After the lockdown has finally ended many plans having been made and discarded, it was in Dec last year that I finally got down to getting on a call with a friend and giving life to something I’ve wanted to do for a long time – backpack. I kept putting it off due to lack of funds, or fear of getting molested, or work. So, finally coming across a company, Relive In India, that was reliable, reasonably priced, and did interesting treks through off-beaten tracks, I was elated.

Kedarkantha is a peak in the Garhwal Himalayas at an altitude of 12,500 feet. You have to cover a distance of 20 kilometres over 5 days with an altitude again of nearly 6000 feet, starting from the village of Sankri in Uttarkhand. The weather can be unpredictable with rain and snowfall. The temperatures at night can fall to -15 degrees. Oxygen levels dip steadily. Now, a little about myself- I absolutely loathe the rain and cold. I find anything more than a Bombay winter unbearable and avoid traveling in the rains like the plague. And that’s exactly why I chose this trek. There was no better way for me to end the year than by attempting to overcome my fears. Was I disappointed? In me, maybe a little bit. But by nature? Not even in the slightest. I saw that the wet cold was home to a world of beauty I had never known.

The Next day began with us shivering under our blankets and rushing up for hot tea and breakfast. I was up early, caught a few words with our trek leads as I sipped my tea and looked out at the view. Eventually, everyone came up and there was the hullabaloo that surrounds a family that is just going away for a trip – people looking for things, bringing up their backpacks, and collecting rations.

Day was made infinitely better when a huge furry sheep dog bounded into the dining room! It was definitely too energetic for its size, but who am I to be a jerk and judge beings for their appearances, eh?

Anyway, the trek started off on a wet note: a light drizzle began just as we started walking and all of us had our ponchos out and looked like extremely colorful short humpbacked camels. We were to climb around 2600 ft (4.5 kms) that day, to our first campsite. There were fields of yellow flowers flanking us on either side. A couple of hundred meters down the lane, though, I was thinking, ‘Screw the flowers. Why is my backpack so heavy! Ouch, my shoulders!’ After a couple more hundred meters, though, I started getting the hang of it. We were all warm and energized from the climbing, and my backpack soon felt like part of me.

Around 2 and half hours into the trek, we saw it. Our first patch of fresh snow!  The weary mood of the group lightened, backpacks were immediately forgotten and flung to the ground, and a fierce snowball fight ensued, that ended with the participants being unable to feel their fingers. It was fun though. Real snow was a first for me and we all managed to enjoy a rare happy moment that went uncaptured on camera, and has already turned into just a memory. I doubt I’ll forget the feel of a well aimed hard snow ball hitting me face any time soon, though.

After some more climbing, we finally reached Juda Ka Thalab – The Juda ka Talab campsite was a dazzler in itself with two lakes having frozen together. Being a rather vociferous group of thirty, it was hard to take in the ethereal beauty in silence but nevertheless, it did not fail to amaze. If it hadn’t been all that cold and we weren’t camping on a blanket of snow, I would’ve enjoyed dragging my sleeping bag out of the tent to gaze at the stars which are normally hidden behind the city lights and smog. Or maybe I’m being preposterous. But the few moments I spent with gloved hands and covered ears, gazing up at the sky were worth more than words can describe..

The next day’s trek was much, much easier thanks to the micro-spikes we were provided with. Those things latched onto the snow and ice like magic. I can proudly say I didn’t even fall once, though I did have a couple of close calls. And after a mere two hours, there we were at the Kedarkantha (KK) Base Camp. Through the trees we could see the peak looming in the background, distant and calm. The rest of the day was spent having snowball fights and enjoying the sun, wind and cold. These three elements were a spectacle to be felt when they were in harmony and a wrath to be feared when one overpowered the other. Nature’s nature is strong.

D-day arrived at 3 am the next day when everyone was up and bustling to get ready for the climb to the peak. The night saw little sleep as the temperatures dipped to -12 degrees and droplets of water froze inside their plastic containers. With a hearty breakfast and fastened shoe strings we began our ascent at 5 am through the trail lit by the moon and our headlamps.

Two hours into our walk, we were told that we had reached our peak. Had we really? No. It was the worst instance of something being given to you and snatched away nearly instantly. But it was also strangely refreshing. Or maybe that was what the beginning of my fear and hallucinations. It took another two hours to actually make it to the peak. Those two hours were easily my worst. The fear of falling down the edge seemed to have paralysed my muscles. The sight of the steep slopes pulled my confidence lower than any fall could’ve and tears of anxiety would have been dripping down my face had they not frozen into my eyes before they had the chance to fall. But with a lot of help and boosts, I made it to the top. And the view was worth everything.

The descent was much easier on my mind if not on my knees. And the thrill of sliding down the mountains was unmatched. Of course, a failed attempt at making snow angels was definitely a high point of my day too (amateur tip: fresh snow is the key). I don’t remember the last time I had such a big smile of my face. I was positively beaming, ear to ear, with happiness which knew no bounds. I did my most challenging feat on the last day of the year. Yes, it took a lot of help. Yes, I fell too many times to keep count. Yes, I was pretty much the last person to make it. But I did it. Through the cold and snow and fear, I made it up there.

Authors Note:

 A funny bond was forged during the 5 days of the trek, which left everyone reeling and wanting more, yours truly included. I found it hard to put in words back then how much that trek had meant to me.

 I sorely needed to get away from work and personal life, find somewhere I could give myself time and enjoy. I was beginning to doubt my own worth as a person, and I guess I had to prove something to myself. Maybe in my heart of hearts, I expected the Himalayas to provide me with some answers I needed. In truth though, all that spiritual crap is bullshit. I definitely did not feel like giving up my materialistic life and becoming an Ascetic just because I spent a few days there. It felt great to be able to talk to my parents again, and sleep in a bed. But the mountains have some old magic in them. They put you in your place and make you realize you’re in fact just a teeny little being next to their might. You’re a lot more raw and uninhibited during a high strain situation like a trek and you realize what sort of person you are depending on how you behave in a scenario.

It opens your eyes to how a world left mostly untouched by human beings looks like, and you realize that you, and everyone else, needs to take responsibility ensuring that nature is not completely overthrown by mankind. I realized that I did not want to live in a metal and concrete city in the future, and I felt good that there were still a lot of places that folks were trying hard to conserve. I met a lot of great people, and I realized how much your attitude can affect the mood of your companion when you’re trekking. I felt myself gravitated to those who were funny or cheerful, and found something to laugh about in a mishap, and I realized I could try and be that sort of person too (in spite of not being a very funny person). I heard some inspirational stories. I learnt that age, gender, health problems were not to be considered barriers when going on a trek. They were just milestones to cover. I surprisingly, learnt to enjoy tea. In fact, the only complaint I have, is that the food was way too good. I actually put on a kilo after I completed my trek.