‘Get up or you will miss the sunrise!’ was a beautiful
contrast to ‘get up or you will miss the bus.’ 6 days amid the Himalayas was an
inexplicable sojourn into a world which was unaffected by the fancies,
fallacies or the miseries of the mortal world where I had to eventually return
The stay order on camping at various sites in Uttarakhand
did dampen our spirits briefly, however we had chosen between Dayara Bugyal and
Phulara Ridge after Kuari Pass got cancelled. Dayara Bugyal it was, after some soul
searching which was not influenced by Quora users. Flight, AC train and a tempo
traveler which allowed the Dehradun breeze to drift in; brought us to the
basecamp from where we were to begin a 30 kilometers journey on foot along the
meadows and ridges of the mighty Himalayas
Rewind 30 days; and our group of 8 realized we need to
take this trip seriously. Well, you cannot just wake up one fine day and start
ascending to reach 13000 feet above sea level. Thus commenced the efforts to
take care of oneself. From different locations, in groups of twos and threes,
we did our 5k jogs; posted our pace values and routes to inspire or make others
envious! We tried getting into a routine wherein we slept well, ate well and
had enough energy to challenge our 5k pace day after day. Shoes, warm clothes,
torches, et al, we shopped together; created a master list for packing and
started counting days for a trek of a lifetime!
Little did I know what to expect beyond starlit skies and
chilling winds for the next 4 days. Having a Brit trek leader did add a touch
of glamor to the experience! For 4 days after the morning we left the base
camp, we did not have tap water, electricity or a roof over our heads. We
walked 7-8 kms each day, taking community breaks where healthy finger food and
water infused with ORS was shared. I don’t remember awaiting vegetarian food
more than what I did during this trip! Black tea at 6am, breakfast at 7, lunch
at 2, tea with snacks at 4:30, soup at 6 and dinner at 8; Indiahikes ensured we
were well fed. The cold and the climb burnt the calories consumed in this
elaborate meal plan. On the first night, we had dinner in our individual
plates. Fairly soon, we realized washing a plate, bowl n spoon individually in
the freezing cold water was the toughest task at hand. A lot of plate sharing
followed in the subsequent meals, initially out of convenience; later out of
care. Measuring the blood pressure and SpO2 created a lot of suspense because
no one wanted to be prone to altitude sickness. The days were beautiful, we
could catch the sun rise, the wild flowers, fiery red autumn leaves and the
peaks seemed like they were at a stone throw away! Gangotri, John Lee, Draupadi
ka danda became familiar like M G Road and LBS Marg! Being one with nature was
an overly used yet a huge understatement. Stretching together was another fun
activity to do. Nature’s calls were challenging, the long ones more than the
short ones!
The first night I was sleepless, 4 layers couldn’t warm
me enough, the sleeping bag was inconvenient and the liner stifled my entire
body. I wouldn’t step out of the tent in the middle of the night to pee because
it was too cold and too dark. It was almost like programming micturition! The
dog at times barked, the neighbor snored and the cold gave grief but I lay
still trying to sleep. The following night I gained immunity against the
snoring, the liner was probably a tad bit more comfortable but sleep was still
disturbed. The third day tired us so much that I slept like a baby that night
oblivious to the dog, the snores and the discomfort of the sleeping bag. It was
blissful getting up to snow on the tents and frozen rivulets which gullied the
basecamp. Un-pitching the tent was another tiresome task. Pulling out the
hooks, rods and squeezing the tent into a duffle bag was quite difficult with
frozen hands. As conscious trekkers, we carried waste along the way in our
eco-bags and contributed to preserving nature in little ways we could
When I narrated the routine to my mother, she asked why one
would cause oneself so much discomfort and complete a task which required so
much effort; when the entire thing could be easily avoided!! I could have
initially said that I did all of this for climbing a mountain, it is no child’s
play! Looking back, I think there is so much more to a trekking expedition that
just climbing a mountain. Right from packing our bags to eating off shared
plates, to not using plastic or telephone network or electricity to consciously
clearing litter on the way; the mountain life is all about minimalism and
making the most out of available resources. When you carry your weight on your
back, you do not carry 6 sets of clothes for two days. You probably carry two
shirts and one pajama. How often do we feel grateful for the tap water running
24*7 or a heater in our bathrooms or the mattresses on our king size beds and
our maid who does the dishes? Affluence in many ways makes us take the basics
for granted. I honestly feel a trek connects us to the basics, makes us more
responsible and has the power to humble individuals. Very often our necessities
escalate to desires and then further to wants and needs. You and I, fortunately
or otherwise are preys to the delights of city life. Routine life puts us back
into the quest to be the best and to be able to finish first in everything we
do. The best part in a trek is no one tries to climb the summit first, everyone
walks together ensuring that each one of us is safe and energized. Once you
actually climb the summit, you aren’t sure if the journey was beautiful or the
destination is!
To sum up my experience, I would say trekking is not about
climbing the mountain, it is just something that happens along the way!
