Kuari Pass trek, more than just a trek

Written on January 11th, 2025 by Naveen

Packing and moving is one of the most hurtful event in our lives. ~ Umar, trek leader

Day 0: Journey to the basecamp from Rishikesh

Ah, early morning travel - one of the most tiring events in my life. This trip was no different. With hardly any sleep, I got up early to meet the team and catch the travel bus. With a half-drowsy mood, I almost got the wrong bus. Thankfully, I found the right one and met half of the team in one of the bus. As we settled, we started introducing ourselves. The bus got delayed by an hour waiting for other people to reach. After the brief wait, we got moving.

Cursed with motion sickness, I took over the front seat. The bus journey was quiet for the first few hours. Laterd, the group got active and started to play some weird games that didn’t catch my interest. After being forced to take part, I reluctantly started to participate. Dancing and singing aren’t exactly my cup of tea, so I firmly avoided participating. It was pretty clear that others didn’t vibe with my behavior. It was also clear that I won’t be a good company.

On a more positive note, I enjoyed sending updates and photos to my new friend and my sister.

When we reached the basecamp, sheer exhaustion made socializing even harder. The speech from the trek leader about being one family didn’t resonate well either. We ended the day with a nice dinner followed by an update on the itinerary.

Day 1: Trek from Karchi Basecamp to Akro Ghetta Campsite

After a good night’s sleep at the basecamp, we prepared for the trek to our next campsite with the entire team and two other trek guides. We started off with a healthy breakfast and some light warm-up exercises, setting off in high spirits. The whole hike was relatively short, convering about 4 kms.

During the trek, each of us was randomly assigned a buddy for the day. The idea was to get to know them better and introduce them to the group later that day. However, I was completely oblivious to this and spent the day wandering around and chatting with others in the group. My buddy, Rakshith, was deeply engrossed in exploring the natural surrounding, studying trees, and learning their history. Respecting his interest, I left him to his explorations and mingled with the test of the team.

When we arrived at our campsite in Akro Ghetta, we were greeting with a thick blanket of snow which was all very stunning. We quickly formed a small group and began playing in the snow. One of our games involved rolling snow into balls and tossing them to others to catch and missing a catch meant doing 10 push-ups. Later, we switched to a snowball fight, splitting into three teams and pelting each other with snowballs. The energy was infectious, and everyone seemed to be having a fantastic time. When we grew tired, we shifted to sculpting simple figures in the snow.

While we played, the only couple in our team stood apart, gazing at the surrounding peaks and holding hands. Their companionship struck a chord with me, stirring a longing for love that I hadn’t been successful in finding over years. But I decided not to have such thoughts and instead busied myself unpacking and organizing my belongings in the tent.

As the dinner approached, it was time for our buddy introductions. Each of us had to describe our buddy and also pick someone we admired in the group. When my turn came, I gave a brief introduction about Rakshith, mentioning his interests. But when it was his turn to speak about me, I was taken aback by his observations. He described me as someone “filled with wisdom, who can be a child when playing but extremely mature when handling important and sensitive situations.” As if that wasn’t surprising enough, another teammate, Pooja declared me her favorite, citing my jovial nature and willingness to help others when needed. I was completely dumbfounded by these compliments. I quietly thanked them, too overwhelmed to say anything. Sometimes silence speaks louder than words. That night, as I stared at the mountains, I was moved to tears. While I had always known my friends and acquaintances who enjoyed my company, no one had ever expressed such admiration. It felt as though the mountains had conspired to help me confront my vulnerabilities and leave as a stronger person.

Post dinner, we had to wash our own dishes in freezing temperatures. It was, without a doubt, the most painful task we faced during the entire trek.

Despite this ordeal, some of us gathered in the common tent area to have deep conversations about our lives. I also contributed my own share of experiences of how some obstacles were needed to level me up. These heartfelt discussions brought an instant bond. It was becoming clear that the team was slowly transforming into a family. After a few hours, we all retired to our tents, ready to rest for the next day’s adventure.