Learning On Himalayan To Conquer Himalayas: Himalayan Spirit 2026 Pune Edition

Royal Enfield’s spiritual home might be the Himalayas but taking your Himalayan there hasn’t been everyone’s plate of maggi. Thankfully, the retro bikemaker has created the Himalayan Spirit event, that aims to get its owners ready to tackle the daunting journey.All the activities were divided into five stages that aim to improve your riding skills, team spirit, mechanical skills and navigational abilities.

After a small briefing about the obstacles that we would be encountering throughout the day, we were handed a map for the navigation stage. My partner for the day would be the Himalayan 450 in its Mana Black avatar. I chose to do the timed dirt course first, where Himalayan performed just how I was expecting it to be, really well. Even with a tall seat height, I was able to manage it quite well on tight turns and gravel filled surfaces. 

The navigation map that we were handed at the start of the day led us to a 40km long trail. In the beginning, it felt a little tricky, but eventually I learned how to read the map. That trail had all kinds of challenges – steep uphill and downhill sections, grass, gravel and a bit of slush. Riding across such terrains while reading the map felt truly adventurous. Completing the navigation stage brought a strong sense of achievement, along with unlocking a new skill: map reading. 

There was an obstacle course that included challenges such as hill climb, rocks, tyres and balance beam. Completing these obstacles was necessary because they helped polish our riding skills. There was also a Tractor Tow activity where you had to pretend that your friend's bike had broken down and you had to tow it using your own bike. This activity shows how good of a team player you are and whether you can help fellow riders in such situations.

 These activities help evolve a riders mindset and prepare them for complicated and adventurous situations, making it easier to tackle them. Hence, if I ever get the chance to head to the Himalayan Odyssey, I know that I am going to be better equipped now than ever before.