Mission
Control
Meet the Team
VYSHAKH NAIR
Head of Mission
Ahem, Heylo Heylo. You are looking at what was once my dream: starting an adventure travel company.
I had quit my career in oil and gas to spent time in things that interests me more , in 2016.
These days I spent 60 % of my time on this adventure travel startup and 40% in feeding my general curiosity about tech startups , philosophy , ethics and Russian.
I love ending up in places where I donโt speak their language, places that main stream media doesnโt cover and places that have a history. ๐ฌ
My travel bucket list is full of places I had read about . It might not make sense for 95% of the people to go to those places . But for me , it completes what I have read.
After leading trips all these years , I realised it was mostly about the people you travel with than the trip itself, that makes the trip extra ordinary. ๐งก . Let's together Create a space for whoever our trippers want to be on our trips. We want our trippers to feel free from all the assumptions , doubts and fear.
IKroop Nijjar
Field Commander (Trip Leader)
Growing up, her dad's job took the family to a new place every 2 years, Ikroop very early on found her passion for exploring the offbeat paths. She has lived in over 15 cities in India & Abroad, moved over 7 schools and claims to have a friend on every continent. ๐
She has been a member of the OJ Clan from our very first trip ever and now is family ๐
Her travel philosophy is that travel makes you a better person if you allow yourself to be immersed in what the experience offers.
Her adventures have included over 8 high altitude treks including Everest Base Camp and over 20 countries.
She is often found chatting with locals on streets, finding quant cafes & petting every doggo she finds.
Besides travel, Ikroop loves having deep conversations on psychology, holistic health, art and after over a decade in the corporate world is pursuing a Masters in Nuero Linguistics.
RACHIT MEHTA
Field Commander (Trip Leader)
Rachitโs love affair with the outdoors began in 2013 when he went for a soul-stirring trek in the Himalayas. That one trip was enough to flip his life upside down (in a good way), and heโs been chasing adrenaline and sunsets ever since.
From trekking through unforgiving trails to conquering the skies with a certified AFF solo skydive, this guy doesnโt just dabble in adventureโhe dives in headfirst, quite literally (ask him about his scuba stories). Oh, and skiing? Heโs your guy if you need someone to make falling on snow look graceful.
When Rachit isnโt busy helping people step out of their comfort zones and into the wild, heโs back in the corporate world, balancing spreadsheets with the same determination he brings to rugged trails. Heโs living proof that you can have a 9-to-5 and live like a weekend warrior.
With Rachit, every trip comes with stories, laughter, and just the right amount of chaosโbecause who wants boring when you can have an unforgettable adventure?
NEHA KARNANI
Field Commander (Trip Leader)
Besides being a banker, a fitness freak, a full time adventure enthusiast, Neha not only loves to travel but itโs been her dream to take people to on different adventures.
Primarily working as an AVP, she always finds a way for her passion for authentic and raw travels. Itโs in a way infectious how sheโs often found exploring about the different cultures, making food with the local families or playing with the kids around. This is what sets her apart.
Be it a trek like KGL or dancing with the Nagas in Hornbill or surfing in Mulki or skiing in -10 degrees you will never find Neha low on energy. She is always in her element looking for new things to learn.
Neha says โitโs not always about the locations and destinations but also about the experiences we share and the people we meet along the way. This is what gives our trips and in turn life a differentย meaning.โ
Vishnu Venugopal
Adventure Captain ( Outdoor specialist )
Vishnu is a passionate outdoor instructor, certified mountaineer, backpacker, and rock climber who lives for adventure.
As a Backpacking Supervisor at Avid 4 Adventure in Colorado, he taught both kids and adults how to feel at home in the wilderness. From โLeave No Traceโ principles to packing a backpack, reading maps, understanding trail rules, spotting stars, crossing rivers, and cooking in the wildโVishnu made sure everyone learned how to be safe, independent, and respectful in nature.
Vishnu believes that time outdoors has a way of transforming people. After just a few days in the wild, he saw kids and adults return with more confidence, stronger teamwork skills, and a new appreciation for the simple things in life. They became more caring toward each other and the world around them. Vishnuโs mission is to inspire more people to get outside, reconnect with nature, and experience the magic of the outdoors. For him, backpacking isnโt just an activityโitโs a way to rediscover a life thatโs real, grounded, and filled with wonder.
Pavitra R
Field Commander (Trip Leader)
Apart from an over-thinker, I am a creator, literature student, writer and dancer. There is nothing more joyful for me than creating content that welcomes people to experience never-felt-before experiences.
When I am not surrounded by mountains or tied to materialistic duties , you can find me staring at the city-mountains from my window ๐
JUDSON SAMUEL
Veteran of Operations
You would find Judson on most Sundays in the church, most Saturdays driving around people of his area for random things we will never imagine.
In the night, you will find him either finishing off all the most prominent tasks of Team OJ. Without him, you wouldn't find these beautifully designed website and itineraries.
If someone would want to know all the inner workings of how this brand works, they can just kidnap Judson ( Ofcourse along with his laptop)
LAXMAN DEVADAS
Adventure Captain ( Outdoor specialist )
They say donโt mix friendship and business. But we donโt know any other way to run this company . Laxman is friends with vyshakh since last 15 years and makes a perfect addition to the Team OJ.
Laxman is a water baby, could have lived very close to the water in his previous life. His mother would say , put him in any ocean, any river in the world and she isnโt worried at all.
Primarily working as a marketing head , Laxman has been leading private batches of OJ since January 2022 and from July 2022 , he decided to channel all his efforts working with team OJ.
He loves being outdoors more than anyone else in our team and is truly in his element when hiking in the mountains & swimming with the fishes.
So if you are looking for a mountain guide
to embrace your wild side , then with Laxman , you will have a hell of a ride.
OUR STORY
One in the orange jacket was started in March 2017. We started by leading high altitude treks in India & Nepal . We loved the great outdoors to core and still do. In 2019, We thought: If we were to add 2-3 adventure activities to group trips, would people like that ?ย
That one thought has bought us here in 2023 where we function across the ๐ฐ๐ฌ Kyrgyzstan, ๐ฐ๐ฟ Kazakhstan, ๐ช๐ฌ Egypt, ๐ฏ๐ด Jordan, ๐ฒ๐ฆ Morocco, ๐ป๐ณ Vietnam, ๐ฐ๐ญ Cambodia, ๐ง๐น Bhutan, ๐ฐ๐ท South Korea, ๐ฏ๐ต Japan, ๐ท๐บ Russia, ๐๏ธ Nepal, ๐ณ๐ฟ New Zealand, ๐น๐ท Turkey, ๐ง๐ท Brazil & ๐ต๐ช Peru.
In 2023 January, We introduced HVFC across few trips. HVFC stands for History, Volunteering, Food and culture. We are trying to bring these aspects to all our trips because if you go back home without doing any of these, Have you really been to that place ?
Our trips are for you ,
If you prefer places without network over places with 4g network during your trip
If you prefer catching the sunset , even if it means we might get our dinner 30 minutes late
If you don't mind going out for a walk at midnight to see the stars in freezing temperatures
If you are genuinely happy about motivating that one trekker at the back of the group who feels exhausted
If you prefer local cuisines over standard western food
If you are excited about teaching 1st-7th graders in the small village schools
If you are excited to meet new people, become part of their stories and vice versa
If you are concerned to see plastic waste in the mountains, or anywhere else than in a dust bin.
Going to Ho Chi Minh city and not visiting the cu chi tunnels is a shame , or not spending a moment of silence in the Key monastery in Kaza would be sensationally stupid which is why whenever we are visiting a place, we ensure we incorporate a few stops to bask in the history of those early days
Be it donating school supplies to a local school in Meghalaya or teaching a language in another school near Rishikesh or cleaning a bit of the Spiti river to raise awareness about climate change , we want to inculcate the act of being selfless, we want to provide you an opportunity to come together with others to perform more eye opening experiences to support those in need.ย
When we are traveling across oceans or road tripping through rural regions, do you want to eat a burger, a salad or something you could have on any other day?
We encourage you to eat without fear, tear into the local stew, drink the sincerely offered Kahwa in a local glass and learn how to order breakfast in a country where you donโt know the language. We like stuff like that.
Do you know what itโs like to spend a day drinking and dancing with Angami tribes of Nagaland? Have you ever gone shopping for bread in a local market in Kazakhstan?
These are experiences we get only when we visit the place where it all originated from.
Made with โฅ in the mountains | ยฉ 2025
