The Himalayan Trek
Was it a dream?
I keep staring at the screen of my laptop lost in the thoughts of the majestic Himalayas. I still cannot believe that I was a part of the group which completed the Roopkund trek at the height of around 16,000 ft few days back.It has been more than a week since I have been back to work , but it has become very hard for me to concentrate on the mundane tasks at office.
The desire of conquering the Himalayas was there in my heart from a long time but I could not collect the courage or the people who could accompany me in this difficult expedition. It required stepping out of my comfort zone and living life off the edge.But luckily I could find friends who shared the same desires and our group(the Vella Group) undertook the challenge of completing the Roopkund Trek.
The trek was a 7 days long one with a total distance of 56km starting from the base camp at Lohajung,Uttarakhand and ending at the frozen lake of Roopkund. It was organized by IndiaHikes. There were 27 people in our group and most of us were doing a high altitude trek for the first time.None of us was sure that what was installed for us in the coming days.
Day 1: We set out on our journey going one step at a time through changing slopes. The first day was physically taxing and at some point of time I thought of giving up , but other people in my group were a source of constant motivation. They encouraged me and somehow I was able to reach the camp at Didina. In the way, I got to experience some breath taking views and the body numbing water at Neel Ganga. At the end of the day sitting beside the campfire I realized that this trek is not going to be easy.
Day 2:The second day was the toughest climb as the heat from the overhead sun was trying to sap all our energy. But surprisingly I was able to complete it with greater ease as we all kept on talking on the way until we reached Ali Bugiyal. The lush green meadows at Ali Bugiyal left me spellbound. All my tiredness from the previous day vanished. The route from Ali Bugiyal to Bedini Bugiyal was amazing with some overwhelming views of the snow covered mountains. At that moment I made up my mind that come what may I will conquer that mountain.
Day 3: The climb from Bedini Bugiyal to Pathar Nachoni was a cakewalk as compared to the previous two days. The only caveat were the strongly blowing cold winds that were making us realize about the weather we would have to experience in the coming days. The highlight of that day was playing carrom at at an altitude of around 12000ft. The night at Pathar Nachoni accompanied with heavy rains made me wonder that how sometimes we do not value the small things in life that can give us amazing happy moments.
Day 4: I was really pumped up about the fourth day as we were going to experience snow for the first time on the trek. The snow trail started after we reached Kalu Vinayak. I was amazed to see a clear view of the snow covered mountains. I just stood there and kept looking in disbelief. It was much more beautiful than what I had imagined in my mind. We were able to clear the melting snow and reached Bagwabasa, the final camp before Roopkund.We experienced heavy hailstorms in the night at Bugawasa. Our tents almost blew off by the astounding force of the winds. I became a little bit scared of whether I would be able to survive one more day and complete the trek.
Day 5 : We started for Roopkund early in the morning to avoid the prospects of the melting snow. Now we were going to be a part of an expedition. It was thrilling at the same time a bit scary. The climb to Roopkund was really tough due to the cold winds and slippery snow.But we kept going taking inspiration from the guides and each other. After four hours we were able to reach the frozen lake at Roopkund. Everyone was silent just taking in what they have accomplished. I realized that reaching the destination was not at all important it was always about the journey and what an amazing journey it was. I never had imagined that I was capable of doing something like this. It was a moment that could not be captured only experienced.
Day 6-7: The sixth and seventh day were about returning to where we had started from, Lohajung. We went all the way down singing songs and talking. It was a relatively easier journey but was very tiring for the legs.After going down around 17km we reached Lohajung. Some of us had tears in our eyes. We had finally accomplished the Himalayan dream.
I really thank everyone who was part of the group that lived their dream with me. I recommend this trek for anyone looking for some great adventure in life. It will be a lifetime experience. Now I am coming out of my dream and going back to work.
