From selling vegetables to driving cabs, this mountaineer from India’s eastern state of Odisha takes up odd jobs to fulfill his dream of scaling mountains and has so far climbed six!
Here’s his story of unflinching determination When Odisha-based mountaineer Nilachal Parida and his team members hoisted a 151- feet high national flag of India on Mount Yunam, all he had in his mind was ‘what’s next.’ Ask him and he says: “That’s how you approach it! For the mountaineers, the journey never ends.” But, the trek to Mount Yunam—situated at a height of about 6,114 metres above sea level in Himachal Pradesh—was a special one for Parida. “We made a world record by hoisting the largest flag at Yunam,” he says. After hoisting the flag, Parida and his team members also paid tribute to about 100 persons, who either martyred in Kargil War or during fight against Covid. The team, which was being led by Parida, had 25 members with 15 hailing from Odisha. How many of us have fantasised of reaching the summit of our passion with empty pockets or giving back to society while struggling in our current situation? Not many, certainly! But, for Parida his passion for mountains knows no limit. Overcoming several financial hurdles, he has been scaling heights. He feels the mountaineering journey offers the most important life lesson: not everyone who climbs reaches the summit; to do so, one must have great desire, passion, and, of course, a positive outlook.
Since 2012, he had been scaling heights. He was trained at Jawahar Institute of Mountaineering and Winter Sports. He had been a part of several camps at Himachal Pradesh, West Bengal and Biju Patnaik Himalayan Expedition. He also trains youths in his native Bhubaneswar city free-of-cost. Nilachal had climbed the country’s highest trekking peak, Stok Kangri. After having lost his father at an early age, he sold newspapers to support his education. Later, he also took to driving cabs to earn a living for his family as well as supporting his expeditions. Regardless of the odds, he always aspired to do something new and contribute to society. His developed inter est towards mountain climbing in college, where he was in-charge of NCC, NSS, and Civil Defence units. Parida has achieved several national and international records, and climbed more than six mountains in India. Parida has a group of 27 young adults from low-income families who work together to accomplish mountaineering courses. Prior to COVID-19, Parida became the first Odia man to be invited to climb Mount Everest. But, he was unable to do so owing to the pandemic outbreak. Nilachal was also named a Covid Hero for donating his funds for climbing Mount Everest to the state’s Covid Relief Fund. During lockdown, he had to sell vegetables to sustain his livelihood. When asked about his mountaineering experience, Nilachal reveals that climbing mountains is full of uncertainty. “We never know what we will face in the mountains. The training prepares us for any obstacles or mountain conditions that we may encounter throughout the expedition,” he says.
