Next Trip, uh Challenge!
Wednesday, July 30, 2008 – 8:13 amMemories of my last trip remain untold yet fully and this blog is waning….but the good news is, I’m starting for the next trip.
Don’t know how to name this trip. But my friends have already named it as the “Himalayan” trip. No, no, i’m not climbing the Everest or K2. Its a simple organized trekking expedition, technically Grade 2. Walking in the mountains for about 5-6 days for few hours visiting beautiful places like the Valley of Flowers National Park. The pictures should give you an idea…
Well, to start with the critics came home (or at home). Unlike the surprise that my earlier trip evoked, this time its more of concern and jovial ridicule. How could you expect someone who takes his bike for walking to trek up the mountains.
My brother enquired rather sarcastically, “Do they provide any mountain bike or drop you from helicopter or something like that for this trekking?!”. I countered defensively, “You know, i had climbed this hill in Thailand and did Kayaking last time…”.
But the aftershocks kept coming…
Just a week before the expedition a mail from one of the organizer enquired how our exercises were progressing. What? You mean i had to exercise to prepare for this trip? I thought this trip IS the exercise!!
Now dreaming about doing something and actually doing it are entirely different subjects.
This hill that i climbed in Thailand was only for 1 hr which one should normally do in half the time. And its another story that i took Thai foot massage to relieve the effects of this outstanding physical act of mine.
Since the trip is a organized one, i didn’t even care where we go…oops. So now to check it up myself, i decided to plot the expedition in Google map.
Full Travel Map
Larger View of Trekking spots
And see what i got, its awesome!!! Snow clad peaks, rocky mountains, icy lakes and colorful holy places. Then it struck, ahaa, how am’i going to make it….actually, on foot. I developed cold feet despite the fact that i got a hot foot.
Looking at the same map, my sister said very worried, “You dont need to really do this. You haven’t walked up to this St.Thomas Mount or Little Mount in Chennai. You haven’t even climbed upstairs to my first floor room once in a week or even once in a month? Why are you climbing up these tough mountains for salvation??”
I snapped irritated, “Yes, you are right about my habits but its different from my abilities. And whats this nonsense about salvation stuff?”. She replied emphatically, “Then why are going to all these religious places like Haridwar, Rishikesh and even a Sikh gurudwara? I thought you have a prayer!?”. OMG, i’m not going to Himalayas to become a Saint or for redemption. Its just a adventure trek with a photo opp!
The last but not the least was the checklist of items provided by the organizer to be the strict only ones to be carried for the trip. It says 2+1 set of clothes. Was it for the climb? Unfortunately, it wasn’t any Bollywood song shooting. Its for the ENTIRE TRIP!! Eeks, 2 weeks and only 3 sets of clothes? This is a big psychological attack for me. I would easily splurge 2 sets per day. But the organizer is not without reason. You can’t roll your suitcases uphill and everyone have to labour their rucksack by themselves. So the less that you carry the better and faster. Atleast the only relief was that you wouldn’t sweat in Himalayas and its hygienically safe.
All these questions on physical ability and choices of comfort are making this trip appear a Herculean task of Himalayan propositions for me…! Wish me good luck?!
