Day 3-
25th DEC/ CHRISTMAS: Chilapata to Dayara back to Chilapata & onto Nayata
Summit Day! 9.25KM trek with a peak altitude of almost 12000ft!!! To say that it was the hardest day of my life was an understatement, but this was what I was here for…
John Mark Green famously said, “You are not the darkness you endured! You are the light you refused to surrender!” Well, it was Christmas Morning! Santa brought me the gift of my dreams! I was determined to watch the sun rise, at the summit of a snowy mountain! I refused to take the easy option & surrender to mind games by staying back!
We started at 4AM, after just 3-4hrs of fractured sleep and climbed in pitch darkness. We were wearing our gaiters and micro-spikes for the first time as the ice was very slippery. The torches on our heads lit the path ahead & made me feel like a pioneer. Adrenalin really is the fuel for the evolution of mankind! We witnessed the most beautiful & meaningful sunrise of my life as we reached the summit - Dayara Top, at around 10AM. What an accomplishment that was! My sense of satisfaction was profound.
I went on a 12000 ft trek to find myself.
At the top, I looked around.
The Majestic, Mighty Himalayas echoed: “You can’t find something that isn’t lost!”
After taking the best pictures, videos & drone shots, we chose to slide down a snowy mountain. My Jacket was my sleigh & I was dashing through the snow…Oh, what fun it is to ride on my open sleigh! Suddenly the negative temperatures didn't bother me & my sense of well being was at an all time high! Is this what success tastes like? Well, bring it on! I want to be high on life… always!!!
We walked back down to Chilapada…Oh wait! I think we floated on wings…the journey of 4hrs just zipped by. We ate our celebratory lunch basking in the sunshine and soaked up the last rays of the sun. Our descent continued until we reached Nayata, where we set up camp for the night. It was 5PM, and we had been on the go for 13 hours now! This last night of the trek, we all decided to sleep in the dining tent and have a sleepover. Temperatures were below freezing but horror stories kept our hearts racing & mutual laughter cocooned us in a warm spell.
I came here wanting to conquer the mountain, I ended up conquering myself!
