Harshvardhan Joshi


Harshvardhan Joshi is an adventure sports athlete and sustainability advocate from Vasai, Maharashtra. Joshi is an MBA from the Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan and founder of Elev8 Expeditions.

Biography

Joshi was born in Vasai, and was schooled in his native village. He graduated with a Bachelor of Engineering degree in IT from Mumbai University. He completed mountaineering and outdoor courses at the Nehru Institute of Mountaineering, Himalayan Mountaineering Institute, and NOLS. He has climbed six mountains of 6000 meters and above in his mountaineering career which started in 2016. During the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, he organized and finished an Ironman 70.3 distance triathlon on World [Mental Health Day] to raise awareness about mental health issues.

Mountaineering expeditions

Joshi climbed Stok Kangri in 2016. In October 2019, Joshi embarked on an expedition to Himlung Himal, in the Nar-Phu region of Nepal.
On 23 May 2021, Joshi reached the summit of Mount Everest in a carbon neutral effort by installing solar panels to offset his climb. During his climb, he contracted COVID-19 and encountered two cyclones on his way to the summit.

Honors and recognition