Manoj Prakassh
- Outdoor educator
- Facilitator
- Adventure racer
- Navigator
Captain of Team Shershah, the adventure racing team ranked No. 2 in Asia. An electrical engineer who found his real classroom on rock, rivers, snow and trail, and now brings other people into it.
Explore his work
About
Engineer, NCC cadet, martial artist, outdoorsman.
Read his story →
Racing
Two wins, five podiums and the ARWS Asia circuit.
See the race log →
Adventures
Summits, caves, reefs, ski slopes and crags.
Go exploring →
Facilitation
2,000+ people trained. Programmes, trips and races led.
See the groups he has led →
Credentials
NOLS WFR, NIMAS, ABVIMAS and more.
View certifications →
Contact
Email, phone and Instagram.
Contact details →
Engineer by degree.
Outdoorsman by heart.
The habit of building and problem-solving stayed. The setting changed.
Manoj trained as an electrical engineer, and his final-year project, the Fit Step e-Bike, won the best project award of 2019 and went on display at an Asian exhibition.
His foundations were laid in the NCC, where he represented the Karnataka & Goa Directorate at the Republic Day Camp in Delhi, represented India on a cadet exchange to Singapore, and received both the Deputy Director General and Director General awards. Years of karate, boxing (he coached after competing at district level), shooting and Brazilian jiu-jitsu built the discipline.
Today he captains Team Shershah on the Adventure Racing World Series circuit, leads mountaineering, trekking, caving and climbing groups, and designs experiential learning programs. He holds a Diploma in Experiential Education & Practice and a NOLS Wilderness First Responder certification, so the people he leads are learning from someone trained to teach and to keep them safe.
- Navigation
- Trail running
- Mountaineering
- Rock climbing
- Rappelling
- Kayaking
- Mountain biking
- Caving
- Scuba
- Skiing
- Motorbike touring
- Snake rescue
Where the discipline came from
NCC
- 2015
Director General Award National
NCC, Delhi.
- 2014
Deputy Director General Award State
NCC Karnataka & Goa Directorate.
- 2013
International Cadet Exchange Programme International
Represented India in Singapore through the NCC.
- 2013
Republic Day Camp National
Represented the Karnataka & Goa Directorate in Delhi.
- School & college
Best NCC Cadet, twice · Best Shooter State
Best cadet at both school and college; best shooter at NCC camp, state level.
Sport & engineering
- 2019
Best Project Award · Fit Step e-Bike
Final-year electrical engineering project, displayed at an Asian exhibition.
- 6 years
Karate black belt District
Trained from grade 2 to grade 8.
- 1.5 years
Boxing District
Competed at district level, then coached for a year.
- 1 year
Brazilian jiu-jitsu
White belt, two stripes.
- 2018
Snake rescue
Certified snake rescuer, Kalingacre, Bengaluru.
Captain. Navigator. Finisher.
Days of non-stop trail running, trekking, kayaking, mountain biking, rope work and orienteering, with only a map and compass to find each checkpoint.
Since 2021 Manoj has raced, captained and navigated across India, Thailand, the Philippines and Malaysia, leading Team Shershah to its current No. 2 ranking in Asia.
AR Championship India 2023
Goa · 130 km · Captain, Team Shershah
Namma Adventure Race 3.0
Shimoga, Karnataka · 200 km · Captain, Team Shershah
La Routa Adventure Race 2025
Biliran Island, Philippines · 300 km · Captain, international field
Every start line since 2021
| Year | Race | Team | Role | Distance | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | La Routa Adventure RaceARWS · IntlBiliran Island, Philippines | Team Shershah | Captain | 300 km | 10th |
| 2025 | AR Championship India 2025Mechuka, Arunachal Pradesh · India's first border adventure race, ARWS Asia qualifier | Team Shershah | Captain | 150 km | 8th |
| 2024 | Hulu Selangor Adventure ChallengeARWS · IntlSelangor, Malaysia | Team Shershah | Captain | 120 km | Retired |
| 2024 | Namma Adventure Race 3.0Shimoga, Karnataka | Team Shershah | Captain | 200 km | 1st |
| 2023 | La Routa, Asian Championship 2023ARWS · IntlBiliran Island, Philippines | Team Shershah | Captain | 350 km | Non-competitive finish |
| 2023 | AR Championship India 2023Goa | Team Shershah | Captain | 130 km | 1st |
| 2023 | Ramnagara Sprint RaceRamnagara, Bengaluru | NthAdventure | Co-organiser | 100 km | Rappelling technician |
| 2022 | Namma Adventure Race 2.0Udupi, Karnataka | Team Shershah | Captain | 120 km | 3rd |
| 2022 | Samui Adventure RaceARWS · IntlKoh Samui, Thailand | NthAdventure | Navigator | 100 km | DNF |
| 2022 | Kanakpura Sprint RaceKanakpura, Bengaluru | Too Many Amigos | Captain, Navigator | 70 km | 2nd · team of three |
| 2022 | Indian Regional ChampionshipChikmagaluru, Karnataka | NthAdventure | Race volunteer | 130 km | Crew |
| 2021 | Namma Adventure Race 1.0Mulki, Karnataka | Team Shershah | Captain, Navigator | 120 km | 3rd |
Race days
Up high, and far out.
Himalayan summits, long-distance rides, caves, reefs and Karnataka granite.
Highest points reached
Basic Mountaineering Course (ABVIMAS, Manali) with an A grade in 2023; Advanced Mountaineering Course at NIMAS, Dirang in 2026. Kedarkantha was a climb he organised; on Kumar Parvata he led Team Shershah to the top three times in a single day.
The long way round
Bengaluru–Itanagar–Delhi
Rider and co-planner on a two-month loop of the country, March to April.
Bengaluru–Rajasthan
A solo round trip across the length of India.
Project 9-9
Lead and captain: 9 climbers summited the 9 Navadurga hills within 24 hours. Registered in the India Book of Records.
Yelagiri & Chikmagaluru
Led two cycling expeditions out of Bengaluru.
Yercaud Ultra Marathon
Fifty kilometres of hill running in the Shevaroys, Tamil Nadu.
Alang–Madan–Kulang
Technical lead on the Sahyadri's toughest traverse.
Underground, underwater, on snow, on the road
On the sharp end
Trained through the Bangalore Climbing Initiative in bouldering, top rope, trad and rescue, and now teaches beginners on the same granite.
- 5.10cDishoomTop rope
- 5.10b/cVajraTop rope
- 5.10a/bElves' CornerLead
- 5.10aDogs 0, Cat 22Lead
- 5.9 XAmrit LineLead
- 5.9 XLet's ChaloLead
- 5.9 GRed Sea · crackTop rope
- 5.7 GBelly on Fire · chimneyLead
- 5.6 G+Strangers in the Night · hand crackLead
- 5.5 PGCochise FakeLead
- 5.5 RJumme Ki Raat · chimneyLead
- 5.4 XAfrica · flakeTop rope
Workshops: Bouldering (TCP, 2018) · Top Rope (2019) · Intro to Trad (2022) · Training for Rescue (2022) · Romp '23 · Psicobloc India (2024)
Taking people with him.
Alongside racing and climbing, Manoj designs and facilitates leadership programmes for schools, teachers and corporates, and leads outdoor experiences for students, beginners and race crews: expeditions, navigation workshops, climbing courses, group treks, races and talks.
People trained, trips led
Groups he has led
The races and summits are the training ground. The work is helping groups find their footing outdoors: reading a map for the first time, trusting a rope, finishing a long day together.
Find Your Way · 45 km race 45 participants
Designed and organised a 45 km adventure race at Kanakpura, Bengaluru.
TEDEd talk Cambridge School
Invited speaker at Cambridge School's TEDEd event.
Introduction to Navigation 18 participants
Map-and-compass workshop for new adventure racers at Kanakpura.
AEE Asia-Pacific Conference
Association for Experiential Education APAC, Pune.
Intro to Rock Climbing, BCI
Lead instructor in 2023 and wilderness first-aider in 2024 for the Bangalore Climbing Initiative's beginner course; group lead at Romp '24.
Ramnagara Sprint Race
Co-organiser and rappelling technician for a 100 km sprint race.
Group treks in the Western Ghats 15+ per batch
Led multiple batches up Kodachadri and 15 participants to the top of Kudremukh.
Diploma in Experiential Education & Practice. Wilderness First Responder. Captain.
The combination that lets him design the day, run it, and handle it when it goes sideways.
Qualified to lead.
Medical, mountaineering, water and education training from the institutions that set the standard.
Wilderness First Responder
Ranikhet. Current certification.
Advanced Mountaineering Course
National Institute of Mountaineering & Adventure Sports, Dirang, Arunachal Pradesh.
Basic Mountaineering Course
Atal Bihari Vajpayee Institute of Mountaineering, Manali.
DEEP · Diploma in Experiential Education & Practice
Pune.
Open Water Scuba Diver
Maldives.
White Water Kayaking
Kerala.
Wilderness First Aid
Bengaluru.
Skiing Course
France.
Snake Rescue
Bengaluru. Trained to handle and relocate snakes safely.
Contact Manoj
For anything about racing, expeditions, climbing or the groups he leads, you can reach Manoj directly.
Based in Bengaluru, India.