Stories with Venky
No Guts.
No Glory.
Expeditions & Treks
Personal journeys. Organised adventures.
2026 - Personal Calendar
✔ Feb 22 — Half Marathon (Completed)
✔ Feb 28 — 100km Strength Walk (Completed)
✖ Mar 21 — Full Marathon (Cancelled)
➜ May 29 — Everest Marathon
➜ Jun 21 — Deo Tibba
➜ Jul 18 — Qatar Country Run
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Everest 3 Pass Circuit
5,364m · 14 Days · Selected Group
A serious high-altitude trek to the foot of the world’s highest mountain.
Not for beginners.
Manaslu Circuit
5,106m · 14 Days · Selected Group
Demanding and extraordinary. One of the least crowded treks in Nepal.
Not for beginners.
Daughter of Snow, Sons of Shadow
Snow Leopard Expedition · January / February 2027
Clean Water for 500 Children
Water project at Bright English Medium School in Loliondo, Tanzania. Phase 1 completed. Phase 2 discussions in progress — resuming November 2026.
Phase - 1 Status ➜ Completed ✓
From the Kit Room
Handcrafted objects from India & Mountaineering/Trekking gear/apparel from the field.
- Edelrid
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WHAT HAS BEEN DONE
Every Summit. Every Kilometre.
A record of what has actually happened - no curation, no marketing.
⛰ ALTITUDE
8,163m
Manaslu Summit
Summit – 28 September 2021 at 5:20am. Stepped into the Death Zone without supplemental oxygen.
2021 · Nepal
🚴 CYCLING
8,103km
Limits & Beyond - Phase 1
Solo circumnavigation of India along the border and coastline. 78 days in motion. 12 May to 3 August 2023.
2023 · India
🚴 CYCLING
4,225km
Limits & Beyond NE India - Phase 2 & 3
India’s North-East states. Phase 2: Nov–Dec 2023, 2,271km, 26 days. Phase 3: Nov–Dec 2024, 1,954km, 22 days.
2023 & 2024 · North East India
🚴 CYCLING
1,386km
Sri Lanka - Overseas Edition
Circumnavigation of Sri Lanka on bicycle. 1,386km in 12 days against fierce opposing winds. First international chapter of Limits & Beyond. 16–28 August 2025.
2025 · Sri Lanka
⛰ ALTITUDE
5,226m
Norbu Peak
First Himalayan ascent. Pir Panjal range, Himachal Pradesh. 26 May 2019.
2019 · Himachal Pradesh
⛰ ALTITUDE
6,001m
Deo Tibba
Attempted twice. Unfinished business — returning June 2026.
Attempted · Himachal Pradesh
2026 Personal Calendar
This year is about rebuilding myself properly. What I can control is my discipline, strength, and consistency.
A commitment to endurance and integrity.
01
Feb 22nd
Half Marathon
→ Discipline Anchor
Completed ✔
02
Feb 28th
100km Strength Walk
→ Structural Endurance Test
Completed ✔
03
Mar 21st
Full Marathon
→ Cancelled ✖
04
May 29
Everest Marathon
→ Ultra 70km · Applied - Awaiting Confirmation
05
June 21
Deo Tibba
→ Unfinished Business
06
July 18th
Qatar Country Run
→ Fundraiser for BEMS Tanzania · Decision Pending
ORGANISED TREKS
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Not for everyone. Exactly right for some.
EVEREST BASE CAMP
Everest 3 Pass Circuit
5,364m · 14 Days
An athletic trek built for people who want more than a view. Long days, slow distance, deliberate acclimatisation. You will be tired. You will be ready.
March, May & November
MANASLU CIRCUIT TREK
Manaslu Circuit
5,106m · 14 Days
Remote. Demanding. Rarely crowded. A challenging trek route through terrain that asks something of you every single day – and gives something back.
April & October
Contact
Email Address
storieswithvenky@gmail.com
Email…! Responses are swift and thorough
Timings
Tuesday to Sunday
10am to 7pm (GMT+5:30)
Monday Holiday
Send a Message
Venky
Mountaineer · Endurance Cyclist · Author
I left a good life to build a real one.
For eight years I worked in technology. Comfortable salary, predictable days, socially acceptable choices. Nothing was wrong – and that was exactly the problem.
I stepped away. Not from frustration, but from clarity. I wanted a life shaped by effort, altitude, and honest experience – not one optimised for appearances.
Since then: Manaslu summit at 8,163m. Solo circumnavigation of India by bicycle – 15000+km, Northeast India, Sri Lanka for the Limits & Beyond project. Volunteering in Tanzania. And a body of writing that documents all of it, without curation.
This site is where that work lives.
Three Ways In
Read & Listen
Long form articles, and podcast conversations. All from lived experience.
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About the Show
A long-form conversation podcast with people who chose the harder path.
Mountaineers, beekeepers, cyclists, photographers, musicians, anyone whose life work asks something of them that the easy path does not. Season 1 ran across 18 episodes, with guests from Nagaland to Kenya, Ladakh to Manipur and all over the world.
Season 2 begins May 2026, with deeper preparation, sharper guests, and a steadier weekly rhythm.
Released every Friday at 12:00 PM IST.
Latest Episode
Bees, Land & Legacy:
Masterclass on Beekeeping
Season 1 - 18 Episodes
Conversations with mountaineers, beekeepers, photographers, musicians, cyclists. Stories from all over the world.
Season 2 - Begins May 2026
What's coming
Season 2 begins May 2026 with a sharper focus and steadier rhythm.
Weekly episodes, every Friday at 12:00 PM IST.
Conversations across mountaineering, endurance, conservation, and inner work. Releasing on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts.
Get an email when episodes drop
Know someone whose story belongs here?
The best guests so far have been audience suggestions. People who would never pitch themselves but whose work deserves a longer conversation.
If you know someone like that – write to me.