#14: There are female trek leaders?!?

A conversation with India Hikes Outdoor Leader Pallavi Pervela

In December 2020, I went on my first trek to the Himalayas, summiting the mountain of Kedarkantha. I’ve written about it in more detail here.

On that physically demanding trek, and in that harsh snow-clad landscape, I caught sight of Pallavi Pervela leading her trek group. Pallavi was the trek leader for the group that sumitted the mountain before us, and when our groups crossed each other, my mind expanded a little as I realised that women could be trek leaders too. 

Although I’m an enthusiastic hiker, I was totally unfamiliar with the domain of organised trekking, but I knew it was a very physically demanding sport. And I also knew that the people in charge of treks were incredibly fit. For instance, the guides who we travelled with routinely climbed to the Kedarkantha summit and back in a day, a trek that was spread out over four days for us. With the average man being stronger and fitter than the average woman, I thought that surely this is an occupation that is dominated by men. 

And so I was pleasantly surprised to learn that almost half of India Hikes’ (the organisation I trekked with) trek leaders are female. So I took the opportunity to chat with Pallavi about her job, how she discovered it, life at India Hikes, what the challenges are, and her life journey in general. 

The clarity she has as a 25 year old was quite refreshing, as was the desire to do work that fits a bigger picture. It’s a conversation you’ll love if you’re into the outdoors, and if you’re a young man or woman looking to become a trek leader, this chat will show you the way. 

This is part of a new series I’m calling #ILearnedALot. It’s conversations with people I find interesting, and people I think I can learn a lot from. And I’d love to share them with you along the way!

Hope you like it!