21st December 2020… A momentous day in my life. My first foray into adulting!
The Fam flew back to Bangalore, while I flew alone to Dehradun. I took a cab from the airport to the hotel, checked in and met a few of my teammates. We ate dinner and got to know each other. Together, we packed for our adventure the next day!
We left the hotel bright & early at 6:30 AM, on 22/12/20. A mere distance of 184km from Dehradun to Raithal, which takes 2-3 hours in the plains, took 9 hours! It tested our patience & my tummy was protesting! However, on the scenic drive to our basecamp, I bonded with the people in my bus and we had a fun time. Since I was the youngest in my group travelling unaccompanied, the seniors took me under their wing & showed me the ropes…I also took a lot of selfies along the way :D
Once we reached the basecamp, the trek director briefed us all & explained the plan for the next few days. We were then assigned our beds & given sleeping bags. We were also provided with gaiters and spikes to walk in the snow and eco-bags to clean up as we trekked. We also taught how to wash dishes in the freezing cold, with less water. & OH! The ‘Dry Toilet’ was introduced to us! Boy! What a lesson in minimalism & living in harmony with nature it was! We city dwellers are really spoilt rotten!
That night, I understood the true meaning of being ’cold’! Its a bone chilling, soul numbing kinda feel… Even with warm sleeping bags & other ‘comforts’, I found it very hard to sleep! The next morning, 23rd Dec, we had a quick meal, packed our 2 bags for the final time with all our gear and started the trek. This was also the last time my phone connected to the network! Digital Detox was enforced on us by mother nature! For a teen to be separated from her phone is akin to a vital body part becoming non functional!!! On a more practical note, I couldn't talk to my family for the next few days :(
To tell you the truth, I was wondering what on Earth I was doing & whether jumping into the deep end of the pool was indeed the best way to learn swimming! I really should have tried a hillock in Bangalore 1st, instead of pitting my might against the Himalayas!
Oh well… I was already here - might as well enjoy the experience, was the mantra that kept me going that day…
Read on for Part III