New Delhi, October 1: A 15-year-old visually impaired girl completed 500-km journey from Manali in Himachal Pradesh to the Khardung La mountain pass in Jammu and Kashmir on a tandem along with her father. Manasvi Baheti journey comes in the wake of an initiative, India’s first blind-and-sighted tandem expedition organised by Adventure Beyond Barriers Foundation (ABBF).

Manasvi and her father Kailash were one of the 10 pairs who rode a tandem from Manali to Leh to Khardung La in less than two weeks. The youngest participant, Manasvi, told Times of India that it was a mesmerising experience for her to experience the slight snowfall.

Explaining the challenges faced during the journey, Manasvi reportedly said that for her reaching Khardung La was the best. “We had to get up early, undergo medical checkups, and stay in tents. The first day was challenging with the uphill climb. We crossed six passes. I believe the saying, ‘Mountains make you babies’ as all the adults were crying after completing the expedition,” she was quoted as saying.

ABBF aims to encourage people, with disabilities and also those without it, to take part in adventure sports together. It was founded in 2014. Divyanshu Ganatra, ABBF founder told TOI that the purpose of this expedition is to connect, build empathy and remove the awkwardness people associated with disability.
Source: http://www.india.com/news/india/15-year-old-visually-impaired-girl-completes-journey-from-manali-to-khardung-la-on-a-tandem-2507596/