A gritty silver shares his best birthday gift ever—the trek of a lifetime in the snow-clad Himalaya

I love the great outdoors and am a passionate trekker. On occasion, I have even led some modest treks in the hills on the outskirts of Mumbai. But every trekker worth their salt yearns to do The Big One—the trek of a lifetime—and I was no exception.

This longing made me notice the recent achievement of a young man who had done the ‘Chadar trek’ on the frozen Zanskar River, deep in the Himalaya, en route to Leh. Greatly inspired, I booked a trek called ‘Kashmir Great Lakes’ at 13,750 ft in the Himalaya scheduled for this year.

To get into shape, I took swimming classes for two months, and walked and jogged every day for 22 days. I also underwent a thorough medical check-up and was certified as fit to undertake the trip by my doctor. Next, I got together all the paraphernalia I would need and was poised to leave for the best adventure I would ever have.

However, the political situation in Kashmir suddenly turned volatile and the tour was called off. Thankfully, the tour operator gave us the option to trek via Himachal Pradesh to Hampta Pass at an altitude of 14,500 ft. The trek was scheduled for 22 August.

I reached Manali via Delhi, a day before the trek, to get acclimatised. I was the oldest in the group with the other trekkers aged between 22 and 34, but that didn’t bother me. We were briefed that evening and all geared up to start trekking the next morning.
We were taken to our base camp at Jobra and, from there, negotiated 42 hairpin bends. The more we climbed, the smaller and more beautiful the city below looked. Despite the most beautiful canvas that unfurled before my eyes, what startled me was the water we were asked to drink at the base camp—freezing cold from a narrow, flowing stream.

For a man used to drinking filter water, this was a setback. I was told that, every day, each trekker must consume 5 litre of this cold river water to keep hydrated. Yet, the chilled water seemed to be freezing my insides! It was my first challenge during those glorious five days.

Nevertheless, I pressed on. We trekked through a forest of pine and bright green maple, which gave way to open grasslands filled with wild flowers. I had never seen anything like it before. With only the wind as our companion, we kept climbing en route to Jwara, our campsite for the day. It nestled at the intersection of two valleys and was picture-postcard perfect.

I was a little worried, though, as I felt a cold and cough coming on. As always, our camp was near a river so we had easy access to drinking water. Each tent housed three people; each of us had a sleeping bag that could withstand temperatures up to minus 10ᴼC. We were warm and cosy but I could not sleep, thanks to my cold, which was turning nasty. I was coughing and my nose was blocked. I took a Crocin and applied Vicks to my chest and nose but to no avail. Thankfully, I was not running a temperature.

The next day was day three and we trekked only 5 km to help us get acclimatised to the altitude. I was determined to enjoy the wonderful scenery out in the wilderness. The valley got narrower and the rock faces and rushing and tumbling Rani Nallah were breathtakingly beautiful.

Our next challenge was to cross a river. It was rushing down from the mountain and gushing through a big rock, filling a large trench before it rushed out onto a plain. The water was freezing and it was around 11 am. We were all shuddering but terribly excited at the prospect of crossing the furious river. We formed a human chain; after much tugging and stumbling, we conquered our fears and crossed to the other side, our limbs numb. We had to keep moving our legs to keep the circulation going.
Once we had climbed 1,000 ft out of Jwara, we could finally see it: Hampta Pass. From the campsite, we saw a series of ledges going up to the pass and the prospect of a great adventure the next day!

But, as luck would have it, my cough and cold grew worse. My nose was blocked and my face swollen. By now, I was running a slight temperature too. I was given some strong medicine but I could not sleep at night. Fortunately, I had a young lad as my tent-mate, who not only put up with me but helped me.

The next morning, Navi, the representative of the trekking company, inquired about my health, as he had done every other day. He was a good support to all the trekkers and showed genuine concern about our health and our needs. Unfortunately, a long trek had been scheduled for that day: 10 km and 11 hours of trekking.

The valley was almost a gorge, with intimidating mountains rising on either side. Mt Indrasen towered over us to the right. Hampta Pass itself was like an overhang. The ascent was steep. As my nose was blocked, I breathed through my mouth and fell behind the other trekkers. I was struggling but I kept climbing. Navi was by my side throughout and helped me when I needed a hand. My co-trekkers were also very helpful. They gave me chocolates and biscuits and egged me on. I was determined to keep going and I did. I even managed to enjoy the arduous journey!

The mountains that loomed around me were stoic and strong, and inspired me to draw on a reservoir of courage from within. So, taking a cue from them, I finally climbed the summit, Hampta Pass, and was enthusiastically greeted by my team. I had indeed made it—I had climbed 14,500 ft in the Himalayas! I felt a strange sense of elation that is hard to describe. Suddenly, I felt energised and recharged. As if a reward for my perseverance, the most dramatic scene was laid before my eyes: the expanse of the desert mountains of Spiti. After we had our fill, we began our descent, 3,000 ft to our camp.

It was a steep descent to the Shea Goru campsite, which was semicircular with a deep valley in between. A light coat of vegetation around the campsite, coupled with barren mountains with a river snaking through, made this an oasis for trekkers. It was heart-achingly beautiful. I was swift to climb down, even with a blocked nose, but I breathed through my mouth and finally arrived at the campsite.

Another surprise awaited me that night. It was 23 August, my birthday (according to the Hindu calendar) and, somehow, the group had got to know of it. In fact, I myself had forgotten, what with all the excitement and my ill-health. What do you know? The guides baked a cake, which I cut the same night.

After we left the camp, the rest was easy, the highlight being a visit to Chandrataal Lake. It was quite large and impossibly blue amid the reddish-brown mountains of Spiti. What a dramatic contrast and extraordinary landscape!

We travelled back to Manali in jeeps via Rohtang Pass. The winding roads and deep valleys showing off flowing water and waterfalls were a treat to watch. Misty clouds were hanging everywhere. Suddenly, there was a downpour and the roads turned muddy and the drive treacherous. But I wasn’t worried. I was returning with a knapsack full of memories I would treasure for the rest of my life.

I can safely say that I lost my heart there and urge fellow trekkers to find it for me!

—R Krishnan, 66

December 2016