Sunday Special: A Year After Recovering From Severe Frostbite She Suffered During Her Everest Summit, Vadodara Adventurer Nisha Kumari Cycled 18,888km Across Three Continents Through Extreme Temperatures On An Environmental Mission. Her Journey Ended At London Bridge This Week. Read on.
Winter’s numbing assault barely registers on Nisha Kumari’s scale of endurance. During her Everest summit in 2023, she suffered severe frostbite, which affected nine of her fingertips. After surgery and recovery, she embarked on an 18,888-kilometre cycling expedition through extreme temperatures across 16 countries, redefining human limits.
The 30-year-old mathematics graduate from Vadodara, who became the city’s first woman to summit Everest, began this transcontinental mission on June 23, 2024, from Sama Sports Complex, where 25 cyclists gathered to see her off. Her goal: plant 1,050 trees while spreading India’s environmental message —‘Change before climate change’— from Vadodara to London.
Nisha’s mentor, Nilesh Barot, a 46-year-old professional trip organiser, drove the support SUV loaded with 70kg of calculated supplies including food, clothes, tents and sleeping bags, for their 210-day journey. “Since we are both vegetarians and do not even consume eggs, we stacked up everything,” he explains. “We packed dry fruits, rice, dal for khichdi, protein-rich chana and mung, and Gujarati staples like thepla and bhakhri.”
Nisha came prepared with two bikes — one for roads, another for mountain terrain. She carried a 5kg bag containing essentials: dry fruits, chocolates, a walkie-talkie, GPS and water.
INDIA’S EMBRACE
The entire country rallied behind them. Cyclists from Anand escorted them to Ahmedabad, where more riders joined to accompany them to Mehsana. Another group cycled with them to Palanpur before they crossed Gujarat’s border.
In Rajasthan, they planted trees alongside the Hadi Rani Battalion, the state’s first all-women armed unit.
At Kanpur in Uttar Pradesh, volunteers involved in the Ganga cleaning initiative joined their tree-planting mission. Forest officials from Agra helped them plant saplings behind the Taj Mahal. At Basti, near Gorakhpur, 2,000 children pledged to protect the environment.
Gujarat Police’s unwavering support proved crucial. Thanks to recommendations from Vadodara police commissioner Narasimha Komar and Surat police commissioner Anupam Singh Gehlot, state police chief Vikas Sahay ensured police protection until Nepal’s border. This high-level backing secured them toll exemptions and interstate coordination.
NEPAL’S BRUTAL WELCOME
In Mugling, death lurked in the mountains. Two buses had plunged into a gorge, victims of a sudden landslide. As Nisha cycled past, rescue workers scrambled in the depths, searching for survivors. Her frostbite-scarred fingers gripped the handlebars tighter —the mountains were once again reminding her of their might. At Syabrubesi, near Kathmandu, nature struck again. Another landslide blocked their path. In the winding mountain passes, Nisha’s bicycle could squeeze through traffic-choked lanes, but Nilesh found himself trapped in the SUV, watching helplessly as his protege navigated alone. “All we could do was wait and watch till the traffic cleared,” she says.
CHINA’S EXTREMES
In China, bureaucracy struck first as unexpected local permits delayed the expedition by six weeks. The Indian ministry of external affairs intervened with necessary documentation. Then came the physical challenges: cycling through high-altitude regions without GPS.
“We crossed Tangula Mountain at 5,500 metres,” Nisha says. At Turpan City, she cycled 155 metres below sea level, becoming the first person to both summit Everest and cycle at such depths. The oxygen challenges mirrored each other at both extremes.
Amid the harsh terrain bloomed surprises — verdant grape farms in Turpan. “It was an astonishing sight,” Nisha says. However, with language becoming a barrier, a local English-speaking guide became essential. “China requires guides for road permits,” Nilesh explains. Their highest point came at Kongtanglam mountain, 5,236 metres above sea level.
CENTRAL ASIA’S VOID
Through Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan, mountains rose like giants against the windswept deserts. But one night would forever haunt them.
They had found what seemed a perfect camping spot, pitched their tent atop the SUV, and settled in with hot khichdi. Under starlight, they planned routes and shared stories.
Dawn brought an unsettling revelation — they were surrounded by memorial plaques, each shaped like a miniature Taj Mahal.
They had unknowingly camped in a vast Central Asian burial ground. “If we had known where we were sleeping, then we would not have closed our eyes all night,” Nilesh says. But it was the emptiness that truly tested them —stretches spanning 400 kilometres without the sight of another human face.
In zero-degree storms, Nisha huddled behind sparse roadside shrubs, her scarred fingertips making the experience more painful. “Thankfully, in Kazakhstan, we met a group of cyclists from the UK, Australia and other countries. They gave us a handlebar cover that greatly improved cycle grip comfort,” Nisha shares.
RUSSIA’S CHALLENGE
The treacherous black ice, a nearly invisible layer of frozen water, turned roads into mirrors in Russia. Nisha’s frostbite-scarred fingers, already battling sub-zero temperatures, now grappled with a bicycle that threatened to slide from under her at any moment. GPS failed in the vast stretches of isolation, leaving them to navigate by instinct through the bitter cold.
Yet, amid this frozen challenge, came moments of tender humanity. At the Eternal Flame, they watched soldiers honour World War II heroes, standing motionless for hours in the cold. “They didn’t blink even once,” Nilesh recalls, “as if they too were frozen, but by choice.”
EASTERN EUROPE SPRINGS SURPRISES
In Poland, snow buried the cycling paths. Local police initially refused to let Nisha ride on highways, but later relented to what Nilesh calls “Indian jugaad” (sweet persuasion). Then came an unexpected connection to their motherland: in a Polish school, they found themselves admiring a grand portrait of Jam Saheb Digvijaysinhji, the erstwhile ruler of Jamnagar, who had sheltered Polish refugees during World War II. There are five schools in Poland dedicated to him.
Latvia and Lithuania offered brief respite in the form of peaceful landscapes and eco-conscious communities. But the forested trails demanded every ounce of endurance from Nisha.
THE FINAL PUSH
The Netherlands lived up to its cycling paradise reputation, but fought Nisha with headwinds that tested her stamina.
The country features an extensive, interconnected cycling infrastructure spanning hundreds of kilometres through cities like Amsterdam, making it exceptionally bike-friendly and one of the safest places in the world for cyclists.
France embraced them like family. In Paris, they savoured their first Indian meal in months—dal and rice prepared by an Everest climber’s mother who learned the recipes from YouTube. The Indian flag they proudly unfurled at the Eiffel Tower felt heavier with meaning — it had crossed continents on a mission of environmental consciousness.
The English Channel ferry crossing gave Nisha a break from cycling. By Jan 20, when they reached London Bridge, they had visited 100 schools and universities, met numerous people from non-voluntary organisations, inspired countless environmental pledges and planted 1,050 trees across three continents.
At London’s Swaminarayan temple, while seeking final blessings, exhaustion caught up with them. “We carried India’s message of sustainability. Our mission was accomplished,” Nisha says.
Throughout the 210-day journey, Nisha had maintained her meditation routine and morning workouts, cycling up to 130km a day.
Their vegetarian diet proved so effective that they never needed medication — not even a paracetamol. “Staying vegetarian kept our gut health intact even through the harshest conditions,” says Nilesh.
“Thanks to my Everest experience, I could complete the expedition as planned,” Nisha says.
The duo is expected to return to India by the end of this month after completing all the formalities for shipping back the cycles and SUV.
Winter’s numbing assault barely registers on Nisha Kumari’s scale of endurance. During her Everest summit in 2023, she suffered severe frostbite, which affected nine of her fingertips. After surgery and recovery, she embarked on an 18,888-kilometre cycling expedition through extreme temperatures across 16 countries, redefining human limits.
The 30-year-old mathematics graduate from Vadodara, who became the city’s first woman to summit Everest, began this transcontinental mission on June 23, 2024, from Sama Sports Complex, where 25 cyclists gathered to see her off. Her goal: plant 1,050 trees while spreading India’s environmental message —‘Change before climate change’— from Vadodara to London.
Nisha’s mentor, Nilesh Barot, a 46-year-old professional trip organiser, drove the support SUV loaded with 70kg of calculated supplies including food, clothes, tents and sleeping bags, for their 210-day journey. “Since we are both vegetarians and do not even consume eggs, we stacked up everything,” he explains. “We packed dry fruits, rice, dal for khichdi, protein-rich chana and mung, and Gujarati staples like thepla and bhakhri.”
Nisha came prepared with two bikes — one for roads, another for mountain terrain. She carried a 5kg bag containing essentials: dry fruits, chocolates, a walkie-talkie, GPS and water.
INDIA’S EMBRACE
The entire country rallied behind them. Cyclists from Anand escorted them to Ahmedabad, where more riders joined to accompany them to Mehsana. Another group cycled with them to Palanpur before they crossed Gujarat’s border.
In Rajasthan, they planted trees alongside the Hadi Rani Battalion, the state’s first all-women armed unit.
At Kanpur in Uttar Pradesh, volunteers involved in the Ganga cleaning initiative joined their tree-planting mission. Forest officials from Agra helped them plant saplings behind the Taj Mahal. At Basti, near Gorakhpur, 2,000 children pledged to protect the environment.
Gujarat Police’s unwavering support proved crucial. Thanks to recommendations from Vadodara police commissioner Narasimha Komar and Surat police commissioner Anupam Singh Gehlot, state police chief Vikas Sahay ensured police protection until Nepal’s border. This high-level backing secured them toll exemptions and interstate coordination.
NEPAL’S BRUTAL WELCOME
In Mugling, death lurked in the mountains. Two buses had plunged into a gorge, victims of a sudden landslide. As Nisha cycled past, rescue workers scrambled in the depths, searching for survivors. Her frostbite-scarred fingers gripped the handlebars tighter —the mountains were once again reminding her of their might. At Syabrubesi, near Kathmandu, nature struck again. Another landslide blocked their path. In the winding mountain passes, Nisha’s bicycle could squeeze through traffic-choked lanes, but Nilesh found himself trapped in the SUV, watching helplessly as his protege navigated alone. “All we could do was wait and watch till the traffic cleared,” she says.
CHINA’S EXTREMES
In China, bureaucracy struck first as unexpected local permits delayed the expedition by six weeks. The Indian ministry of external affairs intervened with necessary documentation. Then came the physical challenges: cycling through high-altitude regions without GPS.
“We crossed Tangula Mountain at 5,500 metres,” Nisha says. At Turpan City, she cycled 155 metres below sea level, becoming the first person to both summit Everest and cycle at such depths. The oxygen challenges mirrored each other at both extremes.
Amid the harsh terrain bloomed surprises — verdant grape farms in Turpan. “It was an astonishing sight,” Nisha says. However, with language becoming a barrier, a local English-speaking guide became essential. “China requires guides for road permits,” Nilesh explains. Their highest point came at Kongtanglam mountain, 5,236 metres above sea level.
CENTRAL ASIA’S VOID
Through Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan, mountains rose like giants against the windswept deserts. But one night would forever haunt them.
They had found what seemed a perfect camping spot, pitched their tent atop the SUV, and settled in with hot khichdi. Under starlight, they planned routes and shared stories.
Dawn brought an unsettling revelation — they were surrounded by memorial plaques, each shaped like a miniature Taj Mahal.
They had unknowingly camped in a vast Central Asian burial ground. “If we had known where we were sleeping, then we would not have closed our eyes all night,” Nilesh says. But it was the emptiness that truly tested them —stretches spanning 400 kilometres without the sight of another human face.
In zero-degree storms, Nisha huddled behind sparse roadside shrubs, her scarred fingertips making the experience more painful. “Thankfully, in Kazakhstan, we met a group of cyclists from the UK, Australia and other countries. They gave us a handlebar cover that greatly improved cycle grip comfort,” Nisha shares.
RUSSIA’S CHALLENGE
The treacherous black ice, a nearly invisible layer of frozen water, turned roads into mirrors in Russia. Nisha’s frostbite-scarred fingers, already battling sub-zero temperatures, now grappled with a bicycle that threatened to slide from under her at any moment. GPS failed in the vast stretches of isolation, leaving them to navigate by instinct through the bitter cold.
Yet, amid this frozen challenge, came moments of tender humanity. At the Eternal Flame, they watched soldiers honour World War II heroes, standing motionless for hours in the cold. “They didn’t blink even once,” Nilesh recalls, “as if they too were frozen, but by choice.”
EASTERN EUROPE SPRINGS SURPRISES
In Poland, snow buried the cycling paths. Local police initially refused to let Nisha ride on highways, but later relented to what Nilesh calls “Indian jugaad” (sweet persuasion). Then came an unexpected connection to their motherland: in a Polish school, they found themselves admiring a grand portrait of Jam Saheb Digvijaysinhji, the erstwhile ruler of Jamnagar, who had sheltered Polish refugees during World War II. There are five schools in Poland dedicated to him.
Latvia and Lithuania offered brief respite in the form of peaceful landscapes and eco-conscious communities. But the forested trails demanded every ounce of endurance from Nisha.
THE FINAL PUSH
The Netherlands lived up to its cycling paradise reputation, but fought Nisha with headwinds that tested her stamina.
The country features an extensive, interconnected cycling infrastructure spanning hundreds of kilometres through cities like Amsterdam, making it exceptionally bike-friendly and one of the safest places in the world for cyclists.
France embraced them like family. In Paris, they savoured their first Indian meal in months—dal and rice prepared by an Everest climber’s mother who learned the recipes from YouTube. The Indian flag they proudly unfurled at the Eiffel Tower felt heavier with meaning — it had crossed continents on a mission of environmental consciousness.
The English Channel ferry crossing gave Nisha a break from cycling. By Jan 20, when they reached London Bridge, they had visited 100 schools and universities, met numerous people from non-voluntary organisations, inspired countless environmental pledges and planted 1,050 trees across three continents.
At London’s Swaminarayan temple, while seeking final blessings, exhaustion caught up with them. “We carried India’s message of sustainability. Our mission was accomplished,” Nisha says.
Throughout the 210-day journey, Nisha had maintained her meditation routine and morning workouts, cycling up to 130km a day.
Their vegetarian diet proved so effective that they never needed medication — not even a paracetamol. “Staying vegetarian kept our gut health intact even through the harshest conditions,” says Nilesh.
“Thanks to my Everest experience, I could complete the expedition as planned,” Nisha says.
The duo is expected to return to India by the end of this month after completing all the formalities for shipping back the cycles and SUV.