Reviewed by Jamie Michele for Readers' Favorite

In his memoir Inner Trek, Mohan Ranga Rao is coerced by land mafia leader Jalli Jagdish into selling his valuable Bangalore property through threats. His lawyer, Advocate Hegde, is found to be involved in the illegal activity, prompting Rao to engage a new lawyer, Mehta. Mehta successfully addresses the encroachment issue, leading Rao to sell the property to Suresh, a buyer with political connections. Following this, Rao undertakes a pilgrimage to Mount Kailash, fulfilling his wife Mamatha’s wish by sponsoring a Vedic fire ritual, Rudra Homa. Preparation for the trek involves arranging flights, permits, and acclimatization, and Rao encounters various challenges such as extreme weather, altitude sickness, and logistical issues. Despite difficulty and even death, Rao completes the trek, which proves to be a transformative experience, gaining a deeper understanding of spirituality and personal endurance.

In Inner Trek, Mohan Ranga Rao does well in first offering a detailed exploration of Bangalore's cultural landscape so we can better understand his motivations, which is incredibly important. Rao uses playful humor, such as a quip about not buying five- or seven-faced rudraksha from two-faced stores, which balances the more serious elements of the journey. I think where Rao shines is in his vivid descriptions and his creation of a strong sense of place, evoking the atmosphere everywhere he visits. I admit to a moment of tingly and sweaty palms when he walks us on a swaying narrow bridge over a deep divide and this puts his journey's point of view into strengthened context. The writing is simple and straightforward and, overall, this memoir will be enjoyed by readers interested in experiences in 20th-century mountaineering. It is a solid addition to the accounts that have been written over time. Greater still, I think the biggest boon will be to Rao's own family who will no doubt treasure this look into their history for generations to come.