A Walk in the Woods

It was a bright, lovely autumn day. I woke up early for my trek from Vashisht towards Bhrigu. My friends had ditched me last minute and I was in no mood to waste a free day. Although I felt anxious the night before, I decided to go ahead with my plans anyway. En-route, Vishal, my friendly, well-mannered driver chatted with me about various treks in the area. He was also quick to caution me about any ‘druggies’ that I may meet along the way. Apart from that, there was no danger, he said.

Feeling confident and raring to go, I was unperturbed by this little piece of information. The trail started from alongside the Vashisht temple where I asked a little girl for directions. I started to climb up the stone steps, stopping every few minutes to catch my breath.  As I stood outside the last house in the village wondering which of the two paths to take, an old man magically appeared as if to guide me on where to go.

From there, it was a steep uphill climb. Little did I realise that it would only get steeper as I climbed higher. The morning sun rays, birdsong, and sweeping valley views of the snowy mountains kept me captivated. Steps carved out of stone soon turned into a steep dirt track with loose stones and rocks strewn all around. While I would want to catch a breather every now and then, I had to keep a firm grip on the ground to avoid rolling down the mountain! The path did flatten out at times, however, too few times to count. Leaky pipes along the way made for a muddy adventure. It did come in handy when I had to wash my hands from all the holding onto rocks, bushes and tree branches to carry myself up precipitous corners.

Starting out from Vashisht village

A verdant green mountainside

Navigating rocks and loose stones en-route

Breath-taking views

Jogini waterfall

One of the flat sections on the trail

I enjoyed walking at my own pace without a destination in mind. For a change, I was actually taking the time out to enjoy the journey and the beautiful surroundings. With no one around, I had the cool breeze in my hair and chirping birds for company. It was so quiet that at one point I could hear the sound of rustling leaves and spotted an oriental turtle dove foraging through them for any light bites. Further on, I was lucky to catch a glimpse of the colourful Himalayan Monal, its electric blue coat glinting in the sun. Throughout the way, I only came across two villagers making their way down for supplies. Apart from that, it was just me and nature in all its glory. I have never felt more at home.

My friend had told me that I might get bored alone. On the other hand, I had the most magical time being in the moment – bird-watching, filtering through happy memories and gazing at the mighty Himalayas. I went on a trek alone after many years. Generally, I am always trying to keep up or catch up with someone, oftentimes missing the lovely views and the journey. This time it was different. Every step felt meditative. I feel like I came back stronger, except the minor aches courtesy a few slips along the way. Perhaps, that’s what makes the journey even more worthwhile.

A happy poser

Going The Distance

Carrying our backpacks, we made our way;

Traversing new grounds & heights along the way;

Amidst yak bells and over-loaded porters;

Munching on chocolates, we carried as hoarders;

Pushing each other to climb further;

While taking pictures for one another;

Breath - taking scenery and slow, deep breaths;

Took us all the way to Everest Base Camp, step by step.

- Saachi Dhillon

The Mountains We Climb

On the way to Gorakshep

Everest Base Camp at a glance

Wide eyed, I smiled incessantly while breathing in the thin, icy-cold air at Everest Base camp.  At 5364 metres (or 17,600 ft) above sea level, with a glint of snow in our eyes, we felt at the top of the world! Group photos, videos and warm cheer filled the sub-zero atmosphere. Rumour had it that Tom Cruise was around as well.  

My Khumbu cough and cold magically disappeared during that time.

We had made it.

I had made it.

Made it!

Having traversed over 60 kms over 9 days to reach there was no small feat. From high passes to deep valleys, through fragrant rhododendron to blue pine forests to rocky flatlands adorned with the world’s highest mountains; we had come a long way. Panoramic views of Everest (8848 m), Lhotse (8516 m), Ama Dablam (6812 m), Nuptse (7861 m) amongst some of the world’s other tallest peaks kept us mesmerized.

Having scaled new heights, the weight that we carry was slowly lifted off our weary shoulders. Amidst epiphanies & new perspectives in the oxygen-poor air, we felt a sense of relief. An achievement like no other.

The Mountains we climbed to get there, the mental shackles that we broke through and the dreams that we realized as a result. It all came together at the world’s highest base camp.