Pepperfry’s founders scale charts on weekdays; and mountains on weekends

Pepperfry co-founders have known each other from their days together at Ebay India. When they launched their start up in ecommerce in 2012, their friendship also grew. Beyond entrepreneurship, they also found a common interest - trekking.

Three years after they co-founded the online furniture marketplace, Pepperfry, Ashish Shah and Ambareesh Murty began to set out on mountain climbing expeditions. Their first venture was in 2015, in Lonavla and Mahabaleshwar near Mumbai; but they were disappointed. 

Both the Delhi boys had always loved the mountains and the cold weather. So, the duo took time off and ventured upnorth for a longer adventure.

S*** happens; how you counter it defines you. On a trek, you often encounter things which you have not planned for

-- Ashish Shah

Pepperfry, 5000m high

Ambareesh and Ashish have already climbed more than 4000 feet high across six or eight days, six times in three years. They have also gone individually on these expeditions.

But trekking is not like any other holiday. You can plan things meticulously, but things can still go wrong. In July 2016, Ambareesh and Ashish planned a trek to Tarsar Marsar in Kashmir. But the day they landed in Kashmir, a curfew was declared in the region due to some militant issues. So they could not go on the trek they had planned; they went to Leh instead, and trekked up the Wari La Pass.

In July 2017, they went to Hampta Pass in Himachal Pradesh. Climbing the high mountain pass which is more than 5000 m high was an experience to remember. They venture on such trips twice a year.

In 2018, they chose Zanskar, the least populated part of India. It is situated in a valley in Ladakh, with only one connecting road which is open from June to September. Zanskar is covered with snow throughout the rest of the year.

On being fit in your 40s

Ashish, 40, and Ambareesh, 44, believe that getting into activity like trekking begins with the mind. “It is not about how fit you are; but about how fit you think you are,” says Ambareesh.

Spending 14-18 hours at work every day is intense, and affects one’s health. “So trekking is good for us, especially at our age and physical fitness. Each day we have to spend 10-14 hours a day on the mountains,” Ambareesh tells YourStory. He adds that each time they complete a trek and climb down 4000-5000 m, they are totally surprised that they did it.

“As you go up you get little oxygen; you can’t breathe but you have to climb the steep slopes,” says Ashish, confessing that he is always worried about it.

Ambareesh adds, “Even while sleeping in tents at night, we wear head-lights, so that if we wake up in the middle of night, we can see something. But we have to keep away from the many insects there!”

It was during the first trek that they set up a tent for the first time in life. “You feel like you have run five km when you set up a tent! Stuffing a sleeping bag into its pouch alone takes 15-20 minutes!” Ambareesh exclaims.

The second coldest inhabited place in the world

Meeting interesting people in the journey is part of an adventure. During their trek this year at Zanskar inLadakh, Ashish remembers, they happened to meet the owner of a small resort. “While chatting, we mentioned that we work in Pepperfry, and he said he knows us, and has bought furniture from us! At 4000 m height – to find someone who knows about you -- is a proud moment!”

Another fond memory is meeting a 12-year-old boy in Rangdum, near Zanskar, who was extremely enthusiastic and working at a tea shop. “We gave him the Pepperfry jackets we were wearing. He was in the middle of nowhere, but had amazing work ethic. He was in control of everything there! If I could, I would have hired him,”Ashish laughs.

He has another anecdote, from their trek in Chadar of Zanskar. The entire trek was on the frozen river of Zanskar, at Dras in Kargil district - the second coldest inhabited place in the world. Ashish remembers that at 4am, they could see the Milky Way.

Ambareesh adds, “I am a regular smoker. But up there, when it was -43 degrees, I was wearing two hand gloves, and could not take them off due to the cold! I reduced smoking significantly during that trek due to the cold weather!”

For Ashish, taking a bath in warm water after a trek is the best feeling, as it is not possible to bathe during a trek.

Trekking is just like starting up

Trekking is an activity which needs careful planning and operation, or else it can cost your life. “It applies to life too. S*** happens; how you counter it defines you. On a trek, you often encounter things which you have not planned for,” Ashish says.

He recounts going on a trek with another friend once. While climbing down, his friend broke wrist by accident.“We had to make a splint then and there, and walk back fast. We completed three days of trekking in two days.Such instances show your strength and resilience. A lot of what we do at startups is similar to this. You plan, and try your best to manage. During a trek, you plan the gear and book hotels but you still face surprising situations,”Ashish adds.

Every month, around 20 people from Pepperfry go on a trek on a Friday morning and come back onSunday evening.

-- Ambareesh Murty

Although they want to do it every three months, the duo can go trekking only once this year. But to spread the love for trekking at their company, they have arranged Pepperfry’s own signature training programme called‘Trek to the Top.’ Every month, around 20 people from Pepperfry go on a trek on a Friday morning (and comeback on Sunday evening). There is experiential learning along the way, with a facilitator, and tents and more.More than 300 people have gone for this programme so far.

“We have meeting rooms named after the Passes which Pepperfry employees have gone to,” says Ashish. They are even thinking about selling trekking gears on Pepperfry. 

The duo has a tip for aspiring trekkers: Plan the best you can; but there will be new things which you have no idea about. Ambareesh adds, “You feel good and strong about the trek because you don’t do it often. So it is not just about physical fitness – it is about how resilient and positive you are.”

I wish I had started trekking 10 years earlier!

-- Ashish Shah