Our Team | WhiteMagic

White Magic Adventure Travel

The White Magic Adventure Travel team is highly committed to supporting customers achieve their adventure goals. Our company may be young but the cumulative experience of our trip leaders in running safe and high quality adventure trips adds up to more than 20 man-years.

Trip Leaders

All our trip leaders have received formal training in conducting and leading adventure activities and in Wilderness First Aid.

Avilash Bisht

Avilash grew up in a small Himalayan town of Pauri, blessed with a sweeping 180° view of snow capped mountains of Garhwal range. As he recalls "when i was young i would often wonder what the world looked like from the top of those mountains. All we were told was that a country called China lay behind them" He moved to Delhi for his higher but by the time he finished University he found himslef missing the mountains so deeply that he started looking for a vocation which would take him back to them. Being a mountain guide turned out to be that calling - and a dream job that has shaped his life since 1997. Over nearly three decades of guiding across the Himalaya, Avilash has become known for his straightforward, calm, and unflappable temperament. He has guided several mountaineers successfully to the summits of Satopanth, Mt Kun, Kedar Dome, Sudarshan Parbat, Bandarpunch, CCKN, Kangyatse, Dzo Jongo, Stok Kangri, Mentok Kangri, Kilimanjaro, Aconcagua and many more lesser mountains — including some that he once gazed at from his hometown.
A highly experienced climbing instructor, he has designed and delivered numerous outdoor training programs over the years. Trained in Mountain Search & Rescue, he has also led several life-saving rescue operations in challenging high-altitude environments. Avilash remains deeply committed to the mountains — to exploration, photography, wilderness medicine, meteorology, precise map-reading, and to the cultures and communities that call the Himalaya home.

Sanjeev Ganju

Sanjeev hails from Kashmir - a place they call “Heaven On The Earth “. He had his first tryst with the mountains when he was a 13 yr old lad. He trekked to “Amarnath “ from “Baltal-Sonmarg” , inspite of a warning sign which read that ”Beyond this Point You Are no longer responsibility of Indian Govt.” and returned via Pahalgam in 24hrs flat. This was a climber born. After finishing the academics Sanjeev went on to become a successful electronics engineer. The love for mountains drew him to various corners of Himalaya and he did many treks in Garhwal, Himachal and Ladakh. Avilash & Sanjeev met on a trek in 2007, became good friends and went on to do many treks together. The love for the mountains was so strong for Sanjeev that he eventually gave up his engineering career.

Sanjeev is also passionate about photography and is an animal lover (as you would make out from his profile picture here)

Pawan Bisht

Born and brought up in Chandigarh, Pawan actually hails from Pauri Garhwal, in Uttaranchal. Smitten by the mountains ever since he was in college, he completed the Basic & Advanced Mountaineering Courses from Nehru Institute of Mountaineering, Uttarkashi with top grades by the time he turned 21! He is a graduate in Tourism Management and has worked in the travel and tourism sector since 1997. He has led trekking trips extensively in Ladakh, Himachal, Sikkim, Nepal and not surprisingly, he knows the mountains of Garhwal and Kumaon like the back of his hand.
He has been on several mountaineering expeditions and loves to share his experiences. Gifted with an infectious sense of humour and engaging smile, he will have you chuckling in no time.

Sharath Vishnu

Hailing from the southern state of Karnataka, Sharath was exposed to hiking from an early age as a boy scout. He has trekked extensively in the Sahyadris of Karnataka and Maharashtra and was guiding trekkers when he was as young as 17. His first trek in the Himalaya was sufficient to convince him that he wanted a career in the mountains, so he went on to complete his Basic & Advance Mountaineering courses from Nehru Institute of Mountaineering with top grades before he turned 20! He has summitted Draupadi-Ka-Danda II (5670m) in Garhwal Himalaya and has been a part of multiple expeditions to 6000m & 7000m mountains across the Indian Himalayas. He is an avid cyclist who has undertaken several self-supported solo cycle tours to various parts of the country. He plays the Bansuri, the bamboo flute and also holds a Masters Degree in Indian Philosophy. True to his personality, Sharath wears multiple hats at the company and does everything from guiding to managing field operations to heading the communications team.

Sanjeev Rai

Sanjeev Rai is born and brought up in a small village called Aloo Bari in Darjeeling (a village of trekkers and mountaineers). As a kid, his curiosity towards trekking grew as he saw people carrying huge rucksacks and were walking into the hills. He was further intrigued after hearing stories from trekkers and climbers describing the beautiful mountains. His uncle gave him an opportunity to go on a trek during his school holidays and he fell in love with the mountains right away. Starting from 2001, he worked for close to 6 years as an assistant cook during his school and college holidays. After he completed his education, it was a natural progression for him and he is now a full time mountain guide for over fifteen years, a cumulative 20 years experience of being in the mountains. In his formative years he was mostly guidning in areas around Sikkim & Darjeeling but now leads treks and trekking expeditions in Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Nepal - literally all corners of the Himalayas. Sanjeev in the last 5 years has transformed himself into a formidable climbing guide, having lead multiple successful expeditions to Kangyatse I & II, Dzo Jongo, Mera Peak, Spagnak Ri, Friendship peak and Bandarpunch. He has been on expeditions to 7000m peaks like Nun, Kun and Himlung Himal and also lead a trip to Kilimanjaro. Beyond climbing peaks, he has a keen interest in the Himalayan flora & fauna and is an avid photographer too.

Rajeev Rai

Rajeev is a soft-spoken yet extremely experienced guide hailing from Aloo Bari village in Darjeeling. He started his career as an assistant cook and has quite a reputation running the kitchen. He took to full time guiding after completing his education from Darjeeling Govt College. He has over twenty years worth of experience leading treks in Sikkim, Darjeeling, Uttarakhand, Ladakh. Over the last four years, he regularly leads treks in Nepal such as Annapurna Base Camp, Everest Base Camp and Gokyo Ri as well. He is a certified mountaineer and has climbed multiple 6000m peaks, having lead various teams to the top of trekking peaks like Stok Kangri, Kang Yatze II etc. He is a veteran guide on treks like Dzongri-Goecha La, Singalila Ridge, Markha Valley, Lasermo La, among others. While he is not in the mountains, he likes to strum his guitar & sing beautiful Nepali tunes.

Tenjee Sherpa

Tenjee is a veteran climbing Sherpa with more than 2 decades of experience. He calls Darjeeling his home & has been on multitude of big mountains in the Himalaya like Nun, Kun, Kedardome, Swargarohini, Momostong Kangri apart from many other 6000m peaks & high passes. He served as an instructor at Himayalan Mountaineering Institute in Darjeeling & Nehru Institute of Mountaineering in Uttarkashi, two prestigious climbing institutions in India. He has a calm demeanor & his humor comes through effortlessly as you converse with him. Tenjeee now works with us on treks and trekking peaks in Darjeeling-Sikkim and Ladakh regions.

Nawang Eshey

Hailing from the historical village of Vasisht in the Beas Valley just above Manali, Himachal Pradesh, Nawang has been born and brought up amogst the Himalayan mountains, with snow capped peaks visible from his home. A kind and soft spoken lad who is extremely passionate about the mountains, he led a major portion of our inaugural 180 day GHT-India in 2023, traversing close to 1000kms of the Indian Himalaya. Nawang has over a decades experience working in the mountains and has trekked extensively in Ladakh and Himachal Pradesh. He has been part of expeditions to Friendship Peak, Kang Yatze, Bandarpunch, Kedar Dome among others. He has also successfully led trips across difficult yet iconic passes like Parang La, Dhumdhar Kandi and Kalindi Khal.

Nima Sarki Sherpa

Nima Sarki Sherpa - Hailing from Darjeeling, Nima is an enthusiastic guide who is vastly experienced. He is a veteren in the industry with over 15 years working in the outdoors donning multiple hats. He has worked with us as a Sherpa on innumerable trips notably on 6000 & 7000m peaks such as Kang Yatze II, Dzo Jongo, Nun & Kun. His proficiency lies in navigating tricky high altitude passes like Panpatia Col, Auden's Col, Traill's Pass, Khalindi Khal, Saraswati Col etc, where . He was a proficient cook working with us for the last 6 years before he took to guiding. He is interested in birding too & has started to identify various species of Himalayan birds. He is also a very passionate musician with a love for singing & playing the guitar.

Rajeev Rawat

Hailing from Barsu Village near Gangotri in Uttarakhand, Rajeev Rawat is an experienced adventure guide with nearly a decade of guiding in the Himalayas and beyond. Since 2012, he has been leading trekking, biking, and mountaineering expeditions across Indian himalaya. A certified Trek Leader and trained mountaineer, Rajeev combines technical expertise with a deep passion for the outdoors. He has led expeditions to multiple 6000m and 7000m mountains in the Indian Himalaya like Nun, Kun, Sudarshan Parvat, Thelu, Saifi, Kang Yatze and many more. His calm demeanour and friendly nature hide his deep-rooted passion for the outdoors which is reflected in his guiding.

Shyam Nepal

Hailing from the village of Gangajamuna Dhading, 150kms away from Kathmandu, Shyam is our Nepal expert. He leads trips into the Everest Valley atleast a dozen times each year and has been doing so for more than a decade now. He is equally experienced in leading treks in the Annapurna, Manaslu and Langtang regions. Beyond Nepal, he has lead treks to Kailash-Manasa Sarovar for 7 times. A cheerful guide who always has a smile on his face, Shyam has recently started leading treks in Ladakh as well, having worked on our trips to Markha Valley, Lasermo La, Kang Yatze II Climb, etc.

Amit Dawa

Amit Dawa like many of our staff is born and brought up in Aloo Bari village in Darjeeling. He started his trekking career during his school days and has been guiding in the himalayas for more than 15 years. He regularly leads our treks in Ladakh, Sikkim, Darjeeling and Nepal. 'Dawa' as he is called, has the ability to work in various roles and circumstances and is always up for a challange. He wears his heart on his sleeve and loves listening to Hindi and Nepali songs.

Karma Sherpa

Karma Sherpa, hailing from Darjeeling is an experienced mountaineer who's innocent smile and calm nature belies his vast climbing experience. Karma has completed his Basic & Advance Mountaineering Courses from Himalayan Mountaineering Institute in Darjeeling. He was also part of the leadership course conducted by UIAA (Union International Alpine Association) in Ladakh. Karma has previously been on mountains like Kamet (7,756m), Saser Kangri III (7,495m) and also worked as a rescue leader on Mt.Everest. Karma has summited many technically challenging peaks like Pumori (7,161m), Ama Dablam (6,812m). Karma joined us in 2021 and has already been a part of our guiding team on challenging mountains like Gangotri I (6,672m), Nun (7,135m), Kang Yatze (6401m), Bandarpunch (6,316m), Dzo Jongo (6,280) apart from leading trekking expeditions such as Dhumdhar Kandi (5490m) and Panpatia Col (5260m). His immense experience working at high altitudes on big mountains makes him an invaluable asset in any team attempting a challenging Himalayan adventure.

Shreeram Adhikari

Shree Dai, as he’s fondly known, is a veteran trek leader in Nepal whose simplicity and friendly nature have endeared him to everyone he interacts with. He now oversees our trekking operations and logistics across the country. Originally from the Dhading region in Bagmati Province, he has called Kathmandu home for over a decade. During this time, he has led treks across nearly all major routes in Nepal, gaining deep, first-hand familiarity with the country’s diverse mountain regions. His extensive on-ground experience and local insight make him exceptionally well-suited to manage operations and logistics throughout the Nepal Himalaya.

Raghav Sihag

Raghav Sihag hails from Fazilka, a border town in Punjab where his family has been rooted in farming for generations. After schooling in Fazilka and Ajmer, he moved to Mumbai for graduation - where he discovered trekking, a pursuit that quickly grew into a deeper commitment to the outdoors. He has since completed his Basic and Advanced Mountaineering courses, along with certifications in Wilderness First Aid (WFA) and Trip Leading (TLI) from NOLS. His expedition experience includes climbs of Bandarpunch (6316m), Kedar Dome (6832), and Friendship Peak (5289m), and he has led multiple treks across Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh since 2024. Raghav brings an open, experience-first approach to the mountains, and spends his downtime exploring films, music, and books.

Lepcha Palden

Orginally from Sikkim, Palden now lives in a Sherpa village in Darjeeling. He has been guiding treks in Nepal, India and Tibet for over ten years, and has been working in the trekking industry for even longer. He handles all our Sikkim and Darjeeling trek logistics. He is highly knowledgeable about the various cultures of North Eastern India. He has often demonstrated his organisational skills by altering itineraries to ensure trips succeed when the weather turned bad or when there were road blocks or strikes. He is deeply committed to delivering a high value customer experience and would go to any length to ensure that. He is highly compatible and has an infectious laugh.