Hindustan Times ST (Mumbai) - HT Navi Mumbai Live
College student begins 80-day walk to Mt Everest
THANE: Siddharth Ganai, 23-year-old Bhiwandi resident, has embarked on an 80-day journey to Mount Everest on foot from Raigad Fort recently. He has completed 11 days of his journey so far.
He was abandoned by his parents as a child and was brought up by NGOs and social workers. Ganai, pursuing science from the University of Mumbai, has dreamt of seeing Everest but did not have the finances for the same and thus embarked on the journey. He is surviving merely on one meal a day to save money and is studying online for at least an hour a day. He covers 30-35km a day and sleeps in a tent.
He is also carrying a lot of seasonal seeds with him and is scattering them along the way with the message of ‘one tree for change and humanity’.
Ganai said he always wanted to travel and explore the world and this is merely the beginning of his dream. “I explore the world through books, movies and newspapers, and always wished to travel the places I saw in those. I’d take up a job after completing my studies and earn money for travelling. Since the college classes are online, I thought this was the right time to travel.”
He said that he’s also a nature lover and active in environmental activities in his surroundings. “I did not want to use environmentally-unfriendly means of travel. Besides, I also do not have money for those. One option was to cycle till Everest. However, I’d have spent all my savings on it. So, I decided to use the money for the journey, instead. All my hostel friends helped me to get things like bags, shoes, warm clothes and several other things required for the journey.”
As the journey is low on budget, Ganai requests any hotelier or residents for one-time food at night. To sleep, he has a tent and needs merely an open space.
From Raigad, his route includes Nashik, Bhusawal, Madhya Pradesh, Bhopal, Uttar Pradesh, Sonauli and then to Nepal. Anyone wanting to help Ganai in his mission may contact him 84461 01977.