Motorcycle Diaries: Scaling new heights at 57!

UDUPI : Age is just a number for this passionate biker. At 57, Vilma Crasto Carvalho, a freelance corporate trainer from Bengaluru, rode to the Siachen Glacier Base Camp, considered one of the toughest rides, this Independence Day. Her passion for Himalayan motorcycle rides began in 2021. Though she was injured after a fall in her first attempt to Ladakh, Vilma did not give up. In 2022, she rode to Khardung La, the second-highest motorable road in the world. This was special for her as she did it with her daughter Cherish. The mother-daughter duo conquered Umling La Pass in 2023 along with a team from Kerala. Since then, Vilma had been chasing the dream of making it to the Siachen Glacier Base Camp. She flew from Bengaluru to Leh early this month and joined six other riders. Our plan was to reach the base camp on Independence Day. We took a road that helped us explore some little-known terrains of Ladakh, Vilma told TNSE. After crossing Zanskar and Gurkhon valleys, we reached Titar, one of the last villages near the India-Pakistan border. From there, we rode to Padum in Zanskar Valley via Kargil. The toughest ride to Siachen starts here. This route demands physical endurance and mental toughness, she said. While crossing a stream 60km from the base camp, she fell and suffered minor injuries. For a moment, I thought I wouldnt make it to the base camp. But we resumed our journey after attending to my injuries, she said. The team reached the base camp at noon and celebrated Independence Day as well as their success. We covered around 1,300 km in eight days as we could ride for only 150km for nine hours a day because of the harsh terrain. Low levels of oxygen affected not only us, but also our bikes, she said. Vilma (second from left) with other riders at the Siachen Glacier Base Camp Ace spiker! Apart from her passion for biking, Vilma was also a state-level volleyball player during her college days. As a freelance corporate trainer now, she guides engineering, CA and MBA graduates in Bengaluru. Vilma, who grew up in Kundapur, learnt how to ride bikes from her elder brother, who owned a Yezdi motorcycle, in the late 1980s. The turning point came for her in 2015 when her son, who turned 18, asked for a motorcycle as a birthday gift. I agreed reluctantly and took him to a showroom. As he had no driving licence, I took the motorcycle for a test ride. After buying the bike, my passion only grew stronger, she said. Vilma set her sights on Himalayan bike expeditions when she was in her late 40s after reading an article about the success of a Bollywood actress in adventure biking. She encourages women, especially those in their 50s, to dream big and realise it.