By Rinchen Angmo Chumikchan
Leh, Ladakh: Just outside Leh, Disko Valley has turned into a melting pot of adventure sport and creativity as mountain bikers and artists play – one on adrenaline-fueled arena and another splashing colours to create land art.
Disko Valley, a skill and gravity based dedicated bike park in a confined area of 20 acres, was founded by Tenzin Jamphel Urgyan Skaldan and Gyatso Tundup. With a five-year extendable lease from Sankar Gonpa (monastery), the park has over 50 features designed for riders of various skill levels. It is the only dedicated bike park in India and it stands out as the biggest, longest, and highest in terms of elevation.
Sharing his journey of creating this unique arena, Tenzin Jamphel said, “Our journey of creating Disko valley began when we explored the idea of diversifying tourism. This led us to create Disko valley as a foundational bike park." His journey in mountain biking began as a hobby but soon he could gauge the potential of this extreme sport in Ladakh and how it could contribute to diversify the tourism industry in Ladakh. "Mountain biking is a niche sport, and for it to grow, infrastructure is a must. That’s where Disko Valley comes in,” he added.
As for the investment Tenzin says, “This was basically a passion project so we haven’t kept an account. For the various infrastructural developments our friends helped us out - be it for bringing a JCB or for the other structures in the arena. One of our co founders Gyatso is an architect so he designed the entire project artistically which was built mostly through community efforts, with an estimated investment of Rs 4-5 lakh."
Sharing his story, Urgyan Skaldan’s says his biking journey also started quite early. He shares, “Like any kid, I loved riding my bicycle. Some of my earliest memories of biking date back to the late ’90s or early 2000s." In 2014, he started freelancing as a mountain biking guide in Ladakh and participated in a few cross-country MTB races. "I never had formal training, but over the years, I have come to see myself more as an explorer than a competitor or racer,” he added quickly.
Beyond biking, Disko Valley has hosted events like the Ladakh Mountain Biking Festival and Sa Ladakh, Asia’s highest contemporary land art biennale. Sagardeep Singh, co-founder of Sa Ladakh, said “The collaboration of biking and art could happen because our festival focuses on climate, culture, and community—values that align with Disko Valley’s mission.” The initiative provides Ladakhi artists with a platform to showcase their land art while engaging with global artists.
Land art is made directly in the landscape by sculpting the land or by making structures in the landscape with natural materials, he explained.
“We also help them in getting the exposure they need and curate their work not just in Ladakh but in other places in India,” Singh added.
On the collaboration, Tenzin says, “Sa Ladakh could be made possible here as our themes aligned. We as mountain bikers promote sustainable tourism and they too highlighted that everything that we need is available from the Earth.”
The infrastructure development of Disko valley happened during Covid. "It was a blessing in disguise for us as we had nothing else to do. The 20 plus jumps in the park are all created by us, completely handmade and it was all through a trial and error method,” explained Tenzin.
Tundup Gyatso, an architect by profession with a passion for the mountains and adventure, said, it was a dream come true for him to blend designing with the thrill of mountain biking. “Ladakh has the landscape, but it lacked the infrastructure for serious mountain biking. We wanted to change that. Our goal evolved into creating India’s first full-fledged bike park—one that would not only serve as a training ground for riders but also act as a community hub where biking culture could thrive. We wanted to put Ladakh on the global mountain biking map and inspire the next generation of Indian riders.”
For a mountain biker, a dedicated bike park, Gyatso said, is like a gym, a playground, and a testing ground all rolled into one. It’s where you hone your technique, learn new tricks, and prepare for real-world racing conditions. "Disko Valley offers a controlled environment where riders can safely push their limits. But beyond skill-building, it’s also a community hub. It’s a place where like-minded riders come together, exchange ideas, and spread awareness about mountain biking, especially in a country where the sport is growing”, he stressed.
While this is a great ground for young enthusiasts of mountain bikers, it also holds a special place for artists from Ladakh. Urgain Zawa, a visual art practitioner from Igoo village who exhibited his artistry in the 2024 edition of the festival said, “As a young artist from Ladakh, it was a new experience for me to do land art in my own place, Ladakh, with different art practitioners from various states of India and abroad. I got to learn so many things—new approaches and new perspectives towards art and land art," he expressed. It gave an exposure to him and many others on the very unconventional art practices, which transported them to a new world altogether. "It was also a great opportunity for me to raise awareness about Ladakh’s climate and ecological problems in the current situation through my art on this platform," he quipped.
This project created an environment for Ladakhi locals to learn or know about contemporary art and artists.
"Honestly, we are still at infancy and the mountain biking culture needs to develop a lot more. We aim to make Ladakh the mountain biking capital of India," the founders said.
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