Adventurer and explorer
At 14, Mandip started participating in climbing expeditions while he was studying at The Air Force School under Hari Dang, a well known educationist and a mountaineer. Mandip’s own first big climb was the Kuari Pass Trek, made famous by the likes of Lord Curzon, Bill Tilman and Eric Shipton at the turn of the 20th century, which he took on as a schoolboy in 1972. [4] He would go on to win the 'Rock Gibbon’ award for rock climbing at The Air Force School, 1973.
Later while studying at St. Stephen's College, Delhi [5] and during his early climbing years, he started playing an activist’s role for several environmental causes along with his expeditions.
In 1979, he co-founded a national and international award-winning travel company, Ibex Expeditions Pvt. Ltd, offering adventure & safari travels in India and later also to the more discerning parts of the world. Through Ibex Expeditions, Mandip pioneered several unique journeys, such as the now famous frozen river (Chadar) trek on the Zanskar river in 1994, [6] which paved the way for winter tourism in Ladakh and many more. [7]
In 1988, he along with two team members, undertook a Mountain Rescue training project in North Wales, Scotland and Chamonix, under the aegis of an INLAKS Foundation grant. His team established a project called HELP (Himalayan Evacuation and Lifesaving Project) [8] and Sir Edmund Hillary was patron of the project which helped reinforce Rescue systems in the Indian Himalaya.
He also undertook a cycling expedition from Delhi to Kathmandu in 1981. Led the first crossing on camel back of the Indian Thar desert [9] from Jaisalmer to the Rann of Kutch in 1986, and the first elephant back expedition in the jungles of Kerala in 1990. [10]
In 1992, he became the first Indian to be conferred the Ness Award for expeditions and exploration by the Royal Geography Society, UK. [11]
In 1992, he was also nominated ‘Person of the Year’ and 'India's Most Versatile Adventurer' by Limca Book of Records [12]
In 2012, he was conferred the highest civilian honor in India for Adventure by the President of India – the Tenzing Norgay National Adventure Award for Lifetime Achievement. [13]
In 2015, he became the only Indian to be honored by the “Citation of Merit” from the famous Explorers’ Club, USA, at the 111th Explorers’ Club Annual Dinner. [14]
Environmentalist
Mandip has campaigned for the cause of environmental protection with concern for forests, wildlife, nature, communities and sustainable tourism in India. [15] He is the Honorary Founder President of the former Ecotourism Society of India (now the Responsible Tourism Society of India, better known as RTSOI), and former member of international committees such as the Pacific Asia Travel Association, [16] Member of the World Travel Market Responsible Tourism Day's advisory panel and a Trustee of the Himalayan Environment Trust. [17]
Over the last fifty years, he has visited over 50 National Parks and sanctuaries all over India, Sri Lanka, South Africa etc. to assess the ecotourism potential and lay out strategies for the Government of India and the tourism industry in India and worldwide. For example, the travel ban on the fragile and precious Nicobar Islands in the Bay of Bengal, home to the Nicobarese tribe and the reclusive Shompen, came out of his team’s recommendation to the Indian government after an exploratory trip in 2003 — and Soin has continued to urge the government and private tour operators alike to "do the right thing for sustainable tourism" in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands (particularly in light of the new Great Nicobar Island Development Project) and in Lakshadweep as well. [18]
As Chairman of Pacific Asia Travel Association India Chapter's Environment & Ecotourism Committee, Soin was successful in getting the Indian travel industry to sign an environmental pledge in 1992. [19]
Soin has also been a member of the jury for the tiger conservation awards instituted by the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) and WWF-India and has served as a judge for the Tourism for Tomorrow Award for the World Tourism and Travel Council for over 15 years.
Sitting on the governing council of the Responsible Tourism Society of India, which has an MOU with the Government of India and the UNEP, Soin also travels the world to lecture on sustainable travel and tourism. [20]
Of late, he has been campaigning for global agreement on the protection of Antarctica through the international citizens' campaign #AntarcticaMatters, ahead of the resetting of terms for the Antarctic Treaty in 2048. [21] Soin launched the initiative while on an Antarctica expedition in 2017, leading 30 travellers.
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