Why did I go on another trek? (#KedarkanthaPeakTrek)

If you haven’t read my 8 days solo trip & first trek, click on this link and you will not regret it! And, here I am writing another article on yet another amazing trek.

Company: TTH - Trek The Himalayas | Duration: 6 days | Trek Name: Kedarkantha Peak Trek | Appro/Alti: 20kms / 12,500ft

C’mon! It’s boring if I just mention the reason without sharing with you the amazing experience that I had. If I don’t, it would just be another “Information Article”. Remember, my intention is ONLY to bring a smile to your face. Even if it’s for a few seconds, it’s still worth it!

It wasn’t a straightforward decision, leaving my family behind. Especially my 10months old daughter, but I had to do it. I wanted to introspect the last one year that I spent with everyone I love to contemplate and re-prioritize my responsibilities. I had to get out of my vicious cycle of my lifestyle to be close to the nature and live a minimalist life. Yes, that was the primary reason I went on a second trek.

Like me, there were 10 more people who had come for different reasons from different states. Atharva, Aditya, Amish, Brijesh, Darshan, Purushottam, Rajnil, Riyansh, Shivam, and Sudhanshu.

Trek is not a child’s play. Although some of us behave like children in mountains, we need someone to guide us with respect. TTH assigned Archana ma’m and Mukesh sir as our leaders to guide us. (5 Star to their leadership qualities).

Day1 Arrival to Sankri: We started our journey by road, enjoying the greenery and colorful houses and huts that passed by. The mountains behind these houses and huts appeared as if someone had carefully placed them one beside the other. They appeared differently as I changed my camera angle to capture them. They were camera-consciousness. (pun-intended).

Day2 Sankri to Juda-ka-Talab: With my 10 trekkers and 2 trek leaders, the trek begun around 9:30 ish with a heavy bag on my shoulders and a small bag that had my camera accessories in the front. Our leaders briefed what TODO and what NOT TODO when someone is in the mountains. The path was hard, although the trek was assumed to be ‘easy-to-moderate’. We took minor breaks at Maggi-points and had the local plant juice - Rhododendron. It’s… different. You should taste it to understand why it’s difficult to express. At night, they surprised us with a birthday cake. The small but comfortable tents welcomed us at night.

Day3 Juda-ka-Talab to Kedarkantha Base: It was just a few kms, and we were glad that it was short. We did what someone cannot imagine a group of people could do - we played cricket with our own customized rules. This brought the group much closer than we were before. We saw a different child in each of us that spoke during the match. We had to stop playing because our food was getting cold, not because we were starving. On the way, we got a small opportunity to speak to our family as there’s no network in the mountains. We had to sleep early in our beautiful and clean tents because the next day the trek was scheduled at 2 45 am.

Day4 Base to Kedarkantha Peak, then to Hargaon camp: Most of us couldn’t sleep properly because the excitement was at its peak. With sleepy eyes and hyperactive mind, we started our trek. We had torch lights tied to our head and good clothing to save us from the extreme cold. We had to wear mircospikes to walk comfortably on any type of ice. It was a lifesaver. Thanks to the trek leaders for showing us how to use it. I will be honest with you - it wasn’t easy at all. We all did it because we worked as a TEAM. The entire group supported and motivated each other at every step. We cautioned each other if it was slippery or rough. When we reached the view, the sunrise, the satisfied faces, and the cheerful smiles were clearly visible. It was breathtaking! We sang all the Bollywood old songs that each of us knew to Hargaon camp. We were exhausted, but the songs kept us moving even during the rough terrain. We ended our day with horror stories and clearing our bowels with cat method. LOL but True!

Day5 Hargaon to Sankri: We knew what could keep us motivated while descending back to the place where we started - The old Bollywood songs. We just didn’t sing, we felt them. We let our emotions distract us from the exhaustion and it worked for all of us. It worked so well that even our heavy bags didn’t seem to bother us. We clicked beautiful pictures at different scenic places. It appeared as if the mountains had trapped the fog and the clouds for us to enjoy the view. Some mountains were covered with snow. It appeared as if someone had carefully done it. We had a few glasses of Rhododendron juice again. When we were reached Sankri, we ended our trek with not-so-hard pushups. yes, you read it right! We spent the night sharing our funny moments before we crashed on our beds.

Day6 Sankri to Dehradun: With heavy hearts and dizzy mind, we thanked our trek leaders for being superb and showcasing the good leadership qualities. The road journey was tough, although the roads were good. We had to take a different route because the usual path was crowded with tourists. We promised each other to stay in touch and created a WhatsApp group for ourselves to share the moments we spent together.

Was I able to fulfil my purpose and the primary reason behind the second trek? I realized that with good people who understand and support each other in life-threatening situations, life becomes much easier and happier. The differences and expectations don’t bother if we had good intentions for each other. If you have the right leader guiding you in tough times, the arduous journey becomes bearable and relatively easy. That’s how you move forward in life happily and with confidence!

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