Days have passed. We have moved to Base Camp at height of about 12,500ft. Route to this place has been quite eventful. There were times when I just thought of dropping off and I guess in next 5-7 days more such times will come. But it again comes down to fighting, spirit and sustenance. I'm still game and this would continue for some time. This has been a different course altogether and different time in life. This is kind of a different experience. Sometimes it feels like, I would forget this experience. My main motto of joining this course was to check the physical fitness level. But this has become more than that. From the second day (hill walk) itself, I had mind to say it quits as physically it had become too strenuous for me. But so far I have been fighting against this feeling. The trek from Bhukhi to Tel Camp was most strenuous. First let me go through the route we took so far. For 5 days we did Rock Craft at a place called Tekla. The trek from NIM to Tekla is about 9kms. We used to complete this daily starting at 6-6:30am and reach Tekla by 8:00am. The trek passes through Uttarkashi town and we cross Indravati & Bhaghirati rivers. (A valley is also named as Indravati through which the river flows.) Passing through holy ashrams built on the banks of Bhaghirati river. Some places which I can remember are Maneri milestone which says 13kms from one place on our way. Maneri Guest House, pink coloured shutters of shops outside an ashram, the garbage dump of the town after which there is a small bridge to cross a nullah & turning right at a height which point, everyday i used to feel the heat but then getting again to a point of getting off own's ass (used to make me remember shop in Bangalore -Get Off Ur Ass), we used to rest at just such a point where it felt like i'm gone. Just taking it to a limit. Rest point is signaled by a view of snow clad peak of Jon Li, which kind of winked at me gesture - Hey Dude the Rest point is close enough. The point is more pronounced by a first view of a small hut seen from far and then comes a temple which is barely 200mts and then it feels like home. Broken, perspiring and now feeling relaxed faces signify that I’m not alone in the league. Gives me thinking, as if a person gets such a nice feeling even in turmoil if he/she finds someone in same position. The same feeling was creeping in me.
First day on this trek, as we were stretching / drinking water on the road a blue coloured PWD truck came from above & we all called loudly for everyone to get on side. But truck turned in front of us away from us and making fool of us tired souls and a big roar came - "isne bhi kaat diya humara". After that every day we used to make a point of our pace with the timing of that truck. If we met the truck after rest point, this meant we are faster and it used to give a solace that today we walked faster.
Just soon after the rest, there comes the mother of all climbs near a tea shop just below the BRO's camp. It was a small height but done totally vertically. And trek thereafter becomes tougher and the whole group clearly gets divided very soon into a fast and slow group. After the first day, it was count of turns that used to determine the end point and wait for a turn which had lot of space for buses to get parked and on other side there were road side barricades. And here comes the biggie of all climbs. It’s hardly 100mts in vertical height but the walk up there for waiting breakfast involves an avalanche of breathing. Reaches the limits of breaking of strength. It’s not pain but a different mixture of painful feelings that i used to feel in legs, feet, back, lungs... and mind with eyes now full of perspiration. And when it finally used to end - ending and landing onto a plain ground between all high and higher trees of pine. Then just dethrone the rucksack and just dumping the body right there on top of rucksack. Rather what used to happen was turning onto do some stretching and relaxing exercises otherwise it might become a cramping stiff body. Then catch the messtin and grab the breakfast which was always cherished and everyday was felt lesser.
Then it started with classes and training on Rock Craft. It was a pathetic period for me. This period just enhanced apathy towards the whole thing. The lowest point came when I just did not start Side Rappel, not sure what was it - fear of height or sheer low on confidence in my hand's strength. I just could not imagine myself holding my weight. But I was totally encouraged and confidence boosted by my team members, I did complete other rappelling exercises. Overall rock craft sessions were poor for me. Bouldering, I don't remember if I could finish any, but I tried all though, but I feel I never give it a good shot. I was more disinterested towards it for unknown reasons. I just could not trust my own hands. Bouldering/ long pitch/ rock climbing .. Everything was poor. Only high coming when once I did complete the long pitch and rappelled down too. People clapping and shouting and some surprised... 'arre aditya upar chala gaya'. The feeling after listening to all this was very poor. Overall I was miserable, seeing others, bogged down by my own strength as well as shoes helped when they slipped on roughest of the surfaces.
Tekla Over Tel takes over
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We came to Bhukhi by bus after having a quick breakfast and then visiting the local temple at Uttarkashi for wishing a successful trek. Here also I was wishing to dropping back and going back.
After Bhukhi we started on steep climbs to reach Tel Camp. It was all about height gain. I could complete it in a much better shape by help of my team mate, Takpa Norboo, a simply superb person from Ladakh, a tour guide himself, who literally held my hand and pulled me at many places. This was really hell of a walk. Reaching the camp was a bless feeling. Shouts of 'bas aa gaya', 'see those tent tops'... 'bas thoda aur' were easily heard all along the way, more so towards the end of walk. (Walk sounds a too ironic a word for this climb though ;)).
The place was amazingly beautiful, with some huts and a family living there with a few pet animals also. This was kind of a meadow with a few water flowing inlets. We camped at the same place during night and felt cold for first time.
Most interesting thing came just before night was setting in, when we were taken to place for digging holes for the 'big job'. Interesting thing was to note how people dug with full energy, between bushes, some holes were huge as if people going to do it forever. It was hilarious scene and it gave a just a glimpse what to expect every morning in wee hours and big job looked like an imposing task.
Off to Gujar Hut
We started off to Gujar Hut Camp after having breakfast. The trek was quite long, about 13kms. The trek involved a lunch break and change of shoes to snow boots as snow line was reached very early. It had snowed a lot this winter and was going on still as we came to know later. This trek gave a view of many people. There were shouts of "chal chal", "chalo chalo", "aage nikalo", "nahin aur nahin.. bas bas, aur nahin chal sakta", "shabash shabash.. bas thoda sa aur hai", "bas aane wala hai, thoda sa aur" and finally everyone did reach Gujar Hut camp by 2pm and then major task was to set up the tents. Me and Harsh camped together as we fell in same group here, Harsh's team was being led by an interesting personality called Ranjeet Sir, who would treat us with his humor all the way.
Here again the first task was to dig holes for the big job. This camp was on snow and a small plainest area that would convert to a nice meadow and good area for Gujjars and their pets for grazing in coming months. There was a small rivulet that flowed nearby and it would become our water point.
One major task in this whole trip has been management of food, wastage and water and their usages. There has been water/garbage dumping holes, which are used for food wastage. But major emphasis is on using all resources well. Starting from water for drinking, water being sued for cleaning the utensils, water used for personal cleaning. Another aspect is there is hardly anyone who ahs guts to use this chilled water to use for the big job or even washing any body part for that water. Brushing teeth on any morning or even by night has become a luxury now, but hardly anyone cares. There has been not been a single relaxed 'big job' or 'number two' as always its done a hurry as its closely followed by whistle for morning exercises. But, I took extreme care that I do complete this job regularly every morning.
It all started with, getting up from hot sleeping bag, putting on the wind suite upper as well lower on top of regular lowers and t-shirts or sweater. Putting on the cap and then gloves and then putting of the gloves to put on the heavy tight snow boots which would hurt every morning as they get tighter in cold. Still struggle and put on the shoes somehow and get yourself out and catch hold of ice axe and before that make sure to have the toilet paper firmly in pocket, can't give it a chance to fall down on snow as this is one scarce resource that no one is ready to share so easily. Take a water bottle if you got some guts and then reach a safe point eligible for digging a small pit between fallen trees. Going amidst the trees, on slippery ice, holding ice axe firmly in one hand, dig the pit with ice axe, do the job, struggling sitting on those heavy boots and chilly wing biting into the skin and nostrils feeling smell not just of your own. Finish the job, cover the pit and run back for fall in as whistle has just been blown. After fall-in and attendance rope-wise, there would be an exercise session for 20 minutes. Breathing which had become already quite heavy after running back from big job, as now reached new levels of giving it away any moment and just then it ends and everyone runs for breakfast. I wondered how people can have so much energy.

After breakfast, it was time for snow craft training. This becomes quite a doable task for me. First task was to reach the training area. Snow craft was more interesting involving sliding; toe walking, side walking, support walk, edge heck, glas sliding, and sliding from a height.

Then there was self arrest and group arrest activity. This was very interesting as whole group was part of it and showed clearly what team effort would mean in a crisis situation. We spent two interesting days on this activity. After third day we started off to Base Camp. This was a small drill to carry some items to Base Camp. So there we loaded cans of Milkmaid, potato, sacks of onions as some own items like helmet etc and reached Base Camp. Remembering helmets, some of us got scooter helmets and it was funny climbing wearing these scooter helmets. This was quite easy trek even though it was equally tiring but was definitely not exhaustive or strenuous.

Next day we dropped our tents at Gujar Hut and started off for Base Camp in morning. The previous day was very good as we were left free after lunch. This was part of acclimatization exercise of going to Base Camp and then coming back and resting. We also kept our clothes, sleeping bags, wet socks etc. out as it was bright and sunny and everything could dry up this day. It was a great day and very relaxing indeed.

This trek had a unique incident, as this was kind of easy trek and people were ready to move on and lead instructor decided to have a break. A few protested, this sounded rebellion as so far nothing of this sort had happened. The rebels were made to run, walk briskly and reach the camp faster and without any break. Nothing special except t being odd in whole course as this was the only incident where people were not disciplined. Somehow I was not in favor of this over enthusiasm or high level of excitement.

In between from Gujar Hut we had visited Kheda Tal, beautiful lake now frozen, after crossing a few small rivulets. This was a beautiful scene with views of JonLi as well as both peaks of Draupdi Ka Danda as well as a ridge called Choron Ki Dhar. Unfortunately I did not carry my camera and rued missing these beautiful scenes.

I did caught hold of some icicles on the rivulet, the log bridge. Many did fall on this log bridge trying to jump and show over enthusiasm.

Reaching the base camp, there was a race of rope leaders to grab the best tents. Then we had tent site making exercise. Beating the ice-snow and leveling the surface with shovels and then beating the ice together with our heavy snow boots. This site would be used for quite sometime, so it had to be more perfect. We later came to know that this huge pile of snow all around was nothing but actually a result of earlier avalanche which had even covered a permanent shade/hall made by NIM team earlier. We would later uncover that too.

Then in evening as usually happened we were shown place for number two. We were supposed to dig holes in snow till we reach ground. This place was kind of tricky to reach as we had to reach down a slope and there was ice on which usually everyone was slipping, so we had rope tied till bottom for support. Later we found another way to reach down through a way carved through snow with small help of ice-axe and easy to fall on way. So it was indeed a biggie job now.

On the night of April6-7th, the whole area was covered with black clouds and heavy winds struck our tents. Every person was given a task to keep a watch on tent one by one. There was a slight conflict of views as some civilians did not agree to be woken up in night and army person in ourtent as well as some others ounced on that guy. Anyway people slept with anger or conflicted mind and I with a sore throat. Things were turning bad in terms of health now at a time when I had given everything now. I was woken up by Ashish and I remember taking torch with my hand coming out slightly in a fearful way out of sleeping bag. Then I just pushed myself up and lay on rucksack and kept vigil and interestingly not able to think much. Around 1:30am, two other people woken up and by that time wind had picked up and even the tent pole was under pressure. We three were discussing and watching it sway as if tent would just rip apart any time. It did not snow though. The fear of snow became reality the next morning. I woke up at about 5:30am with report coming that temperature is -1degree celcius and there would not any PT in morning but direct fall in during breakfast. Anyway me and Abhinav (nicknamed Jaadu) went for the big job amidst snowy chilly winds.
But this day I had exhausted whole of my tissue paper, so I was at mercy of others who had luxurious papers still in their pockets. While coming back to tent that day, I felt totally exhausted but did my brushing (this was happening after a few days now), this made me refreshed and surely made me feel newer by 5-6 days straightway. Just after this we ran for Fall in and breakfast.

By this time it has turned into a snow blizzard and finally did tear apart our tent. We were lucky as later we came to know that two tents were brought down by heavy winds.
While schedule of Ice Craft had gone haywire and instead we had knot practice sessions and now map navigation lecture. Ice craft exercise is done on a glacier and the route to that place is very nice. It passes through moraine, which is a highly landslide prone area and we could always hear sound of falling stones. We used to cross a rivulet coming down from glacier and we had our crevasse crossing and ladder launching training sessions. The route goes down the moraine and then uphill in snow which again would test the strength.
People have mixed emotions as happy on having a rest but then tent restructuring is an exercise. We had to clean and tighten all ropes for tent. There are now 82 people left in course after 3 people having left for various reasons. And there are so many thoughts in these 82 minds and surely we share these feelings mutually.
This thought process is a plethora of feelings and according to this we make opinions about people. Some get respect, some disappointments and that is how we have a mix of relations.
It has been 2-3 days with throat infection no. After 7th April’s snow storm, people said that they would not forget these days. I had a notion that there would be more days to remember and it has been same. I have been ably supported. We ent in chilly winds for a revision of Ice Craft session. Before that morning was marked by a late comer extensive PT session. The whole of our tent was late and were punished with Frog Jumps and brisk running. This was unnecessary and uncalled for as we did not even hear the whistle. Anyway it’s the part of game but major effect was that we came in eyes of instructors and that that too during last few days.
The whole scene of going to Ice Craft place was crappy. The weather was bad with strong winds following us, attacking us, passing through body and head. Still we went on to the glacier and started ice cum snow craft amidst cold and windy conditions. Soon it started as blizzard again and we retreated back to Base Camp. This was more frustrating as now I was no feeling well. The afternoon turned out to be more pathetic as we were made to have a lecture on Indian Mountaineering History and then a movie.

Seeing the arrangement of NIM, everyone was impressed. Can you imagine watching movies on DVD player on brand new Sony Trinitron Flat screen TV sitting on beated snow of an avalanche at more than 12000 ft.

Mistake that I made was that I did not wear the feather jacket, which I corrected during dinner time and happy enough to feel warm. The major fear becomes the big job every morning. Moreover April10th was day for height gain. Day would start at 4am with tea and then 5am breakfast and by 5:55am we depart. It was too cold and no morning light could be seen. Big job was postponed after breakfast. Everything was done briskly. Finally we started for Hura Valley and reached a height of 14700ft. The whole height gaining climb was a mixture of emotions, involved different reactions of people as there were different aspects to this climb. I was struggling but my leader Lokender Singh, edged me on throughout despite having an option of speeding past me. I kept a decent pace to reach the destination where high windy conditions almost blew us. The view was spectacular, we had climbed half the height of Mt.Everest in less than 4 hours. This was just a joke which we could play. It was all about pushing through the limits. I could remember words of my leader who said – You don’t have to drink even a small drop of water till you reach the top”. I had complied and followed a major principle of taking steps along with breath. This is surely one of the major principles of mountaineering or trekking.

The view from top was exhilarating. We could see peaks of Draupdi ka Danda, Jon Li and a faint look at Gangotri West. We could see a storm building over, so we ran back to camp.
We were welcomed back in the camp very warmly by all people as everyone congratulated on completion of a successful course. A major funny thing which happened was my outer wind proof trouser always keeps on coming down, this results in a slight trouble also as holding it up comes as a task in itself. Finally I let it go and it moved down the hip and I finally had to help myself and kept holding it all the way.
So now just 2 days remain to leave the base camp and I was looking forward to t. I am waiting eagerly now to get back to plains, feeling sick now. The mind is full of mountains and wants to get rid of it now, just a little bit of too much. The experience so far had been interesting. I now knew what a running nose is. It has been flowing like the rivulet. Many a times, it has been dripping and so far I have exhausted two handkerchiefs.
Next day we had navigation exercise. This was done in teams. I started well and took charge of map navigation and this was one thing I could pretty fast and in fact we were the first ones to start off the blocks. But this resulted in as a wrong strategy. We wandered in search of our first point and atleast I was too exhausted for first point. But we managed to reach the second point in record time. But then again we succumbed to bad planning and went through a bad way to reach third and final position. We went through a very bad way through bushes and trees all over us. This was too strenuous and faltered 3-4 of us. Anyway we ran, pushed, pulled each other and reached back to camp as first team. I was totally exhausted and more so by heavy breathing which resulted in just no stop cough which just would not stop. We were glad, hugged each other but other teams just hinted that we had lost. I’m not sure why people just like to pinch you again and again as if it gives them some sadistic pleasures. Anyway by night some of my group members were quite sentimental as why we did not do well. I was cool and satisfied by the way we performed. It was just fine, it was not a game of life and death. If someone followed us and reached earlier than us then it was our fault that we gave them the way. Anyway I had no arguments and did much better in written test and was ready to leave the next day.
Takpa was sentimental and would not eat lunch as he did very badly in written test and this was not great really as why should he suffer just because he could do well in a written test. This was clearly not the case as he had done so well in practical cases, that nobody could deny him an A Grade in course. Some how we were able to manage him and he had lunch and relaxed and also abused us in his own peculiar style.

Evening came with a disappointment as I was put in a group that would start very early as a slow group. I protested with my instructor and next day I started with common group as I felt I could keep pace and I really did manage. We had to reach directly to Tel Camp. Just before reaching the Tel, I almost broke down as strenuous climb had taken its toll and I passed many struggling people and now it was catching me and a few crossed me. And this was undoubtedly mother of all climbs; all previous claims were laid to rest. And it was most satisfying too as Tel Camp was at its best greenery now and it felt warmer now.
Next day we trekked back down to Bhukhi and taken back to NIM Campus. This journey was not left easy for us as our bus broke down a few times and just before reaching NIM too and finally we had to climb or way in the campus.
A bath at 8pm with cold water was the best thing to happen as it completely refreshed all senses and cleansed everything of past 15-16days. All exhaustion, pains lost and new satisfying feeling reached.

I’m not sure how many people share the same kind of feeling. This experience did give me one confidence boost that things can be finished if pushed hard and nothing is impossible now. (Could I disagree with Adidas slogan now ;)).