From Banking to Basecamps: The Story of Vijay Pratap Singh and AdvenThrill
For most people, success comes wrapped in a cubicle with a steady paycheck and a boss who remembers your name once a year. But for Vijay Pratap Singh, the view from his desk never quite measured up to the view from a mountain ridge.
At just 23, he walked away from the corporate comfort of a banking job — not to ‘find himself’ on a beach in Bali, but to build something wild, something risky, and something that might just put India on the global trekking map. That something became AdvenThrill.
A Kid from Bulandshahr, a Dream in the Hills
Vijay’s story doesn’t begin in boardrooms or business schools. It begins in Bulandshahr, a small village in Uttar Pradesh, where Hindi-medium classrooms and dusty playgrounds shaped his early years.
“I studied till Class 8 in my village,” he recalls. “But in 2005, I moved to Dehradun for my education.”
And that’s when the mountains got involved.
Dehradun didn’t just change Vijay’s school. It rewired his soul. “I used to escape into forests and mountains whenever I could,” he says. It was the beginning of a lifelong love affair with the outdoors — one that would eventually become his compass.
The Unlikely Route: IT, Then Banking
After graduating with a degree in IT in 2012, Vijay landed a job at HCL in Hyderabad. But city life — especially one so far removed from his roots — didn’t quite click.
“The food, the language — everything was a struggle,” he laughs. “So I escaped again. Into forests. With my camera. I got into wildlife photography.”
Soon, his journey took him to Chandigarh University for a master’s in international business, and then to Kotak Mahindra Bank in Pune. There, he got a front-row view of how businesses ran — not just on paper, but in the minds of entrepreneurs.
It was all useful. But the mountains were still calling.
The Leap: Building AdvenThrill at 23
When Vijay finally quit his job, it wasn’t a whimsical decision. It was tactical, calculated — like any good summit attempt.
“AdvenThrill was already a full plan in my head,” he says. With help from tech-savvy friends, he built a website, launched social media pages, and brought on interns to help with operations. But let’s be honest — in the beginning, Vijay was a one-man expedition.
He did the planning, the marketing, the logistics. And slowly, word spread. Trekkers signed up. Locals supported him. The hills — and people — responded.
The Storm: COVID Hits
Just as AdvenThrill was gaining momentum, 2020 happened.
Like the rest of the travel world, everything hit pause. But Vijay didn’t. He pivoted — organizing virtual marathons, rewarding digital participants, and keeping the brand alive during lockdown.
“It helped people discover us even when travel wasn’t possible,” he says. Resourceful? Yep. Resilient? Absolutely.
Climbing with Purpose (and a Safety Harness)
Vijay’s first trek as a leader? Chopta Tungnath, with 12 MBBS students. Snow, logistics chaos, nerves — and lessons. Lots of lessons.
He knew if he wanted to scale his dream, he’d need more than passion. He’d need technical skills. So he trained at the Nehru Institute of Mountaineering, assembled a dream team of 10 certified trek leaders (some ex-Army), and put safety at the heart of the business.
“We don’t compromise on safety,” he says. Every group of 15 gets a dedicated crew of 12 — from advanced trek leaders to cooks and porters. And before any trek, every participant must undergo medical tests, daily vitals, and a 20-day prep routine.
If you’re unfit, you rest at base camp. The mountains can wait. Life can’t.
AdvenThrill by the Numbers
In just eight years, AdvenThrill has:
- Covered Ladakh, Himachal, Uttarakhand, Sikkim, and Nepal
- Led thousands of trekkers, including visually impaired football players
- Generated Rs 10 crore in revenue, with Rs 45 lakh last year alone
- Maintained quality by running just 10–20 curated treks a year
“Growth is important,” Vijay says, “but not at the cost of quality. Or safety.”
Making Trekking Inclusive, Ethical, and Global
What sets Vijay apart isn’t just business acumen — it’s mission. He’s not just building a company. He’s building a movement — one where India is recognized globally as a trekking haven, not just a budget backpacker’s pit stop.
“There’s so much untapped potential,” he says. “But we need better rescue infrastructure and more certified professionals. If we fix that, we can attract serious global adventurers.”
So, he’s doing just that — mapping new trails, working with communities, and dreaming of a future where trekking is accessible, inclusive, and safe for all.
Full Circle
From a boy sneaking off into the forests of Dehradun to a man who now leads others back into the wild — Vijay’s story is a trek in itself. Full of climbs and falls, but always forward.
As he puts it:
“Mountains will always be there. Don’t rush. Visit them when you’re ready. But don’t ever risk your life just to tick a box.”
With AdvenThrill, he’s showing us that success doesn’t always wear a suit. Sometimes, it wears hiking boots — and a very, very big smile.