Anil Chalke, 45, inspires many, not because of his climbing skills but because he does so despite being physically disabled, still likes trekking and even takes other orthopaedically disabled persons on treks.
For many, trekking would be out of the question because of a fear of heights, physical inabilities or sheer lack of enthusiasm. However, Anil Chalke, 45, who inspires many, not because of his climbing skills but because he does so despite being physically disabled, still likes trekking and even takes other orthopaedically disabled persons on treks.
Chalke works at the YB Chavan Praishthan as a course coordinator. Every year on June 5, World Environment Day, he unfailingly undertakes a 17km trek to Raigad Fort along with his group.
Chalke, the son of a former Mumbai police constable, caught polio since his parents did not give him the necessary polio dose in childhood. But he does not mind his disability. He says, “I always wanted to win over my problems and since childhood, I wanted to climb mountains. I was naturally drawn to them by films and the books I read.”
His first trek was at the age of 17 at Kanheri Caves in Sanjay Gandhi National Park. In his early days, Chalke would hide his passion. “However, after doing the trek in 1981, when the media wrote stories about my achievement, they came to know and supported me.”
Trekking enthusiasts mostly head to the mountains during the monsoon, but that is a strict no-no for Chalke. “My crutches slip in the rain, which would prove fatal. I mostly trek during the winter.”
Before every trek, Chalke does some shopping — not for trek ropes or biscuits, but for spare bushes (rubbers) for the crutches and handle grips. He also carries spanners and a first aid box which has to without fail include a good quantity of pain killers.
“My foot aches after I walk continuously for several hours. Most of the treks are of one day duration, so I cannot afford to stop and also keep my fellow trekkers wait. So I have to pop these pain killers to keep going,” he explains.
Chalke has been felicitated by several non-governmental organisations, including the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC). Former chief ministers of Maharashtra, Vilasrao Deshmukh and Sushil Kumar Shinde, have appreciated Chalke for his brave endeavour by writing letters to him.
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