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I just fuel up, gather some basic essentials and leave whenever I want,” says Hyderabad-based Urmez Bhote, 31, a freelance artist and a systems hardware expert who travels whenever he chooses. "I try to go out at least once a month,” with each trip lasting between 25 to 30 days. No particular preparations are made for his bike trips to the northern mountain ranges of India, from Kashmir to Nepal and Bhutan.
"Seeing the night sky while you could spot the Milky Way, a clear water lake in the mountains for the first time, and the greenery of Kashmir,” are some of the experiences he recalls with fondness. Each trip naturally brings some vital life lessons with it. "It’s a process. I’m constantly learning. Each place brings something new. There have been some tough times as well. Not being able to breathe at high altitude” is an unforgettable experience.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"I’ve met different kinds of people. Some experiences have been the most humbling, especially with people from the mountains.” Asked to choose his favored destination, he prefers mountains over jungles and coastal areas because of the terrain and the views. The sun plays hide and seek behind snow clad peaks.
He does his research and knows which months of the year the mountain roads aren’t accessible. "I know which time of the year to visit, and when the weather is good,” he says, but does not take unnecessary risks. This is very important, given that he visits places where the road could sometimes disappear if the rains are heavy.
"I don’t use a camera or anything, just my phone,” he explains. Rather than the quality of the camera, it’s more about being in the right place at the right time. The photos depict lofty snow covered peaks, deep valleys, placid clear lakes and other alluring sights.
The roads are motorable on the whole but usually not accessible by four-wheelers since they are narrow. It is dangerous, yet thrilling to navigate these treacherous regions. A change of wind direction might signal incoming inclement weather.
What started off as cycle adventures then progressed to riding a borrowed, run-down Chetak (scooter), to a regular motorbike, to a KMT adventure model (an Austrian bike company that tied up with Bajaj Auto). He usually sets out from Hyderabad itself and rides through the country to his chosen destination. Bhote, who schooled at Hyderabad Public School and later studied production engineering at the Muffakham Jah College of Engineering and Technology, undertook his first trip at the age of 21. It was only after he finished studying did he decide to travel and document his trips with stunning photos.
Choosing to follow your dreams may worry one’s parents but Bhote says that after seeing him grow doing what he loves, his father Feroz and mother Geeta have encouraged him. "My parents did teach me a certain way of life in terms of my religious upbringing, and I still hold onto a lot of those values which tie in with understanding of humanism.
"I would like to ride from India to Europe, and eventually around the world” adding that both these are expensive endeavors, and he’s looking for funding and sponsors.