When it comes to one’s love for mountaineering, you have to
risk it all in order to experience its unbridled beauty. Climbing any of the
peaks of the Himalayas is said to be one of the most exhilarating experiences
and the careful planning and daredevilry that goes into the strenuous climb only
makes a mountaineer stronger.
After the devastating earthquake in Nepal on April 25, 2015,
the aftershocks were felt in North East India too. Many international and
national mountaineers lost their lives at Camp 1, Camp 2 and the base camp of
Mount Everest, Earth’s highest mountain partly situated in Nepal. With the
ensuing avalanches and lack of proper shelter and footing, mountaineers faced a
huge gamble to survive. However, the mountaineering community in Goa has not
changed their minds about climbing the infinite Himalayas.
If you enjoyed reading this article, you can help support our journalism by adding OHeraldo as a preferred source.
Offtrail Adventures is one of the groups taking the
Himalayan route. “We left from Goa on Tuesday afternoon and will be in Himachal
Pradesh on April 30, 2015. I have been constantly in touch with the guides at
Manali and everything is cleared. The entire trek will go on as planned. We
have faced no problem so far and places like Manali and Uttrakhand had no effects
of the earthquakes and no avalanches. We have to be as safe and cautious as
possible,” says Bianca Dias of Offtrail Adventures who is heading to Nanda Devi
East and Milam Glacier in Uttrakhand.
Professional climbers establish the base camp by the month
of November itself for future trekkers. Durgadas Parab of Eco Treks will be
leading trekkers through the Hamta Pass from May 13 to 20, 2015 and onto the
Mani-Mahesh Glacier from May 23 to 27, 2015. His sentiments are with the
families of the mountaineers who lost their lives, and especially for those who
couldn’t make it up to the top. “We will
have both the treks as per schedule. Nepal falls in the eastern part of
Himalaya and our treks are in the western region of the Himalayas. The distance
between Kathmandu and Manali is 1,563kms. This will be the sixth annual trek of
Eco Treks to the Himalayas and we have not come across this problem in the
past. It is quite unfortunate that the mountaineers who had the dreamt to see
the view from the top lost their lives before experiencing this breathtaking,
life-altering feat.”
While the trekking groups are confident that their treks to
the Himalayas will not be affected by the recent natural disaster, they underline
the importance of physical fitness to get through it. Lester Pinto has been
participating in every Himalayan trek with Eco Trek for the past six years.
Throughout the year, he keeps himself fit by walking, swimming and eating healthy.
“The terrain is not difficult but you have to get your footing right and be
very careful. You should not get distracted by talking with your friends or
fellow trekkers; every step is important,” advises Lester.
