The Spirit of Sandakphu - Prologue

The trek is over. The hangover is fading. Now that I have sat down to write about it, I am faced with a question. When actually did this story begin taking shape? It surely did not begin on Day 1 of the trek. More importantly, it does not end with that final step with which we reached the end point on the trail. Experiences of that one week will be ruminated over for days, with new insights gained every other time.

Over the next two or three pieces, I shall narrate this story, hoping to capture the spirit of Sandakphu.

                                                         *************

It was in November when a couple of friends and I sat down to make plans for the break in the coming semester. Package tours were too mainstream. Our previous experience had not been great either. That's a story for another day. Besides, a bunch of 20-somethings are expected to do things which are hatke. The idea of 'self-discovery' has been much romanticized. Moreover, 20s is the age when you decide what the philosophy of your life is. It was this that drove us towards the idea of a trek - to find our real selves and where better to delve within than the mighty Himalayas?! December was dedicated for shortlisting treks and trying to get other 'like-minded' friends on board. We also promised that regardless of who joined us or otherwise, the three of us would surely be going.

By January, our group was five-member strong. After much deliberation and debate, to the extent of switching over to the idea of a package tour, we zeroed in on the Sandakphu - Phalut trek offered by India Hikes. The batch of 12th - 18th March seemed tailor-made for our plans. The website said it was a trek for beginners. The trail was through a national park, in a month when flowers would just begin to bloom. The summit provided views of the Everest! What more reason do you need to start a love affair with nature?

A few days after having booked the tickets, one of our friends decided to back out. The reason is still not known to any of us, perhaps even to himself, even after the trek is over. Attempts at convincing him failed miserably. That was, however, only the first wicket to fall. Some days later, two more decided to cancel, with justifiable reasons, though. Of the initial three, only I remained and the group was reduced to two. In fact, until the day that we actually boarded the train, I dreaded that the only other member would decide to back out as well, for whatever reason!

Couple of weeks before the trek was when we decided to burn a hole through our pockets – by purchasing gear and equipment from Decathlon. While shopping was an experience to remember, the fact that we travelled nearly a couple of hundred kilometers for the same is a story in itself. On that fateful day, we travelled to and from the warehouse (which is in the middle of nowhere!) in buses, local trains, cycle rickshaws, auto ricks and motor thelas. Lack of time prevented us from travelling by steamer across the Hooghly, though. By the time we exited the warehouse, we had heavier bags and lighter wallets, having purchased more than what we had intended to!

Our first challenge was not on the trekking trail but on the train to Howrah. Bengal is, of course, a densely populated state. That evening on that local train underlined this for us. We already had difficulty moving with our heavy backpacks. Add to it the heat, sweat and pressure of a crowd trying to push you in every other direction! At one point of time, some of the kids on the train began crying, perhaps because they felt claustrophobic and were gasping for air. In hindsight, it feels that this was the first point along the entire trek which highlighted the value of one of the things we take for granted – breath.

Funnily, though, throughout this prelude to the trek, I felt absolutely no sense of excitement – not while backpacking, not on the night before the trek, not on the train to Howrah. It was replaced with an eerie sense of calmness. Or was it anxiety? I will never know.

Humsafar Express, our train to New Jalpaiguri, our pick-up point, was a couple of hours late that night. Our journey had just begun.

                                                                                                                       

                                                                                                                To be continued…