Taking back from nature...!!!
Recently I have been to the Deorital Chandrashila trek with IndiaHikes! We summited to 12083 feet to view mesmerizing peaks of the Himalayas!
The journey to the peak contained everything you can ask for a trek. It had a beautiful lake where we found peace, heard an ancient story which was full of wisdom, steep ascends and descends, beautiful rhododendron flowers and other Himalayan flowers on the way, clean water streams, dense forest with huge trees, bear claw marks on a tree, huge meadows, changing climates, sunrises and sunsets, stars in the night sky, wilderness containing foxes, viper snake, Himalayan lizards, various kinds of birds etc., challenging altitude and 23 people fighting against all odds to reach to the top! It was a hell of a ride!
We were out there to move out of our comfort zone. With each situation, we learnt to adjust ourselves. While packing, we became minimalistic, and only packed what we needed. Sat on the ground without thinking about anything. Drank water right from streams. Designation or status in society does not matter in front of Nature, we are all equal. We hugged a tree like a friend. We thanked them for their strong long-standing presence which made the forest. We apologized for disturbing them while walking through. We meditated close to Deorital Lake. After closing my eyes, I started listening to voices from birds around me. I tried to concentrate and calm myself but my mind was roaming around. I was thinking about changing the climate, the next day's trek, will we get snowfall or not? I was not thinking about my family or work in that situation. I was thinking about only today and the next day. Weird, right?
20 city people were trying to adjust themselves to the new situations every day. Guidance from the trek leader and 2 strong local guides helped us to face every day with a strong mindset. They made us ready for upcoming challenges. It was difficult but we did our best. Pushing ourselves to the Chandrashila top through the snow after Tungnath Mahadev mandir was one of the toughest parts of the journey. But we did it together and reached the summit. After reaching the summit, everyone congratulated each other. It was the best moment. After being there for a while, we started descending. Getting down through snow was terrifying even after wearing micro spikes tied to our shoes. A few of us started falling but others saved us. The Trek leaders and guides helped us a lot. After a while, we started enjoying the snow by sliding down. It was fun! Summit charged us so much that we had energy even after reaching the campsite. We started celebrating. Another team from the campsite who were supposed to attempt the summit the next day was surprised. We were happy with this achievement. But the cool-down session reminded us of every muscle in the body!
In just 4 days, we 23 strangers became a strong team. I cannot explain how but it just happened. I think people with the same mindset and goal can gel up easily. Right?
We are so tiny in front of Nature. There are many things we are not aware of! When you stay out of social media, away from the Internet, you start communicating with people, learning new things, and observing others. People usually choose nature for refreshment coz it accepts them, cleans toxicity, and sends them back to their daily routine to face new challenges with a fresh mindset. When I go to the Mountains, they make me humble. I learn that I must be better than earlier. I keep trying to reach the top. Because you got to keep trying, quitting is not an option. Better preparation can help to improve my performance. Along with that, I need the right mindset to reach my goal.
One more thing I have learnt. If the journey is beautiful like a cake, then reaching destination is the cherry on top!
Sunit S. Pendse
23rd April 2023
sunitpendse.blogspot.com
