Some of us have had at least one ‘hair-raising experience’.
Being an adventure freak, I have had more than my share of such experiences. Till date, my Triund trek tops the list.
It was mid-February when a friend, my namesake, Priyanka and I decided to drive from Chandigarh to McLeod Ganj for a long weekend holiday.
Since it had recently snowed in the Himalayas, we were not sure if the Triund trek was open to public or not. We tried to search for the information online albeit without any success.
Since February was my last month in Chandigarh, and I had never been to McLeod Ganj, we decided to anyways drive till there and go for the trek if it was open.
If not, then we would make do with the crisp mountain air, the famous market, Dharamshala stadium and Dalai Lama temple.
Turns out, the trek had opened just one day prior to our visit. I was ecstatic, my friend not that much.
Since the trek had only recently opened for visitors, there weren’t many people on this path. We were told there was some snow towards the top due to which we might not be able to reach there.
The trek is about 5km one way starting from Gallu Devi Temple with the first 3km being of gentle ascent while the last 2km is a steep climb.
After plenty of breaks; some for Maggi, some for chaai, some for our photo shoots and some to just catch our breaths, we reached the base of the steep climb.
The Triund top was about 2km from this point and the entire path was scattered with snow. From where we were standing, it seemed like it was almost a 90-degree climb. Also, since the snow was not fresh, it was icy.
Most sensible people including my friend turned back at this point. And that is what I should have done too.
Especially since I did not have snow shoes or snow sticks. Moreover, this was my first time walking/trekking in snow.
But my sense of adventure kicked in.
I was so close to the top and had seen mesmerizing pictures of Dhauladhar range from the top which I desperately wanted to see in real life.
Some adventurous guys and few experienced monks were the only ones attempting the last stretch.
The ice was slippery, but seemed manageable to me. I decided to climb till when I felt comfortable.
I slowly started climbing behind the thin stream of people – all of them with snow sticks. I climbed for about 30 minutes concentrating only on the next step. That’s when I took my first break and turned around to wave to my friend.
She was already a miniature.
While I was contemplating on returning as opposed to climbing to the top, a monk told me that I was already half way through the tough bit.
Decision made, I continued with my climb. However, it took me much more than the 30 minutes. I believe it took me roughly one and half hour to reach the top from the point of the steep climb.
The view from the top was mesmerizing with the snow covered mighty Dhauladhar range seemingly just a stone’s throw away.
I went through a range of emotions on Triund top. From excitement at nearly having the entire top to myself to helplessness at not having anyone to click a picture for me to fear that if something happened to me, no one would know.
Fresh from watching the movie ‘Everest’, the one thing I learnt was to never take weather for granted and to start descending latest by 2PM.
That left me with only about 10 minutes at the top. Safety first always.
By then the icy snow had started to melt and had gotten more slippery. As there was no clear path and no one to guide me to the easiest path, I found a short stretch of steep cliff covered in snow and decided that the quickest way down would be to slide on it.
I suffered a few bruises but was glad that I had seemingly covered quite a bit of the distance.
My happiness was short-lived. In front of me was a narrow stretch with a sheer drop on the left side.
I put one foot on the path and realised that it was very slippery. Since I had slid down the cliff, there was no way of heading back up and finding a different route.
At that moment, panic engulfed me. The thought of falling and no one knowing about it did cross my mind. The thought of falling and injuring myself terribly and to never be able to walk again. The thought of falling and being eaten by a wild animal.
And so much more.
I waited there for at least five minutes hoping to spot someone and ask for help. Or at least try to cross that stretch in the presence of someone however far away so that the person could inform officials and arrange for a search party if things went kaput.
No luck. No network. No one in sight and no human sound.
Although I believe I did hear (or probably it was my paranoia) some wild animals and birds (which at that time seemed like vultures to me).
I had no idea what to do and was wondering if I should just continue waiting for someone or attempt to cross the stretch.
The light drizzle that soon started made that decision for me. The movie ‘Everest’ flashed before my eyes and I decided to take that risk.
Very slowly I placed one foot on the stretch and threw my entire body weight towards the right side of that stretch. I tried to use my fingers for grip, not sure if it helped.
Thankfully it was a short stretch and I somehow crossed it without any incident.
The relief felt by me soon resulted in tears and I plonked myself on the ice. By now my feet and fingers were totally numb and I hardly felt the snow.
The rain though could be felt and had also increased in intensity. There was no time to reflect on the narrow escape.
I made my way down. Falling – sliding – slipping – jumping.
By the time I reached the base of the steep climb, I had multiple bruises all over my body and one massive sprain in my right leg.
I tried to look for my friend but without success. For a minute, I was worried that she might have come after me and was stuck somewhere on that steep cliff although that would have been very unlike her. She was much too sensible for that.
With no physical strength to attempt that climb again in search for her, I decided to head back to the base of the trek and inform the officials.
To my relief, my friend was sitting and enjoying chaai at a tea shop 15 minutes from the base. Overwhelmed, I hugged her tightly.
I still shiver whenever I recall the incident. At that time I had made up my mind to NEVER go for a solo snow trek again.
Three years later: Ah, well maybe with the right snow trekking gear.
Read about another of my experiences here: Women’s Roadtrip: Car Failure on the Highway