3 Wheels, 7,900 Km: Bengaluru Man Drives Auto-Rickshaw To Ladakh In 24 Days

A Bengaluru man drove his auto-rickshaw 7,900 km from Vidhana Soudha to Ladakh and back in 24 days. Balakrishna Mohan crossed high-altitude passes including Khardung La and Umling La during his solo adventure.

Imagine spotting a regular Bengaluru auto-rickshaw, the kind commonly seen navigating the city's busy roads, parked near the breathtaking Pangong Lake in Ladakh. That unusual sight recently caught the attention of locals and tourists when 35-year-old Balakrishna Mohan from Bengaluru drove his auto-rickshaw solo from Vidhana Soudha to Ladakh and back, covering an incredible 7,900 km in just 24 days.

Balakrishna, who was born in Mysuru and grew up in Bengaluru, began his journey on his birthday, August 1, and returned to Bengaluru on August 24. His yellow-board commercial auto, usually seen ferrying passengers through Bengaluru's traffic, became a rare sight at the high altitudes of the Himalayas.

Why Can’t A Karnataka Auto Reach Ladakh?

Balakrishna said the idea for the journey came after he saw people from Kerala and even foreign travellers making their way to Ladakh in different types of vehicles.

That made him wonder: "Why can't someone from Karnataka go there in an auto?"

The thought soon turned into a plan. Balakrishna converted his regular yellow-board commercial auto into a white-board private vehicle to make it suitable for the long-distance journey. He also took a loan to fund the trip and packed essential supplies, including food and equipment for vlogging.

450 Km A Day, With The Himalayas Ahead

During the initial days of the journey, Balakrishna covered around 450 km a day. He travelled from Bengaluru to Kurnool and then through Nirmal and Sagar before continuing towards North India.

Although rain and floods caused some delays, he managed to cover 492 km between Delhi and Amritsar in a single day. He then travelled another 465 km to reach Srinagar.

The most challenging part of the journey began after Srinagar. Several people warned him that reaching Ladakh in an auto-rickshaw would be extremely difficult, but Balakrishna remained determined and continued towards the mountains.

An Auto Ride All The Way To Umling La

Balakrishna crossed several high-altitude mountain passes, including Zoji La, Khardung La, Chang La and Fotu La, before eventually reaching Umling La.

For a stretch of around 3,500 km, he had no access to service centres for his auto. Despite the challenge, he continued the journey, relying on his CNG-powered auto-rickshaw.

One of the most memorable moments came at Pangong Lake, where locals gathered around the vehicle, fascinated by the unusual sight. For some of them, it was reportedly the first time they had seen an auto-rickshaw.

A ₹1.8 Lakh Adventure, Next Stop Kanyakumari!

The entire journey cost Balakrishna around ₹1.8 lakh, including the vehicle conversion, fuel, insurance, food, accommodation and equipment.

After completing the Ladakh adventure, he is now considering converting the auto back for commercial use. However, he is already planning his next journey, with Kanyakumari on his list as his next destination.