Anagha Vasista

Day 4- 26th Dec2020: Nayata to Raithal “My only competitor is the person I was yesterday” - Abhi Alimilla.  Today was the final day of the trek. So, on ‘Boxing Day’, I literally hopped, skipped, jumped & slid my way to the basecamp at Raithal. I slipped on a patch of ice & experienced Skiing for a few feet! Not wanting another ‘Michael Schumacher ’ case in my family, I caught a tree to stop my free spin and my team-mates rushed to help me. Dispersal of the team started at the basecamp… Some moved on to Shimla to continue their vacation & some onto another trek by IndiaHikes. My flight back home was on 27th, hence, I decided to stay the night and go back to Dehradun directly. I bid adieu to all my gear that had served me faithfully & relaxed in the warm confines of the hotel. While taking my 1st warm bath after almost a week, I vowed not to take the luxuries provided to me in my life for granted! I went to sleep that night in a warm comfy bed, both excited to go back...

                                  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 ...

EVERYTHING YOU'VE EVER WANTED IS JUST 1 STEP OUTSIDE YOUR COMFORT ZONE - Robert Allen Day 1- 23rd DEC 2020: Raithal to Gui After that little positive self-talk (I had a feeling I would be giving myself plenty of those in the next few days!), we climbed to our first campsite at Gui. There were a few trees and we saw a few birds along the scenic 4km route of moderate difficulty. It was a pretty easy day looking back & a good warmup for the days to come. We reached the campsite situated at an altitude of 9320 ft around 12PM. We had gained an elevation of 2152ft that day & it was steadily getting coooooold! We had lunch, set up our comfortable & well insulated tents (Oh, what an experience that was! Even the smallest task requiring dexterity was difficult with all the layers we were wearing!) and played games all afternoon. That night was honestly very cold. I couldn't sleep for a long time, even in my 4-5 layers. The bright stars, winking at me in the pure night sky ga...

                               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 & expla...

  It’s Christmas time again! The bells are tolling, carols are in the air & Santa is coming to town…well, I’m not sure I’m making it to Santa’s ‘nice’ list this year! Why, you ask? Hmmm…cause it's Christmas 2021! I’ve managed to successfully procrastinate my blog writing for a whole year! We summited on Christmas 2020! This blog has been in ‘edit mode' for a whole year now!!! Naughty, Naughty! It all started with my 10th grade board exams. I needed a pole star to focus on…something that would be my carrot to do well in the exams & motivate me to put in my 100%. So, I decided that seeing snow for the 1st time in my life on Christmas would be the best way to celebrate!  I found the Indiahikes website & started reading up on my options. I tried to find an awesome trek & thought of the best way to convince mom and dad. I was ecstatic when they encouraged me in my plans & gave me wings to fly. It wouldn’t be easy for a 15 year old to do all this alone, but I kne...

Nelson Mandela famously said: “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world”  What is Education? Education is the process of facilitating learning, or the acquisition of knowledge, skills, values, morals, beliefs, and habits. Education is one of the most important investments a country can make in its future. To improve the development of a country, all its citizens should be educated, as an educated citizen acts as a more productive citizen. Education is the most significant tool in eliminating poverty and unemployment. Education is a powerful agent of change, which improves health and livelihoods, contributes to social stability, and drives long-term economic growth. We all have heard about Sustainable Development Goals by the United Nations 2030. Well, Goal Number 4 is an education-related goal, adopted in September 2015. Its overall aim is: to: “ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all”. ...

Today is 6th August, the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Day. We may all know a little about what happened that day in Hiroshima, Japan, but the devastation that followed is unimaginable.  The United States detonated two nuclear weapons over the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki on 6 and 9 August 1945, respectively. The two bombings killed between 129,000 and 226,000 people, most of whom were civilians, and they remain the only use of nuclear weapons in armed conflict.  The allied powers had created two types of atomic bombs: "Fat Man", a plutonium nuclear weapon; and "Little Boy", an enriched uranium weapon. On 26 July 1945, The Allies called for the unconditional surrender of the Japanese armed forces, the alternative being "prompt and utter destruction". Japan ignored the ultimatum. The consent of the United Kingdom was obtained for the bombing and orders were issued on 25 July for atomic bombs to be used against Hiroshima, Kokura, Niigata, and Nagasak...

Maternal health refers to the health of women during pregnancy, childbirth and the postnatal period . It encompasses the health care dimensions of family planning, preconception, prenatal, and postnatal care to ensure a positive and fulfilling experience & to reduce maternal morbidity. A moment of unimaginable joy is what a mother feels when a newborn is placed in her arms – a joy every mother should have the right to experience. However, for many pregnant women in India, this memory will never come to be, for the moment of birth is often frightening. Healthy Mother, Happy Baby! Maternal mortality is considered a key health indicator and the direct causes of maternal deaths are well known and largely preventable and treatable. All women need access to prenatal care in pregnancy, skilled care during childbirth, and care and support in the weeks after childbirth. All births should be assisted by skilled health professionals, as timely management and treatment can make the difference ...

Human society is fast changing. With rapid and breath-taking developments in scientific knowledge and access to extensive information at the touch of a button, the quality of life of every individual is expected to get better. Unfortunately, we still struggle with a plethora of problems at all levels - social, economic, cultural, and political. In such times, wouldn’t it be ideal to have someone we can look up to, someone who can guide us? Luckily, we Indians, don’t have to look far. We have our icon, Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, the father of our nation, whose principles guide us even today. Mahatma Gandhi, or Gandhiji, as he was lovingly called, had strict principles and ideas that he not only preached, but also followed. His simple life, rich values, and enriching wisdom made him a hero to all Indians, for generations to come. Even as years roll by, the Gandhian principles remain everlasting and they hold the power to enlighten the whole world. Let me elaborate…  Ahimsa - Mahatma...

Hello world! As we all know, t he pandemic caused by COVID-19 has created unprecedented challenges for everyone.  This pandemic has affected human and social life, businesses and economies, the healthcare sector and its workers. The solution with which we can rise above the challenges thrown up by the Corona virus and protect the workers who are so valiantly risking their lives for ours, is my app - KnowYourPPE ! It empowers people with knowledge and plays a small but significant role in keeping them safe. With the Corona virus affecting every corner of the globe and no known cure yet, social distancing and Personal Protective Equipment(PPE) are of paramount importance. Wearing masks is a necessary part of our daily wardrobe and yet, the lack of complete knowledge about PPE amongst professionals common man alike is alarming! Today, we have multiple web sites and apps which give detailed information on Covid-19. However, what is lacking is a centralised  repository wh...

Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime! I am a 15 year old who is hugely passionate about teaching. From a young age, I have been attending many camps with my mother, a doctor, where she would talk to underprivileged children in rural areas about various topics. I was immediately stirred by how a single person could make such a big impact on a young child's life by imparting knowledge. This was what inspired me to take up teaching as a passion and a hobby. Giving back to people is dear to me and c ommunity service is something I enjoy doing. Due to these qualities, over the 15 years of my life, I have participated in many health, education and self-defence camps with my mother, for rural and underprivileged children.  I also volunteered to teach students Spoken English at Mathru Blind School, Yelahanka. It was an amazing experience and I will never forget the look on the children's faces. It was truly inspiring. I make ...

                               Le coronavirus ou COVID19 est un nouveau virus qui a créé une pandémie, affectant tout le monde. Beaucoup de pays sont en quarantaine à cause du coronavirus. Les gens ne sont pas autorisés à sortir de chez eux parce que nous devons pratiquer “ La Distanciation Sociale ”, “Social Distancing” en anglais - rester à l'écart des autres, pour arrêter la propagation du virus. Aussi, lavez-vous les mains et utilisez un chiffon pour vous couvrir la bouche et le nez lorsque vous toussez ou éternuez. En Inde, il y a une quarantaine de 21 jours. Le premier ministre de l’Inde, M. Narendra Modi, adresse souvent aux citoyens. Tous les restaurants et centres commerciaux sont fermés, mais les épiceries sont ouvertes. Pour moi, à cause du coronavirus, mon école est fermée. Les examens de mon frère sont annulés. Ma famille et moi restons à la maison tous les jours. Nous nous amusons à...