I have been browsing India Hikes website and lusting over the snow peak mountains in their trek stories since many months now... Doubts about my own fitness levels, managing in the cold and living with frugal means in the middle of nowhere overtook every time I felt like clicking on the sign up button. But finally in March 2022 I signed up for their most basic The Dayara Bugyal Trek with my son! This was a experiential family trek meaning there would be many more opportunities for my son to really get a feel of trekking and living in the high mountains!
I had six months to get ready. This needed mental, emotional and of course physical fitness to really be able to enjoy the trek - India Hikes was amazing in helping prepare for all three! For my son I had no worries - he is quite physically fit and mentally much stronger to navigate through this experience - having just recently returned from a 18-day community living trip with his class mates in Karnataka!
Physical readiness
Watching their videos and fitness routine suggestions - I had the goal of jogging 5km in 40 minutes. I needed to build my strength as well. Sessions with my physiotherapist had helped a lot with my flexibility but I had no strength! She advised a weekly routine with resistance band, weights and cardio. The goal of the trek was so motivating to keep the consistency - I tried to jog 3 km atleast once or twice a week and aimed for 5 km every Sunday. I was not always regular - but my body was slowly getting used to moving, toning and stretching! What really helped was recording my walks/ jogs/ cycling on the Strava app - it felt so good looking back at it and it helped me time my jogs/ walks. I also practiced carrying a 5kg backpack up and down the stairs. Upping my protein intake also helped build strength - surprisingly veggie options add up so little to the daily need!
Mental readiness
What helped me mentally was having as much information about the trek as possible - their website is a wonder trove of resources from stretching routines to how to manage during periods on a trek! Preparing and packing slowly also really helped - making sure we had everything
Emotional readiness
My will and ache to do this came from speaking with friends who had done this before, talking about my fears and from knowing how I feel when I am surrounded by mountains! IH connected all families through WA and we had an online call. Their responsiveness and empathy for all of our questions was very reassuring. And of course seeing my kiddo so excited about everything from packing to every minute detail about the trek experience!
The journey
So armed with all this we started our journey from Delhi to Dehradun on Diwali day! We met some of the other families in the evening and the next day enjoyed our last bath and set on for our 8 hour drive to Raithal - their base camp!
The drive was idyllic - passing a section of the Bhagirathi river for a long time, the white peaks started showing themselves quite early on...motion sickness thankfully evaded us and we reached the base camp hale and hearty. Dawned in our layers we got ready for our briefing with our trek leader - Sanchana! We introduced ourselves and shared why this trek drew us. We understood the plan for each day and we also were requested to be mindful of the waste we generate and help collect any we spot on the way.
The next day with warm up and our backpacks, we got going! 30 minutes of a steep ascent I was already falling behind. My heart was beating fast and I was beginning to have a feeling of heaviness I used to feel in school assemblies standing for hours under the sun. I just stopped and sat down - Suraj was the last person from IH to ensure all make it. He got worried and so did others. There were few moments of fright and despair - how could I not be ready for this even after all the training I did? will I give up already? will they ask me to come down if I cannot keep up with the group? And then I looked up and saw the snow peaks! My heart stopped and for all the good reasons. Suraj did not give up and neither did I. With my Mom's voice in my head, I told him and myself that I will do it - just slowly. I began again the steady and slow climb. I would walk about 10-15 steps and would pause for a minute. This way I slowly managed to read the first rest stop after 1 km. Oh the joy and sense of accomplishment I felt! I just plopped on the floor and took in the sun.
The rest of the climb that day was difficult no doubt but I edged on slowly. When my enthusiasm began to fade, the universe send me a sign to nudge on - a 76 year old grandmother walking down, an Aunty telling me that being the last in the mountains is a sign that you are enjoying the journey, the crepe that gave me a burst of energy, the sight of the rays of the sun touching the trees, Simba our camp dog who walked alongside patiently waiting with me...the sounds of laughter of the kids up ahead! At every stop the team waited for me and joined in my joy of making it that far! At 2 pm after 5 hours of climbing I made it to the first campsite - Gui! Yay I made it:) I joined in for the stretching and soaked in the beauty of the campsite! The trek team nudged me on saying the first day was hardest and I could do the rest now!
The temperature dipped around 4 pm as soon as the sun hid behind the mountains and out came our layers. Warm yummy food, fun games, warm water, cozy tents and the star studded sky made the night comfortable enough to pass:) And of course when I saw the 8 year old with her headlamp comfortably walking to the loo in the dark!
Given the slow speed of day 1, I was advised to offload my backpack and carry a day pack. With lighter weight I was hopeful of the second day. The path was flatter in some sections through beautiful forests. Since it was a kids trek, there were lovely sensory exercises spread throughout. The snow peaks never left us - constant companions reminding us of the grandeur and beauty in stillness. Through some steep ascents again, we made it to the second campsite at Chilapada! We had reached 10000 feet! Another gorgeous location with the warm sun and majestic views made for a lovely rest. Kids found some recently fallen snow and played their hearts out!
The evening was already so cold and we could not stop shivering! The only thing to stop feeling cold was to hike again! So Sanchana led us through an adventurous evening sunset walk up the forest with Kawal shouting "come everyone, let us go"....we made it just in time to see the orange laced silhouette of the peaks. The walk back was a bit scary, so we all sang along and talked. That night was the hardest for me...the cold, the constant visits to the loo, cramping in the tummy....I yearned for my husband that night...Ayan was the sweetest - asking me again and again if I was ok in the tent - if I was wearing my liner and sleeping bag ok:)
The next morning the sun rose at the campsite...oh the joy of first feeling of warmth! After warm up again we started our hike. We had 9 km to cover that day up to the Dayara Top and then back down to Nayata - our last campsite! We left about 7 am and Sanchana this time made me lead the group. Somehow being in that position I nudged on and on for some time without pausing too much. But I did pause, everyone paused with me - this constant encouragement and standing side by side - was the most supported I have ever felt while doing something that challenged me! We reached the meadows soon and wow were they grand...just expanse after expanse...the feeling of vastness. We could see the Dayara Top in the distance and it felt so close. It was hardly anything BUT! Suraj and Digant (fellow parent) stayed with me as I edged on slowly again being the last of the group. We climbed up one peak and then down and then another and another.... Suraj must have been so frustrated with my whining!
Finally we reached the base of the Dayara Top! I was exhilarated! I shed the extra weight and started my final ascent. I thought of my Mom and Dad and heard their voices of never giving up, that there are no shortcuts to success...my voice quivered and I could feel my eyes well up! I climbed up and slowly I was there. I had reached. I moved past my fears and my feeling of inadequacy and self doubt. I found a quiet spot and the tears just streamed. I felt so overwhelmed. I could sense my dearest Dad in all the grand peaks around me - speaking to me - telling me that "I am proud of you Beta"! We all spend some moments in silence. The wind was loud and strong. We could see the mountains till as far as our eyes could see. It was a beautiful peaceful and soulful moment that I have never felt in my life before.
Our descent started - we had about 4.5 km to go. The first stretch was through the meadows and it was the most divine path I have walked on (the flatness of it surely added to the beauty of it!) The roti and aloo sabzi at the rest stop were the tastiest meal ever followed by garam chai. The descent continued. It was tough with stones, gravel, dirt...we had to walk sideways to avoid slipping and again I was very slow. A large part of the path was through a stream - I can still smell the freshness in the air! The knees started hurting - our fellow parents Rekha and Sanjay offered me their trekking pole and with 2 poles I was able to walk more easily! I remember walking down and seeing the yellow of the campsite and feeling there it is...but it was NOT! Finally we reached.... Suraj and Digant were chatting and that helped me keep my focus. This campsite was the prettiest of them all:) And who else made it even more beautiful than a shepherd with almost 100 sheep!
The last evening at the camp was spent merrily with a grand feast, more games, garba and another beautiful night sky! The snoring of fellow campers, the howling of the dogs and the constant rustling of leaves made the night musical...ultimately sleep came and Ayan and I had the best nights in the whole trip:)
Our last leg of the trek was a final descent to Raithal. Once we reached the last section of the forest, Sanchana invited us to collect things from the forest and co-create a mood board about our experience of the trek! Ayan ran off immediately and gathered stones, leaves, sticks...and so did I. We spent the next few moments enjoying making our mood board. After all were done, we went around and listened with heart everyone's experiences - the children shared most poetically and the adults chipped in with how the trek really nourished their souls!
In some time we were back where we started - at Raithal. For me reaching there was a triumph - of will over doubt, of focus over distraction, of beauty over despair, of love over guilt. Seeing Ayan fully trust the experience and immerse in it made me proud - he carried his own backpack throughout, was ahead of the group most times and thoroughly gelled with the whole group - young and old:)
We closed very beautifully with an appreciation circle where we gifted each other magnets and pins sharing what we loved about the person. It was a beautifully facilitated experience:) I really enjoyed my conversations with Kavitha and Chinmay (thanks Kavitha for your constant hugs!), with Jeet and Kawal, with Rekha and Sanjay and with my fellow Gujju Digant Bhai. The kids were a riot of their own and I just so enjoyed all the chats with them. The entire IH team was amazing - they love what they do and they make you fall in love with it too:) Deep gratitude to them for feeding us, for nudging us, for playing with us, for singing with us and for witnessing one of the most beautiful moments of our lives!
Parth, my Mom, my sisters, friends were such a solid support - they never doubted we could do it and helped us with all our planning and prep every step of the way:)
This trek taught me a lot about how to create a life nurturing environment to support people through a journey that needs the ups and downs for it to have meaning - to help people get in touch with their own inner strength and will - to help them see the beauty that can make all the ache, fear and doubt melt away!
With some more readiness especially physically - we will be back!
Beautiful !!! You created a picture if the trek and the amazing time you had infront of me…
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