PROFILE of trekking, he replies, “It is not about any one particular trek. I liked it so I went again and then again. That’s how I fell in love with the mountains. Slowly, but surely.” But in between those treks, he did his basic and advanced rock climbing and mountaineering courses. Though he has a degree in law and management, he has always been in love with the mountains.
Peaks climbed: 33, First Ascents*: 21 Peak
All of 66 years, he is trekking more than ever, as much as seven months a year! He retired from his business in 2003, but then he does always come back to ‘Mumbai meri jaan’! He had injured himself on more than one occasion. In 1974, he dislocated
He made himself fit again and went for a 400 km trek in the Sikkim mountains after recovering from the injury
Patron’s Medal by the Royal Geographic Society The world renowned Royal Geographical Society bestowed the award to Harish Kapadia for his contributions to geographical discovery and mountaineering in the Himalayas’ in 2003. Harish Kapadia dedicated the medal to his son Lt. Nawang Kapadia, a Gorkha officer of the 4th battalion of the 3rd Gorkha Rifles of the Indian Army, who made the supreme sacrifice while defending Indian areas from terrorists in Kashmir.
Height (ft)
Jatropani 13,356 Ikulari 19,880 Bethartoli Himal South 20,0728 Shiti Dhar 17,355 Devtoli* 22,270 Kalabaland Dhura* 20,030 Koteshwar II* 18,668 Yada 13,500 Jalsu 14,101 Lagma* 18,900 Zumto* 19,029 Tserip* 19,620 Kawu* 19,390 Kalanag 20,955 Bandarpunch West* 20,020 Parilungbi 20,230 Runse* 20,260
his hip, scaling the Devtoli Peak in the Nanda Devi Sanctuary and had to spend two years walking on crutches. But that did not stop him from going back to the mountains. He says that it was his strong will to go back to the mountains that he made himself fit again and went for a 400 km trek in the Sikkim mountains after recovering from his injury. Out of the many treks he has undertaken, the one really close to his heart is Panchachuli, a group of five snow-capped Himalayan peaks lying at the end of the eastern Kumaon region, in which he was a joint leader in an Indo-British expedition. On the changes that he has experienced in the mountains over the years, he says, “The outlook is still the same and people are still helpful. Now roads have gone deep inside the mountains allowing people to trek over shorter durations. Ecologically, things have changed, but it has not yet degraded so much. Infrastructurally, there is much more. Porters are available easily. Guest houses are there all over.” Though he has fulfilled almost all his dream treks, he wants to explore remote Arunachal and go for some bagpipe
Peak
Height
Gyadung* 20,210 Geling* 20,013 Lama Kyent* 19,816 Labrang* 19,357 Nandi* 19,012 Laknis* 20,456 Chogam 20,505 Skyang 18,930 Panchali Chuli* 17,126 Draupadi* 17,224 Khamengar 18,898 Mangla* 19,029 Kunda* 17,192 Lungser Kangri* 21,870 Chhamser Kangri 21,726 Bhagat Peak* 18,536 – From 1966 to 2002
trips. He says that the Alpine Club of London has helped him a lot, right from providing him a scanner for his pictures to putting up the same on the internet and providing a separate section to him in their archives. He says that some of his pictures of the 1960’s of various glaciers have been picked up by several scientists to study glacial changes. He has published twelve books. His Trek the Sahyadris has now become a standard reference for all trekkers in the Western Ghats. His other books, Exploring the Hidden Himalaya (with Soli Mehta) and High Himalaya Unknown Valleys and Meeting The Mountains, cover his various trips to the Himalaya, while Spiti Adventures in the Trans-Himalaya, cover climbing and trekking in that region. He is the editor of the prestigious Himalayan Journal for the past 28 years, bringing the journal to international standards. For beginners to the world of trekking, he has some real advice. “Go slow. Enjoy. Read a lot of literature. For serious trekking, build your fitness and team up with trekking groups. One should not be bogged down by government apathy and permissions. If the mountains cannot stop you, who is the government to do so?” he quips.
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