Archive

(This is a piece I wrote for Tata Steel Global magazine, which suddenly stopped getting published for some political reason. There is an imminent danger of the article getting lost given my superior file management skills, so posting it here. Ignore the official tone of the piece; we did have a lot of fun during the trek. And by fun I mean...real fun !!)

HIMALAYAN TREK: A DREAM LIVED FOR TEN DAYS

Tata Steel India is known for imparting an elaborate training to its fresh recruits. The training programme focuses not only on developing the technical knowhow of the recruits but also strives for their overall personality development. As a part of this exercise, Tata Steel Adventure Foundation (TSAF) organises a trekking camp every year for officers who have joined fresh from college. Known as the ‘Outdoor Leadership Course’, it is organised under the guidance of Ms Bachendri Pal, the first Indian woman to who had made it to the summit of the Mt. Everest.

This year too, a group of 8 young researchers were part of one of the batches which scaled the 12,500 feet high Dayara Top located in the Lower Himalaya region of Uttarakhand. The camp was for ten days, from June 1 to 10, a pleasant time to be in the mountains, a far cry from Jamshedpur which was sweltering at 45 degrees (1130 F).

We started off from Jamshedpur on May 29 and reached New Delhi the next day. It was a 6 hour drive to Haridwar where we spent the night. After taking a dip in the holy ‘Har ki Pouri’ of River Ganges the next morning, we left for Uttarkashi by road. Driving through the meandering valleys and picturesque mountains, we reached the base camp at Ravada, some 10 km from Uttarkashi. Colourful tents, beautiful alpine trees and the rocky landscape on the banks of the cascading river Assi Ganga all presented a feast for our eyes.

The first evening was spent unpacking and familiarising with the amicable TSAF staff and others in the team. We were twenty in all with two girls. As we soon realised, the river was to be our lifeline for the next five days, as it was the only source of water.

The next day started too early, as comfort was the last thing we should have expected, It was clear in the very moment when we were taken jogging uphill followed by an entire day of physical activities and games. By the end of the day, everyone was sapped, but invigorated. We were divided into three groups with one leading a group every day. The groups would compete in some tasks and cooperate in others. The tasks were aimed at improving the team work and resource management skills of the groups. For the next four days we participated in activities like rock climbing, flying fox, abseiling, river crossing, a village visit etc. We learnt how to make our own tents and cook food with natural resources only. We were back to basics. The idea was to acclimatise to a different environment.

Sixth day onwards the real task, the trek began. We moved in groups, with each group carrying its own food and tents. The days started ridiculously early. With a stick in one hand and a rucksack on our back which had everything that was needed to keep us alive, we just walked like liberated souls, singing, dancing, cracking jokes, breaking the silence of the mountains with our shouts of ‘Come on guys!”

After two days of walking and a night halt at Morsona village, we reached Gujjar Hut, the foothill of Dayara Top. It had already started raining while we were on our way, but as the day progressed it got chillier. The worst was yet to come. All hell broke loose as the night approached. Heavy rains started, accompanied with a wind so strong that some of the tents were uprooted. We spent the night playing hide-and-seek with the rain water seeping through our roofs.

The tents were drenched but the spirits were not! Much of the next morning was spent praying to the rain Gods to take a break and give the sun a chance. And relent they did! With a spring in our steps, we set off for the final conquest. The final part proved to be the most scenic of all. The lush green Daraya meadows made for such a serene view, we forgot all our fatigue. Reaching the top was an incredible feeling. Every drop of sweat seemed worth now. We congratulated and hugged each other warmly, thanked our instructors and treasured that unique sense of victory safely in our hearts. A string of high-fives and scores of photographs later we started our journey back. A cultural programme awaited us at another hilly village, Agora, where everyone of us shook a leg or two to traditional drum-beat. It was a perfect ending to our long trek.

Travelling downhill was not easy but a satisfied heart and the sweet memories more than made up for the weary legs. Bidding adieu to the new friends and the magnificent mountains proved inexplicably difficult.

Without doubt this was the best possible training programme any one of us had ever undertaken. We had lived a dream for ten days.