At Indiahikes, treks are not just treks. For some, trekking to the mountains is a way of finding themselves, and for others like Vivek Agarwal — whose story we’re presenting today — it is a way of finding each other! We’ve had many such happy stories on our treks that are worth sharing.

If you’d like to know why you need to go on a trek before getting married, read this article written by our founder, Arjun Majumdar!

In this story, Vivek talks about his happiest trek moment which eventually turned out to be the happiest day of his life.

It was my second trek with Indiahikes. I went to Tarsar Marsar trek with my two flatmates hoping I will bring back with me some perspective shifts (as it always does) and cherished memories. Little did I know, life had planned something entirely for me.

On the second day of our trek, the clouds decided to pour rain over my sentiments. It kept raining for nearly two days and since it was impossible for the mules to cross the river, we decided to change the course of the trek. Disappointment flooded the entire group marking the end of Tarsar Marsar trek for us.

What was to come next had a domino effect to this day and will have for the rest of my life. The next campsite was pretty close and hence the Trek Leader suggested that we do a day trek to Basmai Lake to make the most out of the trek. All the trekkers happily agreed, and we left for the day trek post lunch.

As always, by the second day of trek you make some new friends, we flatmates became friends with Shubhani and Shruti, both being on their solo trek. The five of us decided to be on the tail end of the group. It wasn’t a very wise decision (or maybe it was the best) as the moment we reached the break spot, the rest of the group began to move forward and we hardly got a moment to catch our breath.

While the five of us slowly began to separate, Shubhani and I gradually started walking at a synchronous pace. We were talking about our lives and getting to know each other. I was enjoying her company. Soon we built a pretty good rapport and we were constantly pushing each other to pick up the lost ground and refuel each other with motivation and enthusiasm. Shortly after, we had left half of the group behind.

Halfway through, the Trek Leader announced that whoever had reached that point would continue to the lake and the rest of the group had to turn back. Shubhani and I barely made it to the point and again we became last of the bunch.

It was now an unspoken deal that we were in this together and that we will have to lift each other up no matter what.  The rest of the journey although small was filled with self-doubts and mind trying to convince itself that it is okay to give up but somewhere there was this feeble voice that kept saying ‘I need to do this. WE need to do this’.

For the last hundred meters or so, the climb was steep and every muscle in the body kept crying, but we did not listen to it, our minds had already accepted that there was no backing down. In a few minutes, we saw the glimpse of the lake and we could smell victory. It was an overwhelming and indescribably beautiful feeling of overcoming self-doubts, perseverance and companionship. The scenic view of the lake made it all worthwhile.

This small journey cemented our friendship. We grew even closer post trek. Little did I know that I was falling for this girl. However, I could never express my feelings because of the fear of long-distance relationship.

A year later, I switched job and moved to Pune. When I finally confessed my feelings to her, I was waiting impatiently, and I could hear my own heartbeat. It felt like time had stood still and that moment felt like eternity till she finally said ‘yes’! So yes, that day, two years ago was my happiest day of the trek and my life!

Our trekker, Vivek Agarwal shares his happiest moment on the Tarsar Marsar trek that turned out to be the happiest moment of his life!

Tarsar Marsar - The Trek That Helped Me Find My Soulmate

What is the My Happiest Trek Moment campaign?

Frankly, we’re tired of all the negative news around us. You must be too.

We are cooped up at home, not meeting people dear to us. All we get is bad news about Coronavirus spreading its devilish arms. Almost any conversation becomes about Coronavirus. It’s become quite frustrating.

So we have created a space that takes us as far away from Coronavirus as possible — to the trekking world where we all yearn to be.

As a trekker, we’re sure you relive moments from your trek every now and then — it could be that euphoric moment when you finally reached the summit! It could be that moment you were moved to tears by a beautiful sunrise. It could be the reflective time you spent by yourself at a campsite.

With no further ado, here are the last of the fantastic stories that trekkers sent to us! 🙂

| The trek that brought me closer to my son 🙂

“My first trek was in the second week of January 2019 to Nagtibba with my son. It was our first travel together.

For me it was a very refreshing experience. As I could rediscover myself within and I had a great time with my son who is 14 years old.

I feel we had a better bonding and understanding after this trip. We are now more a sort friends and he shares more of his feelings than before.

I felt it was an eye opener for personally.

And I should mention the team I trekked with they were really awesome company and our trek leader LEO… What to say… Love u Leo! You made my experience better I feel.

Most importantly, again I should express that trip really changed the bonding between my son and me.

Thank you, Indiahikes.” – Santosh Pandala

| A tale of youngest me on the mightiest Himalayas 🙂 

“We were on our way to Bhagwabhasa on the Roopkund trek and there was a lot of snow, so much that the previous teams couldn’t go up till Bhagwabhasa. However with full hope our trek leader and the team went ahead to give it a try.

It was 5 am and it was freezing cold! We had another trek expert named Venkat uncle who accompanied us all the way up. The struggle of waking up early, climbing steep and the biting cold was all defeated by the beautiful scenery around us! The fresh snow and the first stroke of golden sunshine hitting the mighty Himalayan ranges was unbeatable! It brought so many emotions inside me. I had never felt that alive 🙂

Being the youngest one on the trek (14 years) made this trek even more special as everyone took so much care of me.

On the same day Venkat uncle told me something which touched my heart – “you laugh so much, and that smile of yours keeps rest of the group happy too, I really love your laugh”. I was speechless! This was truly one of the best treks I had been on and I will always cherish those special moments!!” – Mrugangi Mehta

“This is about an enthusiastic, naive and annoying sixteen year old boy, me.

I had hiked Har Ki Dun just after my tenth board examinations, and just like any other rebel teenager, wanted a Goa trip with all my classmates. It was my father who encouraged me and a good friend to try trekking with Indiahikes.

With my broken dreams of another trip, I went not knowing I would embark on a journey so spectacular, nothing would compare to my former plans. This is the point where the path to self discovery started for me.

The first three days were the roughest days of my life, for it was much outside my comfort bubble. The summit day was the most challenging, and I had given up hope of any way for me to reach the summit.

The night before the summit, was strangely calm, as though an energy was compelling me to go forward. Our trek leader had informed us formerly that the possibility of the group reaching the summit was very little, as all the groups before us had to also return due to the weather.

As I woke up the next morning, to tell my trek leader that I would not be able to finish the trek, something held me back, for a reason I could not comprehend. I vowed to give it my best shot, through the storm if it may be.

We all expected the weather to worsen, but to our very surprise, it was as perfect as it can get, like a blessing from the Almighty Shiva, for us to continue. Through lots of motivation from the entire team, and the trek leader Karan, I had managed to climb till the summit.

The first breath I took there was not of victory, but of gratitude, to first the mountain, to the energy and the entire team. This was a life changing episode for me, which I cannot dare to forget how it has shaped my life.” – Abhinav Prasad

| An evening of unearthliness and bliss 

“We reached Tungnath on the third day of Deoria Tal-Chandrashila Trek through the twisted mountain path covered with the shades of Pine & Rhododendron trees all around.

In the afternoon, we witnessed a heavenly moment. Its time for the sun to set over the horizon, its time for the cattle to return home. The sound of the little bells hanging around their necks could be heard from far away. Its time for the horses grazing the green pastures to return to their homes as well.

Amidst all this, another bell could be heard ringing from the top of the mountain. The darkness of the night is approaching, the temperatures drooping way faster than it should. We hurry our way in the light of the leaving dusk and gather in the temple premises along with a few other local Garhwali people and a handful of other people who wanna be a part of this experience.

The priest has already started preparing for the evening aarti. The diya is lit in the sanctorium. The dark, mysterious stone-built sanctum is glowing with a soft golden aura from its light. And amidst all this, The Tunganath Mahadev in the form of self-sustaining Shivling stands with a mysterious yet magical presence.

The evening aarti starts, the sounds of bells ringing and the priests singing together fill up the air with a new kind of energy and excitement. The foot-long Shivling is decorated with wild mountain flowers of different colors. A Tripundra or Trishul is drawn with red & yellow sandalwood paste to the Shivling.

I look outside to see how many people have gathered in the temple precinct when I get stunned with what I see in front of me – its something so amazing and unearthly that I can only sit and stare at the view in front of me, the loud ringing bells around me now a soft, sweet tune in the background.

It seems as if Mother Nature has also prepared for her evening aarti as well – the mighty mountain shrouded with darkness acts like the Swayambhu standing there in all its glory – terrifying yet mesmerizing. The setting sun has left the sky a beautiful canvas painted with different strokes of blood red, yellow, orange, blue and so many more colors. The twinkling lights coming from the small villages in the distant mountains act like the jewels adorning the mountain.

It is a beautiful experience, it feels unreal, it feels so overwhelming yet so calming at the same time. I sit there watching until the curtain drops and the mountains are covered in darkness of the night sky.” – Subhankar Ghosh

| The moment that brought a smile of love and absolute bliss

“I was working when I received a mail from India hikes describing a superb idea regarding coping up with this pandemic. And even before I could finish reading the whole mail, amidst all of my patients a small but enthusiastic, rainbow filled smile was all over my face. My mind had already gone to the mountain top I had trekked on 21-2-2020, on the auspicious day of Shivratri.

It will always be one of the closest moments to my heart, a trek which made me super happy like literally a child and I wish I could show my emotions through words but I am afraid I can’t. Brahmatal trek, the reasons it will always be my happy place to go in my mind are numerous but to share a few, firstly it was my first solo trek.

Simply the best. It’s rightly said when you travel alone you always and always discover something you didn’t know existed in you. And on the day of our summit, it started snowing and I was sad as everyone at the base camp was saying the trek won’t happen and like a child I sat thinking coming up till here and not being able to see the top, Shalini what did you do wrong? And then suddenly my trek leader Hari said the impossible that me and him will start our trek and see and leave it to Mahadev.

Of course it was Shivratri. We had reached half our way when the snow started falling with a speed I had never seen or felt but something in me told me I couldn’t stop. And by the time I reached on top with snow kissed abrasions on my cheek all I could feel was bliss, gratitude, love, pure happiness.

I was literally smiling like a child, just smiling. I clearly remember something was very pure about my own smile that morning.” – Shalini Sachan

| A trek of innumerable firsts and a lasting peace! 🙂

“There were an innumerable firsts for me at the Kedarkantha trek. For things I thought would be the most easiest were the most difficult ones. For things I thought I couldn’t survive without were the ones I grew off.

It was difficult to find one image to justify all the stories that the entire trek gave me. There is a whole lot of nostalgia about the yellow tents – snowfall – starry nights – burbling of little streams – little dhabas on the way up – tiny houses on my way to base camp – tall and bushy conifer trees – extremely great food – eclectic fellow trekkers – toilet papers to the orange and purple tents – black soil – brown soil – mica soil – pine cones – slippery trails – no pause on this trail – shooting stars – knee deep snow and a lot more.

I would have never thought if a place can really ever make me feel complete and peacefully happy. But then the summit occurred. There couldn’t be any more peace I would have looked forward to and maybe nothing so happy that my eyes felt it as well.” – Aayushi Parakh

| The day I whispered to the Himalayas – Until next time!

“Himalayan trek Hampta Pass offers a contrasting image of lush green forests of Kulu and deserted Spiti, it attracts trekkers and hikers as ‘ Honey attracts flies’.

In 2019, the story was somewhat different, the year when snowfall was so high that the crossover was almost unachievable. Meanwhile I stood in front of my mirror and looked at myself as a budding trekker.

From Manali we reached our first campsite Jobra , the mystical views of the valley could be observed. The terrain was breathtaking, believe me the memories will stay with you for your lifetime. Wait that is not the coolest part.

There was another side to it “the adrenaline rush”. Walking over glacier having crevices with river flowing alongside , the famous river crossing after Chikka , paving path through a big glacier just before reaching Balu-ka-ghera campsite with rain drizzling making snow slippery, all this was making me think like “I will never come again” but my trekking team and trek leader boosted my confidence.

On the day of summit we started climbing towards our goal the Hampta Pass. The morning was good with bright sun and no overcast . With a lot of energy we started climbing the snowy pass like the Disney movie ‘Frozen’.

Gradually the steepness hit us hard, though we were ready for it. 14,100 ft was what we had to climb. After hours of trekking we reached the Hampta top and just then suddenly there was an overcast. It was like nature is celebrating our achievement and greeting us with open arms.

The sky shrouded itself with clouds and it started to snow. We wore our ponchos. All pain and hard work felt like a deed, it was the time to rejoice. The grandeur of the mountains was utmost. In our judgemental society it is believed, “A man crying is not a good thing” , but that moment almost made me break into tears, hence I controlled.

If anyone asks me now, I will say “I’ll go again and again”, because I know each time it will be different. Camping under the sky from where one can watch the whole galaxy, the picturesque sunset at Balu-ka-ghera , drinking chilled mountain water and sliding down from the Hampta top is what I truly miss now. When we were leaving Manali, I was like “Until next time, Bella Ciao”” – Rohit Roy

| Anticipating the first ray of light at Sandakphu

“This photograph was taken the morning after we reached Sandakphu. Our trek leader had already informed us about the beautiful sunrise of Sandakphu and there was no chance I was going to miss it.

We woke up early and walked about a kilometre stretch from our tents and arrived at the view point well before time. The first ray of light hit and it was the most magnificent view ever.

I thought about the mental and physical preparation, the difficult paths and the courage it took for me to finally get there. I also saw how small we are compared to all creation and how we take it all for granted. The sheer joy, exuberance, lesson and knowledge made it all worthwhile and it was one of the most beautiful moments of my life. Thank you Indiahikes.” – Nilay Chowdhury

| The day of adrenaline filled adventure! 

“We were on our third day of the Hampta Pass trek in the middle of July. It was also the day when we summited the highest point, enduring the cold and the altitude. It was the ultimate moment of the trek, one for which we waited for weeks, and we were finally there.

Soon after the summit, we had to descent fast into Spiti Valley. However, the drop into the valley was quite a steep one and we had to follow a zig-zag route along the walls of a high cliff. But, the final stretch of the descent turned out to be the pinnacle of adventure in the whole trek. Due to the heavy snowfall that year, the final drop of the cliff was under thick snow. The only way to get to the valley was to sledge down the incline following a make-shift snowy path.

However, it was easier said than done. To reach the starting point of the slide on the snowy patch, we had to stride along a 45-50-degree incline, with extreme caution, and barely any grip. There were many risky moments by that time on the trek, but this one really managed to petrify me the most.

I somehow managed to make it to the point where the slide begins. Finally, with the support from the trek leaders, I managed to sledge down the 80-100-meter drop, with my backpack, with a few tumbles on the way, and a fascinating experience to share. In the end, it turned out to be a really accomplishing experience! Today, whenever, I look back to that trek, which also happened to be my first one, that particular day comes to my mind right away. I hope to be there again soon!” – Soudipan Maity

“The worst thing you can have during a trek is a diarrhoea and mood swings.

I should make it clear in the beginning itself that I am not an avid trekker and while signing up for the Sandakphu-Phalut trek, I was fully aware that I wasn’t in my best physical fitness. However, being tempted by the chance of getting some photographs I did board the train.

We had reached Sandakphu and started the day with the trek towards Phalut. I could realize that the treks for last two days had me tired, yet I didn’t want others to stop for me. However, while on the trek, I realized the half-cooked food of trekkers hut has also affected and I am having a mild diarrhoea.

It was raining in bits and parts and I, tired and feeling sick and having to retreat to the woods on the sides once or twice, found myself alone. And as the route was completely covered with clouds, I couldn’t find my friends either. My spirit was completely down.

I felt depressed. I felt consumed by the silence around me and wanted to go back to the hustles and bustles of the city I belong to. I wanted to lie down and have my mother take care of me. However, I had no choice and had to go on. Then, the best thing happened.

At a turning, suddenly, I got rid of the cloud cover and met with this breathtaking beauty! Green valley in the front and blue ranges in the background entangled with clouds. The sky was heavily covered with clouds, yet there was a red of the sunset somewhere. It seemed as if the clouds from beneath are in a voyage to wed the mighty cloud cover on the top, leaving their possessive mountain-partners.

I cried with joy. It was really the happiest moment I had. It lifted my spirits. All my woes were suddenly gone and I was like a colt, good to go again.

Soon after I found my comrades. Even though we couldn’t complete the trek and stopped somewhere near Moley, that moment I had towards the evening, was the best and happiest trek moment in my life!” – Siddhartha Banerjee

And just like that, we’ve reached the end of My Happiest Trek Moment campaign…

We have so many more beautiful stories shared by trekkers. But, we couldn’t feature them all as there’s space only for the last 10 stories on our website!

If you’d still like to contribute your photo and story, send them to tws@indiahikes.com

Use the subject line: My Happiest Trek Moment

We’ll be featuring the best of entries that we get on social media.

Meanwhile, stay home, stay safe. While we’re locked down physically, let’s allow our minds to wander and feel the joys of trekking.  🙂

These are the final 10 out of the 130 featured trekking stories shared by trekkers. And they are filled with gratitude, bonding and exuberance. Take a look!

My Happiest Trek Moment – Personal Stories of Gratitude, Bonding and Exuberance - Part 13

One of the biggest challenges which make the completion of your trek uncertain is the possibility of being struck by Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS). I’ll start with a quick background on altitude sickness.

As one climbs above 8,000 feet, the atmospheric pressure starts to fall noticeably. With every breath you take, less oxygen reaches your blood.  Your body copes by breathing harder and longer. When you are climbing this case is acute. Persistent short breathing builds up carbon dioxide in the blood.

As you climb higher your body acclimatizes naturally to the decreasing oxygen levels. Your body builds up a ‘zone of tolerance’ – where it can function normally even with the decreased oxygen. This zone of tolerance moves up as your body acclimatizes to the higher altitudes.

However, when the build-up of carbon dioxide is beyond your zone of tolerance the body reacts and you fall sick. This is high altitude sickness.

It is accompanied by symptoms of feeling lightheaded, nausea and an unbearable headache. Acute Mountain Sickness can escalate quickly which can be fatal if not treated in time.

I have been trekking in the Himalayas for close to three decades across my 50 years of living. Having done the basic mountaineering course from Himalayan Mountaineering Insititute and an emergency medicine course from Red Cross, I have listed some ways in which I’ve learnt to prevent high altitude sickness.

1. The Fitness Paradox about Acute Mountain Sickness

Statistically,  it is observed that fitter trekkers are more likely to be affected by Acute Mountain Sickness. However, the bottom line is that physical fitness (cardio and muscle endurance) is critical to completing a trek while enjoying it.

There is actually a deep reasoning behind it. Fit trekkers think they can gain altitude much faster than what their body can humanly tolerate. 

The general thumb rule is that you should not gain more than 1000 ft/day.

a. Gain an average of only 100 ft per hour: If on a given day, the route demands a gain of 1000 ft, the total time between the campsites should be about 10 hours including breaks along the way. Therefore it is mandatory to start early.

b. Take a 15 min break after gaining every 300 ft. The breaks should include deep breathing, hydration, as well as some high energy snacks such as dry fruits, energy bar, etc.

2. The Pee Colour Test and Acute Mountain Sickness

At higher altitudes, especially if the trek is on a cold and dry day, the body loses an enormous amount of water through perspiration which is not really visible. The cold temperatures, on the other hand, inhibit the sensation of thirst. The resultant dehydration can trigger symptoms of Acute Mountain Sickness. Therefore to prevent this, I came up with a very simple run-time test.

a. On the trek, continuously monitor the colour of your urine. If it is clear white to pale yellow, you are fine. If it starts to turn yellowish en-route, the body is getting dehydrated. Immediately start a cycle of hydration. Remember that gulping down litres of water in one go is not a good idea. Sip your water gradually and for a longer duration for it to absorb effectively.

b. The hydration cycle that works for me is having one glass of water every 15-20 minutes spread over 1.5 – 2 hours. I have found that without exception, this gets the body adequately hydrated and back to normal.

The body is stressed at very high levels on multiple fronts on a high altitude trek. It is not the best of times to stress it by incorrect food choices.  You should eat a proper breakfast, lunch, evening snack and dinner — in addition to energy bars/dry fruits along the way. Read this article for more food ideas.

Food should be low in fat, preferably bland and have easily digestible carbs.

Avoid using chilli — it improves the taste but induces artificial perspiration which is dehydrating. What you can use instead are spices. Use a slight bit of turmeric, asafoetida, and fennel seeds. Our modern Englishman has been influenced by Indian Ayurveda.

Alcohol and smoking have the potential to induce both Acute Mountain Sickness as well as hypothermia. They are both potentially fatal on a high-altitude trek. Check out this video below to learn why we ask trekkers to refrain from such choices.

5. Mineral Balance and Acute Mountain Sickness

Trekking is a strenuous activity that goes on for multiple days. Medical reports suggest a significant change in mineral levels in the body during an extended high altitude trek, which could trigger Acute Mountain Sickness.

My tasty solution has been to consume ORS every day. I have always carried Electral powder with me and I drink 1 litre of water spruced with Electral every day.

Every person has a natural rhythm and pace in their walk. I call this the golden pace. This is normally independent of their athletic ability. I have friends who are marathon runners but when it comes to walking have a golden pace of mere 5 km per hour. They can certainly walk faster as they are fit. However, any walking pace faster than the golden pace would tire the person out quickly. A tired body is vulnerable to altitude sickness.

Therefore, I have found that trekking at the golden pace is better than competing with fellow trekkers. My wife is not an athlete. But she has done Roopkund and Kuari Pass without any issues. It is because she walks at her golden pace which is much different than my pace.

If you walk at the golden pace, there should be no breathlessness or feeling of exhaustion and only mild sweating. You need to change your pace if you feel tired or exhausted.

Climbing and trekking are supposed to be team-building sports. There are no individual prizes or victories. It is about the experience. Yet I have seen that trekkers very often get subconsciously psyched into meaningless races and timings.

7. Dry and then Warm Yourself at Campsites

Immediately after reaching the campsite, it is important to change from your sweaty clothes (including undergarments) into dry clothes. Sweaty clothes in cold campsites lead to hypothermia conditions or an upset stomach due to indigestion.

Layer appropriately according to the temperature and wind conditions. This is among the first things to do and certainly before the well-deserved break.

I have observed trekkers catch a serious respiratory infection which is not good in a situation of reduced atmospheric oxygen. My general rule has been to set up the tent, change, and then do anything else. One should perform deep breathing exercises before going to sleep. It helps in boosting the oxygen saturation.

These are the rules I follow to keep Acute Mountain Sickness at bay. I hope you’ll find them useful for your next trek! If you think I have missed out on any point, do share in the comments below.

Dr.Rituraj Kumar, an avid trekker lists out 7 rules that he has used over the past 30 years to help keep Acute Mountain Sickness away for a successful trek.

7 Rules to Help keep Acute Mountain Sickness at Bay

With no further ado, here are some fantastic stories that trekkers sent to us! 🙂

“We had to go to the Kedarkantha summit, but the worried part is to wake up at 2 am in such Minus degree temperature OMG (to be experienced atleast once in a Lifetime)!!!

For the first time in my life had breakfast at 2:30 am, as we needed to head to the summit at 3 am to see that breathtaking Sunrise view.

Before reaching half the way, I was totally exhausted, felt like my legs were jammed and couldn’t make a move further. It’s importantly my inner spirit which motivated me to move ahead and I made it!!

After 4 hrs of continuous trek with 2 mins break of sipping a hot hot tea in between at that minus temperature which is much much needed, absolutely enjoyable, we then continued our trek and reached the destination.

Trek Leader then congratulated on reaching (at this) point as everyone of us made it to the peak without a giving up!!

“Never Give up”mantra worked out in a very well way to me.

I was spellbound by the atmosphere, WHITE SNOW all-around, rocks, trees and the view though.

The pain vanished in the View!!” – Brindha Palanivel

| A sense of accomplishment atop Chandrashila

“This photo was taken on the last day of the Deoriatal Chandrashila trek and it was my first Himalayan trek. The morning we woke up around 3 am and started marching towards the summit. I was experiencing the snow walk for the first time en route to the summit. Being Fresher in the Trek category, I never had a thought that I would make it to the summit. Once I reached there, I lost myself for about 30 minutes. Then I decided to start praying for the prosperity of the nation and people in front of Mt Nanda Devi. It was just 5 mins prayer and I told her (Mt Nanda Devi), Bless my Parents, Family, Friends, and Nation. I felt like I achieved something great in my life for the first time which is almost equal to Neil Armstrong’s achievement in 1969.

This was the most memorable moment for me, I was the happiest person in this world for 30 mins. However, the peaceful moment did not last long, on our way back I got some severe pain in the leg. But, I had promised my legs already I would show them paradise. I will cherish this moment forever. Thanks a ton, Indiahikes.” – Sainath Vignesh

| Rendezvous with my first alpine lake! 🙂

“”If there is a heaven on earth, it’s here, it’s here, it’s here”. This thought kept resonating through my mind from the beginning of the Kashmir Great lakes trek but it was truly exemplified when I saw the first and the most beautiful alpine lake – Vishnusar Lake.

When we started KGL Trek on the first day the sky was clear and the weather was good but on the second day it seemed like a battle for survival. It had started raining very heavily, the pressure of the wind was tremendous, the trail was completely covered with clouds. I was cursing the rains and was praying for some sunlight and eventually the rains did stop.

All the hardships faced on the trail suddenly disappeared when I had the first glimpse of Vishnusar Lake. I was completely taken aback by the spellbinding beauty of this Lake. You can never get tired of watching the sparkling water in the sunlight and the small streams from the melting glaciers on the adjoining mountains quietly flowing in the lake.

Sometimes I wonder that would this have looked as beautiful as it does now without this blanket of clouds? Every painting becomes a piece of art when there is that special touch by the artist and just like that in this canvas painted by Nature the clouds definitely gave that special touch.

Conclusion – Every Cloud has a Silver Lining!!!” – Neha Shah

|The moment when I let the inner child take over me

“This was on the Day 2 of the Roopkund trek. We were trekking from Ghairoli Patal to Bedni Bugyal via Ali Bugyal . When we reached Ali Bugyal I was stunned. Never had I seen such lush green meadows, it was one of the most beautiful and breathtaking moments of my life.

On the trail we reached a point from where we could spot the campsite and we had to descend to reach the campsite.

This picture was taken at that exact spot.

The minute my friends and I saw the campsite we ran down through the meadows towards the campsite like little children let loose after a long school day.

In our daily life we deal with so much stress and pressure that we forget about these small joys of life.

Running down these meadows reminded me of when I was kid, carefree of all the stress and pressure of life. It was great to feel that way again. This was one of my favourite moments of the trek!” – Simran Pokar

|The day I stepped out of my comfort zone is the day I lost my heart

“It’s like a dream unfolding in front of my eyes which I don’t want to end. With four layers of clothing and shivering in that extreme temperature, my eyes got filled with tears of joy. I think my camera hasn’t done justice with the image but I am happy that my eyes and soul did.

Its been 3 years and still the thought of that strenuous walk in the snow valleys of Kedarkantha gives me goosebumps in the weekends and my heart knows how I want to relive that moment every single time. With cloud covered skies and knee deep snow, this picture reminds me the time we climbed with our faith and determination rather than our trek pole and legs.

The snow filled valley of Kedarkantha never looked so breathtaking with pines covered with snow and temperatures sulking down with each ascending footstep. The mind still lingers on that trek and how a plain snow white can gift you such vibrant memories.

Our comforts can sound heartwarming but believe me once you step out of that, there is a world full of adventures, rainbows, snow, life and beautiful memories awaiting us.” – Saikat Mazumdar

|If there is a heaven on earth, it’s here, it’s here, it’s here!

“This was on Kashmir Great Lakes trek back in 2018.

We were in Gangabal campsite and utilizing our buffer day for the much appreciated Indiahikes Green trail initiative.

We tried our best to clean the nearby area and were ready to get back to the campsite. Almost everyone had left for the camp since it was cloudy and rain would start at anytime.

Those last few minutes spent at the Gangabal lake were the happiest moments of my life.

I remembered the saying by Jahangir, the Fourth Mughal Emperor, “If there is heaven on earth, it is here, it is here and it is here”.

And I truly felt that I am in heaven.” – Rajani Hegde

“One of my happiest trek moments is from Hampta Pass trek. This is one trek which is very close to my heart. I always do one Himalayan trek every year and Hampta Pass trek I did in 2016.

We started from Jobra and after trekking for 1 hour it started heavy raining. This was 1st time I encountered rain on a Himalayan trek. It was memorable to trek in rain in the valley.

After trekking nearly about another 2 hours we reached Jwara, our camping site. By the time we reached the tents were pitched by the porters as we were trekking in rain. We rushed into tents. There was heaving rain after we entered. It was like a storm in the cup as I feel in the tent. Heavy rain and wind was shaking our tent. After 20 min the clouds passed and there was a pin drop silent out side.

I was shocked and slowly opened my tent. As I was opening the tent it was like a scene from a movie, the huge mountains with clouds over them and green pasture surrounding us. It was a memorable view I had in the mountains.

Though it happened around 5 years back, I have my memory still fresh as I had viewed it today. I was running out of words to express. I stood there for 1 hour without talking to anyone and enjoyed the view. I did not rush to grab my camera to take pics as I wanted this view to get fixed in my mind. After 1 hour I took my cam and took few pictures. Though I took few pictures, the image which I captured by my eyes is far better than lens. ” – Bharath Ram

|My first encounter with the mighty Mt Everest! 🙂

“The smile comes from the first view of Mount Everest during my recent trek to Gokyo Ri in Nepal. I was walking on a trail from Namche Bazaar to a tiny hamlet called Dole situated at an altitude of 4000m.

It was the month of December with temperatures ranging between -10 to -20 degrees, the cold dry wind making the walk even harder. It almost seemed never ending when my guide suddenly pointed to the mighty Everest that popped up in front of us (it is the highest distant peak on the left side of the picture). For a moment, I only stood gazing at it. It felt like all my pains, woes and the tiredness were gone in a split second.

December, though one of the coldest months, is also one of the best months to trek in Nepal due to the clear blue sky, unrestricted views of the peaks, the snow here and there, the sun on top of you and definitely because there is no crowd!

As much as the Everest region is hyped now as compared to many other equally thrilling and adventurous treks, the thought of being close to the tallest peak in the world can still give you that sudden adrenaline rush. It made the whole experience all the more worthwhile.” – Natasha Saikia

|The moment my arrogance melted into humility

“Roopkund was my first Himalayan Trek, it was more than a trip, I was going through some rough time back then. We were attempting summit directly from Pathar Nachuni and not from Bhagwabasa as most people do, so we had to start early but we got late by almost 1 hour of the target time that too because of one person from the team, I lost it real bad, and we somehow reached Bhagwabasa and saw few people return from Summit push as weather was getting bad, our guide told us to take a break, I was angry like never before, another failed trek on top of all the bad things going in my life, it was just too much to handle.

But in a while our Guide came and asked us to get ready for Summit, I thought he was joking, but he wasn’t, we started Summit Push from Bhagwabasa at 8 am can you even believe that, at that time most people come back from the Summit. Yet we started and I was still angry and told a member of the team in arrogance that I am not sure about you guys but I am going to the Summit for sure today at any cost and started, I wore this Batman Mask and decided to be my own Hero.

We met some people along the way who did the Summit and were coming back, they were all wishing us Good luck and I replied ‘Thank You’ in Batvoice just to lighten up my own mood and also of people along the way. We made it to the Summit in less than 2 hours and as soon as I saw the Lake, it was a complete meltdown, all the anger was gone, the arrogance was gone, I just went and sat down and didn’t say a word for like another 45 mins, it’s hard to explain that feeling.

From that moment on, I started a journey to be a better version of myself, won’t say it was life changing moment but it was the moment from where it all started. You sometimes have to go through a lot to reach somewhere and the journey at times feels like a lost cause but you have to go through it, not just for that one moment but someday you will remember the entire journey in a good way just like I did.

P.S. Doing Summit late meant we got some clear views, really good weather and the entire summit for just 6 of us. That’s super rare on a trek like Roopkund.” – Kartik Mehta

“I was on the Rupin Pass Trek with Indiahikes last year. It was fifth day of the trek and we reached the famous lower waterfall campsite by afternoon that day.

After some rest, all of us got out of our tents and started strolling around, trying to take in every moment with the nature around us . Few of us started building stone cairns for fun. Suddenly Nakul from our batch cried out loud ‘let’s build a bridge’ and without waiting for anyone started searching and collecting rocks. One more guy Vikas also liked the idea and hopped on to the venture. They were hoping to build a bridge by forming an arc just by putting rocks together.

All of us out there mocked the pair saying it wouldn’t hold up. I even remember saying ‘its impossible guys it won’t stand up’. But both of them just kept at it, trying and searching for suitable rocks that will hold up. And what do you know! After about 20 mins of their combined efforts there it was! A bridge made of just rocks put together forming an arc without any other support. All of us who stood by watching it, burst into applause and cheers.

Then and there was my moment of reflection. Sometimes we come across things that our mind will label as ‘impossible’ and will even look for reasons/excuses why it can’t be done. But if you believe in something then nothing is impossible with your conviction and perseverance. Whenever any such hurdle comes my way, my mind goes back to this moment and I say ‘this looks like an impossible bridge. Let’s do it!’ ” – Aniruddha Gokhale

We’re just 10 stories away from ending the campaign…

We have so many more beautiful stories shared by trekkers. But, we’ve got space for only 10 more such stories on our website!

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Trekkers cherish moments of humility, ecstasy and faith. Read these stories to beat the lockdown blues and relive your memories from the trek

My Happiest Trek Moment – Personal Stories of Humility, Ecstasy and Faith - Part 12

You’re welcome to share your stories! We’d be happy to feature them! Find all the steps to send it here.

Btw, make sure you share these stories further, to help more people beat the lockdown blues!

“We are a group of 20 medicos, after a demanding month of February where we had our final year exams. We were awaiting our results, in the meanwhile we decided to climb Kedarkantha.

I was glad to be back outdoors; little did I know back then that we were in for an another mentally challenging period. The taxing journey to kotgaon where I lost count of how many times each one threw up. Thankfully we had a good night’s rest at Kotgaon and set out for Khujey early in the morning.

Five hours into the trek, we found out that none had been adequately prepared to pull this off. A month of binge eating due to the stress had left us severely out of shape. We were supposed to reach Khujey by 2pm, but we only made it to the halfway point by then. I could sense the team’s frustration. By the time we made it to the dhaba which was at the halfway point many were starving and at the brink of collapse.

Gathering in a giant circle we motivated ourselves, our trek leader played a vital role in pushing us through all that misery. We filled our stomachs to the brim and marched on, even when our bodies didn’t cope the mental grit and determination each one had was astounding. We never gave up even when the odds were stacked highly against us.

Looking back after coming back from making a successful summit climb of Kedarkantha. This was what that held us through, the determination to never give up on your teammates and the courage to pursue the unknown.

When I clicked this picture, I could see that each had one goal in mind and they were steadily pursuing it, not complaining and more importantly not giving up even when every cell in our body screamed “Enough of this drudgery!”.

As we made our way forward through that thick snow, we had this phrase ringing in our ears “One small step at a time “. Finally when we reached the summit at the end of a hardous four day trek it was not so lonely at the top.” – S R Aravind Prakash

“In March 2019, me and my wife went for a winter trek to Kedarkantha with TTK. It was our 1st trek yet an amazing lifetime experience.

Trekkers cherish unforgettable moments of friendship, euphoria and bliss. Relive these memories by sharing your stories too! :)

My Happiest Trek Moment

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