Dhruv Bogra’s story of Grit, Gravel and Gear; a cyclist’s odyssey around Americas, documenting native culture

Dhruv Bogra, an passionate cyclist chronicled his journey from the Arctic to the Andes in a book, ‘Grit, Gravel and Gear’. The book was launched on April 12, at the India Habitat Centre in New Delhi.

The book is an ode to the wondrous natural habitat on our planet, the indigenous people and the culture of the Americas and extraordinary experiences that enriched his life along the way.

The book follows him on his solo journey that place over the course of 400 days from June 2016 and July 2017.

The 387 page adventure travel epic, comprises of a collection of 22 stories and many poems detailing his solo expedition across the fascinating 15,000 km stretch of land - spread across 10 countries on his bicycle; fondly called ‘Quest.’

He decided to take a break from his career and follow his childhood dream to explore the indigenous culture of the Arctic, the Maya, Zapotec and Aztec in Mexico, Central America and the Inca in Peru.

During the launch of his first book Grit, Gravel and Gear, Dhruv Bogra said, “Writing this book has been one of the most fulfilling experiences of my life so far and there is nothing that makes me happier than seeing it come to life today. I am extremely grateful to all the fellow travelers I met on the way, friends and family  who supported my journey, and to Crossword publishers and Manish Purohit who displayed belief and faith in a book on adventure on a bicycle in lands far away from our country. I am grateful to the Universe and to all those who enriched my life and opened my mind and heart to enduring life lessons on this long and arduous journey. I hope this literary work will inspire others to embark on their pursuit of raw freedom and create their own stories of grit and determination”.

Talking about his journey across the Arctic to the Andes, he further commented, “This journey was a life changing experience.  It made me realize that the people and ecosystems of the planet are truly interwoven with invisible threads, that we must fiercely protect nature, wildlife and our indigenous cultures and people.  I was able to experience raw freedom, gain unusual wisdom, explore faraway lands and find true love”.

The author, Dhruv Bogra was born in 1968 in Shimla. His father was an officer in the Kumaon Regiment of the Indian Army, and he grew up amidst the structured life of the cantonment. The turning point in his childhood came when he was sent to Sherwood College in Nainital for a few years.

The boarding school life ignited Dhruv’s love for the mountains and nature. Subsequently he completed schooling from The Army Public School in Delhi and graduated with History Honors from the University of Delhi and is an alumnus of the International Management Institute, New Delhi.

The book was published by The Write Place, a division of Crossword Bookstores.

The earnings from the book will be donated to the Aditya Mehta Foundation, which aims on supporting people with disabilities who want to pursue sports. It wants to provide India’s vision to become a superpower in the world of para sports. The foundation scout out talent amongst the disabled population of India.