Unbelievable Journey: Asansol Teens Cycle 3,500 KM to Ladakh, Conquer Galwan Valley And Pangong Lake
For 10 teenagers, a bicycle was their only resource. But it carried them across 10 states and to one of the toughest terrains in country.
Published : December 2, 2025 at 4:30 PM IST
Asansol: A group of 10 teenagers, aged just 16 and 17, had never stepped out of Asansol on a bicycle. Most had never seen mountains. But these youngsters pedalled their way across 3,500 kilometres, crossed three treacherous high-altitude passes, and reached remote frontiers like Galwan Valley and Pangong Lake. Unbelievable but true, these teenagers, all school students, completed a 55-day bicycle expedition covering 10 Indian states.
The feat was made possible with the efforts of Mihir Kumar Mondal, a former Army officer and director of the National Adventure Foundation who has trained nearly 250 students, mostly from lower-middle-class families, free of cost in parade drills, physical fitness, discipline, and cycling. Every day, these children gather at the golf ground of the local palace, where Mondal trains them with military-style rigour.
“My aim is to instill patriotism and nationalism in children. I want to make them physically and mentally strong, so that one day they can join the Indian Army,” Mondal said. It was with this belief that he handpicked 10 of his best-trained students and set a goal for them - a cycle expedition to Ladakh.
The team began their journey on September 20, setting off from the Burnpur Gurudwara in Asansol. From there, they crossed Jharkhand, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Agra, Delhi, Sonipat, and Jammu & Kashmir, before finally reaching Leh, Galwan Valley and Pangong Lake. Even though the temperatures dipped to –28°C, the teenagers kept moving, battling altitude sickness, exhaustion, and icy winds - all because of the rigorous training they were made to undergo.
“We completed the expedition at Pangong Lake at 10:11 am on November 13. Despite the cold, my children proved that they can achieve bigger heights through their physical and mental strength,” Mondal recalled.
The Indian Army played a crucial role throughout the expedition, escorting the teenagers in difficult stretches, offering camps, providing food, and even giving them hero treatment along the way.
For the students, many of whom were from from tribal communities, the expedition was transformational. They had never travelled beyond Asansol earlier. Some had never travelled beyond their own neighbourhood.
Sakshi Rajwar, one of the participants, narrates the journey with disbelief. “We could not imagine we could do this. The passes were so steep and we were breathless while climbing. Sir encouraged us stating that if we could cross Changla Top, we would win. And we did. I watched snowfall for the first time in my life and it was unbelievably beautiful. We played with it. It was magical,” she said.
For Marshall Hembram, the biggest thrill was the journey in totality. “In the last three months, we practised cycling almost every day, sometimes 200 km at a stretch. We could feel the changing weather in every state. The journey was like a dream come true,” he said.
Now, Mondal is setting his sights even higher. “This time we plan to go to China by cycling. Preparations have already begun,” he informed.
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