Keeping up with Mountain time

The “firsts” are said to be always unique. exactly what I experienced on my first multiday climb in Uttarakhand, India, the Deorital- Chandrashila trip.
On its tiny roadways, Rishikesh, Devabhoomi or Land of Gods welcomed us; the hurry was mostly due to the long queue of bhakts headed for a spiritual meet and greet at high altitude pilgrimages.
The knowledge of what I signed up for came shockingly clear at Sari, our base camp, during the  briefing session from Arvindh, who chose to be a trek lead over an Architect (at least for now).Manoj Ji, our native trekking partner and a fantastic storyteller gave us three mental notes to follow on during the journey:
1.Value every minute since fashion trends in Mumbai and mountain weather are erratic.
2. Leave your ego behind in the cloakroom after packing it really brilliantly. Otherwise the mountains are intelligent enough to firmly smash them.
3. Respect Indiahikes’ (our tour planners’) dedication to leave the mountains cleaner than they were.

During our stroll, we were handed ecobags to be strapped for trash collecting. We were damn serious about it, as proven by a trek mate here 🙂

Day 1: On way from Sari to our campsite at Deorital, the lake never freezes or dries.

Long treks with hydration stops, some chit conversations over the food given by fellow hikers, and the stories of Manoj ji about Rhododendron, Kafal, and Deorital made the first five kilometers along the greens worth the work. Eating great food, getting to know a little more of other hikers, and lounging in our tents occupied the second half of the day.

Day 2 :Second longest day from Deorital to Sylami-the most gorgeous campsite we visited

Over more than 9+ km hike, severe climbs and much steeper downfalls were demanding. Going up felt simpler than down, just like in life as descent calls for significantly more stability and grip to keep focused. Thank God for the fellows who were now buddies to offer hand/pole when I fell and to yell out the trails when I couldnt find the correct ones. A clear delight from azure heavens, nature at its most pure seemed like little showers. Smaller tents but lots of room outside with overflowing water, nice conversation, and loads of positive energy from Vijay ji-our young guide from Sari. The always delicious meals made it a memorable one.

Day 3: Syalmi to Baniyakund Camp among meadows

Friends who choose to lead as part of DIY today guided the walk. They guided us around wide meadows, fresh river streams, and deep forests with great synchronization and enough breaks to not miss Manoj Ji’s stories. By now we were so accustomed to climbs and falls that a tarmac road on the route seemed out of place. When you have mountains to climb and woods for a power sleep or meditation, why stroll on straight roads? 😉
Arvindh called us for the last briefing after a little break and setting into our tent. He asked us, “Why is this trek essential to you? Everybody had well defined motives. “Remember your reason as that’s the only thing that will take you to the summit when your body resists,” Arvindh remarked. I skipped a few beats and felt some nervousness slinking through my head first.
After an early dinner we went back to our tents to wake up at midnight and begin our last climb to Chandrashilla at 12:55 am. I am quite sure that the rain and a few hailstorms during the hours of repose caused us all to scream out to the Gods we believe in to make these vanish and inspire us.

Day 4- The Summit

The prayers were answered loud and unambiguously; we had clear weather and not a single drop of rain to begin our early morning trip to Chandrashilla.
When Arvindh performed climb with the enormous bag pack of all “what
ifs,” when Vijay yelled out inspiring us to finish the last lap, or when
Manoj ji provided his strong grips to prevent anyone from falling, true
leadership was always evident.
When we all followed each other one step at a time to the spotlit by the
headlight, when the trek partners paced together or paused for brief
refreshment to share water and jokes, partnership in its most basic form was
clear. Everyone handled their tiredness and anxiety in the way their mind
pronounced-some by rushing in the last loop, some by taking baby steps without
stopping, and some by being a rebel against their head without paying attention
to the nauseating weak feeling to reach the peak point.
Standing at 12,000 ft and feeling overwhelmed by the most beautiful sunrise I
remembered the reason of Vijay to stick to mountains.He said “For some these hikes are as fulfilling as climbing Everest and we treasure those emotions with them.”

Mountains are quiet teachers for anybody who can be quiet enough to learn. When I look back at this trip from my comfort zone, a few highlights come back among many other teachings.
– That Our habits are exactly proportionate to the degree of difficulty or simplicity we find in our life. I realized that when ascending the steps with plenty of help of trek poles and stopping to catch breaths, a few bubbly women walked right across me chatting, smiling, and jumping across the same steps which felt like a trek to me but a basic everyday routine to them.
– That Mind over Matter is indeed rather real. We ascended a higher mountain than Chandrashilla, one that was constructed in our brains and the body exactly followed.
– You cannot accomplish a trek alone, but every decision and action you do throughout the hike is your own; none of anybody else can do your share on your behalf (certain exceptions may apply). For those who are willing to pay attention, isn’t it how life also unfolds?
Until next meeting in Himalayas, I am always appreciative of all those who helped me to enjoy the wonder of Trekking…