Beyond work

Testing my limits, one summit at a time

The cockpit taught me composure. Motorcycles, mountains, the shooting range and the sketchbook keep it sharp.

19,024 ftUmling La, solo ride
3Everest passes, Nepal
42.2 kmfull marathon
9state shooting medals
6continents

The ride

Bengaluru to Umling La, solo

In August 2024 I rode a motorcycle alone from Bengaluru to Umling La in Ladakh. At 19,024 ft it is the highest motorable road in the world. The trip meant days of solitude, thin air and endurance, and I learned a lot about myself.

19,024 ftUmling La, Ladakh
Solofrom Bengaluru
Aug 2024the ride

Mountains

Everest's Three Passes and Buran Ghati

In October and November 2019 I trekked the Everest Three Passes circuit in Nepal, then kept going solo for seven more days. The year before, I spent a week climbing to over 15,000 ft on Himachal's Buran Ghati trek: snowfields, meadows, a rappel off the pass, and weather that changed by the hour.

Everest Three Passes trek, Nepal, November 2019
Everest Three Passes trek, Nepal, November 2019
The climb towards Buran Ghati (15,000+ ft), Himachal Pradesh
The climb towards Buran Ghati (15,000+ ft), Himachal Pradesh
Snowfields on the Buran Ghati trek, June 2018
Snowfields on the Buran Ghati trek, June 2018
Meadows below the pass, Buran Ghati
Meadows below the pass, Buran Ghati
A four-legged trail companion, Buran Ghati
A four-legged trail companion, Buran Ghati
Camp under the clouds, Buran Ghati
Camp under the clouds, Buran Ghati

Endurance

Swim, ride, run

The TriThonnur sprint triathlon in 2018, a full 42.2 km marathon in Bengaluru, and the TCS World 10K, where I both ran and volunteered.

TriThonnur 2018: the swim
TriThonnur 2018: the swim
TriThonnur 2018: the ride
TriThonnur 2018: the ride
TriThonnur 2018: the run
TriThonnur 2018: the run
Sprint triathlon finisher, TriThonnur 2018
Sprint triathlon finisher, TriThonnur 2018
Running in Bengaluru
Running in Bengaluru

The range

State medals, and coaching India's Paralympians

I compete in 10 m, 25 m and 50 m pistol. At the Karnataka State Shooting Championship I won one gold, two silver and two bronze medals in 2017, and one silver and three bronze in 2018. In November 2017 I was team manager and coach of India's Paralympic shooting team at the World Cup in Bangkok.

Karnataka State Shooting Championship 2017: one gold, two silver, two bronze
Karnataka State Shooting Championship 2017: one gold, two silver, two bronze
On the podium, Karnataka State Shooting Championship
On the podium, Karnataka State Shooting Championship

Wild

The Masai Mara

Lions at a kill, a cheetah on the move, elephants warning us off, and flamingos at Lake Elementaita, all filmed on safari in Kenya.

1:47

Masai Mara: the lion king's feast

Kenya · 2023

0:37

Masai Mara: a cheetah on the move

Kenya · 2023

2:00

Masai Mara: an elephant herd's warning

Kenya · 2023

0:47

Masai Mara: giraffes

Kenya · 2023

1:00

Flamingos and pelicans, Lake Elementaita

Kenya · 2023

Adrenaline

White water, rock and rope

Level 4 rafting and snorkelling in Costa Rica, bouldering, rappelling face-down off a rock in Kanakapura forest, and off-road driving.

White-water rafting, Costa Rica
White-water rafting, Costa Rica
Bouldering
Bouldering
Snorkelling, Costa Rica, 2010
Snorkelling, Costa Rica, 2010
Off-road driving
Off-road driving
Bouldering
Bouldering
1:04

Rappelling face-down, Kanakapura forest

Adventure · 2017

Art & making

The sketchbook and the workbench

Pencil sketching is my meditation: wildlife, temples, portraits and zentangles. Aeromodelling keeps the pilot in me alive, with static and remote-controlled models built by hand.

Tiger: pencil
Tiger: pencil
Mysore Palace: colour pencil
Mysore Palace: colour pencil
Bird and nest: pencil
Bird and nest: pencil
Elephant-face study: pencil
Elephant-face study: pencil
Zentangle: ink
Zentangle: ink
Horse and rider: colour pencil
Horse and rider: colour pencil
Goddess: ink line
Goddess: ink line
Ballet: pencil
Ballet: pencil
Durga: colour pencil
Durga: colour pencil
My aero models, static and remote-controlled
My aero models, static and remote-controlled
2:20

My drawings and sketches

Art · 2017

The world

30+ countries, six continents

Work and wanderlust have taken me to 200+ cities, from Silicon Valley boardrooms to Himalayan base camps. Every culture has taught me something.

30+ countries and counting
30+ countries and counting

Planning an adventure or a talk on resilience?

I'm always glad to share routes, lessons and stories from the trail.