Saurkundi pass May 2010

After trekking that damn thing, I don’t know whether to love it or curse it! I don’t want to go back and in Mumbai, I don’t feel at home any longer.

Two weeks of vacation from family and work are way too long; I realise that now fully. Although the signs of boredom were implanted in Agra itself. When you are vacationing, time and its length are crucial. It can almost ruin a lot. Its nice to keep travelling and being with friends. But many things start happening; people get on to each other’s nerves and your office and responsibilites keep beckoning.

The only constant high point for me was being with my fianc. We were together 24/7 and got to know each other better J Back home, my father asked me, “Since you know him better now, are you still sure you want to marry him? Any re-considerations?” No offense to my beau, but my father was being pally.

When I saw the snow, I felt nothing. Thanks to digital media, it gives you real life experience sitting at home! Is it good or bad that my life has been over-exposed to media to such an extent that I feel no excitement at seeing snow-capped mountains at 360° degree view?

As a lot of people say, journey is a lot about the road and less about the destination. I learnt a lot on the road.

My priorities drastically changed (and I thought I was career-oriented). It became about living on bare necessities and maintaining personal hygiene in extreme weather and conditions. Thank god I was not menstruating!

Simple meals, diluted tea, Milo and bottles of Enerzal saw me through . Ok, so did Maggi noodles and omlette. Although I did not bathe and sometimes did not brush; it did not bother me as much as my cold feet did. To cream the cake, I was wearing some funny Lakhani chappals (bought in Babeli, Kullu) which had raised dots on the wrong side! (at least I think they were on wrong side). In biting cold, I was wearing thorn chappals.

Then, in every higher camp we had separate tents for girls and guys (one rule we abided only for sleeping purpose, otherwise everyone lounged in the boys’ tent). As we went higher it became colder and windier, to an extent that we were scared that our tents would be blown away.

We had easy climbs and we had difficult, steep ones. Then we had a tough descend almost throughout. Many slipped and fell and many didn’t bother walking, they just dragged their ass everywhere.

The trek was very humbling for one big reason. In the city where we work, some of us hold senior positions in their company. It is a very humbling experience to squat in the forest with those people and shit. In case you make extra funny noises, you politely say, “excuse me”; after a while you don’t even bother to do that since the same food is eaten by all and everyone is making those noises.

When you are ready to sleep and once you are cozy and comfortable in your sleeping bag, you suddenly remember that you have to pull out Vicks Inhaler from the bottom of your sack or you have to dig equally deep to fetch the pack of wet wipes for someone else. God! The agony! We became a pro at packing and unpacking our sacks or shall I say ‘ruck-shucks’ for ‘tracking’ (that is the Himachali pronounciation of Rucksacks and almost universal pronounciation of Trekking).

The cold makes you lethargic, but still we helped each other; like getting meals packed in tiffins, washing each others’ utensils and rubbing volini where it hurt. This was seldom done for the great love we have for each other and more often because we knew- one favor done is one received.

I remember how we used to die for hot water, clean toilets, a good bed and a non-veg meal. I think it was in the second Higher camp called Hora Thatch that we got one bucket of hot water in which ten of us bathed! I did too! I used to take one mug of hot water and sponge my entire body with it. That way, in three mugs I was done ‘bathing’ thrice!

The highs of the trek? I discovered that Manali town has the shape of India if seen from the Himalayas, that my sweetheart was willing to take some load off my sack and into his already heavy ten kiloed one, that a himalayan rabbit is undescribably cute, that ice sliding gives you a numb butt and great fun, that with global warming we are the lucky few who have got a chance to see the Himalayan snow