How Parthi Transformed From a Software Developer to a Trek Leader

Share this story

How Parthi Transformed From a Software Developer to a Trek Leader

Category Transformation Stories

By Sneha Yadav

2022-03-29

"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.

Parthi discovered that being outdoors made him happy

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.

Parthi chased his dream job with utmost dedication

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

Sneha Yadav

Trek Coordinator

About the author

Sneha Yadav is a part of the Content Team at Indiahikes. She manages the Social Media content. Previously, she worked as an Experience Coordinator and before that as a Green Trails Fellow on our Himalayan trails. She graduated from Delhi University with an Honours in Economics. She has a keen interest in theatre and has performed plays on various social themes. Sneha loves to trek, and believes trekking is a way to keep the mind and body fit.