Indore's 53-Year-Old Kuldeep Singh Panwar Rides To Umling La Pass— World's Highest Motorable Road, Earns Guinness World Record

Indore (Madhya Pradesh): Fifty-three-year-old national athlete and experienced motorcyclist Kuldeep Singh Panwar from Indore has achieved a remarkable milestone by successfully riding his Royal Enfield Himalayan to Umling La Pass (19,024 feet) in Ladakh, the world's highest motorable road, located in the rugged Himalayan ranges.

In recognition of this extraordinary feat, he has earned a Guinness World Record for riding a motorcycle on the world's highest motorable road and has been awarded an official certificate.

The challenging expedition was undertaken between July 3 and July 17, 2026. During the journey, Panwar covered more than 2,000 kilometres, starting from Indore. His route passed through Jammu, Srinagar, Sonmarg, Zoji La Pass, Kargil, the Kargil War Memorial (1999), Leh, Nubra Valley, Khardung La (approximately 18,380 feet), Pangong Lake, the Rezang La War Memorial (1962), Hanle, Umling La, Sarchu, the Atal Tunnel, Manali, Delhi, and finally back to Indore.

Throughout the expedition, Panwar faced extremely demanding geographical and weather conditions. At several locations, temperatures dropped to minus 5 degrees Celsius, while low oxygen levels, rugged off-road terrain, snow-covered roads, rainfall, and rapidly changing weather made the journey exceptionally challenging. At Umling La, due to the extremely thin air and low oxygen levels, it is generally considered difficult for an average person to remain there for more than 10 minutes.

Panwar said that completing such an expedition requires not only courage but also excellent physical fitness, mental resilience, discipline, and extensive preparation.

According to him, accomplishing this feat at the age of 53 sends a strong message that age is never a barrier to success when goals are clear and determination is unwavering.

He dedicated this achievement to inspiring the youth of the country, especially Generation Z, emphasising that true success lies in setting ambitious goals and overcoming difficult challenges with perseverance and commitment.