It was 1 pm, and I was on a plane headed to Srinagar. As I sat there on my aisle seat, I took a deep breath and told myself – It was finally happening. The 8-day long trek in Kashmir was conceptualized three months back when my school friends and I finally decided to have a reunion, and what could be more perfect than spending a week long in the untouched meadows, surrounded by the fresh mountain air.
It was a long process though. Convincing parents was the hardest part. Why Kashmir, of all places? You can get shot. You will always have a fear of dying. Their responses were hardly encouraging. However, I was firm, and they gave in eventually.
Things did not get easy though. Just a week before the trek, we learned that since our trek coincided with the route of Amarnath Yatra, tourists were barred from traveling on the said route. To make matters worse, there was a cloud burst in the region just 3 days before the trek commenced. Nevertheless, we remained hopeful and determined. Our trek company had to divert us to a new trek, which had been recently explored. The four of us decided to take a leap of faith and not cancel our plans. This was perhaps, the best decision we took.
As I finally landed in Srinagar, I was left with mixed feelings. I was fearful, as a part of me felt that trekking here was too risky. On the other hand, I was also excited to witness the grand meadows and lakes on the trek, and most of all, I was happy that I would get to meet my friends after a long time.
The Bodpathri Lakes Trek has a vast expanse of undulating meadows and valleys to trek through. This region was out of bounds until a few years ago. Even now, you see remains of army bunkers and trenches on the trail. What has stayed in the untouched beauty is something that no one has seen before — the forests, meadows, valleys, rivers, and lakes. The highest lake – The Pamsar Lake, stood at 13,060 ft.
It was certainly not a walk in the park. Walking 8 to 13 km daily was no child’s play. But we had signed up for it and the challenge to complete the trek made it even more rewarding. Despite all the difficulties, each and every moment was worth it. I lived every minute, every moment of it wholeheartedly, regardless of the good and evil, the sunshine and the storms. I appreciated every bit of it all, the surroundings, the campsites, and the meadows.
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Every day we were supposed to wake up by 6 am and start the trek by 8 am post breakfast. The hike would be preceded by a long warm-up to get our blood flowing and reduce the risk of injuries. Mornings were accompanied by a certain level of excitement about the landscapes we were about to witness. In the initial days, we found ourselves surrounded by pine trees that were so tall that we could not even see the top of them. Two days into the trek and the trees were not to be found anywhere. What stood ahead of us was just endless meadows like the sea in every direction. In the last days, we alternated between valleys and ridges, steep ascents, and descents through boulder sections to witness the alpine lakes of the Pir Panjal Valley. We would come across herds of sheep grazing in the meadows in tranquillity. There were sections of meadows draped with flowers of many colours, which could literally take your breath away. There were river crossings as well, which would quite literally freeze our feet.
My main attraction in this trek was the Pamsar Lake, situated at 13,060 ft above sea level, also the highest point of this trek. On the 5th day of the trek, I finally got to witness the breath-taking views of the lake. The ascent was certainly challenging. Sporadic rainfall during the hike further aggravated the situation. I often found myself in and out of my ‘poncho’ to the point that I had to carry it in my hand since it was too much of a task to open my backpack repeatedly. It was chilly; I wore 4 layers covering my neck and ears.
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One hour into the hike on Day 5 , I started experiencing dizziness, disorientation, and shortness of breath due to the high altitude, courtesy of the steep ascent. I kept going, taking short breaks in between to sip water. Kavinaya, our Trek leader, told us – ‘Just think about the next step, and do not worry about the distance’.
On the way, we had to cross a sizeable boulder patch, which was shaky and uneven. On the face of it, it looked impossible to cross it. The scattered rainfall made the trail slippery, which made it even more challenging to walk on. However, then we saw Farooq Bhai, one of our trek guides, casually hopping around the boulders as if he was strolling in his garden. He exclaimed – ‘These are just rocks, keep walking. I am here to help you, but don’t let it come to that’. Looking at the ease with which he crossed that section really motivated me. With the help of our guides, I managed to cross the boulder section and then slowly inched towards the lake. Finally, the Pamsar Lake revealed itself in full glory after a gruelling ascent. I was near the banks of what is considered one of the largest alpine lakes of the Pir Panjal Range. The views were awe-inspiring. The clouds were clinging to the magnificent peaks around the lake while the cool breeze was blowing. It was indeed magical.
We all heaved a sigh of relief. After 5 long days of traversing the mountains, we had finally reached the highest point of the trek. The best part was that everyone who had signed up for the trek (14 of us) managed to make it to the top. After a team huddle, where we exclaimed joy, we were allowed to spend some time alone, sitting alone in peace. I wrote a postcard jotting down my emotions near the lake and reminisced the whole journey. Truly, one of the highlights of the trek.
The conditions worsened while we were descending from the lake. Until then, the rain was irregular and manageable; however, on the way to our camps, it started pouring heavily. Since we were walking through a meadow, we could not take shelter under a tree. The only option was to keep walking and praying it would stop raining. Ponchos were helpful only to an extent, and after a while, I found myself thoroughly drenched in water, and my padded jacket was completely wet. It essentially meant I had nothing to protect myself from the severe cold at night.
I vividly remember that phase of the trek because, at that point, I was utterly helpless, and no matter how much I tried being optimistic about it, it got to me. I was irritated. The clouds came down, forming a thick mist because of which I was unable to look beyond 20 meters. It was severely cold, and on top of that, I was drenched in water. The ground below had turned damp, and it became difficult to walk. Irrespective of the difficulties, I kept pushing, persuading myself that it was only a matter of time. After an hour or so, it finally stopped raining, and we all heaved a sigh of relief. We could see the camps ahead of us, and nothing made us more ecstatic.
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As I look back on this trek and that day, in particular, I realize that every day was filled with doubt and uncertainty. There was apprehension regarding the trail, the weather, the landscape, and worst of all if this hike was within our capabilities. However, that particular day taught me that all that matters while trekking and in life is to just focus on the next step. As we continue walking, as long as we are persistent, we develop greater courage, and with that comes the confidence that we can go all the way. We slowly become accustomed to it, and then our mind opens up to the tranquillity of the triumph.
That is all I did that day. The only thing that mattered to me then was the next step, during ascending to Pamsar Lake and also while descending to our campsites in the rain.
The Bodpathri Lakes Trek was surely a transformational experience. For more than a week, I was completely detached from the outside world and lived only on basic necessities – food, clothes, and shelter. I was happiest living out of a backpack in the harshest conditions. Even though we faced countless difficulties, the ever-helpful trek mates, the starry dazzling night sky, the achievement of reaching the lake, the happy conversations, and the exquisite nature made it look minuscule.
As I hopped between boulders, crossed streams, and walked on long stretches of rolling meadows, I learned that our bodies are more capable than we think. The key is to stay resilient, approach each challenge with optimism and only focus on the next step because each and every step gets you closer to an infinite and boundless experience.
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