It was in April that I finally made it to Everest Base Camp Trek. I actually planned it in year 2014 as well but it did not work out. In fact, you make it to the base only when it is meant to be. The entire experience of this trek is just beyond words. To be at Kala Pathar and look at all those snowcapped peaks including the mighty Sagarmatha (or Everest) is simply magical.

I reached Kathmandu on an Air India flight and then straight to Thamel. At Thamel, my room was already booked and frankly, a decent room at a price of 1500/-. Thamel is where you will generally find all the trekkers staying so it is a great location to socialize as well. I went to eat at one of the café’s (Rosemary Kitchen and Coffee shop) in the busy streets of Thamel and beyond doubt, it was a great place. I made friends with Lester and Danny from NZ over drinks and we had a long night chatting. Both were trekkers from NZ and were staying Thamel for over a week. It was late night and went back to my hotel and crashed.

The following day, I managed to get my TIMS card. It is a must to enter the Sagarmatha national park. I suggest you keep a weekday for this work. I used the rest of the day to procure the rest of the supplies that I needed for the trek. By the way, you can also rent stuff from Thamel (right from shoes to just about anything). I went out and explore other cafes like Roadhouse Café and called it an early night.

The next morning, I had a flight to catch to Lukla. So I got up early and took the flight to Lulkla. Lukla is a small town but it was great to be in Lukla with the rest of the trekkers. We had to trek about 3 hours from here to Benkar. It did not take too long and in fact, it was an easy hike to Benkar, where after reaching we checked into our Teahouse and relaxed.

Next morning, we had to trek to Namche Bazar. Now, Namche Bazaar I was really looking forward to be at and explore. Through all the documentaries and movies I got to know so much about Namche Bazaar. And Namche was really a treat. We reached there and checked in. Namche also has the famous Irish Bar so that is where the evening was to be spent. With so many other fellow trekkers and adventure enthusiasts, it was an evening I will never forget.

Next morning, it was our rest day at Namche. While we relaxed and took a stroll around in the market, one can do the shopping here at local shops. In fact, at Namche one can get internet services. You can also go to the local spa centers and pamper your body as well.

Namche Bazaar to Tengboche is a walk of about 11 Kms. Tengboche is a small village and the white tea house of ours stood out. We were tired but made it in time so the evening was well spent talking about the mountains and the previous treks that everybody in group did. I knew this conversation will go on for next few days as well anyway We started early from Tengboche and started following our guides heading towards Dingboche.

Dingboche was about 11-12 kms as well so it was quite a long walk but surrounded with mighty peaks, it was definitely a day to remember. We reached Dingboche and checked into a small tea house which also had a sit-out area with wooden stools. We were offered tea (made by Kalyan) which definitely made us feel incredible. On a side note, whatever you get on such treks is just about awesome purely because you feel that to get “anything” in such remote villages is a blessing. Our night at Dinboche was an early one.

The following day at Dingboche was a rest day. Believe me, reaching Dingboche exhausts you enough and so this day was a must.


From Dingboche we started our trek to Lobuche. By now, the air is thin and you will start to feel the effort. It makes every step a challenge. Lobuche from Dingboche is at a distance for over 12 kms. It is because we started early and had a rest day at Dingboche, (though we felt the stress) that we made it to Lobuche in time. We had the evening to ourselves. Believe me, at such locations to get some “me time” is just amazing. I remember sitting outside alone for a while because it was just so beautiful. The stress is all gone within no time. The night here was really cold so I made sure I am covered before stepping out.

From Lobuche, it was going to be a long day. Our guides made us get up really early. From Lobuche to Gorakshep and from Gorakshep to Everest Base Camp and back to Gorakshep is about 17 Kms or more. The trek was definitely a steep one with a few ascents and descents and it took a long time for me to trek our way up to Gorakshep. I think the energy bars and water really helped me today. Once one spots the mighty Sagarmatha (or Everest) everything else is forgotten. We were also told that the view of Everest is actually so much better from Kala Pathar so we were looking forward to that as well. We reached back to Gorakshep. You can imagine what we all spoke about that night  Don’t think it can be any different for anyone. But for me, to see and experience the Everest Base Camp was something I will always remember. The orange yellow domes simply stand out at the base location. It is simply incredible.

From Gorakshep also we started early. We were really excited to be at Kala Pathar. We knew we are going to get a closer and better view of Everest from Kalapathar. The group was all camera ready and we all spent more than 45 minutes at the Kalapathar before starting our trek for Pheriche. We reached Periche and we all had only one thing in our heads and hearts, Everest (Sagarmatha).

From Periche to Namche Bazaar is about 15 kms and takes about 8 hours so we started early from Periche Reaching back Namche Bazaar felt like home. We were looking forward to a hot water bath and some catching up.

Well, to summarize it all, there is no other trek or place like the Everest Base Camp and I suggest an attempt by every enthusiast.

Sure, there is so much more about Ladakh than what we have experienced so far visiting Ladakh in summers. The lakes, clear blue sky and the Milky Way in the night are second to none. Ladakh is equally beautiful, serene and magnificent in winters. It is quieter and there are less people compared to the road trip summer season and you only tourists you see are the trekkers who visit to trek the frozen Zanskar (Chadar Trek), the Markha Valley or photography enthusiasts trying to spot a snow leopard.

The main market and most of the hotels, restaurants and cafes are closed. The temperatures go down to -5 to -15 degrees (a usual day) surely making the day to day life difficult. The taps, pipes and tanks are all frozen and so one has to heat up the drinking water as well.

Now these subzero temperatures also bring along best of nature as well. The frozen water bodies are a sight. When you walk on the frozen Pangong Tso, you realize it is actually beautiful in winters (to me, probably more than summers). One can actually drive or walk on the frozen lake. It is incredibly beautiful. If you are in Ladakh around late January, you will experience almost all the water bodies frozen and as mentioned earlier, it is incredibly beautiful.

Frozen Pangong:

We were all there for our chadar trek expedition with Wanderers and we kept 2 days in the beginning and 2 days in the end free for us to explore Ladakh in winters. I will be writing about the Chadar experience with Wanderers but in this blog, I wanted to just share with you all that it is equally important to explore Ladakh in Winters because there is (actually) no place like it.

We also went to see the Indian Army team playing Ice Hockey on a frozen water body close to Leh. I had absolutely no clue about Ice Hockey and so I was thrilled watching the Team play. It was so amazing that we all spent half a day just watching them play. While we all have reasons to complain when we get up in the morning, our soldiers try to figure out how to manage their day and follow their passion irrespective of how challenging the times are. Here is a quick view of an Ice Hockey match. If you are a nature lover, it is an amazing (for sure difficult if you are not equipped properly) to camp by the frozen river. Talking quickly about Chadar Trek and the frozen Zanskar here (as I said, the blog on Chadar will follow) but just a quick view of how amazing it is to camp by the flowing river when the sides (or the most part) of it are frozen. The temperatures go as low as -20 in the Zanskar valley and the winds make it difficult but at the end of the day it is all worth it. By the way, parts of Indus are also frozen and for long stretches as well. It is that almost all the water bodies are frozen making Ladakh a completely serene experience.

The zanskar and Indus confluence at Nimoo is a magnificent sight as well. One should experience that in winters. Here is the sight from Zanskar and Indus confluence.

Overall, I would like to say it was incredible to be with Wanderers at Ladakh in winters. I did some treks with them too and I thank Wanderers team for all their hospitality and the great times we had together.

Happy to be associated with Wanderers!!

CHOOSING OUR TREK LEAD

In Nov 2017, the idea of scaling Everest Base Camp (EBC) came in our best friends (school mates) group, then we reached out to various sources to identify the best leader in the space. My good friends, Dr. Archana Thombre and Dr. Surrendra Patil suggested the name of Saranbir. Saranbir & his few friends run Wanderers (www.wanderers.in). Saranbir was approachable and immediately suggested us that we need to do 3 treks before thinking about EBC. As first trek he suggested us to do either Kedarkantha or Chandrasaila. We opted for Kedarkantha and fixed the timeline as end of March. We are team who have been in our professions (IT, Shipping, Telecom) for more than 2 decades, and the comfort we are used, need not be said. We have to admit Saranbir & his team was highly professional and ensured we had a smooth memorable trip.

PREPARATION TO THE TREK

Saranbir sent us a detailed itinerary and list of things to carry for the trek. Apart from these he had shared with us the fitness regime we need to adopt. With our busy professional schedule, most of us managed to shop in last few weeks at the famous sport shop Decathlon. Though few of our friends were religiously following the fitness regime, few others could not cope up to it, due to professional schedules & travels. However as a team, we are an energetic group and ensured we are always into some activity — we have a runner and few others frequent the gym.

23rd MARCH TO 30th MARCH

23rd March we all started from our destination — Raj from Hyderabad, Suri, Ajitha & Shylaja from Chennai and I(Priya) from Pune. We met at Delhi international airport for our onward flight to Dehradun. We stayed at Ramada Inn.

24th March we travelled from Dehradun to Sankri, a small village that is the starting point of our trek. Beautiful scenic journey, following the flowing river of Yamuna. We were put up in a homestay. For all of us this was the first time, we had stayed this way. Initial discomfort was there, as the wash room was in ground floor and our rooms were in first floor. However, the cozy wooden shelter for the winter was the best we can ask for in this small village. After a small break, Saranbir gave us demo on the Ranger Rolls packing method the cloths and briefed us how to layer our clothes for next day. Night end with lovely food cooked by the homestay host.

25th March we started our 1st day trek from Sankri to Juda ka talab (JKT). It was a beautiful climb up the hill through forest covered with pine trees, Deodar tress and passing through stone bridge. We removed our fleece and half sleeve T-shirt on the way, as we were feeling warm, in spite of cold weather. It was 5 hours walk including our lunch break and our photo sessions. We reached our camp site at JKT, which had our orange bright tents covered in beauty of pine trees, patches of snow and JKT Lake. We did our warm up and had a good break. Toilet tent and how to use it was briefed. It was very hygienic every one of us felt comfortable. Oxy-meter reading was taken by Saranbir for all of us, to check our fitness level and thankfully we were all confirmed fit to proceed. Night ended with nice dinner, sweet and bournvita. Sleeping in a tent & inside a sleeping bag is an experience by itself, and for all of us it was the first time.!

26th March we were woken up by ginger tea and started from JKT to Kedarkantha (KK) Base. As usual, in the morning Saranbir gave us direction on layering our clothes. He confirmed it will be an easy trek compared to the previous day and this piece of news made us relax. This time we came across lots of patches of snow while trekking. We reached KK base in 3 hours. Saranbir, whose compliments are rare, told us we were doing good — 4 in scale of 5. We reached well before lunch and the whole of evening was for us, we played lot of games, took loads of pictures. Oxy meter reading was taken again and brief on how to wear micro spikes was taught to us. Camp site again was very beautiful with KK summit with its snow capped mountain forming the backdrop. In front of us we saw whole range of mountains. The entire place was for us, and we enjoyed the atmosphere of this campsite the most.

27th March we started early in the morning 6am from KK base to KK Summit. As usual, Saranbir guided us on layering of our clothes. We wore Base Layer, a Tee & a Pant, Rain Jacket and Gloves. Fleece was worn for just sometime. This time we trekked for few distance in bit of snow and land. After that we had to wear micro spikes and the entire journey was on snow. Saranbir taught us how to climb up (using our toe) in the snow. We slowly and steadily reached the KK Summit, under the supervision of Nari (our local guide) and Saranbir. It was a delight for eyes to see the ranges of Himalayan Mountains, different shapes one overlapping another, shades of black to bright white. Mountains covered with snow ever where. Journey worth it! We spent more than an hour clicking photos in this place. Amazing place — words can’t express the splendor of the view from this place — mountains in all directions. One has to experience it by themselves. If you are a nature lover, you must try this once at least. Saranbir taught us how to descend in snow and how to slide/stop in the snow. Descend was mostly slides (long ones). It was fun sliding on the snow, screaming and teasing each other. We were back in KK base by lunch. After lunch, we started again to descend to Hargoan. Reached Hargoan by 5pm. The place was again a beauty by itself. Peaceful location, anyone would like to spend the time gazing at the mountains, pine trees, starry sky, and that too particularly after successfully completing the KK Summit. Harmony was everywhere in this location.

28th March we started from Hargoan to Sankri. This was descend in the forest with loads of pine trees, red rhododendrons, dream huts facing the mountain ranges, the farms with mustard yellow flowers and apple orchids. It was more a causal walk than a trek. We reached home stay by lunch. The host were kind enough to provide us hot bathing water. We went for shopping in the small village, got to understand the village better, as we spoke to many village people there. We had Certification ceremony for our successful completion of trek. We decided to cook dinner for the entire family including us, it was again a first time experience to cook using wood. This gave the experience of how the cook was cooking and serving us through the trek.

29th March we started from Sankri back to Dehradun. Entire family came to wishes us bye. It was heart felt and touching moments. Our journey through forest on Bolero began. We were eagerly waiting for network signal which we forgot for past few days. We connected with our family and friends, midway at Purola, once we got the network. We reached Dehradun by evening and bid farewell to Saranbir. We freshened up and went for shopping followed dinner.

30th March we started back from Dehradun to our respective cities. We had common flight from Dehradun to Delhi, post which each one of us had our way home.

FUN TIME:

Suitcase locked without lashing both the zip together. Raj’s confidence that he does not have mountain sickness, however couldn’t stop throwing up. Shylaja’s dialogues — Why Decathlon can’t do something for teeth — is there teeth cover? It is shattering?. Ajitha and Shylaja buying same colour clothes and searching for each others clothes — blaming decathlon for not providing many colors.

Shylaja, saying “I am not coming, because I did not sleep last night” on the day of KK Summit. Rolling in snow when caught hip deep in snow, and telling that is the way to come out by Raj. Sliding down in Snow by Shylaja, who said if not stopped by Raj & Saranbir, would have been in KK Base. “Which way to go?” in the whole white snow area by me(Priya) to Saranbir. While sliding in the snow unable to stop using foot/heel, however creating a scene by Raj. Singing birthday songs for Shylaja many times throughout the trip from Sankri to Dehradun.

Birthday celebration for Shylaja on 29th March at Ramada. Raj’s next bucket list as signer & we as instrument players — booking an auditorium (of course empty). Ajitha’s cake for Shylaja and Shylaja laugh about the cake and dosa which Aji is famous for making (like Sun or Moon). “What to wear?” once we reached Sankri by all to Saranbir.

TENT EXPERIENCE:

Most us stayed for the first time in a tent, and all us were using sleeping bag for the first time. The tent was placed in a clean location, on looking scenic beauty at every location. It was fun to unpack & pack stuff in the small area. Dressing up is another experience by itself. Using toilet tent was again a new experience. Particularly to go out in the night in the darkness and cold weather to the toilet tent was a big tasks by itself. Every experience was unique and we enjoyed it as a team.

FOOD EXPERIENCE:

Every day we were woken by hot ginger tea with honey. Breakfast had Pooha, Pan cakes, Parathas, Puris, every day was different along with coffee/tea. Lunch was rice, dal, subzi, rotis. Evening 3pm, we were served with snacks like pakodas, corns, biscuits, eggs along with tea/coffee. 5pm hot soup was given to all of us. Night dinner was at 7.30 to 8pm, with rice, dal, rotis, subzi and dessert. 8.30pm we were given bournvita or milk. Apart from this, hot water in all our bottles were filled twice or thrice a day as required. Food was made in front of us in the kitchen tent, and all freshly made & served. Saranbir roti making skill — need to call it out. His team Appu and Mahendran did a great job of cooking and cleaning the vessels. Hats off to the team, as we initial thought we will be eating only Maggie (that is what we read in many blogs), here we had lavish freshly cooked food.

CONCLUSION:

Memory to cherish forever. Thanks to Saranbir and team who has made this trek so smooth, that we felt like a trip rather than a trek. Saranbir was exceptionally good in organizing the trek. He has necessary skills, which gave us the comfort of being in safe hands, when he briefed his profile on the 1 st day and it reflected in every thing that was done. Action speaks louder than words. He is a true example of this saying. During our trek, we saw few groups who had more than 60 people, and had come with the lead who himself was visiting Kedarkantha for the first time and was asking for tips from us..!! Many of those people we saw wore cotton clothes, improper shoes, no proper guidance, some were not up to climbing the last 200 m of the summit due to sheer motivational issue. When we saw all these, we know how well we were guided and taught everything right the first time. Our next trek trip will again be with Saranbir and Wanderers, with a larger group of our friends.

It is not really a difficult trek : Someone who has attempted a few high altitude treks in Indian Himalayas can attempt the Everest Base Camp trek. Goes without saying that you need to be fit to scale the ascends and descends but it does not necessarily require an extremely hard training schedule. Scaling a height 18500 ft (5640 Meters) is obviously not going to be easy but it is a gradual ascend through multiple villages offering comfortable stays.

Home Stays instead of Camping : Almost all the treks in Nepal offer an organized and comfortable stay option. Overnight stays at Phakding, Namche, Tengboche, Dengboche, Lobuche and Gorakshep have home stays with beds, common (but clean) washrooms, multi cuisine restaurants and hot shower facility. Charging electronics comes with an additional cost but the good part is that it is available.

Phone coverage while on the trek : Buying two SIM Cards from Kathmandu (Thamel) provides you a complete coverage (well, almost) in the entire Khumbu region. Service providers NCell and Namaste Telecom (NTC) are the two preferred service providers and absolutely strong signals throughout the trek. You can also buy an Internet pack with it and Whatsapp and other social media tools are sorted.

Meeting trekkers from around the world : Meeting travellers from around the world just adds to the fun. Sharing experiences over dinner adds to your learning and helps you understand the challenges and thrill of other slopes around the world.

Thin air challenge : Trekkers who have trekked in Ladakh, India will understand the challenge of thin air. Although, it is important to acclimatize well before (and during) the trek but the trek is not as challenging as treks in Ladakh.

Witnessing eight thousanders : It is difficult to explain in words how it feels to witness the mighty Mt. Everest (8848 Mtr/29028 ft). Having said that, there are other mighty peaks that one witnesses on this trek. Mt Lhotse (8516 Mtr/27939 ft), Mt Makalu (8470 Mtr/27788 ft) and Mt Cho Oyu (8201 Mtr/26906 ft) are other 8000 Meters+ peaks that one experiences on the Everest base camp trek.

Chopper Services : Almost all the treks in Nepal have a very well organized rescue as well as chartered chopper services available. In case of any emergency, the chopper is available to lift you up even from Gorakshep. It is a cashless process (using the insurance) and you are in Kathmandu within 45–60 minutes.

Celebrating successful attempt : Thamel offers a great variety of muti cuisine restaurants, pubs and clubs. From wood fired pizzas to live rock shows everything is a just a few steps away. Travellers from around the world make it a great town to be in.

Season for the trek : Although the Everest Base Camp trek can practically be done throughout the year, the best time to attempt is March, April, May and September, October, November and December.

Attempting EBC via Gokyo Ri : Attempting Everest Base Camp trek via Gokyo Ri is an alternate, extremely beautiful and slightly more challenging option. Taking a different route from Namche Bazar via Dole through Gokyo village/Lakes, Chola Pass and connecting back to the EBC trail at Lobuche.

If you are bored with the usual stories of bike rides to Leh, have been to some treks already and now want something a little adventurous, its time you attempted Stok Kangri Summit Trek. It is one of those summit climbs that all budding mountaineers start their 6000+ meters climbing journey with. At 6153 meters, this non-technical climb is adventurous and scenic at the same time. You will get snow in the last leg of the journey before the summit otherwise the trek is dry.

Where: Leh, Ladakh, Jammu & Kashmir, India

Level: Difficult Level Trek

Height: 6153 Meters

Best time to attempt: Summer season. From June to September. While there have been successful summits in winter too, but it is only for experienced climbers to attempt in those harsh conditions.

Days Required: 9 Days minimum (2 days of acclimatization in Leh and 7 days of trek including one extra day at base camp)

Best ways to attempt: Hire an agency that does this for a living. While many will attempt this solo or along with some friends, please remember that this trek is in the Himalayas and is about 5500 meters. At that height, the dangers of changing weather, falling sick due to AMS etc can make any situation into a life-threatening situation. Only experienced and trained staff would be able to make the right choices in these situations and save a life!

Which agency to hire: Do a thorough check on their credentials, their experience. No honest agency would have issues is answering questions like — How experienced is the guide? How big the groups are? Any group size over 10–12 trekkers is a strict no. Is the guide trained in emergency medical response? What is the rescue plan in case of emergency? Porter to trekker ratio? What kind of food would be available? Types of tents / equipment that will be used? Every groups of 10–12 trekkers must have — One experienced Guide + one Trek Leader + 1:1 Ratio of porter and trekker.

Route:

Day 1 and 2 — Arrive in Leh (Stay in hotel, do not strain yourself at all)
Day 3 — Drive to Stok Village and trek to ChangMa
Day 4 — Trek from ChangMa to Manskarmo.
Day 5 — Trek from Manskarmo to Base Camp.
Day 6 — Base Camp to Advance Base Camp and back to Base camp.
Day 7 — Base Camp to Summit and back to Manskarmo.
Day 8 — Manskarmo to Stok Village. Drive to Leh
Day 9 — Back to home.

Overall the trek is aprox. 20 kms from Stok Village to summit and you do it in 4 days. An average of 5 Km every day. Many of you must have done longer treks in a day before this however due to the altitude gain, this is a different game altogether. Though non-technical, it is a difficult trek. The ascent up to the ridge and subsequently to the top of the summit is challenging and demands a strong fitness level. After you complete your trek every day, post some refreshments and rest you must always go for the acclimatization walk to the surrounding hills. As you climb up to the hills, the lungs will work 3 times faster to get the oxygen it requires to sustain. Once you are at the top, rest for a while and then come back. When you are coming back, the lungs keep working the same manner and because you are coming down, oxygen levels will be better. This will make you feel better and refreshed. This is something that must be done everyday to better acclimatize.

Points to Remember:

1) Hire and experienced Trekking Agency post checking credentials.
2) Plan your trip in a manner that you have a day or two as back up in case the weather goes bad, you will have time in hand to attempt it again.
3) Drink lots of water, starting from the time you start your journey to Leh till you back home. At- least twice the levels of what you would drink in the plains. Water provides oxygen to the body, which is much needed at that altitude.
4) Do not take any medication especially Diamox without medical supervision.
5) If you are on medication, please ensure that your Trek Leader is aware of the same.
6) You must be in GOOD physical condition to attempt this trek. Ask for a plan from the trekking organization to get fit before the trek. Your planning should start at least 3–4 months before in case you are not active in sports.
7) Pack well for adverse conditions. Must carry clothes for rain and snow. Weather does change abruptly and in quick succession.

Having led countless treks in the high altitudes of the Himalayas, we suggest the following trekking tips for beginners.

1) Choose you first trek and trek operator wisely — If you are energetic and willing to enter the world of the mountains, it is very important to choose the right trek for yourself, and more importantly your trek operator. The experience and practices you follow on your first trek stay with you for the longest time. Having fun with amazing views, stunning pictures, thrill, fun and adventure are a few things that attract many people to come for a trek however trekking has much more to offer. We as trekkers need to follow the right practices and care for the mountains, flora and fauna and respect the local cultures and beliefs. Along with this, safety on the trek with respect to health, weather or any other emergencies also need to be kept in mind. Once you follow the right practices with the right mind-set is when you become a “trekker” and not a “tourist”. Choosing your first trek on your own could be quiet confusing and challenging. Your trek needs to be planned on the basis of your leaves/ days in hand, physical fitness levels, choice of weather to trek in and much more. You can seek assistance from your trek operator in choosing your first trek.

2) Allocate your budget for trek equipment — There are a lot of queries regarding the gears that need to be bought. We suggest that depending on the number of treks you plan to do in a year, you should invest in your gear. The basic gears that we recommend to have are rucksack, trekking shoes and sunglasses. These 3 things have to be of the right fit, size and comfort.

3) Do a proper research of your trek — Just as you are planning to choose your trek, you must also be aware of the area in terms of safety, weather predictions, stay options, permits & permissions with fees from the local authorities, safety and evacuations planning from your trek operator. Knowing all these things in advance only adds on to having fun on the trek knowing that in case of these issues you are prepared.

4) Do not hide and medical history from your trek operator — In the mountains even the best of doctors cannot do much as they do not have their equipment or the staff. So on the trek all you get is first aid. Being first –aid experts ourselves we are prepared to treat/ manage health conditions and have a close look-out for each trekker for sign & symptoms for AMS or other mountain sickness. It becomes very crucial not to hide any medical history from your trek operator as any minor issue could also escalate and become life threatening in higher altitudes. People with Asthma, heart conditions, surgeries/ operations, ligament tears or fractures need to cross check with their trek organisers about their specific trek. There are some treks which are not meant for people with such medical conditions to attempt.

5) Pack as light as possible — The basic rule of trekking in the Himalayas means to travel & trek with as much light weight as possible. The majority of weight is that of jackets and trek pants (mostly winter gears). Depending on the number of days you need to pack. For instance, on a trek of 6 to 7 days going up to 13,000 feet, your rucksack should not weigh more than 09–10 kgs. For your first few treks, run a checklist from your trek operator to make sure you have the right things. As and when you keep doing more treks, you get to know what you need to pack as per your own needs.

6) Break in your trekking shoes — Shoes are the most important equipment in the entire gear. Having said that, you also have to keep in mind that your foot needs to adapt to the trek shoe. This process of the foot getting used to the shoe is called as “breaking-in”. This generally means that you need to wear your new, out of the box shoe for 4 to 5 hours a day, thrice or 4 times a week. 3 to 4 weeks of breaking-in makes your trekking days comfortable.

7) Follow (LNT) Leave No Trace policy on the trek — Over the past few years trekking has picked up in our country. It is important to ensure that we as trekkers have a minimum impact over the nature. Leave no trace policy means that we generate as less as possible waste in the wilderness (or as a general practise). This would mean to keep a check on the group size, avoid generating plastic waste, making sure of following proper human waste disposals and much more. Any negative impact on the slopes would account for and impact the slope. The recent example of such a thing is the legal notice by the local authorities of the ban at camping in bugyaals (meadows) in the Uttrakhand state, Kheerganga trek or for that matter Triund trek.

8) Follow trekking etiquettes — Trekking itself is a disciplined and a punctual adventure sport. It involves being courteous, respectful, warm and polite to others (especially locals & the support team), not playing loud music while trekking or at campsites, not polluting the water sources/ bodies nearby and looking out for fellow trekkers as a team. Always keep in mind the support team and locals are doing the best they can. In the wilderness team spirit and closeness with each other is the only thing that keeps the entire team together. Any sort of challenges — weather-wise, medical emergency related situations can only be managed well when we empathise with each other.

9) Carry a basic medical kit — Generally the trek operator would be carrying a dedicated medical kit along with supplemental oxygen (for treks above 13,000 feet) for the entire team, however it is still suggested to carry a medical kit with basic meds in it. Cough and cold, fever, pain killers, antacids and other prescribed drugs (if any, need to be consulted with the trek operator in advance), band aids, lozenges, electoral sachets are a few basic meds that every trekker should carry along.

10) Say no to Alcohol/ smoking/ intoxication of any sort — Intoxication of any sort could put the others and the trek lead guide in a tough situation. Sometimes if things get out of hands, it could also lead to a casualty. Alcohol dehydrates the body and slows the senses and in the high altitudes it should be completely avoided. It does give instant warmth, but immediately could lead to a dizzy head or lead to losing consciousness. Smoking interferes with the respiratory system decreasing the lung capacity and causes breathlessness. Both smoking and drinking should be avoided else it could jeopardize the entire team’s trek.

I have been a trekker for almost 5+ years and have done many treks in Himalayan states of Uttarakhand, Himachal and Ladakh. Although, it goes without saying that the all of them are different, with different level of difficulties as well as magnificently beautiful and magical views they offer.

Ladakh took my heart away when I went for Markha valley along with a few friends with Wanderers. I then booked myself for the Sham Valley trek. This was clubbed with the road trip I planned for ladakh. For a short trek like Sham valley (about 3 days trek) three days could be clubbed in the road trip itinerary. I booked once again with Wanderers.

From an itinerary standpoint, Wanderers keep the first two days for acclimatization. But for me, it was customized as I was clubbing it with my road trip. I was extremely excited to leave Delhi. June and July is not the time one wants to be in Delhi. Via Manali, we drove to Jispa, From Jispa to Sarchu and after spending a night in Tso Moriri, finally got to Leh. We spent the day unwinding and acclimatizing. The following morning, we were all set for our trek. A short drive took us to Lekir It was roughly a 2 hour drive to this small viallge called Lekir. Right by a stream, a quick right turn at the end of the village brings you to the trek starting point. A clearly carved out path was our starting point. Our guide Tashi took a quick briefing before we started. We were all given some dry snacks and packed lunch. We were told that there will hardly be any village on the way so better be prepared.

Finally, to reach Yangthang, it took us about 4 hours. We were there by early evening. Once agin, there is no doubt that ever remote location in Ladakh has its own local charm. A quick uphill pass brings you to Yangthang and you will see many homestays options.

We had a great time and experienced the local village life. Music kept playing in the homestay and it was just great. The following morning, we started for Hemis Shukpachan. Through Tsermanchang Pass, it is a gradual descends that got us to Hemis Shukpachan village. I can tell you that the trek into the Hemis Shukpachan was the most beautiful part of the entire Sham Trek Ladakh. We had our homestay there with an old lady who was like a lone ranger managing the whole show. We had an awesome time at the village.

The next morning, we were all set for Temisgam. We started at ease in the morning and started from Hemis Shukpachan. Via Mebtak La (a steep ascend to the pass takes quite a bit but as always it is fun), it is all descend. We took about 4 hours to reach Temisgam. Practically, it took us less than 2 hours coming down from the Mebtak La and it was easy post the pass.

It took us about 2.5 hours to drive back from the village to Leh. Once again, a must do trek for beginners and nature lovers.