Abhay is from Neelkanth in Pauri Garhwal. He grew up reading the seasons, walking long distances for ordinary chores, and watching how mountain villages take care of their own.

When his rafting resort in Rishikesh was swept away in the 2013 Kedarnath floods, he didn't try to rebuild the same business. He took what he'd learned about adventure tourism and used it to build a hospitality model that keeps villages full instead of empty.

Today he runs operations and guest experiences across both Pahadi House locations, in Mussoorie and Rishikesh.