An Account by a First Time Trekker...

An Account by a First Time Trekker...

Q : When was the last time you did something for the first time?

A : Well, just 2 weeks ago!

Two weeks ago, I went on my first trek, at the ripe old age of 68!

My husband, Sunil, is an avid trekker who has been going on a trek or climb every year with White Magic, along with his group of climbing buddies, all over the age of 50 – they call themselves the ‘Old Far Trekkers ‘ or, if you want to be rude, ‘The Old FarTs’ ! But I, and the other wives, simply call them mad! Every year they return from their trek saying ‘It’s too tough, this is the last time’. Then, 2 days later, they start discussing which mountain they want to attempt next year! This year, for a variety of reasons, the group couldn't do their annual trip together, so Sunil suggested he and I do an easy trek together. Well, if you can’t beat them, join them, I thought. So we picked an easy 6-day trek from Manali to the Hampta Valley in the Pir Panjal range. Being my first trek, I was rather apprehensive, especially since, besides being a Senior Citizen, I am … well, vertically challenged and …er …. ‘pleasingly plump’ – or, if you want to be blunt, short and fat – not to mention unfit! So for 2 months before the trek, I trained regularly, walking 5 rounds of our condominium for an hour every day, and going up and down 5 flights of stairs in our building after each round. On weekends we would walk 2 to 3 rounds of the Bio Diversity Park in Gurgaon, backpacks and trekking boots on. So, by the time we left for Manali, I felt quite fit. It is also very important to get the right gear for the trek. Most important are your boots, sleeping bag, backpack and rain wear. I got a really good pair of boots which were comfortable from day 1. My backpack too, was very comfortable and put no load on my shoulders. An adequately warm sleeping bag is essential for a good night’s sleep – if you don’t want to buy one, you can hire one from WM. And, since you most certainly don’t want to get wet in the cold mountains, light-weight rain and wind proof jacket and trousers are a must. WM sent an exhaustive list of equipment, which we put together in the month before departure. We were a group of eight, of whom five were first time trekkers, three were seniors, and one a 10 year old boy, called Angad! So we were a little nervous about how we would fare. We needn't have worried. Out trip leader Vishwas, and the 2 assistant guides, Sanjeev and Kirti realized that we would be relatively slow, so very sensibly decided to modify the trip route and itinerary so that we had shorter distances between camp sites. This meant we only had to walk 3 to 4 hours a day, and could take time to rest, take photos and enjoy the scenery, while having ample time to rest and relax in the evenings. The trek started with a steep ascent up some rough steps, past apple orchards and a little village. This was our last contact with civilization for the next five days. After this we were in pristine surroundings – pure air and not a plastic bag or tin can in sight. Our first camp was at a small meadow surrounded by deodar forest, occupied by a Gujjar family with their cattle and four playful dogs.

Angad soon made friends with the 2 sons, and we were soon playing kabbadi and musical chairs with them. At night we sat around a roaring camp fire, chatting, telling ghost stories, singing, playing dumb charades or 20 questions – a fun routine that was followed every evening.

The next day was the best day of all. We walked through forests of majestic deodars, chestnuts, and pine, over slopes carpeted with wild strawberries and hillsides painted with wild iris, crossed several small dancing streams, surrounded by the subtle fragrance of pine and wild herbs. A real Garden of Eden to make your spirits soar! And believe me, there is nothing quite as delicious as lunch by a frothing stream or waterfall. At lunch we were overtaken by the horses. And who should be accompanying them but one of the dogs, a beautiful russet fellow with golden eyes, ‘sharbati aankhen’. After much trial and error, we eventually found that he responded to the name Jackie. From then on, he was our faithful companion, winning our hearts with his affectionate ways. At the end of the trek, he accompanied the horsemen back to the starting point and, with his keen sense of smell, I hope he has safely found his way back home

The camp staff are just amazing – after we left camp every morning, they would dismantle and pack the camp, load the horses, then overtake us and, by the time we reached the next camp, the kitchen and dining tents would be set up, and we would be greeted with a mug of hot tea and pakoras, chips and biscuits. That night we camped at a large bugyal, or Alpine meadow, filled with brilliant yellow marsh marigolds around a small stream. It was surrounded by forests on three sides, the towering peaks of the Pir Panjal on one side, and a steep drop to the Beas valley on the other, with Manali a hazy blur in the distance. It was occupied by a gaddi shepherd and his large flock of sheep and goats, who set up a veritable orchestra of bleating – but fortunately they turned off their instruments at night! Next morning we awoke early to catch the first light of dawn making the snow clad peaks blush a glowing pink, while we sipped our hot morning tea. We were very lucky to have bright sunny days most of the time. It was only on the last afternoon, when we climbed up a steep ridge to try to get a view of Deo Tibba and Indrasan peaks, that the clouds came down, causing a white out. Then it started to rain and we had to turn back. But this is also a new experience and part of the ups and downs of the mountains, literally and figuratively. Some parts of the trek were more difficult than I had anticipated. One day we had to remove our boots and socks, and roll up our trousers to cross a calf-deep, ice cold, rushing torrent . This was followed by an almost vertical climb up the bank on the other side, covered with loose rocks. I have a bad head for heights, so I looked to neither left nor right, and just held on to Vishwas’s hand, and put my feet exactly where he had! Then we had to negotiate a very long stretch of large boulders through a shady forest of Himalayan oak. It gave me a great rush of satisfaction that I made it, but I don’t know if I could have done it without his help. I noticed that one or the other guide was always with the 3 weakest members of the group, encouraging us, supporting us, helping us when necessary. When we started to get tired, Sanjeev would entertain us with his cheerful chat and stories, making us laugh and forget our aching legs; when little Angad felt unwell one day, Kirti got him to participate in making up stories of Super-heroes, so he ended up laughing all the way back to camp. And if one of us got very tired, they just took over our day packs, even though they were already carrying the largest backpacks. They were truly great – hats off to them! Hats off also to the cooking team, who served an amazing variety of yummy food. There was something different every day for every meal, including crepes or puri-channa for breakfast, Chinese food and pasta for dinner and, believe it or not, a huge cake for desert on our last night! How they did it is a mystery! Everyone worries about toilet facilities, but these are perfectly clean and sanitary. Two toilet tents are put up over a pit. Each has a western style, sturdy toilet seat, a pile of mud and a small trowel. After you perform, you simply cover it up with some mud, and there is absolutely no smell. The loos are always set up at the edge of the camp, looking out …. so, if you leave the tent flap open, you can have a ‘loo with a view’!

Our final camp was in a spectacular location by the seething torrent of the Hampta river, at the foot of a towering vertical granite cliff. Sadly, previous occupants had left the campsite in a sorry state with litter and uncovered toilet pits. The WM team cleaned it up and covered the pits. They are very eco-conscious and take pains to leave a camp clean – it is a pity that not all tour operators are as particular. We finished our trek on the 6th day, but half our group, including 2 first timers, went on to attempt the difficult ascent to the snow bound Hampta Pass, accompanied by the ever faithful, intrepid Jackie – and they were all successful! Congratulations to them! As for us, we returned to the comforts of civilization – hot showers, flush toilets, electric lights …… and dirt, smelly drains, heat, noise, pollution, traffic jams! So, all you guys and gals of any age, shape and size, if you are dithering about whether to have a go …… if I can do it, anyone can do it. So, JUST DO IT!

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