We dream… we dream about many things … but we strive to make only few of them a reality and leave the rest of the dreams as dreams only, to cherish them someday in our leisure time.
A high altitude trek was one such dream of mine, always enthralling and yet a little daunting. So for years that dream remained a dream without becoming a reality.
In November, my friend Dhanshree Jagtap did the Deoria Tal Chandrashila trek with Indiahikes. While chatting with her, I could get detailed information about this trek. She told that in March and April, rhododendron flowers will be blooming in this region … and the dormant dream was awakened once again.
It is said that DeoriaTal is the lake where the famous Yaksha and Yudhishthira conversation had taken place. On the way to the summit, Tungnath is the highest temple of Shankara in the world, one of the Panch Kedars. It is said to have been built by the Pandavas. The summit point of the trek is Chandrashila. The place where Chandra did Tapas. It is also said that Rama did Tapas here after the Rama Ravana war. Of course I wanted to visit all these places. The forests blooming with Rhododendron or Buransh were tempting! The only thing that held me back was the height of these places!!! At an altitude of more than twelve thousand feet, when the air becomes thinner, I was afraid that I would not be able to breathe properly. But if I go on this trek, I would have Sneha, Kedar and Rajshree with me. So after a lot of dilemma, gathered courage and registered at Indiahikes!!
Immediately after the registration, I got the TMT test done. Indiahikes has made Treadmill Test mandatory for everyone above 58 years of age. As the test results were normal, I started preparing for the fitness of the trek. Indiahikes is very particular about fitness and you cannot go on the trek unless you have a fitness certificate. So I started brisk walking. I walked everyday and at least 5 km everyday. I climbed the stairs up and down and went to nearby points like Lion point for a hike.
But as they say, if everything goes smoothly, then there won't be any thrill in the life!! The right heel had stopped paining earlier, but as soon as I started the preparation for the trek, she realized that her importance was diminishing. The heel thought that she is always 'right' and this is about her existence and started aching again. So while walking in home, I let her behave according to her whims but when I went for walks, I didn't listened to her grumblings. Soon she realized that I was not giving enough importance to her and so she became very obedient and slowly the pain faded away.
As soon as the heel ache was cured, to make the life interesting, my right eye suddenly turned red. I waited for a day and went to the doctor. High altitude increases pressure on the blood vessels and I never wanted my eye to join the gang!! The doctor gave me drops. But after two days, the eye became so red that even though I was comfortable, the people looking at me were restless! Back to my doctor and she said that this is a stage in the eye's recovery and I breathed a sigh of relief. Anyhow, by this time, I was determined that 'whether the heel hurts or the eye reddens, I will go for the trek'!!
Our friend Swapnil Lakhe, who had gone for the same trek in March, had said that we pay ten thousand rupees for the trek and do the shopping for it spending 25 thousands!! It kept lingering in my mind. So I had decided to buy minimum things.
But I bought special shoes for the trek and practiced walking in them. Shoes and feet had to get along well with each other before the trek!! We had decided to take trekking poles and head lamps on rent from Indiahikes.
After getting the fitness certificate from Indiahikes, started packing the trek bag with real enthusiasm. I had decided to carry minimal luggage, dry fit- light clothing. There are many videos of India hikes available for preparation, it helped a lot.
Although this trek was in April and a spring trek, three to four layers of clothing were necessary. Because the temperature was going to be in the single digits on most of the nights. On the last day, we were going to walk on the snow. Packed all the essentials for winter and boarded the flight to Dehradun. From Dehradun we were to take a taxi to Rishikesh and from there all the trekkers were to go to Sari i.e. the base camp.
Starting for first high altitude trek in my life at the age of 60, I was filled with immense curiosity, expectation and excitement. The initial apprehension had subsided to a great extent.
Dehradun airport is small, clean and beautiful. Gayatri Mantra is engraved on all the outer pillars. When we arrived, the rays of the setting sun were illuminating the pillars.
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| 📷Kedar Tembe |
There were three such vehicles. We left Rishikesh at 7:30 in the morning, it was 2:30 when we reached Sari.
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| 📷Supan shah |
After that there was a ice breaking session. We got to know each other, the trek leader, trek guides. Later the trek leader and trek guides explained to us all the rules and precautions to be taken in the trek.
Chandrashila was visible from the Sari base camp. Looking at the peak, it was hard to believe that we would be there in four days, at such a height. All of us were excited and ready for the adventure.
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| Chandrashila |
We were not knowing that bunkbeds in the tents, toilets with water, a dining hall with benches and tables is such a luxury and won't be available for next four days!! Taking bath was possible only after going back to Rishikesh!! All trekkers usually think that bathing daily is a superstition!!
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| 📷Samrat Darda |
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