To Summit All Up.
It’s late February as I type this with bruised skin all over my fingers. My calves, shoulders, and legs are tired but elated.
I’ve just returned from Kedarkantha, a small but challenging Himalayan peak that sits pretty at 12,500 feet. My first high altitude climb with plenty of highs to offer.
Follow my journey in pictures as I attempt to string together the exhilarating events of the past week.
Our first stop is at Gainchwan Gaon. A small scenic village that hosts our Basecamp — the point where every trek actually begins. The Basecamp is only accessed by road- an 8 hour drive from Dehradun, through unrelenting hairpin bends that offer picture worthy sights in return for the nauseating drive. It’s Avomin all the way.
The Basecamp is a homestay run by the local residents of the village. Here, we also meet our trek leader — Dawa, a Ladakhi boy from Delhi with his heart in the mountains.
After a detailed briefing on the trek route, we’re introduced to some of the practices of campsite life. We bring our own cutlery to eat in, and wash them a 3-sink system after scrubbing the remains off with sawdust (more on this later)
It’s all uphill from here. We trek 6 kilometres up the hills through steep slopes and rough terrain to get to our next campsite. From 5,600 feet to about 9,000 feet. It’s no easy feat.
We have a brief stop at a village eatery that happens to be our last contact with civilization. After which we head into the forests.
At the end of 5 hours, we arrive at our first campsite where we’ll stay the night. The camp is simply a set of twin sharing tents, a large-ish tent that’s used for cooking and another that acts a dining tent for the 22 of us.
On arrival, we’re served our lunch. Which we eat out of our own cutlery, followed by a quick nap and some tea at sunset.
This camp is our first taste of sleeping in bags, using bio toilets, and also our first whole day without a shower.
Bio toilets are pits covered on four sides by phone booth sized tents. No flush tanks, no faucets, just toilet paper and sawdust. And to my surprise they feel a lot more hygienic and odour-free than a regular public toilet.
Later the same night, we walk out of camp right before bed, to do a bit of star gazing from a clearing in the forest nearby.
The next morning, we rise with the sun, and after a breakfast of poha and eggs, we pack up and begin a short trek to our second camp.
This walk is just over a couple of hours and a whole lot more rewarding.
Along the way we stop several times, with the scenery and not fatigue that’s leaving us short of breath.
The vegetation consists largely of Green Oak, Spruce Pine and Fur Pine trees that tower over us.
This walk to the next campsite is also our first contact with snow. Something we’ll be seeing a lot of on our way up to the summit the next day.
Soon enough, we reach Pukhrola, the campsite we are to sleep at, right before our big day — the summit climb.
At close to 11,000 feet, our routine oxymeter readings tell us that our oxygen levels are dropping. From a healthy 97–98%, we’re now at an average of 94% but breathing is not a problem.
We drop our bags at the tent and grab some lunch at the camp. We also cross paths with the group that’s just returned from the summit. On the menu is fried rice and veg Manchurian gravy.
Right after lunch, we have a short technical briefing for the day that’s to come.
We’re introduced to Mangal Khadka, a man who knows the mountains like his backyard. The briefing is long, detailed, and instils fear and uneasiness in every one of us.
He shows us how to wear our microspikes, gaitors (accessories that make the climb easier and safer) and gives us clear instructions on what time to wake up the next morning in order to hike up the summit before the snow begins to melt.
With a knot in the stomach, we pass time that evening watching the sun set through the treetops.
The big day is here. We wake up at 4 AM. Many trekking groups are already on their way to the summit to catch the sunrise from the top. But ours is different. We simply want the summit for ourselves.
An hour into our climb, daylight breaks, flushing the skies on all sides with myriad hues.
We are followed by a black dog from the campsite all the way to the summit. He probably wondered what all the fuss was about- a bunch of apes slowly inching their way up like their lives depend on it.
The man on my left is the technical guide Mangal Khadka. A charismatic, agile mountaineer. On his back is a snowboard that he will later use to descend.
The last bit of the climb commences after a short rest at the 'shoulder' of the peak.
By now, the summit is crowded with over 80-odd trekkers scaling the peak from the other slope.
Eventually we hit the summit. Where we take a moment to reflect. We’re not the only ones that made it however.
Once at the summit, we find ourselves to be the only ones there. The other groups leave once the sun comes up. But not before creating an utter ruckus, shouting slogans and making a complete fish market of the place.
Our group finds itself a quieter spot at the peak and we take our time to gaze into the horizon.
We indulge in some snacks, ensuring to carry the wrappers and any other plastic back with us all the way down to Dehradun for proper disposal.
After a satisfying hour or so at the peak, we begin to make our way back to the camp. But the journey back is nothing like the climb up.
In a surprise gesture, the camp team sends us a box of hot alu parathas to be had before we throw ourselves into the snow. Much needed fuel for a high energy descent.
After a short walk, we begin sliding down the steep snowy slopes. It saves time, energy and adds a touch of thrill.
It’s a lot like diving into a pool. The first one can be a little frightening but you want more of it after you’ve done it once.
After about an hour of sliding down slopes, unwittingly stepping into knee-deep pits of softened snow, and walking off the trail, we finally get to a patch of land gives us another much needed break before we descend to the camp for good.
Back at the camp, we grab a quick lunch of Kadhi chawal and get on our way for the next camp site.
We then reach Akhoti, the prettiest camp site by far. In the middle of a thicket, with great views whichever way you look. It’s also colder than Pukhrola despite being at a lower altitude.
Later that evening, we sit down to have an early dinner that begins with a cake cutting ceremony for our fellow trekkers Sanman and Rup, who are celebrating their second anniversary on the trek.
We take one last look at our last camp site, and begin packing our bags to head down to basecamp for good.
On the way to basecamp, we stop to ‘leave’ behind a souvenir at the behest of our trek leader Dawa. He asks us to make something out of what we find, as a ‘keepsake’ for the forests.
The route thus far is a detour — not the same as the one we took on the way up. This offers us fresh scenery at every turn. Until we reach the village that fed us with omelets and tea.
