Lt Col Sohan Roy (Retd) rides to Umling La, turns tour into tribute
Roy emphasised that his rides are not for thrill alone and that he uses them to lay wreaths at battlefield memorials from Siachen to the 1962 war memorials in Ladakh
Lt col Sohan Roy (retd) of the 15th Battalion, Kumaon Regiment (Indore), who claims he will turn 77 in December this year, in August completed a solo motorcycle ride to Umling La in Ladakh, a journey he says was not just an adventure but a homage to fallen soldiers and a message to the younger generation never to give up. Recalling the experience, he said, “I stood… breath caught between thin air and a lifetime of memories. At roughly 19,024 feet, Umling La felt like the top of the world…”
Roy flew to Jammu on August 28, having shipped his motorcycle ahead. Collecting his bike in Jammu, he began his journey after an emotional sendoff from a regimental battalion there (name not disclosed for security reasons). He rode via Udhampur and Srinagar into Ladakh, passing locations such as Lamayuru and Hanle and requiring backup vehicles along difficult, offroad stretches.
“Umling La was last year’s plan but after returning from Siachen, I was unwell so I dropped it. This time I had to do it as age is catching up with me,” Roy said. Describing the heavy and unusual weather, intense rain and even snowfall that local residents said they hadn’t seen in Leh over five decades, Roy said, “Roofs just collapsed because they are all made of mud. At one point, a hut next to my hotel caved in. Even so, I rode on where the road permitted.”
Roy emphasised that his rides are not for thrill alone and that he uses them to lay wreaths at battlefield memorials from Siachen to the 1962 war memorials in Ladakh, and to encourage youngsters in villages to study hard and aim higher in life. “I always tell them, ‘Don’t think that your life is over because you were born in a village. Your intelligence can take you anywhere’” the Army veteran said. This time, he paid homage at the Badgam memorial, remembering soldiers like the late major Somnath Sharma of 4 Kumaon, the first recipient of the Param Vir Chakra whose company helped save Srinagar airfield in 1947-48.
The entire Pune-Umling La round trip took Roy three days, with one night at Hanle before the climb. An experienced rider, he made tactical route choices on the final approach to Umling La, picking the shorter but tougher offroad Naurgula route (with a backup vehicle) instead of the longer metal road via Fatula Top owing to dead patches with no communication.
Roy has to his credit several national and international recognitions including a Limca Book of Records entry (2011) as the oldest person on Khardung La; an India Book of Records title (2016) for a solo east-west ride; and a World Stage recognition (2017), not to mention he has also traversed Thailand’s Mae Hong Son loops, a stretch of 4,088 bends, on a rented Honda 300 cc Rebel.
Roy spoke about the challenges he has overcome. “I underwent angioplasty in 2001 and had five stents. I also live with osteoarthritis in both the knees. Before this trip, I had a cardiology checkup and my doctor asked me to send a video from Umling La to show other patients that even after angioplasty, one can still lead a normal life,” he shared. “Don’t give up because of age or medical history,” he urged.
Roy’s family – his wife, daughter and grandson, 12 – remain supportive. Memories of a 2011 ‘dream ride’ with his son were with him when he rode to Umling La. “I don’t know if I will be able to complete another dream of mine to go on a ride to Ladakh with my grandson…” he said.
Roy regrets that he could not go to Galwan to pay homage at the memorial as the roads had been washed away. “That is the only memorial left where I still wish to pay my respects. I have already visited the Rezang La memorial in 2010 and 2012,” he said.
Roy joined the Army in 1972 after the 1971 war. The 15th Battalion of the Kumaon Regiment had a long, storied history tracing back to Indore. Roy recounted that his battalion captured Gadara city in 1971 as part of the unit’s wartime record.
About today’s generation, he said, “They are patriotic only at certain times like during wars or on August 15 but later, they soon forget about the country.”
About his future plans, he said, “I have plans to return to Umling La to spend more time in Ladakh and hope to visit the border posts near Demchok where my battalion was deployed in the mid-1990s.”
