How Parthi Transformed From a Software Developer to a Trek Leader

"I used to work at Accenture in Bangalore as a Software Developer. Things were pretty easy-going during my job. However, there was always a feeling of slight emptiness within. I couldn’t figure out why.

After one year, I met a biker, with whom I started going on bike rides in the Western Ghats. That was my first true exposure to being outdoors.

I realised that experiencing the outdoors made me feel a lot happier.

Later on, there came a point in my life when I couldn’t focus on my work anymore. I took a hard call and decided to resign from my job.

Since I didn’t have any plan post my resignation, I decided to research more about the world of the outdoors.

My research led me to the Indiahikes website. That’s where I got to know the kind of path-breaking work they were doing outdoors.

But I realised that I would have to sharpen my skills before applying at Indiahikes. So I signed up for a Basic Mountaineering Course. I had to wait 14 months for my batch date to arrive!

Meanwhile, I decided to take up a job at Decathlon, Thane so that I could be closer to Sahyadris and trek there.

They were some of the best months of my life. I would trek alone every weekend. 14 months vanished just like that.

It was time for my BMC.

The course went well but then I got to know that to learn a few more advanced skills, I would need to do an Advanced Mountaineering Course.

I had already waited for 14 months. I didn’t want to wait any longer. So I requested the Director to allow me to join the batch starting within 3 days.

With a lot of coaxing, he agreed! I did my AMC immediately after.

The whole experience was so overwhelming for me! I finally felt content from within. The empty feeling within me somehow went away.

All the while, I constantly kept an eye on Indiahikes. After my AMC, I finally applied to work as a Trek Leader and got invited for a 4-day interview in Dehradun.

I didn’t get selected for the role. It was absolutely disheartening.

I was told to work on my skills a bit more and then apply again in three months.

That’s what I did. I wanted to work on my skills and come back stronger.

In this period, I got an opportunity from the Indian Mountaineering Foundation to summit the Bhagirathi III peak. It somehow felt like I was meant to get rejected so that I could take up this opportunity!

The 3 months made me even more eager to become a part of Indiahikes. I spent my time understanding more about the organisation and the values it stands for.

So I re-applied to work at Indiahikes and got selected on the second attempt. It was one of the happiest days of my life!

Being a Trek Leader has changed my perspective. I have become a lot more humble and patient than before. I was already into fitness. But seeing it as a core value at Indiahikes made fitness an even more integral part of my life. It blended right in.

So many years ago, taking a deviation in my career put me through a lot of challenges. But when I look back, it all feels worth it now. Trek Leading is the most rewarding journey of my life."

- Parthi, Senior Trek Leader at Indiahikes