Medhavi Davda - Author of RavenousLegs
Namaste! I'm Medhavi Davda.
I travel to Evolve..
In Nature, I confide..
I find my calling in the Himalayas..
In the Oceans, I meditate..
A curious soul, who didn’t agree to suppress her desire to experience life. As much as I enjoyed learning science & maths in schools, it never felt enough. Little did I know then that adding sports to my extra-curriculum would shape me for an adventurous life ahead. My tryst with travel had kicked off in school days when I traveled for badminton tournaments across Gujarat and represented my state at National Badminton Championships. To my portfolio I also added a diploma in Indian Classical dance form - Katthak.
My innocent dream of making a career in sports remained unfulfilled as I went ahead to become a Software Engineer and worked with the top MNCs - TCS, Infosys & IBM. Intrigued by the working of machines, I was glued to coding & designing software applications, and at the same time, I remained committed towards a healthy work-life balance. I got myself trained in Latin dance forms - Salsa, Swing, Cha cha cha, Tango, Bachata & Kizomba. I reignited my passion for Badminton and held the title of corporate champion of Pune for 5 years.
I have traveled extensively in my own country (India) before exploring international destinations. My idea of travel is to involve myself with nature, live the way the locals do or go trekking and diving to experience the pristine beauty of our planet.
TREKKING:
The nostalgia for my first Himalayan trek (Brighu Lake, Himachal Pradesh) at the age of 16 was lingering on my mind and I started feeling a strong magnetic pull towards the Himalayas to embark on an adventurous journey. Trekking through the snow-clad mountains felt like a new life as I breathed unpolluted air at the heights where the oxygen level drops to tough survival. At an age when reaching the top of a mountain felt an achievement, the beauty of the nature had already started taking precedence in my mind. With the beauty, I also started experiencing the power of nature on my failed expeditions. Trekking changed my attitude towards life and I conquered myself with every mountain I climbed (and even with the ones I did not climb):
- Roopkund Trek, Uttarakhand, India - 4800m
- Chadar Trek - Frozen River Trek, Ladakh, India - 4200m
- Kashmir Great Lakes Trek, Kashmir, India - 4200m
- Markha Valley Trek, Ladakh, India - 5200m
- Stok Kangri Summit, Ladakh, India - 6110m
- Mount Rinjani, Lombok, Indonesia - 3726m (2nd highest active volcano of Indonesia)
- Auden's Col & Mayali Pass Expedition, Uttarakhand, India - 5490m (most dangerous pass in the Garhwal Himalayas)
- Kalindi Khal Expedition, Uttarakhand, India - 6000m
- Garuda Peak, Uttarakhand, India - a technical peak at 6000m
- Everest Base Camp & Kala Patthar Trek, Nepal - 5555m
- Great Himalayan National Park, Himachal Pradesh, India - 4300m
- Mera Peak Summit, Nepal - 6461m
- Kilimanjaro Summit, Tanzania, Africa - 5895m (highest peak of Africa, seven summits)
- Annapurna Base Camp, Nepal - 4130m
SCUBA DIVING:
The temptation to explore more lead me to a whole new world that remains hidden under the surface of the oceans. I got myself certified as a PADI Advanced Open Water Diver and kept discovering the depths of the oceans arround different islands:
- Kalpeni/Kavaratti/Minicoy Islands, Lakshadweep, India
- Gili Islands, Indonesia
- Havelock Island, Andaman & Nicobar Islands, India
- Nha Trang, Vietnam
- Koh Rong, Sihanoukville, Cambodia
- Neil Island, Andaman & Nicobar Island, India
- Phuket, Thailand
- Nusa Lembongan, Indonesia
- Sharm El Sheikh, Red Sea, Egypt
- Laamu Atoll, Maldives
- Zanzibar, Tanzania
- Deep Diver
- Digital Underwater Photographer
- Night Diver
- Peak Performance Buoyancy
- Enriched Air Diver
PARAGLIDING:
After Mountains and Oceans, I also got a chance to touch the Skies with my adventures. Paragliding, which initially seemed like a scary adventure to me, now keeps me motivated to take off from higher heights. Relearning physics through adventures has been one of the best things happened to me. I'm in the process of getting certified as a Club Pilot as a progression to the currently held certifications:
- Elementary Pilot Course - Kamshet, Maharashtra, India (2-3 mins solo flights from 45 meters)
- Intermediate Pilot Course - Kamshet, Maharashtra, India (10-15 mins solo flights from 250 meters)
LIVING IN THE HIMALAYAS:
A clichéd dream of living in the mountains came true for me for 1.5 years, when I decided to take a break from the unhealthy working routine I had to follow for one of the IT projects. They say, whatever happens, happens for a reason! My resignation didn't feel as liberating as giving away everything, except my basics that could fit in my car. This was my first step towards a minimalistic lifestyle that would allow me to enjoy the freedom it brings along. With an intention to make a living out of my passions, I moved to Himachal Pradesh and lived in remote valleys (Bir, Spiti, Kinnaur and Tirthan Valley) in the Himalayas.
But nature had other plans for me! Amidst all the purity and tranquility, nature enticed me to observe life thriving in all its elements. As I spent my time interacting with the locals, I got immersed in learning and adapting their way of living - just the basic lifestyle, completely in tune with nature for a healthy mind-body-soul. This invaluable & humbling experience satiated my curiosity for life existing in more ways than what we have been conditioned into. With a heavy heart and a broader mind, I left the Himalayas and moved to Mumbai to join a startup in Adventure Travel as a Senior Product Manager - Scuba Diving with an aim to extend some lifetime experiences to others.
TRAVEL TO EVOLVE:
Exposing myself to the heights of mountains & depths of oceans during ADVENTURE TRAVEL helped me build a strong connect with nature and a deep concern for the environment. I actively promote reducing negative impact on nature and human life through RESPONSIBLE TRAVEL and I keep doing my bit to be kind to the environment in my daily life. SOLO TRAVEL instilled deep sense of responsibility and awareness, turning me into a conscious human being. Traveling helps me learn & introduce natural ways of living to my healthy lifestyle. I am constantly learning to broaden my perspectives about life by EXPERIENCING LIFE in different parts of the planet!
