Over a call with Karan Malhotra, we can tell he’s far out from the bustle of a big city. His voice struggles to cut through the network interference, occasionally cracking and fading out. Understandably so — the rocky roads of Jispa, a remote village in Himachal Pradesh, aren’t made for leisurely conversations over the phone. “We’re making a rest stop here before we hop on our bikes and ride to Leh,” explains Malhotra, who will set up one of the highest-altitude adventure events in the country at Stok in Leh, next weekend.

Bikers make their way to the festival site in Stok, Leh