Our Team

Honorable Members of GGIM Advisory Board

  • President, Indian Mountaineering Foundation (IMF), New Delhi
  • Principal, Himalayan Institute of Mountaineering (HMI), Darjeeling
  • Director, Atal Bihari Vajpayee Institute of Mountaineering and Allied Sports, (ABVIMAS), Manali
  • Brig. Ashok Abbey, High Altitude Warfare School, Gulmarg, Jammu & Kashmir
  • Shri. Anand Palande, President Giripremi, Pune
  • Smt. Ushaprabha Page, Founder President Giripremi, Pune
  • Shri. Khemraj Thakur, Manali

Board of Directors

Umesh Zirpe

Umesh Zirpe

Founder Director

Awarded by Shiv Chhatrapati Sports award, Umesh Zirpe is the leader of Giripremi's eight expeditions to 8000m mountains namely Everest, Lhotse, Makalu, Cho-Oyu, Dhaulagiri, Manaslu, Kangchenjunga and Annapurna I. He derives over 40 years of experience in mountaineering.

Avinash Foujdar

Avinash Foujdar

Director

He is one of the core team members of Giripremi since 1986. His contribution to to expeditions like Mt. Satopanth, Mt. Shivaling, Mt. Everest is invaluable. His meticulousness and minute planing helps the team to achieve the desired goals.

Manish Sabade

Manish Sabade

Director

Having an immense enthusiasm for mountaineering sport, he has been a strong pillar in Giripremi and GGIM's every higher steps.

Chandan Chavan

Chandan Chavan

Director

He is one of the seniormost members of Giripremi. He looks after all the administrative aspects of the institute.

Shripad Gokhale

Shripad Gokhale

Director

Shripad Gokhale is a senior trekker and looks after the financial matters of the institute.

Niranjan Palsule

Niranjan Palsule

Director

He is the chief orchestrate in conceptualizing GGIM and drafting the objectives of the institute.

Vijay Joshi

Vijay Joshi

Director

Avid trekker, Vijay Joshi has been the strongest mentor to Giripremi's expeditions. He plays active role in promotion of institute across various sectors.

Operational Team

Bhushan Harshe

Bhushan Harshe

Head Operations

Bhushan is Giripremi's summitter of Mt. Everest in 2013, Mt. Kangchenjunga in 2019 and Mt. Annapurna I in 2021. He has completed his Masters in Instrumentation but having a passion for mountaineering, he has opted for this profession and derives experience of over 20 years.

Vivek Shivade

Vivek Shivade

Head - Content and Syllabus Development

Vivek is a graduate in Metallurgical Engineering & Materials Science from IIT Bombay. But having a passion for mountaineering, he has stepped into this field. He has completed courses from NOLS, UIAA Ice Climbing in France. He has summitted Mt. Kangchenjunga, Mt. Ama Dablam, Mt. Menda I and Mt. Meru South, Mt. Elbrus, and Mt. Kilimanjaro

Dr. Sumit Mandale

Dr. Sumit Mandale

Field Instructor & Medical Officer

Dr. Sumit is one of the most experienced rock climbers in Giripremi. He derives immense knowledge of Sahyadri range. He has climbed numerous Himalaya mountains including Mt. Cho Oyu (world's 6th highest mountain) and Mt. Kangchenjunga (World's 3rd highest mountain) and Mt. Annapurna I (10th highest mountain).

Ankit Sohoni

Ankit Sohoni

Senior Course Coordinator & Field Instructor

Ankit is a Commerce Graduate and a passionate mountaineer. He has completed his Basic and Advance Mountaineering Courses. He is a summitter of Mt. Elbrus (Europe's Highest Mountain) in Russia (2019), and Mt. Bhrigu.

Varun Bhagwat

Varun Bhagwat

Field Instructor and Trek Leader

Varun, a microbiologist by education, is an excellent rock climber and a mountaineer by heart. He has played a crucial role in Giripremi's virgin rock climbing - Arunoday. He has climbed Mt. Cathedral, Mt. Kangyatse II, and Mt. Bhrigu. He was a part of CB 13. Manda I and Mt. Meru Expedition.

Prasad Chavan

Prasad Chavan

Field Instructor and Trek Leader

Prasad is a passionate photographer, portrait sketcher and rock climber. H has completed Basic Mountaineering Course and has led Deotibba Base Camp Trek.

Padmaja Dhanavi

Padmaja Dhanavi

Field Instructor & Trek Leader

Padmaja is a microbiologist but her passion had been theatres! In the mid twenties, she found her new dimension to the passion - Rock Climbing. Through GGIM's Basic Rock Climbing Course, she roped in with us and now she is an excellent rock climbing trainer.

Suyash Mokashi

Suyash Mokashi

Logistics In charge

Suyash is the go-to-the-person when it comes to management of all adventure activities. Additionally he is an avid reader and hence, manages GGIM library.

Dhanashree Joshi

Dhanashree Joshi

Administration Executive
Sunita Chavan

Sunita Chavan

Accounts Executive
Manoj Shivapurkar

Manoj Shivapurkar

Accounts

GGIM Instructors

  • Anand Mali
  • Ashish Mane
  • Ganesh More
  • Krishna Dhokale
  • Vishal Kaduskar
  • Samiran Kolhe
  • Pawan Hadole
  • Varun Bhagwat
  • Rohan Desai
  • Ketaki Pathak
  • Chinmay Thakurdesai

  • Priyanka Chinchorkar
  • Deepali Patil
  • Ritu Chawla
  • Anjali Kelkar
  • Anjali Katre
  • Purva Singh
  • Aishwarya Ghare
  • Padmaja Dhanavi
  • Abhay Khedkar
  • Dipali Biradar
  • Surabhi Gujar
  • Girish Choudhary
  • Vikas Bhondwe
  • Dhananjay Madam
  • Ruturaj Agawane
  • Swapnil Kawad
  • Jay Kolhatkar
  • Amogh Pandit
  • Amol Warange
  • Amrut Karvekar
  • Jitendra Gaware
  • Pallavi Vartak