It's always impossible until it’s done

I always heard people say that a trek to the mighty Himalayas can be a life-changing experience. The answers they say are inside the mountains. I realized the best lessons in life cannot be learned staring at a laptop screen inside a meeting room, but by opening up to new life experiences and with that thought, I went on a trek in December 2021. I undertook this journey to taste my first flavor of the mighty Himalayas during the trekking season.

The genesis

My Dayara Bugyal Trek was set to begin in the base camp ahead of a quaint little town tucked away in Uttarakhand, which was more or less the last sight of the cellular network coverage area. So, I was all set to disappear from the face of the earth for a week. No ringtones or exploding notifications or LinkedIn pings to distract me. As I embarked on the journey, I had no clue that my mindset was about to change for good.

Climbing the mountains with a group of youngsters made me realize that a mammoth task awaited! While our group of 20 kept ascending the trails, I slowly acclimatized and mastered the small techniques of hiking. When we took a break, the guides prepared simple food for us and we only came across what seemed like the last Maggi shop in the universe! The simplicity of the village boy running this shack humbled me.

I accepted the challenge and kept going until the point when I reached the summit, and it was a moment of pride for me as I was the only 40-year-old within a group of twenty-somethings. Finis Mitchell once rightly said that “We don't stop hiking because we grow old?— we grow old because we stop hiking.”

When I got close to nature, at minus 10 degrees Celsius, amidst snowy trails, furry cattle, leopard pug marks, a clear star-speckled sky and jaw-dropping mountain range-clad views, my tired legs made me realize that I should slow down. My mind and my inner cravings went numb as I existed in harmony with nature.

The learnings

As I recollected how I lived this experience, I reflect upon them and now I want to share some of them with you:

Lesson 1: Getting comfortable will get you nowhere.

In order to achieve your goal, you have to first embrace discomfort. The moment you decide to tread a difficult path, you will get out of your comfort zone and rise up.

Lesson 2: Keep going, one step at a time.

Don’t think about the distance left, that you have to cover while going up. Forget about counting the milestones as this will only leave you more tired. Keep moving ahead, even if the road is difficult. Do not stop in the middle of the road. Push yourself to finish the journey to emerge truly successful.

Lesson 3: Take care of your physical health.

The moment you climb a mountain, you will realize that you are short of breath and your legs are shaky. This indicates your body has been inactive for a long time. So be health-conscious and be active. Invest 60 minutes of your time daily on your physical fitness, be it a sport, jog, gym or swim. This is the best and most needed gift you can give yourself.

Lesson 4: Face your fears.

The dizzying heights, unknown terrains and unsteady narrow paths may scare you while climbing a mountain. But keep moving to survive.

Lesson 5: Patience yields success.

Your fellow trekkers might overtake you while climbing up and this might make you feel like giving up. Be patient at that time as persistence and hope can keep you motivated.

Lesson 6: Pace yourself.

Like you cannot run while climbing a mountain, in life sometimes getting over-excited can lead you nowhere. Instead, pace yourself optimally so that you do not tire yourself mid-way and quit.

Lesson 7: Don’t underestimate yourself.

Always think that you can accomplish any mammoth task. To get those breathtaking views at the summit, you’ve got to conquer the mountain trails to reach the top. You don’t get everything served on a golden platter in life, and you have to fight for it.

Lesson 8: Go slow to go far.

It doesn’t matter how slow or fast you are. When it comes to ascending a mountain, you will eventually finish the climb. All that matters is that you need to get acclimatized and keep moving ahead.

The final ascent

Now that you have read the lessons I collated over the trek’s course, it was fascinating to experience that the most difficult was the last day. We had to wake up at 4 am in the morning, while it was still pitch dark outside our tents. We wanted to make it to the summit on time and come back to the campsite before sunset. So, we trekked continuously for 12-14 hours and walked for miles in deep snow, at a 70-degree incline. I had never even imagined that I could do something like this in my life, but I did it! At the end of it, when I reached the summit, the excellent view of snow-capped mountains washed all my fatigue away. We paused at the summit for 30 minutes only, as a storm was about to hit us any moment. It felt great to finally conquer the large expansive meadow of Dayara Bugyal, which is tucked high up above the Bhagirathi river with spectacular views of the higher mountain ranges of the Garhwal Himalayas. Here is a snap of me with the iconic Bander Poonch massif and the Gangotri ranges in the background.

"Look deep into nature and you will understand everything better." - Albert Einstein