Mountains. Outdoors. Odati Adventures.

While growing up in Mumbai, Morvankar was glued to books, fascinated with physics and the world of God particles and Hadron Colliders. But at 24 years, his first trek to Harishchandragad was quite unlike anything else that he had experienced until then.

“I had seen a film on Everest during my school days. As I walked the trail that morning, I thought to myself - can I climb it someday?” Morvankar recalls.

That opportunity first arrived when he dumped the office desk to start Odati Adventures in 1999. Morvankar wanted his offering to be outrageous, where his clients could get a real feel of the outdoors. While setting up shop amid established operators, his vision was to focus on quality rather than make instant gains.

Odati pioneered waterfall rappelling and canyoning, while also opening new hiking routes in the Sahyadri. They offered weekend cycling rides that led to longer excursions along the Konkan coast and soon in the Himalaya.

“Our sweetest period was between 2004-2008 when we were really pushing our limits,” he recalls.

The
challenges
come steep

It was when he started focussing on personal goals alongside Odati. Each climb doubled up as vital training for Everest. After expeditions to Kang Yatse II, Chamser Kangri, Mentok Kangri II and Elbrus, he trained his sights on Himlung Himal (7,126m) in the autumn of 2017.

But at 6,850 metres, Morvankar experienced discomfort in his feet and turned back. It was an agonising descent to base camp where he realised he was frostbitten. For the next three months, he would wake up to the unnerving sight of his distressed digits, hanging on to the thin line between hope and despair. By January, however, the doctor had little choice but to amputate six toes.

The internal battles were aplenty, yet most never saw it. Morvankar drew inspiration from all that he had.

“Recovering from frostbite is a long-drawn process and I had to be patient. When I went on my first run, just a week after the stitches came off, I knew I was ready for another challenge,” he says.

Morvankar started stealing time from his hectic schedule to focus on Everest. The office was brought closer to home to dedicate more time towards training and planning. He restructured the working model at Odati, dealing with select clientele instead of reaching out to the multitude.

“We wanted to be in a space where we understood people and they understood us. It clicked and the business picked up,” Morvankar says.

In 2019, he could finally make an attempt on Everest (8,848m). On the summit push at about 7,350 metres, Morvankar took a break. He sought clarity amid a rush of conflicting thoughts - on one hand, he was looking at an unforgettable birthday on the summit of Everest. But an inner voice told him something was gravely wrong. It took all his experience to make the bold decision to turn around.

“I had this unusual sensation in my leg and called off the expedition. Today when I look back, I know that decision to turn around saved my life,” he says.

The doctor diagnosed Morvankar’s condition as arterial thrombosis, which can often be life-threatening. An operation followed and though he made a quick recovery, Morvankar realised he had never been farther away from his Everest dream.