THE GREAT HIMALAYAN ADVENTURE

Rupin Pass Trek

The Himalayas! The gigantic mountains! The mystifying mountains! The alluring mountains! They were beckoning me, they were pulling me to them. It was time to pay a visit.

After much research, back and forth discussions, being rejected due to a full batch, and then putting all my persuasion skills and non-existent charm to use, I was on the 24^th May Indiahikes Rupin Pass batch!

Sunita, my buddy and trek mate, and I flew to Delhi from Mumbai and then took the overnight train to Dehradun. And we were good to go….

Boarding the night train to Dehradun

24^th May 2014
Day 1– Dehradun to Dhaula (by car)

The entire group  set off from Dehradun station at 7 am in different cars in groups of 5-6 towards Dhaula, our first base camp. The road journey was an adventure in itself with Kailashji our driver, who would have given Schumacher stiff competition, taking us literally, for the ride of our lives! As the narrow roads turned and twisted through the mountains and by the Tons River, often I held my breath in fear. But despite our panic attacks, he knew his stuff and we reached Dhaula safely by 5.30 pm.

We had a home-stay at Dhaula. It was my first-ever trek and I so badly wanted to stay in a tent. Sunita kept telling me that home-stays are far more comfortable and I should appreciate the comfort as long as I was getting it. But stupid me! Anyway, we even had a hot water bath here, the last of many days to come.

This is where we met Shiju, out trek leader. After a round of introductions in the dark (we had to flash torches on people’s faces to put a face to the name), and a briefing about the next day, we had an early dinner and retired to our rooms for the night.

25^th May 2014
Day 2 – Dhaula to Sewa

The next day was a sight to behold! Our home-stay was by the river which was gurgling and swirling, unaware that night had turned to day. She was doing her bit with a persistence that was admirable. The boulders stood doggedly in her path, but she diplomatically found a way to circumvent them. She had carved out a course for herself despite the adamant rocks. It was reminiscent of a man-woman relationship. I knew peace would be maintained and she would leave the rocks alone, to stand proud and vain in her path, while she adjusted her own course, to keep their egos intact. But when she would be angry, she would swell and rise, and kick them out of her way. That is the innate strength of a woman! Anyway, it was a glorious day and the air was fresh and crisp. I was rejuvenated!

The beautiful Rupin River, our constant companion!

After a hearty and healthy breakfast, and a packed lunch in our bags, we were off to our first day of trekking. It was 8.10 am on the 25^th of May. Our next destination was Sewa. Here too we were to have a home-stay. Sunita was happy and I was still feeling cheated out of tent-excitement. Of course, I didn’t know then that I would change my mind rather fast about tents!!!

It was an uphill walk. The snow-capped mountains were at a distance, an amazingly captivating sight! It was a hot and sunny day as we walked through different terrains, through pine forests, on ledge ways on cliffs, but always accompanied by the Rupin River way below. Her gurgling splashing sounds were our constant companions! Sometimes we would be high above and could not see her, but her low gushing sound assured us of her presence. And sometimes, as we would climb downwards, the low sound would turn to a roaring gush and suddenly she would be upon us in all her glory! A couple of breaks along the way for snacks and lunch and we were at Sewa at 12.55pm, instead of the expected 3pm. We were at approximately 6,200 feet. Shiju heaped praises on us and it worked wonders for our self-esteem. I began to think of myself as a pro trekker and climber, completely forgetting that this was my first day on my first-ever trek. But then compliments have a way of infusing self-confidence in me, like no other motivator! I was ready to run all the way to Rupin Pass!

Mafia was the real ice-breaker! We played Mafia and I finally realised why my daughter could play it through the night. Only difference was, she is 10 and we were 3-4 times her age. It was like a college outing as we tried killing each other in this sit-down game! We were all hooked. A light drizzle interrupted our game. A walk through the village and yellow wheat fields to an ancient temple took up the remaining part of the evening.  In a light drizzle and dropping temperatures, we had an early dinner and retired to our sleeping mats in bedrooms by 8.30pm. I was still grumpy. I wanted to sleep in a tent! Outside the rain had turned heavy and we could hear the wailing winds and thumping of incessant rain drops. Perhaps, actually it was a good thing we were not in tents! Did I hear Sunita smile at my thought in the dark? I could almost hear her say triumphantly, “Didn’t I say?”

26^th May 2014,
Day 3 – Sewa to Bavta

The rainy night had given way to a beautiful day! The mood was light as the trek began. We descended several kilometres through pine forests. Walking through the shade ensured that we did not feel weary at all. The cloud cover was in sharp contrast to the scorching heat of the day before. Suddenly we came upon the open bank of the Rupin River. Everyone was resting there, filling their water bottles with the refreshingly cold water and of course, clicking pictures. After a short welcome break, we set off again to Shiju’s whistle. I was like a trained puppy now. I would hear a whistle and immediately fall in line! What followed was a picturesque walk up through green forests. We ascended to a quaint bridge over a stream, which further down joined the Rupin River. The bridge was like a hammock without a hand support. They were planks held together, which swayed with vigorous movement. It provided a perfect photo-op and of course, Sunita and I had to pose to live up to the new name we had got for ourselves – models! (Not because of our drop-dead gorgeous looks but because we wanted to be clicked everywhere! Later I realised that everyone had more pics of themselves than I had of myself!!! So much for my new name!) With the walk over the bridge, we had entered Himachal Pradesh.

We ascended onto a kachcha road which would take us 5kms through rocky terrain. On the left was a rocky mountain straight out of MacKenna’s Gold. And on the right at a sheer drop, was the river below. It was suddenly overcast and big drops of rain fell hard. There was a scurry for ponchos and rain cheaters, and just when everyone had worn them and packed up their cameras, the rain stopped just as suddenly!

As the gradual ascent on the kachcha road continued, the magnificent snow-capped mountains appeared larger and larger as we drew closer to them. Clouds flitted across the sky sometimes shrouding the mountains and then as dramatically uncovering them and letting us on to the breath-taking sight. It was like the curtains were being raised for the grand finale!

Suddenly we were descending on the most dangerous trail so far. It was a narrow slippery track just enough for one person to walk on. Below on the right were loose stones, leading straight to the fast flowing Rupin. One false step and one would reach the river below with several broken bones along the way. Jhansi ki Rani had turned to Scaredy Cat!

As the steep ascent began, at a turn I was greeted by a spectacular vista. Words are inadequate to describe the sheer beauty of the snow clad mountains which formed the backdrop. In front were green mountains with thick forest cover. Below was the greenish grey frothing river and on a green patch on its banks was a big flock of sheep resting! I wanted to fill in the sight, I wanted to just sit here forever.

We soon ascended into our homestay at the village of Bavta, very close to Jiskun. It was about 1.45 pm and we were at an altitude of 7,250 feet. There was electricity here! Yipee! We all whipped out our mobile phones and camera batteries and charged them. The evening was dedicated to Bollywood music and dance. It is strange how Bollywood is so ingrained in our lives that even in this remote village we were dancing to “hookah bar” and “chammak chalo”. A round of Dumb Charades followed, where names of movies were a result of hyper active imagination. The creativity of our fellow trekkers was as its peak as names like “Antadiyon ki Shahi Biryani” and “Kashti ki lehron ke gud-gud gotey” were invented! It was an entertaining evening.

As we settled into our sleeping mats, we chatted and recounted the events of the day, blessed as we were to have had fabulous weather through the entire route. I also felt lucky and privileged to have seen god’s powerful artistry. And I knew this was just the beginning, I was going to be privy to several such resplendent sights in the days to come.

And yes, you guessed right, I was still sulking!!!! Tent!!!!!

27^th May 2014
Day 4 - Bavta to Udakknal

It was a rather cold day and I needed 2 jackets now. The weather motivated me to do suryanamaskar and pranayam! As the sun rose, I could see the snowy peaks in the distance glistening in the sunlight. As we left our campsite at 8.20 am, some snow- capped mountains were in the shade, awaiting their turn in the limelight, namely sunlight! We crossed Jiskun at 9.20 am, and I was yet again amazed at the splendour of nature. I had never seen a bluer sky or a clearer one. Everything seemed so real, so pure, so immaculate, it was simply perfect! I would have gladly died here. White fluffy clouds dotted the clear blue sky. The trails were narrow and we walked in a single file. They were covered with dried leaves forming a carpet of sorts on the path! Some of the pine trees had fresh leaves, adding a different hue of green to the trees. There was beauty as far as the eye could see.

We reached Jhaka at 11.30 am. We rested here for nearly an hour. Everyone was so happy and content, that nobody wanted to move. I managed to make a phone call home, borrowing the handsome local shopkeeper’s phone. Tears sprung to my eyes, as I was told that my 2.5 yr old baby had cried for me when scolded by her dad for being stubborn the earlier night. Her cries of “mamma mamma” reverberated in my ears and tugged at my heart and I knew I had to get back home to my 2 babies, all thoughts of dying content on the mountains, dismissed immediately from my mind. I took a few moments to compose myself as thoughts of my little daughter played in my mind. But it felt good to unexpectedly connect with home.

Anurag, a co-trekker had been suffering from fever from day 1. Last night his fever had reached 104 degrees. Everyone had given him an earful, warning him about how the trek was only going to get more and more difficult. But he was one helluva determined guy. The medicine given to him by Sunita had worked wonders for him and he was trekking with us. The only thing bothering him now, was each one of us asking him how he was doing!!!

It was a sharp ascent here. The gigantic mountains kept reminding me of how insignificant I was. Thank god for the call home, at least some part of my ego was intact since I realized that I mattered at least to my family. Here, I was just a tiny little speck in the whole universe!

As Sunita and I were merrily walking through a forest, with no other trekker in sight, we heard some sounds in the tall trees. Looking up, we saw an entire baboon family swinging on the trees. Sunita quickly suggested that we not continue along by ourselves any longer. Who knows what other animals we would encounter ahead? Good point. We would take a snack break and wait for the army gang (a group of young boys from Thane and Dombivali who we had christened army gang due to their olive green army t-shirts), who were behind us. I literally felt like a babe in the woods waiting to be rescued by some knights in shining armour. Soon enough they caught up with us! We offered them our snacks and casually told them about the baboons. The next thing we knew was that the snacks had hurriedly been packed up. And before we knew it, we were scooting along with them as fast as we could!!! Also getting a lecture about how the monkeys could have attacked us for the food! The melodramatic story I had built up in my mind of the damsels in distress being rescued had just been smashed to smithereens! So much for waiting for the brave boys!!!!! Jokes apart, they were absolutely right. We would have been no match for the monkeys had we been attacked for the food which we were foolishly eating, right in their presence.

We reached the campsite at 4.30 pm. Finally, I was going to get my tent. Was I excited!

The cold hit us as soon as we reached. We were greeted with hot soup and popcorn. We quickly layered up, looking forward to the evening campfire. But the plan was literally watered down, due to rain. My first tent-stay, and rain! Damn! Anyway, we retired to our tents and got into the first of many discussions with Pavan our 3^rd co-inhabitant of the tent, our roomie, as we now called him. The rain had stopped but I lacked the guts to step out into the biting cold. Finally, they had got a fire going and I had to push myself out of the tent. A starry night and old Hindi film songs which we all sang around the campfire, made the evening a memorable one.  

Anurag, who had made it to Udakknal on sheer will power got a round of applause from all of us. Now there was no turning back for him. Since Rupin Pass trek is not a round trek, after Udakknal the only way a trekker can go is ahead. As we said our good nights and got into our sleeping mats, I finally realised why Sunita had constantly been telling me to enjoy the home-stays. Our tents were on a slope and much of the night was spent in sliding down and re-adjusting our positions.

That star-lit night of 27^th May, we were at about 9,350 feet!

28^th May 2014,
Day 5 - Udakknal to Dhanderas (Lower Waterfall)

I just didn’t want to brush my teeth. The water was chilling cold! Fortunately, the campfire was on and taking strength from it, I forced myself for a quick brush, knowing that the next day onwards the temperatures were going to fall further and brushing would be a forgotten activity. Everyday activities had started becoming avoidable due to the frosty cold. Washing plates and cups after dinner was like a cruel punishment.

It was Paddy’s birthday and we started the day with a birthday song for him. We left Udakknal at 8.30 am and reached Dhanderas or Lower Waterfall, which is at 11,300 feet at 2.15 pm. The ascent was delightfully scenic! What’s new, you may ask!

Snow, for sure! This was our first introduction to snow and it filled us with exhilaration and joy! The rush of excitement of stepping on snow for the first time got our spirits soaring. As we walked on, we came upon a big snowy slope, which brought out the child in each of us. All of us were happily sliding down on it, hands in the air, shouting and laughing, when we heard Shiju’s whistle. Shiju was the sweeper that day and when he reached us, he had caught us in our childish act. We were reprimanded for going out of our route and playing on snow which had not been tested by our trek guide, Suraj. We had no clue what lay beneath the snow, how deep the snow was, where the boulders were, how we may have changed direction while sliding and fallen off somewhere else etc. Like kids caught playing truant, we apologised sheepishly. Immediately, Shiju lightened the atmosphere by cracking a joke, and we continued with our journey, this time with our bottoms completely wet with all the snow-sliding!

Here onward, the course had large expanses of snow. We crossed a glacier, sometimes we walked upwards, sometimes across, at times it was slippery and dangerous and therefore thrilling! Every now and then, the Rupin gushed out from an opening in the glacier, flowed freely for a little bit and then again disappeared under ice. I loved this peek-a-boo that Rupin had been playing with us all through this journey. 

As we walked on and on, we reached the campsite which was a sight for sore eyes. Tiny cute blue tents on a white canvas of white. There was a 360 degree view of snow – it was like sitting in an amphitheatre with snow all around. We were welcomed here too with refreshing juice.

At 4.30 we had a briefing session and practical lessons on snow climbing which would be required for the next couple of days of snow-climbing. Back at the dining tent, some of us sat around joking and laughing. The high point was the now-fit and healthy Anurag regaling us with stories of his bestie Tarun, who was also trekking with us. We had many a laugh and Tarun sportingly joined us.

Arun, a dentist by profession and an avid trekker and a passionate photographer, had been clicking pics all along the way. We would often find him at strange places, clicking our pics, sometimes he would race ahead, sometimes he would lag behind, sometimes he would wander off to get a rare pic! He stayed up late that night to get an invaluable pic shot over 15 min with extended exposure time to capture the star trail and the illuminated tents (he had requested us to flash our torches) in this bowl-shaped snowy arena. 

29^th May 2014
Day 6 – Dhanderas to Upper Waterfall

The tents were right on the snow and I had had a disturbed night as the snow kept crunching beneath me at every move and the cold had seeped in through the floor of the tent. I arose at 5 am, it had become a way of life now – sleep at 8.30 pm and be up before 5 am. We began our trek at 7.40 am and we knew it was going to be a tough climb. We were heading to Upper Waterfall, the last stop before Rupin Pass. We could see the waterfall high above, far away.  We had worn micro-spikes on our shoes which increased our confidence manifold. The air was thin, breathing had become quite an effort. We took baby steps upwards.  Balancing on the slippery snow, tested my endurance and often I could hear my heart pounding in fear. A few times, we clambered over rocks, using all four. Walking on snow is tricky, frequently our feet slipped and I could hear “oops” or “oh shit” ringing in the air. Prashasti or PS as we called her, the PYT of our group, injured her knee and got a new name for herself, Langda Tyagi! Resilience was the order of the day.

We reached our beautiful campsite at 11.05 am. We were a jubilant lot. Sunita and I had decided that we would take each day as it came, each step at a time. We were happy to be safe after another challenging day. Here we were at our home for today at 12,700 feet. Suddenly I had the urge to eat chicken kabab. The cook had been whipping up awesome meals of dal, rice, roti and sabzi, accompanied by papad, salad and even desserts like kheers, yet my taste buds yearned for non-veg today. My brain had been conjuring up mouth-watering visions of kababs and I chewed Pavan’s brains with descriptions of my food fantasy which he sat through patiently. I wonder whether he was simply being polite or actually fantasizing about food along with me!

At 3.30 pm we had a practice and acclimatization session for tomorrow’s big day. We were introduced to our technical leader, Pranav, who was going to guide us up to Rupin Pass. Under his training we climbed a steep ascent of about 300 feet near the camp, without micro-spikes. We had got spoilt with micro-spikes and it took a little while to get used to climbing without them. But soon enough we were on a roll.

By the time we returned, the temperature had fallen even more. I layered myself with everything I owned. Pavan was kind enough to lend me his woollen socks so I had on 3 layers of socks. Still my toes felt uncomfortably cold and numb. The air was thick with anxiety for the next day, the most difficult day of this trek. I knew it was going to stretch me and test my endurance.

30^th May 2014
Day 7 – Rupin Pass

I woke up at 3.15 am. It was dark and agonizingly cold. The night had been the coldest I had ever experienced in my life. Temperatures had slipped to -5 degrees. We had been told to hydrate ourselves well since the earlier day because there was no water source on the way. We would have with us just as much water as we could carry with us in our day packs, ie 2 litres each. Despite knowing I had to drink as much as I could, I could not get myself to sip the water – it was freezing cold. Hot water was announced from the kitchen. We hurried to the kitchen just 10 feet away, but the water was freezing cold again. My toes were cold, so were my fingertips. I missed Mumbai’s heat and humidity. I was never going to complain about it, I quietly promised myself.

It was 5.40 am and we were ready to leave. Everyone was unusually quiet. A mix of apprehension, anxiety and excitement was writ on everybody’s faces. We began our ascent in one file, walking very slowly. Breathing was indeed difficult! I crossed Ahilya and noticed the focus on her face. Little did she know what danger lay ahead, in fact, neither did any of us!

We climbed the steep incline in a zig-zag manner. Often, we had to stop to catch our breath. We all studiously followed the breathing technique taught to us the earlier day. We resolutely climbed on and on, keeping our eyes only on the step ahead. At one point I turned to look back to see how much distance we had covered. My head spun! I guess this was what they call vertigo. I was too scared to look up either, to see how much more to go – I was afraid I might topple backwards, after all we were on a 70% incline. 

Suddenly, menacing clouds took over. The weather changed dramatically. And I encountered snow fall for the first time in my life. It was magical – those tiny soft flakes falling around us. We quickly put on our ponchos. I removed my gloves to feel the flakes, they caressed me as they fell around me. I was excited like a school girl!

We carried on upwards towards the high Rupin Pass. As some of my group members reached up, they began a countdown for the rest of us. The countdown for me was reverberating in my ears, it was music to my ears. The pass was so near and yet so far. Much as I wanted, I couldn’t hasten my steps. Each step needed deep breathing. Each step was slow and laborious. And before I knew it, I had put my foot on Rupin Pass. I was on top of the world, standing 15,250 feet high. I felt powerful, I felt fearless, I felt triumphant, and I felt like I had conquered the world, I felt like crying! Words are inadequate to describe the feeling of victory, pride and elation I felt. The air around me was celebratory as everyone cheered, laughed and did hi-fives. We had all done it! The group had ascended Rupin Pass in 3 hours 45 min, all 26 of us had done it!

After clicking pictures, we were all ready to start our descent. As Arun rightly said, “Coming up is optional, going down is mandatory.”

The descent was long and gruelling. I found that I had mentally prepared myself for the ascent and had completely forgotten about the descent. Walking down never-ending slopes of snow took the life out of me. At times it was so dangerous, that I feared I wouldn’t come out of this adventure alive. But it was not without a fair measure of fun, the slopes were often so long that the fastest way down was to slide. Like excited kids we slid down, some like me who lost control, rolled, toppled over and often landed on their faces or stomachs. The loud whooping and laughing lightened the tension of the precarious climb down.

And then on a snowy slope, each one of us missed a heartbeat. We watched in utter shock and horror as Ahilya lost her footing and slipped! She went hurtling down with a cry and the rest of us froze in unimaginable fear. This is a moment I will remember for the rest of my life – the panic that gripped us is unforgettable. Shiju immediately jumped behind her to help her. There were rocks everywhere below, where was she going to land? What was going to happen to her? The rest of us were rooted to the ground, mouths gaping wide open and hearts pounding hard and fast. Ahilya just slid and slid, she missed the first batch of rocks and then the second. And then she slid some more and finally stopped. Somehow, she knew that everyone was watching from above. The first thing the brave girl did was to turn to all of us and do a thumbs-up gesture to indicate that she was safe and unhurt. With that gesture, the morbid tension which hung thick around us, finally dissipated. A cry of joy and relief went up in the air. Soon Shiju reached Ahilya. Both of them had gone so far down that they were both mere specks in the distance. Slowly they started their zig-zag way up, while the rest of us resumed our journey towards Ronti Gad, so glad that Ahilya was safe! I said a silent prayer of thanks to God.

Porters lending us a helping hand

However, this incident changed everyone. If Ahilya, probably the most experienced trekker in our group, with 13-14 treks behind her, could slip, then any of us could. We were a different lot now, a lot more thoughtful, a lot more introspective, and a lot slower.  As we continued our walk, fatigue had set in. Yet there was no sign of our camp. 

We had been walking, for what seemed like eternity, when suddenly the yellow tents appeared. What a sight it was! There was a stream flowing beside the camp site and a glacier behind the tents. Around us were mountains with snow on the peaks. In a way, it was good to see snow far away. For 2 days, we had had snow to our heart’s content. Now it was time for some greenery.

We were welcomed to Ronti Gad campsite with piping hot Maggi. It was 4.20 pm and we had been walking for over 10 hours. I was tired to the bones. I was dying to have a long peaceful night to rest my weary bones.

31^st May, 2014
Day 8 – Ronti Gad to Sangla

It was an ecstatic and proud group which arose the next morning. We were all relaxed – the toughest day was behind us. Now just a descent of a few hours and we would be in Sangla! We left the camp at 8.45 am, we had been far too busy clicking pictures and fooling around to worry about the time. The sun was up in the air and it was wonderful to not feel cold any longer. Everyone was relaxed and happy. But soon we realised that a descent is sometimes as difficult as an ascent. It’s taxing on the knees and tough on the feet. I had to spray Volini on my knees to numb the tormenting pain. I could also feel the blisters on my toes. Most of the group had similar complaints. And just when we thought that we had had enough, we entered Sangla. It was 2.15pm!

The predominant thought in my mind was – bath and food! I wanted to bathe, wear fresh clothes and feel human again. And that’s exactly what I did. Next on the agenda was food! We walked to a nearby restaurant and ordered whatever was available and ate it all!

When we returned to the guest house, we all knew it was time to say our good-byes. Conflicting emotions raged within me. On the one hand I couldn’t wait to get home and see my family and my little girls and hold them tight in my arms, and on the other, my new family who had been with me through the trials and tribulations of the trek, was soon going to part from me. It was an emotional moment when Shiju blew his whistle and we fell into line for the last time. As he gave his final speech, I could feel the lump in my throat and tears in my eyes. I was surprised at myself – I didn’t want to leave my new friends, who in a matter of days had become as close as family to me. Just a week back they were mere strangers and yet now the thought of parting from them tore at my soul. Each of them had inexplicably but surely, made a place for themselves in my heart. Shiju, our leader who was rock-solid and motivated us each day of the trek, would be leading another group soon. I was going to miss his perfect smile and his “full-on power, trekkers” and “chalo mere sheron” shout!

Roomies - Pavan, Sunita and me

Pavan, my roomie who lent me his woollen socks without a thought about the cold in his own feet and with whom we had some very profound discussions. Anurag and Tarun reminded me of Tom and Jerry, their verbal banter provided the much needed comic relief during this intense trek. Prajakta and Madhushree must be the sweetest girls I have known, kind, gentle and helpful. Arun and Ahilya, the dentist couple who became family right from Delhi airport. They are such a friendly duo that I forgot that I had only just met them. Then there was Sanjay and young Shantanu, the strong men who carried their backpacks all through the trek. When many of us were struggling to get just ourselves through the trek, they had done it with their backbacks. It was commendable! I had some entertaining moments ragging poor Shantanu when he shared a room with us, and he was sporting enough to laugh with me. Hats off to Sonali and her indomitable attitude. Anupama-Ashok-Anandi a family who trekked together – what a novel way of holidaying! David who came from Singapore but became one of us in absolutely no time. He was as Indian as Indian could get. Gautami whose theplas were much sought after and which she shared with all of us generously. God Bless you Gautami. Prashasti, the hottest girl in our group, cheerful, sporting and always ready for some fun. She and I shared a really special moment as we rolled down a snowy slope together. We were unstoppable, out-of-control and couldn’t stop laughing at our helplessness as we just kept sliding, slipping and rolling together. Saurav, who was so fit that I always only saw him at the camps because he was always far ahead and was the first to reach the camp everyday!  Richa, with who I had some real soul-conversations. Tarun the solid silent one who soon got himself a new name - RWT! The 5 army guys, Paddy, Amey, Kunal, Rohan and Bhushan, their enthusiasm and penchant for fun and adventure was infectious. They ended up becoming my buddies! If they were just behind me or in front of me during the trek, I knew I was safe. How can I forget Suraj, our trek guide who was always ready with a helping hand and a kind word of motivation. Makhan, the bright and cheerful young boy, who won our hearts with his helpfulness and affection. He is such an endearing boy and I wish him luck in his dream of becoming an engineer. Then there was young and handsome Arjun, so young yet so mature and so solid. When he put out his hand to me, I knew I was in safe hands. The rest of the support team who cooked delicious meals for us, fetched us water, carried our baggage. My salute to them. And last but not the least, Sunita, without who I wouldn’t be doing half the things I end up doing. We have been on so many adventures together that now it is unthinkable for me to do any of it without her. I hope we go from strength to strength and finally conquer the world together!

But for now it was time to go home to my children and husband. It was time for some R&R, some TLC and some more alphabets which I cannot mention here! Yes, yes, you guessed right, so stop grinning! And get back to work…. 

Photo credits - Dr. Arun Nayak, Gautami Gavankar, David Tan, Padmanabh Athavale, Dr. Sunita Kolke, Pavan Madhini, Kunal Patade