It was freezing at the camp Tilalotni-the highest point of our trek to Sarpass. I moved into the tent and was waiting for my friends to arrive. I felt the chill to the bone but was strangely elated about something. I couldn't figure if it was the happiness of reaching the highest point or just the sheer beauty of the rocks, peaks and the snow all around. It was warm inside the tent. I just sat down and realised that for the first time since the trek started I was alone. I had the tent all to myself and me for myself too. My thoughts went for a casual stroll and I was reveling in the magic of silence that was not just on the outside but inside too. I breathed the cold air, smelled the faint smell of fresh water in the air and felt the cold to my extremities. Finally I was going to spend a night on the snow!
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| The play of light and snow. Photo by Sonya Anchan |
I was snapped out of my reverie as I heard some noises outside the tent, which meant that the rest of the group had arrived. The other girls came in, all with a flood of relief flowing through their body. Some giggling, most of them hugging each other, two almost crying with joy. We all congratulated each other on making it to the top successfully and tried to settle down in the now much cozier environment.Hot Bournvita was served while we all started chatting about our journey so far. We all had made new friends and I was getting along well particularly with our group leader,Harshad.
Like me, Harshad was from Mumbai and was a trekker but unlike me he had done Sarpass twice before. His love for this place was contagious. I was naturally drawn to him from the moment I met him and over the days observed that here was one positive guy who could find no fault whatsoever with the mountains.The mountains are my first love and I tend to feel an inherent liking for people who love them unconditionally too. And there it was the love and the respect overflowing for the mountains and Harshad respectively.
So, while the Bournvita was being served, Harshad told me to come outside the tent post-dinner. Dinner was early and so were the preparations to crash, as the next day we had to start early to cross Sar Pass which was a long way. I obliged. I prepared my bed of a sleeping bag and blankets, took the torch and went out. There was a lot of noise coming from all the tents, people singing, making merry and and trying to ignore the cold. It was still bright outside with the sun just about to set but chilly of course.
Walking on the snow was fun. After treading on it for few hours during the day, I had overcome the fear of falling and tumbling into eternity. Harshad suggested we take a stroll a little ahead where the entire camp was visible. We climbed a little, chose a nice spot and stood there. Harshad told me that this was one of the best places on the trek and asked me to just look around.
The panoramic view from there was simply mesmerising. Snow clad peaks against clear blue sky. Clusters of pristine white clouds hovering at random places. The stone-made makeshift temple in black, with our tents looking like little settlements straight out of a fairy tale. I wondered if the sun had set when I saw the sky slowly turning from pink to purple on one side and different shades of yellow orange and red on the other. The cornucopia of so many different shades of colour was spellbinding. Magically, these shades made the snow clad peaks look different too. It was like the peaks were turning into the silent shadows of the sky after shining in their finest glory throughout the day. From white to golden yellow to pale yellow and then finally a cool shade of blue, the transformation of the white coloured snow into a subtle beauty was something that will stay as a part of my memory forever.
The sun had set and the sky was now churrning in a pool of different shades of blue. And my my, was I surprised at seeing so many shades of one colour at the same time? I realised that we hadn't spoken a word and it felt like eons had passed in those brief moments of time. I was cold to the core but had no urge to slip into normalcy after this heavenly experience. We were still staring at the peaks and noticed that even though it was soon turning dark, the snow reflected enough light to appear silverish in colour. The stars were beginning to appear and I wondered if I could bear the cold enough to catch them twinkle, when my friend beckoned me to get into the tent and go to sleep.
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| Matching our steps. Photo by Sonya Anchan |
I felt a little tug at my heart. But I knew our time was up, the magnificient snow show was over. We walked towards our respective tents. I was almost in a trance if that's what they call it because despite the freezing cold, all I wanted to do was drink in the beauty as much as I could. Once inside the tent, it occured to me that I didn't capture the beautiful scenery I just witnessed in a cam. At this, my inner voice which was too stunned to speak till now whispered,'Who needs a cam when you can relive this moment anytime in future?' And true as it has turned out to be, I have gone back to that time, place and that precise moment countless times since my return back home. And the memory still continues to refresh and refill me with the same energy I had felt there just before retiring the tent.
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| Tilalotni. Photo by Sonya Anchan |
Sarpass was, undoubtedly, a memorable experience for me as it was my first ever Himalayan trek. I am sure each one of us who have been there have a different story to tell. The overall journey from camp to camp was the same as for everyone else, but for me, what made it special was this simple dance of the nature that I witnessed at the highest point.This moment taught me that no matter where you go or what you do, its the simplest things in life which are most magical and which will keep coming to you if you have the time enough to wait and watch. Thank you Harshad for being a part of this wonderful moment. And thanks to everyone else who turned Sarpass into an unforgettable expedition.
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| Surpassing Sar Pass. Photo by Shrishail Patil |
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