The air thins as the road climbs. Engines hum against mountain silence. Wrapped in riding gear, five women stand at over 14,000 feet, smiling into the cold wind at Nathula Pass.
Among them is a 76-year-old woman who has just completed one of India’s toughest high-altitude rides.
For this group of women bikers from Bengaluru, the journey was never about proving a point. It was about showing up, riding on, and trusting their bodies and minds to take them where they chose to go.
Taking on a road few attempt
High-altitude routes are often seen as unforgiving terrain, demanding peak physical endurance and years of riding experience. For women riders, the doubts tend to arrive even earlier.
Challenging these assumptions, five women bikers from Bengaluru decided to ride all the way to Nathula Pass, a demanding mountain route near the India–China border that tests even seasoned motorcyclists.
Video credits: Instagram/@crf_women_on_wheels
‘It’s history in motion’
The bikers were part of CRF Women on Wheels, an all-women riding collective founded in 2016 by Fais N. Over the years, the group has trained more than 1,000 women riders across multiple states, working to break long-held ideas about who belongs on the road.
The Nathula Pass expedition reflected that mission in action.
Alongside experienced riders like Swapna Kaniti, Anitha Karshyap, and Sesha Nagesh were Seema Warrier and her 76-year-old mother. With silver hair visible beneath her helmet and a calm focus through the ride, the elderly participant became a powerful presence within the group.
Together, the riders completed the ascent to Nathula Pass, located at over 14,000 feet above sea level. At the top, celebration replaced fatigue as the women hugged one another and posed with the national flag.
The group travelled through Sikkim, Nepal, and Bhutan before reaching Nathula Pass. (Photograph: Instagram/@crf_women_on_wheels)
A journey that tested body and mind
The road from Bengaluru to the high passes of Ladakh was anything but easy. Starting from Bengaluru, the group travelled through Sikkim, Nepal, and Bhutan before making the final ascent, navigating steep gradients and oxygen-thin air.
At such altitudes, reduced oxygen can cause headaches, breathlessness, dizziness, and fatigue. Riders often depend on supplemental oxygen to manage altitude sickness, making each stretch of road a test of endurance and mental focus.
In the video documenting their journey, however, the riders appeared energised and cheerful. They thanked the Border Roads Organisation for the smooth roads, with one rider saying, “We are so happy to be here. Yesterday it was an easy ride thanks to the super roads. BROs are awesome.”
The caption captured the spirit of the journey: “From the streets of Bangalore to the heights of the China Border Nathula Pass, this journey is more than just miles covered… it’s history in motion.”
Collectives like CRF Women on Wheels continue to open doors for more women to explore motorcycling on their own terms. Riding together builds confidence, sharpens skills, and creates a shared sense of possibility.
For these five women, the climb to Nathula Pass stands as a reminder that adventure often begins with a decision to ride on, no matter how high the road rises.
