Dashing through the snow in the Himalayas

After doing several hikes in the country, I decided to climb the Kedarkantha peak, which is one of the most sought-after Himalayan snow trekking destinations in India. With the winter snow covering the terrain, it is an ideal destination for nature lovers to soak in some of the most picturesque locations of the mighty Himalayas.

Journey for the peak commenced from the city of Dehradun, from where it was a 9-hour drive to Kedarkantha base. An entire day was spent on the road, yet the journey was fulfilling thanks to the beautiful view. The base is a tiny village, and we were welcomed by sweet little cottages to stay and an extraordinary celebration that would be remembered for the entire lifetime.

The next day, we started our trek towards Juda Ka Talab, a beautiful lake which stands at 9,100 ft above the sea level and takes about 5 hours to reach. We started our trekking at 8 in the morning and we had breakpoints in between, where we ate hot Maggie and soup. Trekking to an altitude of 1,200 meters took a toll on our bodies and we ended up sweating in the cold before we reached our destination at 6 in the evening. The camps were devoid of basic amenities like water. To use a washroom, we had to walk nearly half a kilometre from the camp and used wet wipes instead of water. We had no beds to sleep over there and depended on sleeping bags and wore two thermal coats, three T-shirts, three socks and two gloves to protect our bodies from the biting cold. There was no electricity as well; we carried torches, backups batteries and power banks to charge our phones. Most mobile networks do not work over there except for BSNL postpaid sim cards, that offer slightly better connectivity. The agencies had one phone in common for everyone to contact their families in case of an emergency.

The greenery around the camp turned into ice at night. The place gets dry during summer, brims with water during November, that turns into ice in December.

Staying at the camps that are close to the rivers give you time to relax, introspect and relish nature, shedding all your emotional baggage. It was one of the least expensive treks and provided the much-needed adrenaline rush within a short span of time, all of which made the experience a memorable one for me.

After spending a few days at the camp, we returned to our base and then travelled back to Delhi, where we boarded the flight to Chennai. And even when I am back to my normal routine, I still fondly remember the trek - the mountains, the river, the valleys, the people; everything and every minute spent there, thanks to the set of my new found friends who were with me during the trek. And I can’t wait to go back to the mountains the next chance I get. But in the meantime, if you are planning to go for any trek, I would recommend you start working out at least 3-4 weeks prior to the schedule. You can try jogging or brisk walking for half an hour daily and aerobics to build your stamina. And remember, all it takes is willpower tofinish a trek.