Cycling to Mana Village with Shivangee Rana…

Meet Shivangee Rana from Dehradun who went cycling to Mana Village and Niti Valley from her hometown. She did this ride in Uttarakhand solo!

Mana Pass is an ancient trade route between the people of India and Tibet. The village at the bottom of the pass is also of religious importance as it is believed that the Pandavas passed through Mana Village on their journey to heaven. One look at the landscapes and heaven does seem close!

Shivangee first started cycling as recently in March last year and had previously done long rides to Nainital and Lansdowne from her hometown of Dehradun. Living in the mountains has always generated a love for climbing and she not just enjoys climbing on her bicycle, but is also a trained mountaineer from NIM, Uttarkashi. It is not just the climbing which is enjoyable, but getting down as well! And she has also done an intermediate skiing course from Manali.

Her love for adventure is manifold and she wants to explore it all. Starting with going to the famous Niti Valley and Mana Village. Two incredible places in Uttarakhand. And to top it off, she did the ride solo!

One of the reasons for going solo, was to break the barriers of gender. Where society preaches, that girls can’t do this or that. While gaining confidence in her own abilities by constantly depending on herself through the ride. Overcoming fear of being alone, is vital to living an adventurer’s life.

She of course did not go unprepared, as there is a fine line between being brave and foolish. Shivangee equipped herself with basic self-defence techniques and more importantly self-belief. As she says, “it’s your life and you have to live it in on your own terms.”

Along the way she passed through her native village of Malari, which she had never visited in her life. But she set about looking for her ancestral home in the village. With no information, other than the name of her grandfather, she searched Malari. It is always a joyous occasion to find your roots.

It wasn’t all smooth sailing, as the roads in the mountains were rougher than the mountains itself! Along sections of the route to Niti Valley, there wasn’t any water available either, nor any dhabas. All that Shivangee saw were army and B.R.O vehicles passing by. These stretches of road saw her absolutely alone in the world. With the constant risk of bumping into wild animals, that this land is well known for.

Overcoming many a challenge, Shivangee accomplished her goal of cycling to Mana solo and has in the process inspired others to be fearless.

As Shivangee says, “we all are equal when I can do it every one can do it!” She added, “Fear is a part of life and it should be present in you but don’t let your fear overwhelm you and always believe in yourself, stay positive and have the courage to live your dream”.

The route that Shivangee took while cycling to Mana Village:

Dehradun – Srinagar – Chamoli – Joshimath – Mana – Mana Pass (Rattakona 4200 m) – Malari – Niti Valley.

Total Distance 561 km
Total Elevation 25164 metre

You can follow Shivangee Rana’s journey on Instagram!

Also read this journey of cycling solo from Kerala and Flipbook of Landscapes by Sirus.