Kuntal Joisher

2014 Everest attempt

In 2014 Joisher survived a failed attempt during which 16 Sherpa died at the Kumbhu Icefall section in 2014. This attempt saw Joisher reach for crowd funding, he offered to give ice axes to anyone who donated over Rs. 1,00,000. In October, 2014, Joisher became the first vegan and the second Indian civilian to summit Mount Manaslu at 8163 m, the eight highest mountain in the world. A few months before his first Everest attempt, Joisher was called a "fitness star" in a Times of India article.

2015 Everest attempt

In an interview about his 2015 attempt Joisher declared that his motivation to climb Everest was to disprove that a vegan diet was nutritionally deficient, and by using clothing and equipment not made from animal products, as a memorial to the billions of animals killed by humans for various purposes. His attempt to be the first vegan to summit from the south side failed due to an avalanche that was caused by the 2015 Nepal earthquake, the avalanche resulted in 17 deaths, a video that recorded the incident that featured Joisher went viral on YouTube receiving over 23 million hits. Joisher with his fellow survivors trekked for 3–4 days from EBC to Lukla from where they were transported to Khatmandu by IAF helicopter. They there volunteered to assist relief work for the earthquake hit as they awaited their gear to arrive. Joisher kneaded dough and cut vegetables for a kitchen that served puri bhaji. Though shaken by the death defying experience speaking to NDTV in Khatmandu Joisher defiantly declared, ""I'm certain I'll be back again next year".

2016 Everest successful summit

Joisher's 45-day Everest expedition culminated in his climbing the summit on on 19 May 2016. Everest ascent is a multi-staged climb. First stage is getting to the base camp, then there are camps 1 to 4, from camp 4 is the final ascent to the summit. At the base camp, Joisher ate pohe, puri bhaji, dal rice, pav bhaji and vegan breads, pastas and burgers and vegan cakes were baked to celebrate birthdays and for the summit party. From base camp to Camp 4, climbers retain appetite for solid food, non-vegan climbers eat high protein products made from meat, dairy and eggs, which according to Joisher is wrong as what is needed is carbohydrates and electrolytes. However, for four days that Joisher took for climbing from camp 3 to the summit and back to camp 2, including the Death Zone (height above 7925 m), Joisher only ate two Oreo biscuits which are vegan, he subsisted on a vegan gel manufactured by Unived, which according to Joisher, on ingestion releases carbohydrates and electrolytes instantly, unlike other foods that could take up to 10 hours. On successfully reaching the base camp, the first food that Joisher had was paper masala dosa, “It’s twice the size of a normal dosa.” he is quoted saying.

Training

During training Joisher, a Kutchi, has a low to zero oil vegan diet. His wife and mother are vegetarians so he needs cook separate vegan food only when necessary. He makes his milk from nuts and grains like cashew nuts, ground nuts, rice and rajma using a milk maker. He makes curd from ground nuts and rajma, from which he makes lassi and chaas. He breakfasts on a green smoothie made from mint, spinach, corriander, bananas, dates chilled with ice. Once a week he simulated Death Zone conditions by training hard without food and water for 12 hours.

Death of fellow vegan climber Maria Styrdom

Like Joisher himself Styrdom's 2016 Everest attempt was motivated by the desire to dispel the myth that vegans were "malnourished and weak", and that "vegans can do anything and more." She died two days after Joisher's successful summit. Joisher criticised associating veganism with Styrdom's death, saying that she died because her body succumbed to the altitude.