Pangarchulla Peak - The Himalayan Summit that we chose for the Himalayan Expedition.

A friend asked me yesterday, what really was my motivation to sign up for a trek and summit of this nature. For a moment I was stumped. I realized I hadn't asked myself the question.

In jest I reacted stating "I just had to get away, from my routine, my daily grind, my children, my husband, family, friends and just about everything around me and me myself". The answer didn't appear genuine or convincing even to me! Well, I thought at best the trek would give me a break from the mundane.

Amrita and I who went on the expedition actually were planning on a joint vacation. The better half was indisposed and could not take off from work. Another colleague heard about the vacation planning spoke to us about the Hampta Pass Trek. 

And that is where it began. We searched and searched and looked up several service providers, websites, blogs and pictures. 

Every time we looked and we read, we were completely drawn in. It seemed like the mountains were talking to us, beckoning us to come and experience the magic. Every trail with the fascinating pictures and stunning descriptions appeared so real and for the moments that we would read them, it felt like wonderland. It felt like we were present in the Himalayas and existed on those trails.

The Rhododendron trees with their blooming flowers, the meadows, the rocks, the snow capped peaks tempted us to soak in their magnificence.

Being surrounded by the majestic Himalayas was a feeling that we could not shake off. I was living the dream, walking, talking, in my head imagining myself there, surrounded by the vastness and the aura of the mountains. 

The husband saw the spark in the eye and goaded me to sign up. 

The lure was insurmountable. The yearning to be there so strong, that every feeling of control, guilt, self control, fact that it was not an easy task, leave approvals and pure logic was discarded and we signed up. 

At 4700 meters, Pangarchulla peak is beyond the halfway mark of Mount Everest. Novices we only had some beautiful local treks up our sleeves, not much to brag about yet decent - Agumbe, Kudremukh, Coorg, Sakleshpur. Shola Forests and the like. 

As I write I am still looking for an answer to the "Why"? 

Some reasons come to my mind, I love to travel, genetically I am inclined to be adventurous, I am not fond of crowds so the serene settings would be something I love, its a big break, it is something I can brag about, it is a test of my will power and stamina, lets see if the children can cope minus me? The views are stunning, a once in a lifetime experience, meet new like minded people..blah blah and blah blah.

Besides these reasons, I think I finally found "ME" with a voice and a will to do something that connected with me deep down.

The me that had layers of commitments - Mother, Wife, Daughter, Daughter in law, a Friend, Soulmate, Agony Aunt, A Working professional and what not? The "ME" who had issues leaving my children for a few hours, the"Me" who could not say NO when I wanted to, The "ME" who had become the epitome of goodness and lived upto every expectation, The "ME" who did things that I did not want to do, the "ME" who attended social obligations just because I had to, The "ME" who complied.

I know a lot of men and women who are like this"ME". 

I was lucky to have my family stand by me Rock solid and say go ahead , explore,

To everyone out there who connects with the "ME". 

I am a believer in faith and the law of attraction. 

Since my childhood days I have been known as one of the most positive and optimistic person around most people.

Witnessing the Ganga Aarti at Har Ki Pauri in Haridwar was mystical. I was amazed to witness such fervor and faith in such a large mass of people. There were a zillion people gathered to perform the sacred Ganga Aarti.






Infants, old people, youngsters, physically challenged people, Tamilians, Rajasthanis , Gujaratis,Sikhs, Maharastrians, Kannadigas, The Rich and famous, the poorest of the poor, the healthy, the infirm, the families and bachelors, parents with children, the ones waiting for children, people from several countries across the world congregated to partake in this event . 

United in one language. The language of Prayer, or the Language of Faith.

All taking a dip in the Holy Ganges, asking for blessings and asking for their sins to be washed away, so they could lead a better life ahead.
                                                                          

The entire experience was magical, mystical and left me in awe. It was pure faith that we got to see. While the local Pandits (some bandits too, adept at fleecing the naive and the new comer!) made you chant verses for the well being of your family members.

The mass chanting of prayers reminded me of a statement that someone had once told me, if a large number of people wish and pray for the same thing, they will attract it into reality. At that time though, I did not have the maturity to receive that message, but today wiser after several such experiences, I teach my children too to believe in the power of Faith.

With the heat in Bangalore soaring and making everyone uncomfortable, I did tell my 5 and 7 year old to ask the Rains to bless us, while thanking the Sun for life. Within a week of their prayers, there were showers in Bangalore, their astonishment at the rain and the joy on their faces made me smile. 

It is indeed a gargantuan effort that every parent has to make to switch from the traditional upbringing of "fear driven consequences" to "faith driven reality". I am no exception to the rule and sometimes the fear driven approach works faster and is more convenient to adapt to.

To quote a few instances from my own life,

FEAR

I am not fond of dogs. Infact I think I despise them, Most times when I step out on a walk by the lake or in the park, or just within the colony, I find myself accosted by a bunch of angry dogs.Today it was a pack of 6 dogs that were menacingly close to me with their canines and tongues jutting out.Their snarls and intimidating growls making me screech, scream and Shake with fear. I climbed onto a car parked close by to save myself from the dogs. In hindsight I provided entertainment to the residents, who were quite surprised to see me climbed atop a car.

Such things do not seem to happen to the others who walk on the same paths. When I walk with my better half, the same dogs seem to just purr and go minding their own business.

It is indeed my fear and my antagonism towards the canines that attracts such violent actions from them.

The first time that I took my Bike to college, I was riding in fear of what would happen if something went wrong, It did and I had a big fall, lucky to have escaped with a few bruises.

FAITH

As a very hands on mother "I like" to believe that I have to be around my children as much as I can and do everything that I can for them. Signing up for the Himalayan trek for 8 days was a test of my ability to trust, to have faith and to let go. The children were absolutely fine and did not even ask for me when I had no connectivity for few days.

During my studies, Maths was a subject I feared the most, thinking I would fail in the board exams in Maths. True to that I managed to just scrape through in maths.  

However when I was preparing for my CAT/GMAT, I realized that I actually enjoyed Maths and the challenging questions. I cleared GMAT with flying colours and there was no looking back at Maths after that.

When I applied for a dream job, there was no anxiety, just the faith that what was best for me at that time would flow through, and it would flow with ease. It did and today I am grateful and thankful for everything that job is giving me.

A friend's son broke his right hand just before the 12th Boards, the usually anxious friend had faith that all would be well, and that they would get a good scribe to write the exams. Today she stands tall and proud to say that her son has scored a whopping 90%.

My wish for myself and for everyone around me 

"Let my faith be bigger than my fear"