Adventurer Par Excellence

YOUR ADVENTURE

Dare to dream and don’t be afraid of going out and achieving it….

My name is Anand Swaroop. With 20 mountaineering expeditions in India and abroad, that include mighty Mt Everest and Mt Cho Oyu, I have been so fortunate to live my cherished mountaineering dreams.

Each expedition and adventure activity had been memorable. And it led to the initiation and execution of even more challenging expeditions. If I have to choose one amongst many, then I think I will rate ski expedition to South Pole being the most memorable.

Mountain routine had become familiar since I had been at it for several years already. But ski expedition was new to experience. And more so to South Pole with new challenges each day to endure. Pushing my limits to the extremes of continent Antarctica. Yet it thrilled me thoroughly.

Adventurers take failed expeditions of legends as a challenge. And its our way of honoring the ones who endeavored but did not make it. This is what I did alongwith my team, taking the same route that Captain Robert Falcon of Great Britain took in year 1912, but never returned.

Skiing 1170 km in 50 days from Hercules Inlet in Antarctica to the South Pole was a mammoth challenge, though  excitement reigned high. Our expedition commenced with eight men in snowsuits. With man-haul sledges, each one carrying load of items needed for next 50 days, in freezing temperature of Antarctica. Started daily at 9 in the morning and halted at 7 in the evening, though it was hard to sleep in sunlit nights of Antarctica as sun never sets in summer for six months.

Though we had the best equipment and training but unpredictable weather of continent Antarctica made it so hard to pull sledges. Skiing to South Pole, I must say, was unparalleled.

I am proud of my all expeditions. I just want to continue attempting even tougher expeditions and put India on International map in the field of adventure.

Start of my journey into adventure…

I did not realize what is adventure till I formally got into mountaineering after joining Army. However, even during my college days, I used to do long distance cycling and gliding, but it used to be fun activity as the definition of adventure was not yet known to me. 

 After doing Basic Mountaineering Course in 1985, I liked the thrill of getting into unknown and enjoyed the uncertainties. I think that was the start of my journey into adventure and it subsequently became extreme with tougher expeditions and extreme activities, whose opportunities came my way by sheer luck.

I keep on exploring new challenging activities. I recently learned to fly micro light aircraft. I enjoy skydiving and scuba diving as well.

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