The Sikkim government on Friday flagged off a three-day mountain biking expedition along the Old Silk Route from Gangtok to promote adventure tourism in the Himalayan state.

The government had recently reopened tourist destinations in Mangan district after they had been shut down for a year following the glacial lake outburst flood in
October 2023.

Tshering Thendup Bhutia, the minister of tourism and civil aviation, and the commerce and industries department, flagged off the expedition.

“The expedition will encourage adventure sports lovers and cyclists to enjoy some of the breathtaking scenic landscape while travelling through the historical Silk Route. We aim to promote Sikkim for its tourism activities. Sikkim has emerged as a peaceful and organic state,” said the minister.

“Cycling is also beneficial for physical fitness and good health,” he added.

The event, sources said, has been organised in association with the Indian Himalayan Centre for Adventure and Eco-Tourism (IHCAE) and the Cycling Association
of Sikkim.

Sources said a group of 40 cyclists from different parts of India was participating in the 212km-long rally. On Friday, they reached Nathang, covering a distance of 75km.

On Saturday, the cyclists will head for Rorathang and pedal a stretch of 71km. They will move through the final phase of the trip — a distance of 66km — to reach Gangtok from Rorathang.

Prakash Chettri, the secretary of the tourism and civil aviation department, said: “The expedition will be exciting for the participants who will traverse the mesmerising landscape along the Old Silk Route.”