Nalin's Blog: Adventure – A Much Misunderstood Concept In India

 Nalin Khanduri, Founder GIO

I love the mountains and the outdoors. I’ve been going on wilderness trips for over 20 years now, and yet, I simply can’t get enough of it. This passion for adventure and the outdoors, the mountains and nature, propelled me to start Great Indian Outdoors (GIO), an adventure/outdoors company in 2000, which is now one of the leading ‘adventure tourism’ companies in India. My posts in this blog are mostly about how my life, my passion and my work are so closely connected.

A good example of how partial knowledge of something is more damaging than no knowledge is the much misunderstood concept of ‘Adventure’ in India. Basis few documentaries earlier on Doordarshan channel and more recently on Discovery and National Geographic channel and a few books extolling some great achievements of the human race, majority in India think of adventure as something which takes one to near death or confirmed death experiences. It is considered to be something meant for freaks and firangs. Lots also subscribe to the belief that one needs to be born as more than a man. Nothing can be farther from truth. Meet me once and you’ll know. Also contributing to this wrong notion is the very people who indulge in it, including me. I have found an uncanny habit in the Indian adventurers/travelers of big talk, exaggerating their experiences. Add to it good story telling skills of an average Indian, you have wrong information spreading like plague. In other parts of the globe you will find most people giving true and detailed account of their experiences, which is mostly documented and helps others, plan their own adventures

The statement, ‘I run an adventure company’ sounded really cool to me about 12 years ago when I started my company, but these days quite a few times I underplay my association with adventure. I say I run an Outdoor company or that I run a travel company because of the fear of being misunderstood and also for the fear of losing business. Many a school and parents get panic attacks the minute they hear of someone suggesting an ‘adventure program’ for their children; it’s a different matter you label the same program as ‘outdoor learning program’ they will lap it up. 

Due to insufficient information there is an enigma around adventure and people who indulge in it. I get tons of attention and interesting reactions when people get to know of my association with the ‘A’ thing. Some think I am a dare devil and some as being the ‘Different’ type. There are lots who thought of me as a nursery drop out and were quite amused to know am an engineer/MBA variety. Am sure quite a few also think of me as being frivolous and incapable of earning my livelihood without getting into something as drastic as adventure and also as someone whose been encouraged by his parents to intentionally to go near high mountains, deep gorges and fast rivers due to my inability to show excellence in any other regular field.

 

Like any other concept, adventure am sure has different meanings to different people. TO ME ADVENTURE IS ANYTHING OUT OF THE REGULAR. You don’t just jump off planes & bridges or check out shark teeth from close proximity or climb up to heights at which planes fly to taste adventure. As per my understanding, a trip to Bombay for a villager from the mountains is an adventure, for an American tourist roaming the lanes of ‘Purani Delhi’ is an adventure, for city bred children staying with villagers is an adventure. Nowhere is death hanging over one’s neck, maybe to an extent with the villager in Bombay!  As by me, a group of experienced mountaineers climbing a Himalayan peak and bunch of amateur city kids heading to the Sahyadris (beautiful mountain range in Maharashtra) represent the same spirit and zeal for adventure. I attribute this wrong notion about adventure to ACT vs SPIRIT and DOING vs FEELING phenomenon. Let me explain. I am fairly convinced that adventure for whatever reasons is wrongly perceived by majority in terms of doing an act; something very physical in nature and not as something you feel and enjoy. Adventure in reality does not necessarily need to be dangerous and difficult. It is about trying something new and enjoying the feeling and celebrating the spirit, which acts as the catalyst in making one try new things. Adventure connotes SPIRIT and not the act. One of the things in my list of ‘top 10 all time adventures’ has to be the salsa dance classes that I attended once. 

  

Adventure when it becomes a habit, is a beautiful way to Learn and Live. It creates excitement, which keeps your mind and body alive and young. One develops a great respect for discipline. It inculcates initiative and hones planning skills like nothing else. You learn to respect others, to be humble and to enjoy camaraderie. Most importantly it forces one to do a fair evaluation of one’s abilities at all times, which becomes a stepping stone for developing various skills. To put it briefly, it’s a beautiful way to ‘GROW’. In my case, I feel it has added a beautiful dimension to my personality. I have tried many new things, met lots of new people, learnt a lot from varied experiences, got to know myself better and most importantly had TONS OF FUN. Adventure according to me is a 3 lettered word, FUN. Just like any other fun thing you should know how and how much of it is good for you.

Rafting in the Himalayas

Nalin's Blog: The Trekking Bug

Nalin Khanduri, Founder GIO 

I love the mountains and the outdoors. I’ve been going on wilderness trips for over 20 years now, and yet, I simply can’t get enough of it. This passion for adventure and the outdoors, the mountains and nature, propelled me to start Great Indian Outdoors (GIO), an adventure/outdoors company in 2000, which is now one of the leading ‘adventure tourism’ companies in India. My posts in this blog are mostly about how my life, my passion and my work are so closely connected.

Why do I love to trek so much?

I asked this question to myself for the first time just a couple of days back. Considering that it’s my passion and I have been at it for years, I was shocked not to have a ready answer to this apparently simple question. I started out on the trails at an early age of 8 years and have been treading the wilderness for close to 32 years now. It was with my father and uncle that I took my first step into the `other side’. In these years I have burnt quite a bit of rubber, walking long distances into far off regions, creating experiences etched permanently into my memory.  From beginning itself I have felt very comfortable being with nature, never feeling like a tourist and never enjoying it like one. I would, from time to time, enter this world for a few days, spend time there and come back planning my next trip, needless to stay enjoying every second of it.  While my reasons are not so clear I can share from experience what makes many people head to the remote mountain again and again.

Mountains hide a lot from us, within their deep valleys and lofty heights. They hide enchanting landscapes, budding wildlife, interesting cultures & intriguing mysticism. Exploring these well nurtured secrets is addictive to say the least. Considering that Moon, Mars and the 2 Poles are not really next door, trekking offers a great solution to satisfy the explorer in one. Also mountains, like the people they shelter, change form and character every few hundred kilometers and this variety in landscapes and culture is what interests a lot of people. One summer you could be walking the high alpine meadows of Garhwal Himalayas enjoying goat cheese and ‘kacchi’ (local brew made from millet), while the next moment you could be walking on moonlike, stark and breathtaking terrain of Spiti Valley in Himachal, savoring Yak cheese and ‘chhang’ (rice beer made locally).

Mountains bring with them some amount of unpredictability and ruggedness which reflects in the people they shelter and their way of life. Living the simple yet adventurous mountain life gives a very different flavor. Food is just for nourishment, clothes just for protection, trail mates your family and your two legs mode of transportation. It can’t get any simpler. Learning to play the outdoors, without meddling too much with it gives a good kick to quite a few including me.

Unfortunately, I am not someone who can claim to be perpetually stressed because of work or a series of broken relationships, but can still say with a lot of conviction that contrary to the popular belief very few people trek to de-stress. Also, I have never met a single enthusiast who treks for fitness benefits. On the other hand there is a very big group of trekkers who have a spiritual connection with the mountains and this group is not limited to our own ‘sadhus’, but people from all over the planet. Then there is this big group of people who quench their thirst for adventure walking the wilderness. Mountains offer the best playground for adventure with features like forests, rivers, gorges, glaciers, snowfields & mountain summits and all this in a very dynamic environment, controlled by none. They offer one an opportunity to set a challenge for oneself, however big or small, and living up to these challenges can be a great source of joy, enticing one to keep coming back for more.

How one gets the bug, I am not too sure of; but what I know for sure is, once you get bitten, there’s no doing away with it. I am hooked to the outdoors for all the above-mentioned reasons and more; and believe that the mountains are still holding lots of pleasures for me which they will unfold slowly and slowly…

 

Nalin's Blog: Mountain Travel in Winters

Nalin Khanduri, Founder GIO

I love the mountains and the outdoors. I’ve been going on wilderness trips for over 20 years now, and yet, I simply can’t get enough of it. This passion for adventure and the outdoors, the mountains and nature, propelled me to start Great Indian Outdoors (GIO), an adventure/outdoors company in 2000, which is now one of the leading ‘adventure tourism’ companies in India. My posts in this blog are mostly about how my life, my passion and my work are so closely connected.

I have, for years now, been travelling into the mountains during winters and have developed a clear preference for this season over summers. I have asked myself several times, am I and a few more, the weird variety or is it really a good idea to be in the mountains during winters. After serious rounds of deliberation on what stops people from winter travel, I have reached the following conclusions:

• Poor Marketing. Mountain destinations have always been sold as great summer destinations by hotels travel companies & tourism bodies. Nothing wrong with this, only that majority of people have construed this to mean that they are great only during summers.

• Perception of harsh weather is a strong deterrent. It is true that nights can get cold but if one is inside a room and in possession of some warm clothing than surely the bones are not going to create music.

• Lack of facilities around this time. People assume that things are not fully functional in winters.

While the majority doesn’t visit because of the above-mentioned factors I find them to be my reason for my winter explorations!

Poor marketing results in lesser number of tourists. Nature works with less pressure on it and one can feel the difference and enjoy it. Air is fresh and crisp, has a great smell and offers joyful clarity. One gets to see distant mountains and valleys very clearly, something not possible in summer months. Another big draw is the winter sun. I love walking endlessly, basking in the winter sun. Contrary to the popular belief it’s very pleasant during most of the day and yes during evenings one has to stay indoors or sit beside a small fire with something stronger than ginger tea in your hands. Needless to say I go for the latter. Being an amateur photographer for about 25 years now, I find some solace in the fact that pictures come out really nice around this time. Unfortunately, its digital technology, clarity of air, sharp landscapes and not my skills which make this happen. I also save on travel insurance as I feel the probability of me being mowed down by a vehicle is very low. I find hotels are much cleaner and hotel owners more courteous in winters.

BUT what really draws me to the mountains in the winters is the fact that both the mountain and the people that inhabit it are also having a great time around this time, being least bothered about commerce and pleasing people and in the process radiating happiness. There is a very festive mood all around with major local festivals around this time. I have, in fact, seen in some remote villages which are completely isolated due to heavy snow, this is the time when every evening people are celebrating. Men, women and children gather together and sing late into the night with five feet of snow all around. I guess this is the time for the mountains and the mountain people to recharge their batteries for the summer onslaught!

So am I being a back-stabber by letting out the secret of the mountains? I don’t think so, just like only the true mountain lovers tread the mountains in winters, I am sure only a true mountain lover might read this piece and the secret will stay within the community.

A holiday specially tailored by GIO

Amitabh Saksena, guest blogger

Photo courtesy: Amitabh Saksena

My last new year was special, specially tailored by Great Indian Outdoors.  Starting from my pick up at the airport to the drop back at the airport 5 days later.

My friend and I have never managed a trip together and we promised each other that we shall not rejoice when we meet at the airport or when we check in or even after the plane takes off.

Had attempted the same trip earlier, but the plane had to come back ‘cause it could not land in Leh due to bad weather. So, with fingers crossed, we landed at the Jolly Grant airport, two jolly people smiling ear to ear, and got into GIO’s waiting car with such fervour rarely seen before!!

 

We reached the GIO camp at Jayalgarh and were warmly greeted by friends and families and a welcome drink. Ahem, we made it!!

Three beautiful days by the Bhagirathi were divine... sleeping off on the deck chairs... chilly winter breeze... bonfire in the night… to the most awesome fresh green veggies and great non-veg dishes I’ve had.

The days flew by very fast till it was time to head to GIO’s New Tehri Himalayan Eco Lodges & Camps. Saw the Tehri Dam and finally the cottage... with the most stunning views of the hills and snow-peaked mountains… brightly-lit New Tehri settlement… divine meals... friends and cold winter nights. All perfect to the T.

On the last day, mournfully or happily, not sure in which mood we were in, we turned homewards.

With plans to return and chill again in New Tehri and GIO's new camps, we headed back on a beautiful journey till Jolly Grant airport... pleased as punch. Jolly at Jolly Grant yet again, hoping against hope that the flights get cancelled so we could spend another day here… maybe at Shivpuri!

Sadly, the flight came in and we were whisked away to our respective homes!!

Thank you GIO!! 

Brahmaputra Rafting Expedition

16 Intrepid River runners joined us on an adventure of a lifetime... an expedition down the Brahmaputra river.

Braving wintery mornings and the cold water, 240 kms of sometimes silent, sometimes petulant white-water of the mighty Brahmaputra.

Our team emerged exhausted and exhilarated after 14 days in the glorious wilderness of Arunachal with many stories to tell.

You’ll just have to do with these pictures.

Auli in the winters, not just about skiing

Bhaskar Thyagarajan, guest blogger

While Auli in the winters tends to be about snow and skiing, there is another side I discovered which was such an amazing experience this time. The slow pace of the people, the idleness of everything. And, what was more fascinating was the number of birds of different kinds that I saw there: magpies, woodpeckers, babblers, thrushes and so on.

The apple orchards were without leaves, the turf and earth was covered in snow and very few people in the villages... so, there was little chance of seeds and grains that can be picked off. Yet the birds were in plenty: noisy, active and looking very busy. Here we were wearing several layers of clothes and the birds seemed just the way they were, showing how nature endows these creatures with what they need. All that is needed is limited interference from us.

The couple of walks that we did during our stay seemed to register in our minds much more than the trip to the ski slopes and thereon; and I am aching to go back to this place which is cold and quiet and bright and busy all at one time.