NEPALI SHERPA-THE LIFE SAVIOUR

 I had heard mountaineers used to narrate in their tales that, he is alive only because of the Sherpa, but never in the wildest dreams of my life that I will go through the same phase of life one day.

It so happened that on 26^th May 2022 I was on a trek with a group of 23 people from the across the Karnataka to Mt Kedartal in Uttarakhand and it was most daunting trek as per blogs etc, like the spider wall, gravel mountains and falling stones and ridges etc

But when we reached the first camp we had gone through few patches of the trek which were daisy where one mistake of yours can slip down into the valleys into the river, but still our trekker’s niche through the path.

It was 27^th May 2022 trekked to Kedar Kharak where we had to traverse on the Gravel Mountains or cross the river, but going through the Gravel Mountains means disaster anticipated if there is lose stones falling down and it can be fatal one which can lead to death of the person.

So we decided to take the less dicey route but going through the river is also not an easy task, as you got to descend about 100 feet down on the gravel and reach the river, but still this route was precarious but with utmost care our trekkers could niche this trail and reach the river bed.

Believe it or not friends when this trail was niche I was keeping the fingers crossed and standing down and watching the path and heart rate was tapping higher and praying god that everyone comes down safely to the river bed.

As we descended to the river bed the advance party consisting of the Sherpa’s, guides led by Megharaj arranged the boulders so that the trekkers can traverse easily on the boulders. We crossed the first river and all of them sailed safely to the other side of the river and thought it’s done.

But after few meters again we saw the Sherpa’s guides were busy putting the boulders and rope and preparing for one more river crossing, and I was given the responsibility of belaying the rope for 23 people in the mean time my legs had jammed because of the cold and he immediately said come on it’s your turn to cross and I moved further and while crossing the boulder to another my leg caved in and I got totally drenched till the waist level.

Though I didn’t get hurt, as the Sherpa’s there pulled me up immediately but the glacier melting water send shivers in spine, but immediately I looked at all of them and I said I am fine and my friend Ramlal by the time had descended to the river bed and immediately who looked at my helpless state of affairs immediately removed a pant from his bag and asked me to change the pant and socks.  

I felt as helpless as everyone was seeing but no one to offer help as none of them had anything to offer as everyone’s outfits was in the porter bag. So I feel we should always carry an upper and lower in the bag for emergency situations like this. Sad part is even I didn’t anticipate this kind of situation and even I was not equipped to the situation. I always advise people to carry a upper but not a lower one, lessons learned by experience.

I took the slipper from the Ramlal daughter and just walked from there for the next 2 Kms to the camp site so that I can change over completely & keep myself warm, but by the time I had lost so much of energy and the body temperature was also catching up, but that was not realized as I was walking and body was generating the heat, but in reality lot of energy loss had already happened.

In reality I used to tell people that we lose energy from the head and the feet but it was the first experience for me too realizes the fact of the life.

It was getting colder in the evening, I sat in the kitchen and was getting fatigue, thought will go out and take fresh air and in-between I saw the trekkers chilling out in the group and I also joined them and in the end of their conversation I just briefed them about the dream Kedartal and ensured everyone has the dinner and sleeps and goes to the summit tomorrow without hassle. 

By that time it was getting dark and chills in the body had started and couldn’t show the symptoms so I retired to the tent and took one Dolo-650 from my tent mate Manjunath Nayak and put it in the pocket, thinking that I will take the tablet when I sleep but alas ! I had forgotten to take it and slept but couldn’t sleep for the whole night and in the morning when I woke up I saw my face swollen up like Tibetian monk and was wandering how will I lead the team.

I had a pep talk with Dr Rashmi V and Mohan and advised them to take the team safely and come back as the agency chap advised me to take rest and relax totally so that I could recoup for tomorrow back to the base camp.

Wisely can’t imagine going back half halfheartedly, so many things came to mind, like will I do the summit after I get well or do it one day later by going early in the morning by 3AM and getting back with the team on descend to the base.  

It was third day of the trek and Saturday the 28^th May 2022, Almost everyone was of the opinion that I should rest, so I took an tablet and slept for some time and team had left at 7.45 am and I got up at 9 am and was getting restless as my team had gone and I was sleeping somehow my consciousness was not permitting me to sleep and was wandering how will I face the people in my city as loser.

These thoughts kept on haunting me, but it’s also said if you’re not feeling good you should go down rather than going up, but the dream, what I had dreamt in 2020 was too close and was getting waned in front of the eyes.

So I mustered some courage and just got up and tried to pull my shoes, It was getting exhausted but never the less the spirit of going up didn’t die in me and I just asked Nepali Sherpa Bhima Bhadur Sahi to help me in wearing the shoes but alas my shoes were still wet and took the shoes of Ramlal and was about to leave and the gentleman came and said no, you’re taking too much of risk which can Jeopardize the whole expedition.

But I think I had almost decided to go and he gave it up saying who can advise you and he just went to the kitchen and got hot water and gave the water bottle and he asked the Sherpa to be cautious while climbing and I still remember the words he narrated yeh thoda pagal aur ziddi log hai kuch bi kar sakte thoda dhyan rakhna.

Then I put my legs into the shoes and wanted to bend and tie the lose but I was not able to do it and was feeling helpless and that time, I had to ask someone to tie me shoe lace situation demanding so I had the help of the nepali Sherpa.

It was 9.25am and I looked at the sky and took the back pack and started moving towards the destination but let me tell you friends situations was not the same what it used to be, every step I walked I was gasping and was getting breathlessness. I was in the helpless and wished someone near one is there with me to share my feelings but alas at that time no one there and can’t share the same with the Sherpa as he was warned if I pant too much to bring me down. 

So just kept quiet and moved slowly, never in my life I was gasping like this, and there was no fire in the body to go up. But I was pulling myself up and when I stopped after some time, I looked back at the camp site and saw the app it said you had traversed a distance of 450 mts and was gasping too much and one point of time I was thinking did I do a blunder of coming and shall I go back but that spirit and motivation of the people and friends pulled me up.

It was like “AAJ tho karo or maro.” do or Die Situation for me. I cannot go back with the face of loser, so I mustered some courage and just moved further and in between my Sherpa said give me the bag I will carry it for you, initially I resisted but later on his too much of insistence, I gave up the bag and felt little better and walked up and there he said see there your trekkers are going on that ridge.

But that ridge look so close but still It was far away and when I just assessed roughly it was around 1 km far away & that was the spirit he had kindled saying that u will be able to catch them don’t worry sir and he encouraged me so much and by  2 Kms so we had reached the ridge and we saw our trekkers were trekking to the destination.

I felt little relaxed when I saw few of them close and just breathed little heavier and sighed a relief as I knew now the destination is close. We were just around 200 Mts something and few trekkers shouted look, who is there and Mohan sir just zoomed in the camera and said vow Solanki sir, and hauled and said tiger is back in action. He said his sixth sense said you will come and I joined the team.

He said he was having some inclination that I am not a person who will sit back and lay down and later I joined the team and  we traversed together to the summit and we all 24 of us summitted to together at Mt Kedartal and we saw the greenish lake and magnificent mountains like Mt Thalay Sagar, Mt Bhrigupanth, Manda Parvat, Mt Jogin and Mt Gangotri.

What a moment to rejoice for me as what I thought was unreachable and with little bit of courage and risk could do it with despite all the hardship. This day will be etched in the history of my adventure books what I went through to accomplish the goal.

It was Saturday the 28^th May 2022 @ 11.50 A M a history was written what we had planned in 2019  the dream was realized after so many hurdles like COVID-19 in 2020 and again we planned again it was cancelled due to Second wave and we were getting restless and apprehensive  whether this expedition will happen or not, rather it had become haunted expedition. But Alas at last it was accomplished in 2022.

We took pictures and hoisted the tricolor at the Lake with the group and we had exchanged the pleasantries and few trekkers were in tears on their accomplishments, with the sweets been distributed among the team members and we left the place with sense of accomplishments.

As we descended down to the Kedar Kharak or the summit base camp we had lot of challenges, as we climb up the trekkers face the challenge of breathlessness, but as we descend down the head doesn’t stop on the shoulders and the trekkers tend to run and we got to tell them that maximum accidents happen while trekking down and all of them reached safely to the summit camp.

It was haunted night what will happen tomorrow as there discussion among the agency chaps to whether to go via Gravel Mountains which can be risky but by morning it was decided on 29^th May 2022 that we shall go by the same route of crossing the river I sighed a sense of relief as it was the safe bet.

As we passed 2 km we came across the river approaching nearer to us and we crossed the first river and by the time I crossed I was feeling little jittery feeling and I had gone first and was giving a helping hand in crossing the other ones and by that time again some energy loss had happen and by the time we crossed the second river I felt so helpless as though no energy was left in me to climb up.

 I was just wonder struck no idea what happened to me and to my luck Sherpa who was there yesterday just noticed me and came back and helped me again to wear the shoes and said come on go as the stones were rolling down and it can be dangerous, but I was struck there and couldn’t move even a single step as the I was drained out completely and no energy left to move forward and was feeling helpless for the first time in my life and then he realized that I can’t move and he came down to me and said what happened and looking at me he said come on give me your bag, I shall carry it for you and lets go, but literally it was like he was holding my hand and he pulled me uphill and it was daunting task every 10 steps I was getting  breathlessness and he just reached me to the target and he left.

After reaching on the top I thought the task further is much easier but nevertheless after few steps I simply went blank and I don’t know what happened I was pulled by the same Sherpa and he shouted what happened sir “Abhi aap chale jathe niche nadi me” what happened you were above to fall into the valley and land you in the flowing river,  I was totally shocked and had he not pulled me probably this expedition would had been my last one and I simply sat down for few minutes and was wandering what will happen till I reach the Gangotri, will I reach safely or not was a big question mark !!!

This is a point I remembered a incident of Sarachu on the way to Ladakh where I slept and in the middle of night I woke up and said to tent partner I am gone but the partner said don’t worry sir you will be alright and here I remembered you should have a good partner in life to rely on him to share your feelings.

But I saw Mohan in front of me and I said Mohan if someone is not well you are supposed to be behind not forward and from there Mohan was following me like a shadow and with god’s grace we all reached Gangotri forest guest house and we returned to the Mandakani hotel.

I had exhausted so much that even talking on the phone with my family members and friends was like a daunting task, but i mustered some courage and went to the Gangotri temple and spent some time in front of the temple in hustle bustle and was enthused with positive energy and showed the family members the shrine and thanked god for saving my life, and retired to bed.

It was 29^th May 2022 it was emotional moment tears rolled down out of happiness and later on one incident broke me completely but can’t share the situation with anyone. Had night mares on that day and couldn’t sleep in the night.  But had to drink the situation as showing your emotions there, people will only empathize with you and people were asking about my health but no one knows what the pain I was going through this expedition after the fall.  I wish no one goes through the situation in their life.

As I came down to Dehradun the heart became heavy and was getting restlessness and had night mares thinking of the situation but with the advent of the situation I calmed down and went to Chandigarh and  Mr Kamal Sindhwani played a perfect host at his Home who was so compassionate that he gave time to me, and with advent of time I caught up talking to few friends to shun the heaviness in the heart, was feeling little relaxed with the next team arrived on 2^nd June 2022, I can’t put my drowsy face in front of them so just cheered up little bit and pulled the socks and showed a brave face.

But the Agency chap in the Himachal Pradesh caught me red handed and said you’re not the Solanki what I have seen, I had to say nothing wrong and just went on with the program.

Though some trekkers come as blissful and bring cheer and happiness but some trekkers come as lessons in life and best lesson learned in life since 1988.

I express my sincere gratitude to Mr Bhima Bahadur Shai for giving me a new lease of life.