My experience at the Everest Base Camp trek.

It’s called the mother of all treks. It’s featured in “The 10 Best treks in the world” list by Lonely Planet.http://www.lonelyplanet.com/australia/tasmania/travel-tips-and-articles/76228

All this did not matter to me when I agreed to do this trek. For me it was simple…If I cannot climb the Mount Everest, I could very well go to its base. And well before my knees complain and lungs crib to cooperate.

It was much later that it struck me that it’s no cake walk, I needed to prepare.

Here I was going on by far the most challenging trek in the Khumbu region…..the Nepalese side of Mt Everest is officially called Khumbu. It’s called the most arduous trek for non professional mountaineers/trekkers. But then I wasn’t doing something people like me (read naïve trekking enthusiast) don’t do. Thousands trek to the base camp every year. And like them I prepared. A month and a half of brisk walking daily (8kms in 60-70 mins) and climbing almost 1000 steps at one go thrice a week was good enough.

The aim was to reach the Everest Base Camp…the camp where summit climbers camp while they aim to reach the top of the tallest mountain in the world.

The other point to remember is that I trekked to reach a height of 5364m or approximately 18,000 feet at the base camp. I needed to be fit. There is the omnipresent risk of Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS); I could not add non fitness to it. Add to it the cold temperatures, long days, longer walks and a low partial pressure of oxygen. Did I dare be unfit!?!? No chance!!

I went with a fabulous team of 11 more co-trekkers. It makes sense to do such treks with people you know who can motivate you, goad you at times, help you out and be your companions.

The route of almost 120 kms to the base camp and back is a steady incline from 2400 m to 5400m and back to 2400m. I trekked through the most beautiful ranges of the Himalayas to reach the base of Mt. Everest. It’s scenic, clean and absolutely breath taking…that is if the steady climb doesn’t leave you breathless. Being a hobbyist photographer, it was a delight to take pictures that will tell the story to family and friends, because I find words don’t do justice to the beauty I saw.

The trek starts at Lukla where we landed in our 16 seater plane on the world’s most dangerous airport….the Tenzing Hillary airport having an airstrip of only 450mts. The 9 day trek takes us through small villages and hamlets, mountains, ice cold streams and rivers, swinging suspension bridges, yak trails on almost nonexistent pathways. It starts with the coniferous forests line that gives way to shrubs which as we climb higher give way to starkness in the form of rocks, snow and blue skies with white fluffy clouds. The cold also increases daily and the coldest was at the base at almost 10 degree below zero. It takes 4 days to come back the same route, but since we loose altitude while descending, it is faster. We used to trek for almost 10 kms daily over 6-8 hours each day.

The experience of meeting the warm friendly Sherpas of Nepal will stay for life with me. They are hard working, very loving and great hosts. We stayed in tea houses and lodges, small basic rooms made of wood with a small bunk on which is laid out a thin mattress. We slept in our sleeping bags to keep us warm in the cold nights. We ate the local food, mostly ‘dal-bhat’, a filling healthy meal of rice, thin dal and sautéed vegetables. Some times we had noodle soup and occasionally pastas with tomato sauce. Bread and cornflakes were our breakfast every morning.

Since there are no vehicles in this region, each and every thing is flown in from Kathmandu and carried by Sherpas on their backs….be it food items, rice, flour, oil, kerosene, gas cylinders, plywood planks, glass sheets, and what you may have. So everything has a cost; including water, which is boiled melted snow. The vegetables that are eaten are mostly grown here and they are restricted to potatoes, cabbage and carrot.

The sight of the snow clad mountains is awesome. They are huge, up close and beautiful. You feel like you can touch them, but they are always out of reach….but omnipresent. They make you feel small and insignificant. I lost a lot of ‘I, me, myself’ on this trip; made me realize how important family and friends are. The fact that we did not have contact with them probably was a huge contributor. I found huge belief in prayer. I found I had to have a huge mental strength along with the physical strength that is required. You have to dive deep inside you to bring out your reserves to complete this trip.

Not many Indians do this trek. Not too many Indian women do this ever. I feel blessed that as a mother of two boys I got to do this at the age of 40 years. I had the unshakable support of my family. I had this on my bucket list and the belief in myself. And of course the blessings of my God.

I can’t thank enough all the people who helped me achieve this and of course God for giving me this opportunity to go after my dream to fulfill it.

The Three Monarchy Trail...Heritage Walk_20th August 2011, Saturday

Hyderabad has an almost 410 years of vibrancy as the seat of dynasties and the Golkonda fort has a history of more than 700 years. Obviously has a rich mosaic of history and stories to keep you spellbound. Monuments that date back to all those years which stand mute testimony to these stories tell them in their own way. Listen to them, evoke your imagination and weave a web of intrigue on our heritage walks. These heritage walk enables you to experience the hidden treasures of heritage, culture, and the fabulous historical monuments, that Hyderabad is famous for…....


THE THREE MONARCHY TRAIL covers monuments built by the three monarchies which ruled over this area of Deccan…the Qutub Shahs, the Mughals and the Asaf Jahs. Monuments covered are Charminar, Mecca Masjid, Laad Bazaar (along with surrounding monuments) and Chowmahalla Palace.

Start point: Charminar
End point: Chowmahalla
Charges: Rs.250 per head inclusive of entry ticket to the Chowmahalla. Camera charges extra to be borne by guest.

City adventurers touch Everest base...Article in The Hindu, 27th May 2011.

Against all odds: Members of Greater Hyderabad Adventure Club at the base of Mount Everest.

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

City adventurers touch Everest base


Staff Reporter

12-member group trekked 120 k.m. to reach the base camp

The group which formed Greater Hyderabad Adventure Club trained for two months

They started on May 1 from Kathmandu; some suffered altitude sickness, sleeplessness


 


HYDERABAD: Braving all odds thrown at them by Mother Nature, 12 adventure seekers from the capital successfully reached Everest Base Camp (EBC), which is 17,500 feet above the sea level. The motley group started their journey on May 1 from Kathmandu and trekked through a clutch of valleys, villages, visited monasteries and covered 120 kilometres and made it to the base camp on May 9.

All the 12 members of the group, which was formed by Greater Hyderabad Adventure Club (GHAC), managed to reach EBC.

“Despite odds everybody reached the base camp and that's a big achievement. It's not easy because the trek is treacherous and challenges the will power of everybody,” recalled Ali Rizvi, team leader of the expedition, who reached the base camp for the second time in as many years.

Women members

The team members, who relived their experiences of the adventure in a GHAC meeting on Thursday, also included four women. “While trekking, I used to think whether it was worth taking the pain. But when you reach the base camp, you realise the real worth of visiting such a place. You get to see peaks like Mount Everest in real and that feeling is hard to describe,” said G. Manisha, a group member.



The group consisted of persons from all age groups.

“At 54, I was the oldest but was determined that I should not become a burden to anybody in the team. We trained really hard before embarking upon such an arduous journey,” said Ranjan Sood.

The group trained hard for two months.

“The training was rigorous and included speed walking a few kilometres and then climbing 1,500 steps at Ammuguda every day.

Despite such training, several members suffered altitude sickness and sleeplessness,” team leader Ali Rizvi said.

The team members who made it to the base camp include Ali Razvi (team leader), Inderpreet, Nathalia Rodriguez, Ranjan Sood, Sunil Kumar, Sanjeev Reddy, Vaibhav Patil, Priyanka Singh, Narasimha Reddy, Gaurav Duggal, Manisha Gadhalay and Tanveer Fathma.

Everest Base Camp...the Mother of all treks.

It’s called the mother of all treks. It’s featured in “The 10 Best treks in the world” list by Lonely Planet. http://www.lonelyplanet.com/australia/tasmania/travel-tips-and-articles/76228

All this did not matter to me when I agreed to do this trek. For me it was simple…If I cannot climb the Mount Everest, I could very well go to its base.  And well before my knees complain and lungs crib to cooperate.

It was much later that it struck me that it’s no cake walk, I need to prepare.

Here I was going on the by far the most challenging trek in the Khumbu region…..the Nepalese side of Mt Everest is officially called Khumbu.  It’s called the most arduous trek for non professional mountaineers/trekkers. But then I wasn’t doing something people like me (read naïve trekking enthusiast) don’t do. Thousands trek to the base camp every year. And like them I prepare.

The aim is to reach the Everest Base Camp…the camp where summit climbers camp while they aim to reach the top of the tallest mountain in the world.

The other point to remember is that I would be trekking to reach a height of 5643m at Kalapatthar and 5380m at the base camp. I need to be fit. There is the omnipresent risk of Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS); I could not add non fitness to it. Add to it the cold temperatures, long days, longer walks and a low partial pressure of oxygen. Do I dare be unfit!! No chance!!

So I prepare.

A regular to the gym, it still did not bode well that I could not manage steps continuously without going out of breath. So out goes the regular gym routine and in comes in a new customised workout that literally wrings out the laziness and laid back attitude out of me!!!

Soon I realize the body is a fabulous work of engineering. A steady exercise regime builds my calf, thigh muscles; increases my stamina, endurance capacity and sheer lung power. Now if you walk close to 8 kms on undulated surfaces in about an hour and a half, you come close. Add to it climbing and getting down close to 2000 steps twice/thrice a week….it gives you a firsthand reality check about your fitness level!!!!   And boy…did I get the shock of my life!!!! Which I overcame with sheer determination and will power…oh…and hard work too J

Being a night time owl…read..raat ki raani….it gave me a renewed appreciation to the glory of the rising sun, chirping birds, dew drops on leaves and the fresh clean cool morning air. The days just got long enough for me to get a whole lot of things done. I was not sleeping away those couple of early hours, you see…  ;)

A disciplined schedule of what you want to do is a great motivator. I no longer need an alarm to wake up in the wee hours of the morning. My body and mind are ready and willing…...sometimes before time.

I have a fabulous team of co-trekkers who train with me. We push our bodies to however much we can.....and then some more, goad each other to excel, have bonded and look forward to a fabulous two weeks.

I see only benefits.