From Cubicle to Crags: The Journey Behind Himalayan High
Trekking and mountaineering weren’t hobbies for me — they were a lifeline. But growing up in a middle-class Indian family, my life was charted along a different path. I chased an engineering degree, corporate success, and a comfortable salary. Outwardly, I was “successful.” Inside, I felt empty.
My soul was still in the Himalayas — in the laughter of strangers I met on trails, in the silence of snow-capped peaks, in the rush of mountain rivers. A rock-climbing accident and a broken tibia finally forced me to listen to my heart. That accident turned out to be my greatest gift.
I chose freedom. I left the corporate grind and returned to the mountains that had raised me:
- Swimming in Himalayan rivers like I did as a child
- Exploring secret waterfalls and hidden caves
- Trekking solo and sleeping in caves under starlit skies
- Learning mountaineering and skiing to become stronger and safer
I wasn’t afraid. I knew the mountains would protect me, as they always had.
But I had to survive. So I simplified my life — letting go of expensive habits, unnecessary possessions, and urban distractions. For a while, I freelanced as a software developer. But the corporate world began creeping back in — and I refused to be trapped again.
Next, I joined a big trekking company - India's Largest and Oldest they claim to be, believing it would let me earn while staying close to the Himalayas. At first, it felt right. But behind the scenes, I saw:
- Mass trekking that scarred fragile landscapes
- Exploitation of local communities
- Setting up wrong examples for local people
- Profit prioritized over people and nature
- Lie, lie and lies everywhere
- No trust building
- No morals, not even for pack animals, if not for humans
- Only money money money
- Himalayas?? No where to be seen in the characters, but still working in the Himalayas
- I could tolerate no more when many horses died and no compensation were paid to the horsemen
- I could not tolerate when trekkers died, but owners found excuses
- I could not tolerate, when the valley was flooded, but no donations were made, or help being extended
I couldn’t be part of that.
Leading 18 treks and managing thousands of trekkers didn’t feel like success — it felt like betrayal of the very mountains I loved and respected so much.
My conscience was awaiting a major change. Here from inside, there was everything in the name of the Himalayas, but the Himalayas were not in it.
That’s why I founded Himalayan High Altitude Treks and Expeditions.
My mission was crystal clear:
- Help people experience the Himalayas with humility and wonder
- Protect nature through responsible trekking
- Support and empower local communities
- Trade conquest for connection
- Ethical ways of working in the mountains and the community
- Natural Acclimatization - Not Medicated and Scared Trekkers
- Boost Human Being's Natural Instinct of being Wild
- with the belief - if a journey to the Himalayas did not make you humble, you had never been there!
This wasn’t just starting a business. It was about building a life true to my heart — and helping others find the same magic in the mountains.
And that’s how Himalayan High was born.