CHENNAI: A biker, travel enthusiast, and educationist — Arun Parthiban, the head of strategy at Vels Group of Institutions loves to hit the road and explore uncharted territories. While on his rides, he interacts with the locals and though their stories, makes options for his next trip. He lets the strangers draw chits, and embarks on another ride. His journey across thousands of miles has not only taken him across various twists and turns but has also rewarded him with a truckload of memories. Arun recently entered the Limca Book of Records for leading an expedition to Umling La, the highest motorable pass in the world, with a total of 106 riders, starting from south India.
From a young age, Arun felt a deep connection with the open road. It wasn’t until his final year in college that he acquired his own bike. This gift ignited a passion for weekend rides, and amid these adventures, life unfolded. Arun’s pursuit of a master’s degree took him to Singapore, briefly putting a pause on his passion. After a six-year hiatus, he came back to his roots. “Riding was a grieving process for me when my dad passed away in 2020. It was from then that I started going on rides that lasted a couple of days, marking a new chapter in my riding endeavour,” he says.
Effectively balancing his professional responsibilities with his passion for riding, Arun has over 2.5 lakh subscribers on YouTube.“I’ve honed my skills in team management; I have independent teams reporting to me in my professional space. In fact, having key individuals in your team can help you streamline your workload, and this has been true for me,” he says.
Discoveries on wheels
Much like Robert Frost’s poetic exploration of the road less-travelled, Arun treads in his footsteps, embarking on journeys to discover uniquely captivating places. “I often come across these hidden gems through conversations with locals. Networking with them has been an invaluable resource,” he shares. This along with his method of researching places and their distinctive features has led him to destinations often overlooked, such as his expedition to Phuktal Monastery nestled in the southeastern corner of Zanskar. “Those who seek adventure shouldn’t really have a destination in mind,” he adds.
Known for slashing the boundaries of bike riding in the country, Arun beams with pride when he talks about his recent expedition. “It was a very big project and wasn’t an easy task to take so many people to the highest motorable pass in the world. But I had four months to prepare, and I ensured that my riders had gotten enough training to gear up for the ride. I made them attend workshops for the same as well,” he says. Arun also had a team of doctors and mechanics to provide assistance in case of emergencies.
From reels to reality
As someone who has been drawn to creating travel videos, Arun questions riders and travel vloggers on the act of making videos solely for the purpose of generating content. Instead, he encourages the riders to embark on their journeys for the sheer joy and passion of riding, rather than artificially orchestrating and documenting every aspect of their rides. He also goes on to remind us that there are so many places that are waiting to be discovered, but not for the sake of destroying them or turning them into another tourist hub.
As the conversation concludes with CE, Arun is gearing up for his upcoming adventure into the uncharted, which, he humorously notes, will hinge on the “Kulikkifying of chits.” These chits, patiently waiting to be picked up by a stranger he might encounter at a tea stall or a passerby who captures his attention, would take his journey of riding into the unbridled world of mysteries awaiting to be unfolded.