“We
always wonder while trekking, why on earth we go through this exhaustive body – tiring vacation every year,
while one could always take much luxurious and relaxing vacation of choice. Yet
we foolishly come back every year for yet other difficult climb more difficult
than previous once. It’s a complete madness that we get into… yet we enjoy!”
says 32 year old mountain lover Apoorv Naik (Outreach Manager with Drishti
Marine).
He has been travelling to different places
near the Himalayas every year. In all the previous years he has been to
Saurkundi Pass (12,900 feet) in Kullu district, Sar Pass at 13,799 feet Kasol,
Manali and other nearby areas.
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In 2017, he visited Rupin Pass an altitude
trek from Dhaula in Uttrakhand to Sangla in Himachal Pradesh through an
organized trek. Being a high altitude trek, of about 15250 feet, Rupin Pass is
considered among one of the high range expeditions for Trekking in India. The
high altitude in not just sole reason for its popularity among trekkers, the
diversified number of sceneries and sudden variation in trails also attracts
many nature lovers.
At Rupin Pass, Base Camp the activities
began with morning exercises, Acclimatization run and familiarizing among
locals long with Discourse from trek guides and the maps.
“The experience was amazing yet
frustrating at times, we had to answer nature’s call in make shift toilets and
no bathing for next seven days!” exclaims Apoorv. “The awkward part was,
getting out of your sleeping bag in the middle of night, wearing all the gear
and going to the loo with a head torch in the freezing cold.”
The group often woke up early morning, had
breakfast and then would start the trek by 9:00 am. The morning trek was a 2 km
climb and usually the routes would pass through little roads near native
villages where one could interact with the locals. Well organized treks give an
advantage of really good food prepared by locals who trek along with you.
“Temperature usually falls to 0 degree at higher altitudes It
gets very difficult when it rains as most of your clothe get wet and later you
start freezing. Layering of cloth is the key to surviving cold. You wear two
socks and then polythene to keep them dry as water always enters your shoe
trough snow. A bag pack, stick and water bottle are essential,” shares Apoorv.
He advises the star gaze is a must do thing despite all the odds
they face. “We usually wake up in the night and get out of our tent and sit
under a starry sky. Camping on snow is most exciting thing you would ever do.”
Throughout all his journeys, Apoorv have always chosen these
mountainous regions has he connects to them as place of rejuvenation and peace.
According to his ideology of the mountainous areas, life over there is
difficult and he got experience that for those days, but at the same time it is
peaceful. “The bliss you find is like nowhere else, life without internet and
cell phone connectivity is worth living, I realized the importance of living in
the moment than wasting it on gadgets”,” he shares.
He goes on and describes that these places brings one close to
nature and make us realize how materialistic our world is. The people in
mountains are way healthier then we are. One gets to meet new people while
traveling and trekking expands your comfort zone.”
“I made friends for life. Most of my treks are with common friends
with whom I had trekked before. Those who you meet only once a year while you
trekking. We share this funny joke among fellow trekkers that we might not even
recognize each other if we meet other than in our trekking suits,” he gives a
hearty laugh.
From
all the journeys he has made so far, Apoorv believes they are a great source of
learning, and makes one expand their comfort zone, makes us humble, and
connects us to mother earth.
