Why I Trek

As I sat at night time on top of a rock in a remote clearing in the Kanchula Korak Musk Deer Sanctuary, in the Northwestern Himalayas, my gaze adjusted onto the picturesque night sky. There was no noise (light disturbance), not even the moon was to be seen. All I saw was a pitch black blanket on four sides and a starry dome, lit with a myriad of frequencies and energies, enclosing above. Only the silvery outline of the alpine forest was to be seen apart from the weak glow of my fluorescent camping tent. “Why did I come here?”, I asked myself. 

It is so easy to sit inside a cement box with glass panes and say that the Earth is a small planet in our galaxy but what about that do we truly experience? It is so easy for me to say that there exist 8.7 million species of distinct flora and fauna and yet we hardly notice the millipede in our backyard or the coucal in our man-made gardens. To know about it is one thing, and to experience it, with all its intensity, is another. And so I went to the mountains, to experience this intense yet very peaceful and quiet presence of nature. 

Starting from day two in Rudraprayag, Uttarakhand, Mount Chaukhamba loomed over our entire trail, as if it were watching us roam the mountains and that was when I felt all its intensity. That mountain had never been climbed, never been conquered. Only failed attempts, all due to the wrath of the elements and snowstorms on its steep massive face. When I climbed the Chandrashila summit, I experienced the intensity when the elements worked in every way possible to stop me from reaching– bitter cold at 4 AM and every loose rock on the way. And yet I return year after year, to be amongst these massive ice works, alpine towers and fierce rivers and yet within these overwhelming moments there exists unmatched peace and beauty– the warm sunrise at the summit, the quiet in the woods and the gentler downstreams. I breathed cleaner air and the most important thing to me was to truly experience and be with what I respect and advocate the conservation and protection for: nature and planet earth’s diverse ecology. 

When trekkers and campers visit these remote, clean and peaceful areas, do we bring litter, noise and irresponsible behaviour? Do we go to the mountains to click our Instagram profile picture, our WhatsApp status and our Facebook story while leaving behind tonnes of plastic bottles, packaging and soap-contaminated brooks? Unfortunately some of us backpackers do leave our waste behind, scare all the animals and displace them from their territories with our campsites sprawling with party-animals. So much for admiring nature. Thus I had to make it a point to conduct my expeditions with utmost care and responsibility. Our trekking community had pledged to zero waste and optimal utilisation of resources like food and water. Furthermore, the Green Trails initiative encouraged all of us trekkers to pick litter left by other trekkers throughout the trail and truly leaving the mountains cleaner than we found them. We avoided washing in rivers and streams, and we selected biodegradable toiletries and toilet paper (yes, there are wipes lined with a plastic coating). This is sustainable trekking, without harming and degrading the environment which we like to capture in our desktop pictures and wallpapers. 

As I descended from the summit many thoughts ran through my mind, the prevailing one being “Will I come back again?” The answer was simple– “Of course!” It isn’t a one time experience but a multiple journey retreat, albeit to different regions. Every trail, every peak and every meadow has its own persona and there is so much to gather from each distinct destination. So much to see, so much to hear and so much to feel. There are grander views to behold, taller trees to climb, broader brooks to cross and gentler leaves to rake, out there. There are vipers and cobras, sloth bears and deer, and falcons and rollers to see. There are warmer grasses to lay down on, sweeter streams to sip and sourer fruits to bite. And so, I go to the mountains, knowing there is something thrilling and new to experience, something unique and vibrant to see, something peaceful and soothing to hear. Every turn presents itself with mysteries and every peak challenges you, rewarding you at the very end.