Climb

If there was one thing that the pandemic thought us, it was, "get busy living, or get busy dying". I too had an epiphany of sorts; there was a world to explore. The thing is, you can afford to take your time, but you cannot afford to waste it.

The very first climb (Kuari Pass) kindled a love for the mountains. The Alpenglow on the enchanting Mt.Nanda Devi will forever be etched in my memory. The great mix of mountains, bugyals (meadows) and the forests helped me discover the great outdoors of our country. And this love affair has continued for the past 2 years.

The latest hike took me to the heart of Kashmir. With a day to spare in the fortified Srinagar, some very touristy things were taken care of. A shikara (gondola like taxis) ride on the dal lake, stay at a house boat, a visit to the Shankaracharya Temple and a very forgettable walk in the Mughal gardens.

             

The beautiful and serene Dal lake
(we had shikara vendors pulling up to sell gems, flowers, fruits and most interestingly barbecue food!)

 View from the house boat's sun deck

(grab a chair and a kahwa and take it all in!)

View from the Shankaracharya temple 

(notice the house boats lined all along the dal lake)

The next 7 days we were mesmerised by the sheer beauty of the valleys. Stretching from the charming village of Aru to the expanses of Lidderwat, and spanning from the undulating emerald peaks of Shekhawas to the vast alpine lakes, these lakes acquire a distinct essence. The opportunity to set up camp alongside these majestic sapphire bodies of water, nourished by snowmelt, is an experience that l can't wax eloquent about.

There were innumerable instances in which Amir Khusro’s famous words kept chiming in my head: If there is a heaven on earth, it is here, it is here..

This photo roll hopefully gives a sense of the beauty that has been bestowed upon us.

Notice the Gujjar Bakarwals' (shepherds) homes built for their seasonal migration

The Lidder River

(this picture was taken from my tent!)

Just couldn't get enough of these valleys!

My fav spot from the trek; I could try to describe, but words would fail me. So, a video below.

Campsite as Shekawas

(note the flock of sheep below the clouds; earlier in the day they were spread across the vast pastures grazing and looked like rocks from our vantage point)

Mountains towering over the clouds

The Tarsar Lake Campsite 

(The lake showcases nature's incredible prowess, with its waters adorned in a mesmerising turquoise hue, nestled within a bowl-like basin encircled by snowy patches that contribute to its water source)

The Tarsar lake seen from above

The Sundarsar Lake

(This lake is between the Tarsar and Marsar lake. Tar in Kashmiri roughly means Life and Mar means death (and sar being lake). And sundar of course means beauty. So, in between life and death lies beauty. Corny, much?)

The stunning and immersive Marsar lake as seen from an overhang 

(took all the unwanted thoughts, put them in the recycle bin and pressed delete; that sweet soft crushing sound)

The treks are always more fun with a friend 

(helping process things with the alchemy of levity since 3 decades)

On the high altitude treks, the night sky is a bonus feature. The magnificent 

Milky Way!

(Shot on long exposure on the iPhone, the blurriness is due to my shaky hands. For reference, a picture of the Milky Way from another trek below, taken by amateur astro photographers)

The Milky Way looming large over our campsite

(this was the most glorious night sky I've ever seen)

           Starlink satellites seen as a "train" of bright lights moving across the sky

                 (imagine the un-contacted tribes of the Amazon looking at this)

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This is where this post turns LinkedIn-ish ;) Read on, if you want to brave the gyaan :)

Our workplaces and lives are far removed from the terrains of the Himalayas, but there is so much to learn about work and life at every turn of a trek. A few simple things I have learnt along the way.

Step-By-Step

There are times when you look up, you see a giant wall of snow in your way or a large swathe of boulders on a 60 degree ascent. The only way through this is to take a single step and then another and then another. Slowly, you'll get there. The same principle when you are daunted by challenges in life; do the little and simple things and keep going.

Partners

The trail sometimes gets very tough and lonely. We can't do everything by ourselves; we need a little help. As in work or life, having a trusted partner/team will help navigate the obstacles. They add their layered perspectives and show you things that you weren't seeing. The most important part of chasing a dream is the people who chase it with you.

It Takes One Person

In Kashmir, the hikers can't pitch their tents permanently. So, they are pitched in when we arrive at the campsite and then taken out while leaving in the morning. This was done by the trekking crew and while this was being done the trekkers would stand and wait. One of the days, one trekker goes up and starts helping them in taking out the tent poles out of their sleeves and then packing it along with the tent body and the rain fly. Seeing this, all of us who would just stand with arms around our waists all those days were nudged to do the same. Looking at us coming to help, there was an unmistakable delight among the local crew. They were more than happy to teach us how it's done.

I don't need to strap a take-away line to this!

Humility

Shah Rukh Khan once said that whenever he feels untethered to the ground, he makes a trip to the US and then they bring him right back to the ground (reference to his travails with the USCIS)! I, go to the mountains. It makes you feel so small in the grander scheme of things. It has always been a very humbling experience. As we get more experience at the workplace, it won't be much about the skill; it will be about being open. And humility is the cornerstone to being more open.

What's in your backpack?

A list of things to pack for a trek is given by the organisers. If that's followed, the weight of the bag is generally manageable for any adult. But we always tend to pack more. We pack for the What Ifs. We pack thinking what difference would 2 more t-shirts do or 5 more energy bars do. But, when the ascent gets harder, the extra 100g feels like a kilo. This seemed familiar.

What's in your backpack? ..is what George Clooney's character asks in the movie Up In The Air. He draws a metaphor of the backpack to the emotional baggage we carry. All along our lives we keep carrying unnecessary things that "weighs" us down; animosity, compromises, regrets, secrets. He prods us to empty the "bag" of such things. The trek/walk becomes so much easier. 

And finally, when you are there, talk to the mountains. They always listen; they listen to understand.

Peace out.