Aman Zutshi
Pranav Bandral dearly called as Vasu from Mubarak Mandi of J&K’s Jammu city defying all odds has entered the Asia Book of Records as the fastest trekker. Vasu has a leg implant in his left leg which he got when he met with a mishap on 20 September 2022.
Bandral’s medical condition which supposed to act as kryptonite for him in trekking couldn’t defeat his mettle in achieving his aim.
Pranav started the trek from Sanasar in Jammu at 4am on October 6, 2023, submitted Shankhpal (Patnitop) at (9,458 ft) at 5.45am, Shivgarh (8, 530 ft) at 9.55am on the same day. He reached Kailash Kund (12, 470 ft) at 12:28 on October 7 covering 106.7km in 32hours 26 minutes as confirmed by the Asian Book of Records.
“I run a cafe known as Shiva Cafe in Himachal and people have to trek 1.5km in the forest to reach it, normal people can’t go there. This is what motivated me for trekking”, Pranav told media.
“I planned my trekking when my two students Esetan dolma and Rigzen Lamu and a friend Harpinder Anand died in a mishap in Ramban.
“Hardly a month passed and I started walking and made up mind to do something big for my students which could be a tribute to them.
“After six months doctor apprised me that I can walk but I decided that I want to go for trekking.
“I had planned to start this trek the day we met with the mishap but we took time and decided why not get this registered as a record in ‘Asia Book of Records’ and with proper guidance my teammates Manik, Manveer, Shivi, Debang found that there is no such record”, he added.
“We first decided to figure out the trekking equipments & started our excursion. We planned to complete it in three days at first but I don’t how I finished it 32 hours.
“Without any food we continued our trekking and completed in record time”,
Talking about his medical condition which he overcame, Vasu, said: “I used to run on the treadmill with long boots prior going for trekking. I thought I can do it. I ran about 25km in 1hour and 50mins on the treadmill and gradually increased the running time”.
“When I began walking I forgot that I have a rod in my leg”, he said.
Expressing dismay about the accident in which he lost his two students and a friend, he said,” After four days I opened my eyes in the hospital and it is really difficult to get out from such a experience but mountains healed me. I renamed my cafe’s name as Harman’s home on my friend’s name”.
“Harman and me used to run an NGO and was going to a rural area on the day of accident. I decided that I’m doing this for my friends”, he apprised.
