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[email protected]comfort food from home including a trail mix
of dried fruits and nuts, nutrition bars made
from dates and nuts, and a few local snacks.
Recalling his Everest climb, Kuntal says that he
ate pretty much everything from poha, upma,
puri bhaji, and parathas to vegan Tibetan bread,
pancakes, dal-rice, vegan pasta, burgers, and
his favourite dish, pav bhaji. “Our awesome
cooks, Ngima Tamang and Anup Rai, even baked
us a vegan cake! So, I don’t think I’ve missed out
on anything.”
Mountaineer’s mantras
Kuntal quit working nine to five about six years
ago but continues to work from home. He
devotes a major part of his time to training and
truly enjoying life. Sharing the five mantras that
he lives by every day, he says, “I am usually
up by 4 am and catch a train to the Sahyadri
mountains as I prefer to train outdoors
surrounded by nature.” Kuntal prefers this
to working out in a gym, enclosed within four
walls. “I believe that food is fuel and so make it
a point to eat clean and avoid preserved food,”
he says. “Drink at least two litres of water a day
if you lead a sedentary lifestyle; more, if you are
active.” Kuntal believes in sleeping well and says
that elite athletes sleep for 12 to 14 hours a
day to recover from tough training. He advises
to get at least seven hours of sleep and not to
compromise on this as it helps one live a longer
and better life. Lastly, Kuntal highlights that
it’s important to keep stress at bay. “Exercise
produces endorphins that act as natural
painkillers and also improve the ability to sleep,
which, in turn, reduces stress.”
Apart from mountaineering, Kuntal enjoys
photography. “One of the biggest reasons
I photograph is to share the beauty of our
world and inspire people to go experience it
for themselves. My hope is that once people
experience nature, mountains, and the
wilderness, and understand how important
they are to our survival—both physical and
spiritual—they will automatically become
conscious of the everyday choices they make
and try to conserve our beautiful planet.”
Kuntal has scaled peaks like Mt Lobuche, East
(6119m), Mt Chulu, Far East (6050m), Mt Elbrus,
Russia (5621m), Mt Chamser Kangri, Ladakh
(6600m) and Mt Friendship peak, Himachal
(5050m). He has trekked the Everest base camp
10 times; has crossed Bali Pass and made
several rock-climbing trips in the Sahyadris.
Kuntal hopes to climb a big mountain in 2018,
focus on mentoring budding mountaineers and
leading mountaineering expeditions. “I consider
the Himalayas as my mentor, friend, well-
wisher, and someone I can always count on,” he
says. John Muir said, “Going to the mountains is
like going home,” and nothing sums up Kuntal’s
life, better. “When I am in the Himalayas, I am
home!”Kuntal’s vegan oats smoothie- Oats
- Chia/subja seeds
- Almonds/walnuts
- 3-4 dates
- 1-2 bananas
- Greens like mint/spinach
Let all these ingredients soak for
about 20 to 30 minutes. Add ice to
the mixture and blend it to get a
thick smoothie. Kuntal substitutes
bananas with different fruits to make
his smoothies as adventurous as
his mountain climbing. He uses figs,
strawberries, or grapes.
74 LifePositive | FEBRUARY 2018^