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With its lush valleys and steep terrains, Northeast India not only boasts of breath-taking panoramas but also offers a great landscape for a wide variety of adventure sports. The Sikkim government, making use of this opportunity, organised the world’s highest biking competition for the first time in their region—the EPIC 17000. This June, it is back with its second edition.
The EPIC 17K—a mountain bike race spanning a distance of almost 330 kilometres, is going to be held from 26-29 June 2018 in Sikkim. Organised by the North District Administration in collaboration with Mountain Goats Adventure Company and Hub outdoors, this year the competition is open to participants from all across the country as well as neighbouring regions of Nepal and Bhutan. The riders will be biking at an elevation of 17800 feet as they fight for a handsome cash prize of Rs 2,50,000.
The theme for this year’s race is ‘Beti Bachao Beti Padhao’ and ‘Secure Himalayas’, with a special focus on youth empowerment and entrepreneurship by luring the youngsters into the industry.
The EPIC 17K will be a four-day event with its starting point being Mangan and the final destination being the Gurudongmar Lake, with multiple stops along the way such as Lachung, Yumesamdong, and Thangu. According to the report in Northeast Today, “the Indian Army will be providing medical support and other logistic support for the race.” The rescue operation team would be led by Kazi Sherpa, a well-known ‘Everester’ from Sikkim.
Having been recognised in the Redbull events previously, EPIC 17K is an active step on behalf of the government to place Sikkim on the global map of adventure tourism. This gritty race will serve as an opportunity to showcase the unique bio-diversity and the scenic beauty of the state as well as provide an adrenaline rush for viewers and daring participants alike.
Click here to read the full report by Northeast Today.
Feature image courtesy of DM North Sikkim via Facebook.
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