Last month I went to the Nehru Institute of Mountaineering for the Basic Mountaineering Course at Uttarkashi, Uttarakhand.
It was one of the best experiences I've ever had.
I must thank my job for allowing me the time off to go and experience the Himalayas. I now know so many things that I didn't earlier. What a bowline knot is, what ropes are meant for, what a foot hold is, how much fun rock climbing can be, how to walk with 20 kgs on your back.... one of the most memorable moments was reaching the height gain in those snow shoes and crampons - it was amazing.
The Himalayas - sanskrit for "Abode of Snow" - are one of the youngest and the highest mountain peaks in the world. We all know about Mount Everest in Nepal, but you probably didn't know that there are many peaks in India and China that have yet to the climbed due to their difficulty levels. The mountains are dangerous... with the crevasses and the avalances... but it's amazing how beautiful they are. We truly are fortunate to have them within our country. And it's not easy to reach, so not easy to pollute as well.
I learnt about George Mallory and Irvine, Reinhold Messner, that Mont Blanc (4810 m) is the highest mountain in Western Europe (Everest is 8850 m), about the glaciers receding in the world, about water towers and mountains, Bhachindri Pal, Santosh Yadav, Wanda Rutkiewicz, The Himalayan Club, HAPO, HACO, acclimatization....
In one word - AWESOME.
I sure am glad I got a chance to do this.
2 comments:
WOW ! was it scary ? how did you enroll for hte course ?
Post some pics !!!!!!
It was scary - and dangerous. You can enrol for the course through the Nehru Institute of Mountaineering, Uttarkashi, that runs the course. www.nimindia.org
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