Life beyond advertising: Kiran Khalap on rock-climbing

(Life beyond advertising is a weekly feature, where we feature advertising’s interesting people; people who do crazy, creative things after working hours. We try and understand their passion and drive for what they do, what makes them tick and what it takes to wear multiple hats.

If you fit the above description to the tee and would like to be featured, write to us at mukta.lad@web18.in _.)_

This week, meet Kiran Khalap of chlorophyll Brand and Communications Consultancy. 56-year-old Khalap is a writer, a brand consultant and a rock-climber, with a passion for spiritual evolution.

Firstbiz spoke to the Khalap about how he began rock-climbing, how his spiritual inclination has helped his journey, his most memorable project and how rock-climbing has made him a believer in equality.

How did you discover your love for rock-climbing?

When I was in college, my sister once told me she was going on a trek to Kalsubai, and I decided to join her. There was no rock-climbing involved on that journey per se, but I completed it only to discover that I was one of the first three to reach the top. I really enjoyed that experience, after which I took a rock-climbing course in 1977 in Borivali National Park. Soon, my group of friends and I put together some money and bought a rope to climb. The way we went about it was extremely primitive; we didn’t even have any fancy climbing shoes, but we used to do it anyway. Soon we were climbing regularly.

I had my first fall in Mumbra in 78 or 79; I fell 40 feet down. For some strange reason though, I survived without any bone breaking. Even my doctor couldn’t believe it. Shortly after, I moved to Benaras as a teacher, where there was hardly anything to climb - just buildings, which I would climb from outside. My climbing was very sporadic at that time.

I joined advertising soon after, and again, I didn’t get to do much on the climbing front considering all the late hours one has to put in. However, in 1986, when I became the creative head of Lintas Calcutta, I remember going to my office from the outside instead using the stairs!

It was in 1985 that I went to London and entered an adventure sports shop. I remember thinking to myself, “Why don’t I get back into rock-climbing?” I happened to buy great rock-climbing shoes there and that proved to be the turning point, because the shoes are the most important part of a climber’s gear.

In 2010 I started training regularly and since then there has been no looking back. Today, I can climb the sort of rocks that I couldn’t 30 years ago with a rope, without any protection!

You are also a passionate about spirituality and meditation. Did this have a positive impact on your rock-climbing?

Yes, meditation helped me immensely. The third book of fiction I am writing is, in fact, about whether it is possible to make the mind, body and spirit one, as epitomized by Saint Samarth Ramdas. He used to regularly do the Surya Namaskar, as do I, and it forms the basis of whatever level of fitness I enjoy. I discovered that since I became more disciplined about Vipassana, my climbing improved dramatically.

The only way I can describe the influence on my climbing is by the patience that Vipassana gives me. And anyone will tell you that it is patience that helps you get better. Lyn Hill is a big name to all rock climbers; she has achieved many years ago what men couldn’t. She climbed the El Capitan in less than a day, free (using her own protection). She has famously said, “The image of wanting to reach the top and therefore lunging is what brings you down”. The sense of patiently getting to the next step is the key, and for me, that has increased with meditation.

How often do you go rock climbing? What is the kind of training that goes into it?

Rock climbing is addictive and how! I go every weekend, and there is no special prepping except training every single day. I watch a lot of interesting YouTube videos to keep me inspired, too.

You have to train every day, otherwise it begins to show. When you first begin climbing, you think of it as an exercise for your arms wherein you are desperately holding on to things. Soon enough, you realise that you won’t be able to climb much if you only use your arms, so you begin to use your feet. Then you realise even that isn’t it, but it is your core strength that helps you climb.

We climbers use the butterfly-shaped fingerboard to train ourselves. We work towards strong fingers and forereams, which the fingerboard helps us achieve. Every muscle in the body needs to be strengthened. The defining criterion is the power to weight ratio, for which weight needs to be kept at an optimum level and power needs to be increased basis that. I personally skip dinner at night for a cup of soup or a salad, but that’s not the gospel-diet for climbers. I am a vegetarian by habit, so I make sure I eat a lot of proteins and have a balanced diet, but that is about it.

What are your favourite haunts for rock-climbing?

Climbers in Mumbai are very lucky. There are places like Sanjay Gandhi National Park in Borivali, and projects in Mumbra, Belapur and Manori. Borivali is the best, although rock climbing has been banned there, hopefully temporarily. Manori is too far for me and Mumbra has been taken over by hutments. That leaves just Belapur, where this gentleman has done a lot to bolt the rocks . India is one of the best places in for rock-climbers; you should see places like Hampi!

Which has been your most memorable trip?

Last year, six-seven of us went to Duke’s Nose in Lonavala. Now Duke’s Nose isn’t a very difficult climb, but more of a risky one. You need to be anchored at all times, especially when you are looking after the safety of the other members of the group.

Everything was going well, and we had just about reached the last section when it began raining! The rain wasn’t even the problem. In such a climb, you do something called jumaring instead of climbing faster.But then, the rope kept getting wetter and more slippery. Even worse, since it is the highest point in Lonavla, and we were clad in metal, we were bound to attract electricity!

We threw away all the metal we were wearing the second we reached the top. That was just as well, because we saw lightning strike a temple’s spire right in front of us. I was later told that we climbed the peak the faster than anybody else!

How has rock climbing changed you as a person over the years?

I am a complete believer in equality of human beings, which is extended in rock climbing. It doesn’t matter who you are. Some of the most legendary rock climbers have been plumbers who have great strength thanks solely to the nature of their work. It doesn’t matter what your job is or how old or young you are. This is something I call the ‘Vertical Theatre’.

The fact that people aren’t against each other, aren’t competitive, but on the contrary are trying to help each other get to the appeals to me the most.

If a first-time rock climber were to come to you for advice, what would you say?

Go out with trained people once or twice till you get the hang of it. I would also suggest doing a preliminary course to get the basics in place and then go out as often as you can!

Watch some of Khalap’s favourite, most inspiring rock-climbing videos below:

Alex Honnold, the man who climbed the 2,000 ft. Half Dome without a rope

Sasha DiGiulian in South Africa

Lynn Hillmaking the first free ascent of The Nose, El Capitan

Liked ‘Life beyondadvertising’? Read about the people featured previously, here.

Kartik Iyer

Rahul Jauhari

Akash Das

Agnisha Ghosh

Hari Chakyar