Trekking is the best thing ever!!!!

Hello all,

Recently I got back from what was inarguably the best trip of my life. 5 days spent trekking in the Himalayas to Dodital Lake and Darwa Pass. Exhausting, fun and challenging, I have become absolutely smitten with the purity of the mountains and the experience of hiking.

Almost 60 km

4000 to 14 000 ft elevation

10 students, 4 staff, 1 guide, 4 porters

Fun was much had.

Day 1 at the startoff: packing up at the Hanifl Center

Everyone (especially Kal) enjoyed the views en route to the first camp

Our tent, where we spent some interesting (not to metion frigid) nights

This is what I woke up to on the first day of trekking. Not a bad kickoff...

Camp

Breakfast every day: oatmeal with honey and raisins

Pakced and ready to go!!!

First day of the trek, about midway through the evening, something rather exciting happened: my hiking boots fell to pieces, both soles coming off. Some hasty patchwork with medical tape tided me over until we got to Agora, whereupon our good pal and buddy Gultaj found a guy willing to sell us a pair of 90 rupee rubber shoes

Well, they had a good run.

Dad, I can FEEL you wincing as I say that this is what I wore across about 50 km of trekking.

The footwear process (takes about 7 minutes):

-Put on thin pair of socks

-Wrap arches and ankles tightly with tensor bandages

-Put on second pair of sturdy socks

-Put on shoes

-Laugh at how ridiculous my feet look

In the evening on day 1, this is how we got to our campsite. We were feeling pretty cool until a couple of little girls in bare feet carrying a load of hay walked across it in about 5 seconds...

Day two was actually a lovely day, with me getting used to the new shoes (cough cough). Most of he way was flat, with brief stints uphill. By the evening we got to lake dodital, in time for a yoga session and relaxation by the lake (although due to it being a sacred lake, NO TOUCHING)

Our most lovely staff, Pants, Claire, Julia and Dane, at our lunch break

Lake Dodital. According to our guide, locals tried to measure its depth. They got to 1700 m (1.7 km) before giving up. 

O.o

Le photographer Pants (aka Mr Andrew)

Waiting for our porters to arrive with the tents.

Cozy, are we?

It was surprisingly cold at night...

Day 3 was shorter, but nonetheless strenuous, as it was 8 km, all uphill. One of the more intense days, no doubt about it.

Point of interest: Maggie almost fell off a cliff, describing it afterwards as "the most HILARIOUS thing that ever happened to me!!!"

We figured she was a little adrenaline high.

The lake in the morning

From the other side, standing on a landslide that made the terrain a lot more (cough) interesting

And it was ALL WORTH IT!!!

We got to the top of Darwa at about 12:30, and had a very relaxed afternoon napping in the sun (Gultaj, Johann, Kalki and I were the only ones that didn't get burned- sunscreen FTW). The evening was spent exploring the area, drinking chai and picking labrador tea, which grew in abundance on the slopes.

Dane was very content with his heart-shaped rock

The clouds were gorgeous that evening.

Day 4 was an interesting day. The hills reminded me (and Mr Pants) a lot of the scottish highlands, where I've hiked previously. We followed tiny little trails criss-crossing all around the mountain side, going on interesting explorations to find well-travelled routes. It was one of my favourite days, acclimatized to the altitude and taking in the majesty of the fabulous mountains.

That night, we camped at Sima, where the famous photo of the mountains was taken (that Woodstock and SAGE like to use on all their promos)

Tent photo at Sima!

Kate, Kalki, and yours truly.

Banderpounch mountain

Day 5 was by far the most interesting day, the entirety of it spent going downhill. We lots the rtail at one point, and ended up taking a (this being an extreme stretch of the word) path that Pants found. It was an almost vertical slide through a densely wooded area for what felt like a vertical kilometer, until we got to flatter ground about 2 hours later. The rest of the way was rocky and downhill, which was no mean feat with 90-rupee rubber shoes! 

Kalki looking very Flintstones, especially with the mule femur she found for her brother as a present.

WE MADE IT!!! Sweet, sweet relief!

After a 6 and a bit hour ride back to the Hanifl center, we unpacked our gear and loaded up to go back to dorms. There was high competition among the girls of my floor for the only decent shower in the bathroom, but I shawtied it right at the beginning, so it was all mine for the first round. Ahhhh, sweet bliss...

This has most definitely been the best experience ever. Good food, good company, good times, good views, I wouldn't hestitate to do it again.

Funny thing, because I AM doing it again, an 8 day trek for activity week!

Cannot wait!

Love,

Emily