Sometimes we do things not because we want to do it but because we have to do it.
It was the 2nd day of the trek and everyone was excited for the day. The itinerary shared was of 6-7-8 which meant Tea at 6, Breakfast at 7 and we leave at 8 am.
Coming from a city life where the mornings never started before 9 and the night continuous until 12, the essence of the mountain life - Early to wake and early to sleep was the hardest to take in. However, it was surprising that most of the trek mates were raring to go much before the 8 am mark.
I woke up at 7 to the enchanting view of the first light on the adjacent mountain peak.
Being the first true day of the trek, our trek leader Abhirup Paul had us play a game to get to know each other. We had to put an adjective to our name starting with the same letter and the next person had to repeat all the earlier names to acquaint everyone with each other. Luckily enough i was No. 4 and had to remember only 3 names prior to me but the fellows at the end failed miserably to remember 20 odd names often bursting into laughter.
Soon we headed towards en route to the next campsite. The trek from Jobra to Jwara was of 7 kms with an estimated time of 6-7 hours. The most hyped up event of the day was a river crossing. The trek was quite simple. I was one of the few trekkers who were always on the front occasionally stopping at river points for refilling of our water bottles or fulfilling our wishes of capturing the beautiful scenery that we were passing by.
As can be seen, the walk was filled with beautiful clouds, giant mountains and a lush green pathway along the valley. Often we would ask our trek guide Tarabhai for information on the pathway, the livelihood of locals and the adventures of trekking among the mountains. Just listening to the many adventures undertaken by him filled us with an adventurous spirit which helped us on the trek. The stops for refilling our water bottles and catching up with our other trek mates were relaxing and also provided us time to acquaint with each other. On the day we formed a strong bond with Alsi Ashish Victor Vaibhav & Superman Shriniketh. All were completely contradictory to the adjectives they used to describe themselves. Alsi Ashish soon passed on the title to me for being the laziest among the group while the Victor Vaibhav soon turned to Victim Vaibhav and the Superman Shriniketh got a new nickname in called the V-Boy.
True connections are made when there is no connectivity
Truly having no connectivity was a blessing in disguise as it really helped to soak in the beauty of the amazing nature while building bonds with the new friends being made on the trek. Time went by following the trail with the help of trekpoles and chit-chatting and soon we reached the much hyped river crossing. We reached much earlier than the others and thus had time to just look at the free flowing river and hear the rattling sounds of the water hitting the rocks. The flow was strong and as one by one our trekmates started reaching the point, we were asked to remove of shoes and get ready for the crossing. The water felt Icy Cold coming directly from a melted glacier somewhere high up in the mountains. The touch itself was freezing and sent chills down my spine. I quickly perched atop a piece of rock and looked down as everyone prepared for the dreaded crossing. It was fun looking down at everyone crossing the icy cold river with their shoes tied to their backpacks and holding hands to ensure no-one fell off the trail. Eventually since it needed to be done, i attempted to cross the river along with Tarabhai and Rohan and what an experience it was. Knowing that there was no other option other than the crossing, we soon forgot about the icy waters and only had the other side on our thoughts. However, half way through the crossing, i took time to experience the waters and of course pose for a few snaps on the waters.
It was the 2nd day of the trek and everyone was excited for the day. The itinerary shared was of 6-7-8 which meant Tea at 6, Breakfast at 7 and we leave at 8 am.
Coming from a city life where the mornings never started before 9 and the night continuous until 12, the essence of the mountain life - Early to wake and early to sleep was the hardest to take in. However, it was surprising that most of the trek mates were raring to go much before the 8 am mark.
I woke up at 7 to the enchanting view of the first light on the adjacent mountain peak.
First Rays of Dawn - Jobra
Being the first true day of the trek, our trek leader Abhirup Paul had us play a game to get to know each other. We had to put an adjective to our name starting with the same letter and the next person had to repeat all the earlier names to acquaint everyone with each other. Luckily enough i was No. 4 and had to remember only 3 names prior to me but the fellows at the end failed miserably to remember 20 odd names often bursting into laughter.
Soon we headed towards en route to the next campsite. The trek from Jobra to Jwara was of 7 kms with an estimated time of 6-7 hours. The most hyped up event of the day was a river crossing. The trek was quite simple. I was one of the few trekkers who were always on the front occasionally stopping at river points for refilling of our water bottles or fulfilling our wishes of capturing the beautiful scenery that we were passing by.
Building Bonds
A Pit Stop
Just a passing by view
As can be seen, the walk was filled with beautiful clouds, giant mountains and a lush green pathway along the valley. Often we would ask our trek guide Tarabhai for information on the pathway, the livelihood of locals and the adventures of trekking among the mountains. Just listening to the many adventures undertaken by him filled us with an adventurous spirit which helped us on the trek. The stops for refilling our water bottles and catching up with our other trek mates were relaxing and also provided us time to acquaint with each other. On the day we formed a strong bond with Alsi Ashish Victor Vaibhav & Superman Shriniketh. All were completely contradictory to the adjectives they used to describe themselves. Alsi Ashish soon passed on the title to me for being the laziest among the group while the Victor Vaibhav soon turned to Victim Vaibhav and the Superman Shriniketh got a new nickname in called the V-Boy.
True connections are made when there is no connectivity
Truly having no connectivity was a blessing in disguise as it really helped to soak in the beauty of the amazing nature while building bonds with the new friends being made on the trek. Time went by following the trail with the help of trekpoles and chit-chatting and soon we reached the much hyped river crossing. We reached much earlier than the others and thus had time to just look at the free flowing river and hear the rattling sounds of the water hitting the rocks. The flow was strong and as one by one our trekmates started reaching the point, we were asked to remove of shoes and get ready for the crossing. The water felt Icy Cold coming directly from a melted glacier somewhere high up in the mountains. The touch itself was freezing and sent chills down my spine. I quickly perched atop a piece of rock and looked down as everyone prepared for the dreaded crossing. It was fun looking down at everyone crossing the icy cold river with their shoes tied to their backpacks and holding hands to ensure no-one fell off the trail. Eventually since it needed to be done, i attempted to cross the river along with Tarabhai and Rohan and what an experience it was. Knowing that there was no other option other than the crossing, we soon forgot about the icy waters and only had the other side on our thoughts. However, half way through the crossing, i took time to experience the waters and of course pose for a few snaps on the waters.
River Crossing with the Trek Leader - Abhirup and Tarabhai in frame
The real problem arose after the crossing. Just a few moments away from our next campsite, soon the clouds rose above us and drops of rain started to fall. Not giving a moments rest, we soon geared up our shoes and rushed to the campsite. Luckily enough for us, the rain started getting heavy after we reached the campsite but few of the others got caught in the rains and inspite of having a Poncho were completely drenched in the heavy rains.
The feeling of accomplishment over the challenging river crossing and the entire day was something else. Such moments are rare to come by and completing them with a smile on the face teaches us a tough lesson in life. It may just have been another day in a trek but the challenges and the excitement going into the unknown truly had an effect of adrenaline rush in us and helped us complete the tests of the 2nd day.
The rains stopped shortly after and the night began to encroach on the sky. The gloomy clouds however still roamed above us thereby always keeping us on our toes. We ended the day with a classical Antakshri reciting some of the most famous songs of Bollywood and soaking into the mood of friendliness. It felt like we had always known each other for a long time and after a healthy dinner and a dose of Ajwine (Pardon me if i am wrong but we argued and guessed for over an hour on what the drink was only to realize we were not fit to know it) we soon rolled up in our sleeping bags and tents to end the day. The next day plan was to reach Balu Ka Ghera fairly easily and prepare for the hardest part of the trek from Balu Ka Ghera to Shea Goru via Hampta Pass. Knowing we still had an easy day before the toughest one was a sign of relief. Tending to our tired legs and spirited journey completed, we easily dozed off to sleep.
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