In August of 2010, torrential monsoons, worse than have been seen in 25 or more years, hit Ladakh, India and caused massive flash floods. The damage and destruction of homes rendered thousands homeless before a harsh approaching winter and killed at least 190 people.
We are holding a bike trip in honor of the community in Ladakh. We will ride from Manali (8,000 ft) to Leh (10,500 ft), about a 10 day bike trip, to raise as much money as possible for the rebuilding of homes for this community. We are hoping to have 8-10 cyclists on the ride, and if each of us can pledge 2,000 USD, we would raise enough money to build 4-5 homes. Our adventure will operate just like a charity marathon- individuals will sponsor each of our cyclists, pledging as much money as he or she wishes to donate, and all proceeds will go to benefit LEDeG (Ladakh Ecological Development Group), an organization native to Ladakh, working to rebuild the community. Part of LEDeG's mission is to use local and sustainable materials for the rebuilding and to make sure that the homes are culturally relevant. They pledge to build only permanent structures with these values in mind.
(more info on LEDeG here: LEDeG )
Our trek will be a challenging and beautiful ride through the Himalayas. We will spend two days acclimating to the 8,000 ft elevation in Manali before beginning the ride, and will be camping each night until arrival in Leh. A support van will be with us every step of the way, carrying food, plenty of water, first aid kits and personal items of the cyclists. We will ride over several passes, one as high as 17,586 ft before arriving in Leh, and once we get there, there are plenty of building projects we can work on with community members, if the cyclists' schedules permit.
If you are interested in riding, or in sponsoring the rebuild, please contact me via this link to facebook:
Bike to Build on Facebook!
or email me here: Contact me about Bike to Build! in the Himalayas
This is a charity photography exhibition featuring beautiful photos of Ladakh. Each print can be purchased for $40, the money benefitting the community in Leh. The photos can be found here, order by messaging them the print number you want!: Ladakh Charity Photos
