I had turned vegan just a couple of years before that, and was still fielding questions on where I get my protein and calcium from. And here was Kuntal, once your average Indian software engineer – standing atop the planet’s highest and one of its most formidable mountains. The first person to climb Everest on an entirely vegan diet.
I finally met Kuntal at a cafe in Mumbai, as he delivered an awe-inspiring talk to an adventure-hungry, protein-curious audience. Despite his feat, Kuntal humbly confessed that he couldn’t be called the first vegan to climb Everest, because he wore a down jacket as he climbed, stuffed with duck feathers (sometimes plucked live off animals and often involving abuse; fallen and collected feathers are just not enough to supply the industry).
So two years later, in 2019, Kuntal climbed Everest again – this time not only on a vegan diet, but also in cruelty-free gear. No down, no wool. His winter jacket was specially crafted by Save the Duck using synthetic and recycled plastic!
Kuntal recalls himself as a happy-go-lucky software engineer, busy with the 9-to-5 rat race. No one in his family had ever climbed mountains, nor did he feel any such inclination. Then a trip to Himachal Pradesh in North India changed everything.
After a long, picturesque drive on the Hindustan Tibet highway, his wife and he found themselves amidst snow for the first time. Kuntal vividly remembers that moment. He sat down and took in the breathtaking beauty around him. All the pondering over the past and worries about the future melted away. He felt every breath, every single heartbeat. For the first time in his life, he felt real, deep happiness. In that moment, he decided he’d do anything to chase that state of mind.