Navigating complex terrain, steep elevation changes, and volatile weather patterns might sound like something straight out of a Bond movie. But for these Indian mountaineers, it’s just another day at the office. Follow them on Instagram for some great sights and even greater doses of inspiration. By Eshita Srinivas
Mountaineering is right up there on the list of extreme sports. The mountains demand a certain set of intellectual, technical, and physical abilities from those that try to conquer them. A slight misstep or a sudden change in the weather might plummet one to an uncertain future. These multitudes of unforeseen circumstances and dangerous challenges that crop up along the way to the top have only inspired Indian mountaineers to push the boundaries of what seems possible.
While their achievements were earlier limited to just their loved ones and fellow mountaineers, alpinists have found greater recognition over the past few years. The success of the Netflix special 14 Peaks, which follows the journey of Nirmal Purja and the lengths he goes to summit 14 of the world’s 8000-meter peaks, is a testament to this fact. More and more people are closely following the journeys of mountaineers to remind themselves of what it means to conquer fear and be closer to nature. The Instagram handles of these Indian mountaineers don’t just chronicle their journeys but also motivate their followers to keep moving mountains, come what may.
8 Indian mountaineers you should follow on Instagram for some major motivation
1. Prerna Dangi
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A native of Uttarakhand, Prerna Dangi has experience in scaling almost everything, from high mountains to frozen waterfalls. One of her many accomplishments is scaling Denali (6,190 meters), the highest peak in North America, without a guide. Her mountaineering journey has taken her to explore vertical formations in Alaska, Russia, the UK, and Scotland, but she’s set her sights on conquering the Himalayas closer to home. She’s been actively working towards fostering a stronger climbing and mountaineering culture in the country, particularly amongst women, through the organisation Climb Like A Woman. The mountaineer regularly shares her experiences with different climbing spots in the country as well as the lessons she’s learned on her journey so far with her followers on Instagram.
2. Pranav Rawat
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An apple farmer and mountaineer, Pranav Rawat dropped out of engineering in 2012 to pursue his passion for climbing mountains. And he hasn’t looked back since. The mountaineer graduated from several prestigious mountaineering courses and is certified as a Himalayan Mountain Guide by the International Federation for Climbing and Mountaineering (UIAA). In 2016, he, along with fellow mountaineer Abhijeet Singh, scaled a frozen waterfall in the Spiti Valley. With years of mountaineering behind him, he continues to share his views on alpinism and the best ways to work with limited resources on his Instagram.
3. Abhijeet Singh
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A mountaineer, ice climber, fitness enthusiast, and photographer, Abhijeet Singh has several feathers in his cap. The adrenaline junkie quit his marketing job to pursue his passion for adventure sports in 2013 and has scaled Kang Yatse (6,200 meters), Stok Kangri (6,130 meters), CB13 (6,250 meters), Cathedral (6,100 meters), and Shetidhar (5,293 meters), among others since then. He also free-soloed on Deo Tibba (6,001 meters) while documenting his expeditions in a series of stunning images. In 2016, he ascended two frozen waterfalls in the Spiti valley along with Pranav Rawat. He documents his fitness journey on Instagram and shares images of his expeditions with mountaineers and climbers, who are pushing the boundaries of what seems possible.
4. Arjun Vajpai
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At 16, Arjun Vajpai climbed Mount Everest (8,849 meters) on his first attempt. Since then he’s scaled several mountains, including Lhotse (8,516 meters), Manaslu (8,163 meters), Makalu (8,463 meters), Cho Oyu (8,188 meters), and Kanchenjunga (8,586 meters), among others. He also made history in 2015 when he scaled an unexplored peak in the Spiti Valley and named it Kalam, in memory of the late President of India A.P.J. Abdul Kalam. On Instagram, he shares his love for mountaineering while counting down to his next expedition, which involves climbing Everest without the use of supplementary oxygen.
5. Priyanka Mohite
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A mountaineer, research associate, and trained Bharatanatyam dancer, Priyanka Mohite became the first Indian woman to have scaled Mount Annapurna (8,091 meters), the 10th highest mountain peak in the world, in 2021. She’s also conquered Everest (8,849 meters), Makalu (8,485 meters), Menthosa (6,443 meters), Lhotse (8,516 meters), and Kilimanjaro (5,895 meters). The mountaineer also received the Tenzing Norgay National Adventure Award in November of this year for her outstanding achievements in the field of mountaineering. She regularly shares snippets of her life on her Instagram account.
6. Keval Hiren Kakka
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Mumbai-based mountaineer Keval Hiren Kakka began his career by earning his certifications from the renowned Atal Bihari Vajpayee Institute of Mountaineering and Allied Sports in Manali. He later went on to summit several peaks, including Deo Tibba (5,932 meters), Lobuche East (6,019 meters), Stok Kangri (6049 meters), Manaslu (8,163 meters), and Everest (8,849 meters). He’s also led several Himalayan treks, including the Everest base camp, Hampta pass, Pataslu peak, and Beas Kund. He’s known to have scaled Lhotse, the fourth highest peak in the world, in just six days and is a recipient of the Tenzing Norgay National Adventure Award. He regularly shares his thoughts and aspirations with regard to the sport on Instagram with his followers.
7. Kunal Joisher
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An engineer, mountaineer, fitness coach, bodybuilder, and vegan Kunal Joisher is the first alpinist to summit Manaslu (8,163 meters) on a plant-based diet. He also conquered Lhotse (8,515 meters) on a vegan diet, wearing vegan gear, including a synthetic suit made from animal-free material and gloves devoid of down or leather. Scaling Everest (8,849 meters) is also on his list of accomplishments. On one of his expeditions to scale Everest, he survived the 2015 avalanche caused due to the Nepal earthquakes, which took the lives of 21 people and injured many others. He documents his fitness journey as well as his thoughts and views on mountaineering on Instagram.
8. Parth Upadhyaya
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A professional mountaineer and motivational speaker from Mumbai, Parth Upadhyaya has completed over 800 treks across the Western Ghats and the Himalayan mountain ranges. In 2019, he became the youngest person from Mumbai to climb Mount Everest (8,849 meters). He also attempted to climb Annapurna (8,091 meters) but had to turn around very close to the summit, a journey that he chronicled in his latest documentary titled My Successful Failure. He outlines his plans to return to Annapurna and conquer it on his Instagram and shares his thoughts on the challenges of mountaineering regularly with his followers.
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