The Highest Pass (2012)

Adam Schomer has been studying with his teacher Anand Mehrotra for 3 years, learning the wisdom and experience of his mentor, expanding his knowledge on the yogi spirit, while seeking his own true path. Anand, though steeped in teachings from the wisest of gurus, has chosen to live his Yogic path teaching, riding motorcycles, carrying an iPhone, and embracing the modern world he has been born into.

When Anand asks Adam to join him on a motorcycle journey to Ladakh, through the mountains of India and over the highest motorable roads in the world, he is forced to ask himself: Is truly living worth dying for? With life and death as central themes in the yogic tradition, Adam has no choice but to accept the challenge.

To complicate matters, Anand was told at the age of twelve by his guru, that he would die in an accident, sometime in his twenties. He is now 27 and fearlessly rides his Royal Enfield motorcycle with the enigmatic smile of a playful child. For him, death brings life. To teach this philosophy to his students is his grand desire; but this will add another level of pressure to such a dangerous expedition.

Adam learns to ride a motorcycle just two weeks before the trip, and even the more experienced riders will be surprised by the pure chaos and treachery of the Indian roads. Yet, Anand guides them with the inspiring teachings and wisdom of a modern and reckless yogi.

Anand leads 7 riders from the jungles of Rishikesh, the birthplace of yoga, into the snow capped peaks of the Himalayas. With a broad range of skills and personalities, the team navigates the difficult terrain, pursuing the highest passes of India and those within themselves. Temperatures go from 100 degrees to freezing. The motorcycles navigate dirt, gravel, snow and ice and the onslaught of loaded trucks, known as road killers, as they climb 18,000 foot peaks. Focus is paramount, because death is everywhere. Yet, where there is death, there is life... or at least that is what they say.

Along the way, there are accidents, trips to the ER, flat tires and varying levels of altitude sickness; but the riders stick together. Thanks to the wisdom of Anand, the power of nature, and the pure spirituality of India, what Adam and the riders learn about themselves is significant, much more important than achieving their riding goal. Their inner transformation will have a lasting effect on them as people and ultimately help them as they continue with their own personal journeys.