finite despair &   infinite hope

04.09.2020

 

Six  months ago, before  the dreaded coronavirus  swept  across the world ,unleashing a calamity  of unimaginable proportion,  I was engrossed in choosing  trek routes of Himalayan ranges, much  before bookings opened and applications flooded the trek Operator’s website.I did pick two: Dayara Bugyal, one of the most beautiful high altitude alpine meadows near Gangotri.and  the spiritually significant Gau Mukh, the point where Bhagarathi (Holy Ganga) descends on mother earth.  A month later, the country went into a   lock down, all modes of transport were suspended and trek routes closed for hikers. The idea of a Himalayan trek for me in 2020 went up in smoke.

As with many trekking enthusiasts, taking off to the mountains for a fortnight   has been the high point of my agenda for the past many  years. Dozens of  phone calls later, friends are  tracked down and a ‘team’ finalized. Trek shoes,  jackets, woollen caps, ear muffs, sweaters and woollen gloves are taken out  from the old trunk. The backpack gathering dust in the attic     is pulled out and given a thorough scrubbing. The other trek paraphernalia are also fished out.

            The Trail "train"

Weekend practice hikes are undertaken to prepare for the  Himalayan trails; running and fitness regime to build stamina becomes daily routine . DSLR’s are serviced and equipped with extreme data cards to reserve space for all the stunning views the mountains offer.

The Himalayas — magnificent, resplendent majestic, attract droves of trekking enthusiasts each year, all eager to imbibe the freshness and grandeur of nature

       mountain Stream

One of the reasons for going into the Himalayan Mountains is to escape from the drudgery of every day city routine.   Trek routes like    Deoriatal-Chandrashila, Nag Tibba, Kedarkantha, Hemkund going as high as 15,000 ft, where hikers encounter snow at the peaks leave the trekkers speechless. It is  fascinating to see   the gradual transformation in the landscape as you trek from one campsite to the next. Starting off from the base village, you plod along lush green paths, myriad colours of  flowering trees in bloom. Deeply immersed in nature and  bird calls, you trek up the mountains , as grass gives way to snow covered paths and  at the top  you pitch the  tents on a shimmering  white, snow covered turf ..

Trekking requires fitness, physical stamina, tremendous will power and passion. Altitude sickness is a real danger at the great heights and freezing temperatures. Methods of acclimatizing include involving in setting up  tents and exploring the campsite and the surroundings.Just wriggling into the sleeping bag as soon as you end the day’s trek is no fun.

     up...up ...up   & away!

Golden memories are etched  as  trekkers,  stretch  around the camp fire, and the energetic  trek leaders,guides,porters  and other support staff  entertain  us  with popular stories ranging from misadventures  of  hikers on the trail, to mountain goddesses, to supernatural forces  protecting the campsite, to how the next day’s climb is just ‘One turn’  away (which we later find actually means Kilometres  away).

     crossing a large Glacier

Now, with the trek routes closed & tourists staying away , the jobless local guides have lost their              income for the whole year.  The trek guides living in hamlets nestled in the mountains lead         a simple life that is entirely controlled and  determined by  weather. They  manage  their households solely with the income  generated from arranging  treks in the Himalayan ranges         of Uttarakhand , stocking up in summer so that they can stay indoors by the warmth of the, hearth praying  for the weather to clear, even as  snow pours down upon their huts,

       Visitors at the campsite

The threat to livelihood and monetary loss inflicted upon them by the Corona virus triggered lock-down means the hundreds of local trek guides, porters,cooks and other support personnel attached  to trekking communities across  the country, who depend on wages, tips and commissions, will face a torrid  year ahead, till the mountain routes are re-opened  for trekkers    & tourists are allowed to tour  the picturesque mountain state

  As treks in 2020  are ruled out I realize now as I think over as to why one leaves behind City Comforts to punish oneself by labouring along inhospitable terrain , that the answer is quite simple: The mountains are addictive, as is the  exceptional joy that they provide, while trekking  through them.

      plod...plod...plod

When I plan a trek in the Himalayas, I look forward not only to the climb, or the tent stays, or      the delicious Rotis & Curries, but also to the gentle rustle of trees and total absence of any jarring noise . When in the mountains, the mind floats into a heady, empty space devoid of clumsy feelings. There is a sense of surrender, of drifting free into vast emptiness.

        up in the sky 

In these troubled times, it seems the mountains, epitomizing permanence, have now been enveloped by an overwhelming sense of gloom and despair. However, there is consolation         in knowing that as time heals and tranquility  returns, as the world slowly mends a tattered   economy , the mountains will still be there, fresh, calm , serene  & beckoning  me to return.