Discover the summit within…
Recently had been to Indrahar Pass trek in the Dhauladhar range of Himalayas with a group of friends. Out of eleven of us, six of us were first timers to big mountains. We started our trek from Dharamkot (near Dharamshala, HP) and walked up to Triund on day
1. The trail was tough and beautiful at the same time. It took us almost 8 hours to reach there. It was a great feeling to reach the first milestone. The views from Triund were breath-taking. We could see Moon peak, Matterhorn, Indrahar pass and few other snow peaks from here. Some of us were completely exhausted, some of us experienced high altitude sickness symptoms but the “josh” in the group was high. It was amazing to see all eleven of us ready and raring to go for day
2. We trekked up from Triund to Snowline café which took us around 4 hours. We experienced change of weather multiple times on this beautiful path. We experienced sunshine, rains and hailstorm on the way. It was a great feeling to reach Snowline café and have hot Maggie there. Now, we were much closer to the mountains. Due to group’s state and weather conditions at higher altitudes, our Group Leader decided to return from here. It was disappointing but at the same time a wise decision given the situation. The group leader told us, “The mountains are here always. Come better prepared next time. Also, it’s important to listen to the mountain and take our call.” We spent day 2 evening at Triund again and enjoyed serene beauty. On day 3 we trekked down to Dharamkot, which again took us almost 6 hours. Climbing down, we were even more careful not to hurt our knees and ankles.
It was an unbelievable experience that one could do so much, how caring & helpful people are, serene beauty of the mountains, the humbleness & support of the local folks, and how nature can teach you n affect you so wonderfully.
Here are a few things I learned from this big mountain experience, which can be applied to life at large as well:
✔ Set the intentions powerfully.
✔ Prepare well, physically and mentally.
✔ Be willing to move out of your comfort zone.
✔ Push your limits but don’t cross your limits.
✔ When going gets tough, focus only on one step at a time.
✔ Ask for help and extend help when others need it.
✔ Human body and mind is amazing, it adapts to situations if we are willing.
✔ Group energy keeps you going, it’s your safety net.
✔ Believe in yourself.
✔ Let go of control and be in the present moment.
And here’s the most important learning for me – Reaching the top is not important, discovering the summit within, is.
P.S. This expedition was organized by the participants of the Advanced Facilitation course (Experiential Education) conducted by Vishwas Parchure (https://www.experiential.institute/)
