The Hiking Episode | Episode 35 | Everything is Everything

We are monkeys -- and yet, we don't spend enough time in nature. We should go hiking more!
Welcome to Episode 35 of Everything is Everything, a weekly podcast hosted by Amit Varma and Ajay Shah.
In this episode, Ajay talks about his lifelong love for hiking, which emerges naturally from his love for nature. He tells hiking stories, and gives us all tips on how to get into hiking -- and how the hiking mindset can help us live better lives.
If you like watching Everything is Everything, please like, subscribe, share, comment. :)
TABLE OF CONTENTS:
00:00 Packaging
00:13 Introduction: Cast with a Cast
00:32 Chapter 1: Ajay Falls in Love With Hiking
20:25 Chapter 2: The Why of Hiking
34:01 Chapter 3: The How of Hiking
40:51 Chapter 4: The Dos and Don’t of Hiking
1:01:25 Chapter 5: Ajay’s Recco
1:10:23 Chapter 6: How has Ajay Changed?
USEFUL RESOURCES:
1. Amit on Twitter: / amitvarma
2. Ajay on Twitter: / ajay_shah
3. The Seen and the Unseen -- Amit's audio podcast: seenunseen.in/
(Also on all podcast apps. And KZbin, though less than 1% of listens come from here: www.youtube.com/@TheSeenAndTh...)
4. Ajay's organisation, XKDR Forum, on KZbin: / @xkdr
5. In Service of the Republic -- Vijay Kelkar and Ajay Shah: amzn.eu/d/hwGILb3
6. The Art of Clear Writing -- Amit's writing course: indiauncut.com/clear-writing/
7. For Whom the Bell Tolls -- Ernest Hemingway: amzn.eu/d/4FfaNEl
8. Biophilia -- Edward O Wilson: amzn.eu/d/ecOMqoz
9. Prem Throws Your Heart to the Ground -- Amit Varma: indiauncut.substack.com/p/pre...
10. Into Thin Air -- Jon Krakauer: amzn.eu/d/gtwP8CW
11. Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance -- Robert M Pirsig: amzn.eu/d/aMCmSUf
12. Pedestrianism -- Matthew Algeo: amzn.eu/d/4olDMRe
13. How I Reversed My Type 2 Diabetes -- Episode 9 of Everything is Everything: • How I Reversed My Type...
14. Traffic -- Tom Vanderbilt: amzn.eu/d/efgk3X1
15. Man-eaters of Kumaon -- Jim Corbett: amzn.eu/d/hCRwOGO
16. The Man-eating Leopard of Rudraprayag -- Jim Corbett: amzn.eu/d/9LiTz1y
17. Jungle Lore -- Jim Corbett: amzn.eu/d/cHL2u5m
18. Into the Wild -- Jon Krakauer: amzn.eu/d/3oj3khM
19. Heaven’s Gaits -- Adam Gopnik: www.newyorker.com/magazine/20...
Buy your gear at Decathlon: www.decathlon.in/
The best hiking resource for India: indiahikes.com/
Some selected hikes:
Gorakhgad: indiahikes.com/documented-tre...
Kothaligad: indiahikes.com/documented-tre...
Harishchandragad: indiahikes.com/documented-tre...
Ratandad: indiahikes.com/documented-tre...
Goechala: indiahikes.com/blog/goechala-...
Some recommended gear:
Lifestraw: lifestraw.com/
Katadyn: www.katadyngroup.com/us/en/80...
Recommended service providers:
Odati: www.odati.com/
White Magic Adventure Travel: www.whitemagicadventure.com/
Produced by Amit Varma
Shot by Vaishnav Vyas and Nomsita MS Haritashya: / vaishnav.vyas
Edited by Nomsita MS Haritashya: / nomsitaharitashya
Thanks to Gaurav Chintamani for helping with sound: / gaurav_chintamani
Chapter images & additional illustrations by Simahina: / i_am_simahina

[@whitemagicadventuretravel4477]

Thanks a lot for recommending us on the podcast! We look forward to hosting all those looking to hike in the Himalayas whether you are just starting out or looking to climb a technical peak :)

[@anshul_eie]

It is the fate of every great idea. To start out as movement and then become a business and then become a racket. 🤯🤯🤯

[@pranavlucian]

Never clicked on a notification so fast

[@anirudhacharya4844]

Regarding Chapter 2, I have also enjoyed trekking since my high school days. My answer to "Why hiking?" - 1. Trekking can be a kind of meditation. You unplug yourself from the hustle and bustle of the city and spend time with nature. Of course these days there are popular trekking trails which are usually crowded, so one might have to pick their trails and destinations more carefully. 2. Sometimes our daily routines can be a sort of a rut in our lives. Going on a trek breaks this routine and places us in a situation and surrounding that is very diffeent from what we are accustomed to. I have gone to a few Himalayan treks, and I always enjoy talking and knowing the local guides and people from those remote villages. Their lives and experiences are usually very starkly different from our own lives that it becomes very refreshing to hear them. 3. Great way to stay healthy and regularly check your fitness, stamina and strngth levels.

[@malatishah5395]

Another excellent book on walking/hiking /adventures is Wade Davis's Into the Silence. Wonderful combination of climbing grit, history, botany, world war, England's attempt at a last hurrah.

[@trojanhorseme1]

I can hear the lyrics of Bruce Springsteen in everything that Ajay says like 'I just kept going' from the Hungry Heart

[@ballstoeveryone]

Hi Amit, I am not on twitter so I am thanking you here for the wonderful episode with Iraji. I wish that episode never end. Thank you so much for the poignant conversation.

[@Akshay3402]

I love this outdoor setup. The podcast looks so alive :)

[@nerdlearner0403]

Get well soon ajay

[@vinaysuchedeutube]

I have done a bit of day hiking which were basically botanical excursions during my graduation. Also did a day hike to Matheran and a couple of them in the US national parks. I have loved it and kinda miss it. I wish you guys could plan "A day hike with Ajay Shah". Maybe a small Q&A at the top of the hike/hill under a banyan tree (lol). I think you would sell enough tickets to make it worth your while and maybe help cover some of the cost of this show. PS: Mark me down for it if its around Mumbai area.

[@muralineel]

Brings back memories of my trek >30 years ago to the Pindari Kafni glaciers.

[@umeshk]

I have done Goechala viewpoint 1 and 2 and I know exactly what he meant. Toughest and one of the best days I have experienced.

[@shishir12789]

This was the only episode till date that I could run in the background and understand. All your other episodes need my full focus and my subconscious mind doesn't have enough raw compute to comprehend it successfully. Despite being less demanding, it was still a great episode. I also urge you to check out this story about a maybe 60 year old shepherd from Aus/NZ who beat professional ultramarathoners in his first ultramarathon. His strategy was similar to the one Amit described in his story about walking, he simply did not sleep and continued running at a slow pace. Apparently he was used to not sleeping for a few days while shepherding his livestock.

[@jagatra]

Thank you for reminding me of Jim Corbett’s books. My father used to read shikar stories to me when I was a kid so this was a jolt of intense nostalgia. Might I also suggest “The Temple Tiger” which is beautifully illustrated as well. The story of the Panar man-eater is particularly intense.

[@tanayapandit2771]

IndiaHikes❤ they are the best

[@ritz1119]

Charming episode! It has already made its way to one of my favourites. Best wishes for Ajay's full recovery. Also I'm here providing public support for Amit's endearing Dad jokes; I appreciate them even if Ajay's stoic countenance doesn't give away much - carry on!

[@prafullbotre9847]

KZbin Recommendation: The Ratangad to Harishchandragad Range Trek video on a channel called Raanvata. It's wonderfully shot and brilliantly made. Though it is in Marathi, it does have CC.

[@kaberibhattacharya6354]

I'd love to see you both talk in the Seen and Unseen style, where we get to peek into your childhoods and other life influences. As always, enjoyed this episode very much.

[@mohakmathur]

Speedy recovery, Ajay! So relate with a lot that was said in this episode as it similarly applies to my passion of long-distance running...I just run because I want to run! Amit - the pedestrianism example you gave reminded me of a really nice docu called 'Valley Uprising' which has some great stories on some great characters who shaped the cult and tradition of rock climbing in the Yosemite National park.

[@markusknight]

If I were a drinker, I’d have made a game out of taking a shot every time Amit makes a PJ. 😅

[@tanayapandit2771]

Lovely episodes. Thanks for this!

[@FahadHasin]

Lovely episode!

[@Agastya26]

My favourite episode so far!!

[@oflavia2910]

75ltr backpack.. 😊Even for country hopping travel experiences.

[@Rohwit]

Will noone talk about the absolute Badass look Ajay sir has somehow got? ‘You know how I got this case? You don’t want to know’.

[@prakharsingh4815]

Keep this on

[@Rohwit]

Started now. My God that background! Ajay Get well soon sir. Who is this fellow with you?

[@pallavisingh6682]

What a beautiful setting! And the topic of the day is just ❤...ok, getting back to listening :)

[@pallavisingh6682]

By god ki kasam! Everytime Ajay talked about the 'young' my dil did a little dance 😊

[@poornimabisineer7436]

Take care Ajay, even I had a sprain again while hiking in Agumbe...I was also in a similar cast..

[@anshul_eie]

I had been waiting since last 45 minutes refreshing the screen waiting for the new episode. Friday: 10 - 11 am I'm not available to the world. TGIF 😃🍵

[@vishvendrasingh5780]

I actually watch it Chapter by Chapter, to savor it for a longer time

[@anshul_eie]

@@vishvendrasingh5780 Agree. Relish every minute of it. A framework to squeeze out the maximum pleasure from EIE. - Replay everytime Ajay says something deeply profound - Replay everytime Amit drops his PJ bombs. - Pause every 15 mins, walk around the desk for the wisdom to settle down.

[@oflavia2910]

John krakow excellent books.. Enjoyed the episode. life lessons.

[@shrutidutta3036]

Hello, love your podcasts and the insights that come with each of them. Can you do a podcast based on the recently prominent trend of many rich 'elite' individuals trying to be more relatable by emulating 'middle class' tendencies *ahem* Sara Ali Khan *ahem* and the larger social premise behind the need for them to do so ?

[@jvbenjamin]

I was ok till 18:35... Then Amit mentioned "drinking"... The the discussion is so interesting - I think I'll have a rum-paani while enjoying the conversation!!! Thanks for another great episode.

[@bhikhta]

I LOVE YOU GUYS ❤

[@amhejaz89]

This entire podcast is worth for the row joke Amit makes.

[@amitvarma]

I'm tearing up at the realisation that my genius has finally been appreciated!

[@Rohwit]

@@amitvarmameans you are ro-ing?

[@sanjaysajeev]

14 Peaks: Nothing Is Impossible Fearless Nepali mountaineer Nimsdai Purja embarks on a seemingly impossible quest to summit all 14 of the world's 8,000-meter peaks in 6 months 6 days. might be of interest

[@kavisidhant]

How to get the benefits of hike when someone has a nasal allergy that doesnt go well with nature?

[@ayushpatnaik]

I have asthma and nasal allergy. In hindsight, my first hike seems so foolhardy! Venturing into the wilderness for 10 days, having never been away from a city. To prepare for the journey, I acquired a compact, battery-powered nebulizer, and made sure Ajay was trained to operate it. Fortunately, it remained unused throughout the trip. Over the years, I have figured out specific triggers, such as black mould. Medication also has also improved, I take Symbicort for asthma and Allerga Nasal Spray for allergies. The only instance I had asthma on a hike was when we were sleeping in a cave in Ratangarh. We left our tents and slept on a rock outside, in just out sleeping bags. We were rewarded by a breathtaking morning vista :)

[@kavisidhant]

Thanks a lot for your reply! That is a really great perspective on it.

[@kazimustaqeem]

Why does Amit call us gentle readers when we are gentle viewers of his videos?

[@Rohwit]

You sir are not a dedicated reader. Else you wouldn’t have asked.

[@sauarbhkamboj]

@kazimustaqeem, episode 11 has a cue on this.

[@ud1976]

Sadly I doubt that the people who litter, play music and yell at the travel service providers are listening to this podcast. If they are reading, can you please refrain from doing those things anywhere?

[@ud1976]

Haha, Amit said exactly this a moment later.

[@ajayshah5705]

I can even understand a high SLA with a conventional high end travel service provider. On a hike, there are many things that no service provider can do, which I have seen pax demand.