Seeking Shiva’s Grace: A 50 km Himalayan Trek After Months of Physical and Spiritual Conditioning
Hey everyone, it’s been a while, but I’m back to share some thoughts with you all.
Many questions have been swirling in my mind, but I haven’t found the answers yet. To seek those answers, I decided to do something different this time — to refresh my soul and strengthen my body. I set out to find my inner peace atop the Himalayas, in a place where the “Superior of God Shiva” protects us, a place named Kedarnath.
A little bit about Kedarnath:
Way to Kedarnath:
The way to Kedarnath is one of the most adventurous and thrilling experiences, involving a 15 km trek at an altitude of 3,583 meters (11,755 feet) where the weather can swing from freezing to balmy in no time.
My preparation:
I spent five months preparing myself physically by joining the gym to strengthen my body and willpower.
Finally, the day arrived…
We started our journey — just my senior friend and me. He’s also an avid traveller. We took off from our base location in Bangalore to Delhi via the clouds and then had an amazing train journey to Haridwar, located at the foothills of the Himalayas.
We didn’t plan anything in advance (no bus booking, room booking, etc.). We decided to just go with the flow. In Haridwar, we found companions while looking for a cab share — a sister and brother from Rajasthan. It was time to connect with strangers. From there, we travelled together to Kedarnath. I struggled to connect with them because of the language barrier. Note to self: Must learn Hindi.
Our most wonderful, unexpected journey started from the foothills of the Himalayas along the riverside of the Ganges.
The views were amazing. About 100 km from Kedarnath, the majestic view of Kedar Dham (6,831 meters) standing behind the temple came into sight.
That view was life-changing — I felt an overwhelming urge to touch and feel the glaciers to cool my soul.
In the evening, we reached our destination named Gaurikund, and early the next morning, we began our journey to worship Lord Shiva, crossing various paths on a 14 km slope trek.
Adventure Begins:
Around 4:30 am, we started our trek. I embarked on my adventure on foot at a constant speed of 4 km/hr. At every stage, I saw different stunning views of the Himalayas. After 5 km, the Kedarnath peak welcomed me from a height of 6,831 meters. It motivated me to reach the top as soon as possible.
The views were breathtaking, making me feel connected to the beauty of nature.
Finally, we completed our trek. Yes! We reached the top after 14 km. Now, we were at an altitude of 3,583 meters. The weather was amazing. We felt so blessed to be welcomed by God and received blessings the next morning around 1 am. My eyes filled with tears at the sight of the divine; all my pain vanished, and I could only see the light.
My trekking exploration doesn’t stoped here. I’ll continue sharing my journey in the next blog. Stay tuned!
