds with the club members, I was swallowed by the black hole. Soon thereafter there was an announcement of the trip to Abu. With all eagerness I commenced regular rounds to achieve the mental and physical strength to attempt biking up the mountain. A few weeks before the ride, I met with a small accident which did not permit me to make the attempt but Harshbhai assured me that I would get the full recovery within 6 months, which I did. So when the Abu Assent was announced a few weeks back, I jumped in and was probably the first to register. I promised myself to do all the hill climbing routes to prepare myself for the assent. On 10th morning I realized that only a week was left and I had hardly done any cycling. I managed to cycle twice before the D Day and with the (limited) confidence derived from the said rides and the tremendous courage bestowed from 4 packs of Gu Gel, I alighted the bus on the very early morning of 16th.
As the bus closed in on point zero, all the participants started gearing up in the full cycling attire; donning their helmets and gloves preparing to take the plunge it almost looked like a scene out of a Hollywood war movie. War it was to be one to be fought against the heat, the humidity and the relentless mountain range. As we started pedaling to approach the base we were greeted with the orchestra of croaking frogs and a breath of fresh mountain air. It was around 740 when we received our final instructions and at about 755 we commenced the assent. Consuming half of the first Gu GEL, I started pedaling up the mountain. Into the first few metres and it felt as if the mountain was turning hostile, the first 500 metres reminded me of the body line bowling of Harold Larwood , intimidating and physically threatening. As I was gasping ( which we were instructed we would), sunny told me what Gauravbhai had told him not to look beyond the few metres in front and to keep pedaling. it worked as slowly and gradually I got into the groove and pedaled through the first six kilometers, and reached the first support point. A few figs, dates , refill of the energy drink and the other half of Gugel and I was ready to go. The 6 to 12 km patch is the soul of the mountain; it tests your body and spirit to the core. At the end of the patch you are drenched and drained, the cycle chain gets a wash from your own sweat but once you clear this patch, the mountain is effectively tamed. The next mark is the Hanuman Mandir ,a point where I realized victory was near and the time when a little bit of pain started creeping in (when u get a cramp wait a minute, walk with your cycle we were told), I did that and in a few minutes was ready to roll. And then came the mark, I was waiting for the sign notifying the toll both was 500 metres ahead, suddenly I felt the pain vanish and as I pedaled into the Guest House I was welcomed by the cheers of all those who had reached before and Harshbhai saying “ avo sasra jamai”. I had done it, it wasn’t the greatest of human feats but it was one of the things, I would be proud of and cherish my entire life. My goal was achieved and as far as I was concerned I was done. But it did not end there. I was sharing the room with Gauravbhai. I wanted to go down hill but had no intention to ride back up. Gauravbhai informed that the Truck was already instructed to reach the top and therefore anyone who went down had to come up. I was willing to give up the joy og going downhill, it seemed a trifle against what would follow in the assent. Gauravbhai stepped right in, as we were settling ourselves on the bed ready to sleep he convinced me to come down and make the attempt till the first mark with the assurance to provide the support vehicle to ferry the cycle and me up hill if I did not feel upto the task, I fell for it. I completed the second assent aswell. This is what ABC is all about induce into riding, make you enjoy it, give you the opportunity to overcome your fears and push you into doing what you never thought you could have done
This brings me to the title, well as it happened Vivek, commenced , what I recollect was his third assent and during his way up was greeted by a group of travelers when informed that he was cycling just for fun and that it was his 3 ride up that day an elderly member of the family remarked “Dikra sha mata sharir par atlo julam karo cho”. I searched for an answer and I found it in article by Richard Askwith a fell runner( running in the mountains) and the author of feet in the clouds “ But within minutes the pain is swept away by a surge of euphoria: it's over; I'm still in one piece; I've done it. All around me, similar waves of euphoria are breaking over a whole field full of pale, bloodied, bedraggled runners. Never mind who's won: we have all beaten the mountain, and ourselves.” I could not agree more.
