Disko Valley Bike Park - Ladakh, India
While road cycling is common in India, mountain biking (MTB) is slowly catching up, gaining pace steadily in the adventure sports community of India. Ladakh is famous for its rugged terrain and downhill trails making mountain biking a huge possibility. Famous riders like Andy Wittmann, Guido Tschugg and Kelly McGarry have already treaded some of these trails. However, there's a lack of a dedicated park where riders especially beginners can hone their skills. This is where three local MTB enthusiasts took it upon themselves to make an MTB park in the city.
While road cycling is common in India, mountain biking (MTB) is slowly catching up, gaining pace steadily in the adventure sports community of India. Ladakh is famous for its rugged terrain and downhill trails making mountain biking a huge possibility. Famous riders like Andy Wittmann, Guido Tschugg and Kelly McGarry have already treaded some of these trails. However, there's a lack of a dedicated park where riders especially beginners can hone their skills. This is where three local MTB enthusiasts took it upon themselves to make an MTB park in the city.
These three boys: Skaldan, Jamphel and Gyatso who run a small MTB tour company acquired the land from a local monastery. And then using their own money, physical labour and sheer hard work, converted the area into a skills-based mountain biking park. What once used to be an isolated dump yard filled with shattered glass, where locals would party at night, (hence the name 'Disko Valley'), is now a huge area spanning acres consisting of different downhill trails and features (including wooden ramps, pump tracks, step up and step down jumps, berm track etc.)
The boys are constantly expanding the park and adding new features. Often spending days at the park doing physical labour and spending nights in their tents. They also organise a yearly mountain biking festival that invites riders from all over India to participate in competitions and test the new features added to the park. It is a great addition to a growing adventure-based tourism economy in Ladakh and, most importantly, a platform to recognise upcoming riders. The park's primary goal is to foster a riding culture and community among the local youth, truly making it an initiative by and for the people of Ladakh. Together with their MTB tour company and this park, they offer travellers an exciting alternative to traditional activities in Ladakh, such as trekking and rafting.
The boys are constantly expanding the park and adding new features. Often spending days at the park doing physical labour and spending nights in their tents. They also organise a yearly mountain biking festival that invites riders from all over India to participate in competitions and test the new features added to the park. It is a great addition to a growing adventure-based tourism economy in Ladakh and, most importantly, a platform to recognise upcoming riders. The park's primary goal is to foster a riding culture and community among the local youth, truly making it an initiative by and for the people of Ladakh. Together with their MTB tour company and this park, they offer travellers an exciting alternative to traditional activities in Ladakh, such as trekking and rafting.
Screengrabs from a short documentary film I plan to make from some footage & interviews I took during my visits to the park.
This project was a personal endeavour of mine, where I captured a photo story surrounding the
festival and the participation of kids and seasoned professionals at the bike park.
festival and the participation of kids and seasoned professionals at the bike park.
