I would go back to this place a 100 times!

What is your ideal break?

A break from your usual life, a break from monotony.  For some it might be a long bike ride, for some it might be a day at the spa and for the adventurous souls,  it might be a whole lot more.

For the adventurous ones, a Himalayan trek would be a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Home to the highest peaks on the planet, the Himalayas offer so much more than what meets the eye. Once you feel the fresh mountain air hit your face, see the huge expanse of forest area all around you, you feel connected with nature. You just can’t stop at one trek. The zeal to climb more mountains gets into your blood.

Personally, I was introduced to the wonderland of the Himalayas, with the Kedarkantha trek. As Ruskin Bond quoted ‘the adventure is not just in getting somewhere, it’s the on-the-way experience. It is not the expected: it’s the surprise ‘, the whole journey was just magical. Here are some of the reasons why you should give the mighty Himalayas a try :

1.Nature’s beauty at its best

The mountains offer the greatest array of features. As you drive across the winding roads, you see the streams trickling down at various places carrying fresh pristine water. The forest cover is immense, from thickly wooded trees to rhododendrons to oak and pine trees.

The gigantic mountain ranges with the snow glistening on them are the cherry on the top. It’s like walking through a fairy tale. The wide variety you get in a single trek up the Himalayas satisfies every single part of your soul.

 2.Give yourself a technology detox

Technology has become an integral part of our lives. In this technology-driven world of ours, haven’t we become addicted to it? A day without our cell phones, laptops, and most importantly the internet seems like a task impossible to perform.

In such a hectic environment, a getaway is much needed. What better place to get lost in nature and forget all about deadlines or social media than the top of the world?

3.Test your endurance

The trek isn’t going to be a cakewalk. But, it’s the beauty around you that makes all of it worth every bit. Along the trek up the mountain, you will learn to push yourself like you never imagined you could.

The view gets better as you climb higher, and that’s what motivates you. After all, the best views come after the hardest climbs. You will surely come back with a proud feeling and bucket loads of confidence.          

4.Find your soul

Looking for soul-searching experiences, you venture into the world of Himalayan treks. The noise of the city, the ever-so-crowded streets, the blaring honks, vehicles revving, the fast-paced competitive metropolitan life. Don’t you sometimes, just want to run away from all of it? Nature is the mother of all of us.

We might be facing some challenges in our day-to-day lives or struggling with some issues in life. It is easy to get caught up in the mundane scripted lives of ours. But, mother nature has a cure for this. Among the trees, the mountains, and the fresh breeze, we somehow find answers to the questions we have been asking, we can clear out our minds, start fresh and new.

Somewhat like nirvana? Trekking gives you a new perspective on life. The prodigious ranges, make you feel like a drop of water in an entire ocean. It makes you humble and you also learn that not everything is about you. We should once in a while let ourselves free and give ourselves the peace and happiness we deserve. Don’t you think so?   

5.Get fit

With the majestic views, we also get an added bonus. The trek to the peak is an uphill task, literally! By doing so, you not only get the feeling of achievement but you also get fitter in the process. You lose a lot of calories and simultaneously you have a lot of fun as well. Hence, ditch the gym and go for a trek 😀

6.Do it for the adrenaline rush

If trekking through narrow trails, on knee-deep snow-covered paths, slippery ice doesn’t give you an adrenaline rush, then what on this planet will?  Well, a Himalayan trek surely satisfies the Tenzing Norway in every one of you.

7.Make friends for a lifetime

The trek isn’t all the journey is about. It’s also about the picture-perfect campsites, the marvelous views from the campsites and most importantly the fun you have at the camp.

The journey becomes so much easier and a lot more enjoyable when you have great company. You meet an ample mix of people who take the experience to a whole new level.

The long talks around the campfire, the never-ending game of antakshari, the want of taking revenge during a snow fight, everything just makes it amusing and exciting.

8.Awaken the photographer in you

Wilderness and photography go hand in hand. If you are interested in photography and dream of taking postcard-like pictures, the Himalayan mountains are the perfect models. The starry nights, the majestic snow-capped peaks, a golden shimmer of the sun on the mountains, the mesmerizing sunrises- all of these make for perfect shots.

9.Carpe Diem

If all of these reasons weren’t good enough for you and weren’t able to convince you, well, You Only Live Once! Right? So you should give this a shot anyway. You will have a wonderful time for sure. The biggest adventure you take is to live the life of your dreams. Take your step forward to experience a dreamlike adventure. You will also come back with a million stories to narrate and share! (Just like I did 😉 )

With numerous such reasons to back me up, I would totally go back to the mountains 100 times. I would love to live the mountain life yet again with no hesitation at all. 😀

Now let’s talk about my first experience with trekking, The Kedarkantha!

When it comes to trekking in the winter in India, Kedarkantha is one of the most famous treks. The fact that it’s ideal for a beginner made it the best option for me. Kedarkantha is known for the terrific trek in virgin snow, pretty campsites, and astonishingly wide clearings in the forests. The forest floor is covered by an unending carpet of untouched snow.

After strenuous days of dealing with sub-zero temperatures, a heavy rucksack, sleeping bags, and what not? It was summit day. This was the hardest among them all. With the wake-up time being 2 am, I forgot about washing my face and brushing my teeth.

Just wrapped me in all the possible layers I could find. After having Maggi <3 as breakfast ( yup breakfast at 3 in the morning😅😂 ) I started off on a rather chilling note (literally, it was around -15 degrees) 😅 The night sky was filled with hundreds of twinkling stars. As I kept moving, one foot at a time …. it seemed never-ending.

After hours of pushing myself, I finally managed to reach the summit at 12500 ft with a few minutes to spare before the sunrise. The sky was oh so colorful, with tints of pink, red, orange, and yellow 💛 The mighty sun rose amidst the range of mountains.

What a beautiful sight that was 😍 I have seen the sun my entire life(duh?), but in that simple moment, I realized how the gifts of nature, we ignore otherwise, give us unparalleled joy.

It left me spellbound and teary-eyed! Every single bit of this entire experience was worth it. The cold air, the freezing breeze, the hot tea, the warm hugs of sunshine, the soft snow. It was all so magical✨. In this trek I learned:

1. 1. • How to wear a lens without a mirror? ( Didn’t know I could even do that 😂)
      • How to survive without a bath for 4 days straight ( now don’t think I’m gross, that’s the mountain life :p )
      • How to use and manage with dry toilets 😅 A struggle, kinda
      • How to believe in me and push harder when every inch of my body almost gave up
      • How to not care about cleanliness :p 😂😅
      • Well, I also walked, skid, and fell on a frozen lake -Juda Ka Talab ( A mini chadar trek right there 😝)

Well, funny things aside, through this experience I found out how beautiful and pristine the mountains are and how much I love them 🗻💕 I also found out that your body can do anything, it’s your mind that needs convincing!

It’s indeed true, at the end of the day you don’t just conquer the mountain, but yourself.