The Tulian Lake Trek Experience
My decision to go for trekking was to do more with proving to myself and fulfilling my bucket list of climbing a mountain before I enter into my 50s, which I doubted due to my health issues ( diabetics and BP).
It wasn't a random decision to go for the trek , rather a well planned one. My better half ,who is a fitness freak, kept pushing me by advises / instructions / and threats to gear up and prepare myself to run / exercise to be fit enough for the trek. However being brought up in a High Range of Kerala I was over confident that the trek would be a cake walk for me.
There were many obstacles and uncertainties before we started the trekking. Our initial plan to do the Tarser Marsar trek had to be cancelled, the subsequent plan to do the Bodhpatri trek also unfortunately had to be called off due to unrest in the valley. By this time only 8 out of the initial 18 trekkers decided to stay back and check for other options . Finally, the 8 of us along with our trek leader Mr. Dhanjay (DJ) decided to do the Tulian Lake trek by joining a team of 22. We thus became a team of 30 trekkers, which included a few families, a few group of friends and a few young lone trekkers, starting the journey together.
I soon realized that my childhood experience of living in the hills had no relevance of application here .The heights were more steep and there were huge boulders to navigate along . My aging body wasn't finding it easy as I thought it would. I literally struggled to keep up with the others. There were people giving advices and suggestions, however, my body demanded a rest after about every 100 mtrs.
I was now miles away from my comfort zone ! I had to deal with frequent urination in the night (due to diabetics) with a more nightmarish experience ,which included coming out of my cozy sleeping bag and using the Bio toilet outside, in this bone chilling cold weather.......a very dreadful experience indeed. Other discomforts viz. sleeping in a Tent, food availability, cold weather didn't help me, and I ended up with over exertion and air sickness. To add my misery, I had severe stomach upset which is common due to altitude gaining.
For the initial two days I couldn't sleep, however somehow in mornings I would feel charged up and would decide to trek to our next camp site. DJ was always helping and encouraging me to do at my own pace. I could feel my sugar going low many times and I had to take sugar to keep things going. There was a strong support from Navin who would always be my side giving the me lots of encouragement & confidence & also with supplies of water & trail snacks . There were a lot of times that I felt I would not be able to see the end product ' Tulian Lake' !
But I finally conquered all my fears and troubles. The pain I took was worth a million ! Sitting by the Tulian lake I felt proud of myself for choosing to trek.....the feeling was priceless !!!!
My learnings / observations from the trek :
# Family bonding : Many people chose to trek with their family to bond more, I was very impressed with this father son duo who chose to trek when his son came down for a holiday from US ! They both were sick but they took care of each other and completed the trek.
# Friendly atmosphere : People from different age groups and paths of life meet, help and encourage each other to reach the beautiful destination. Needless to say the obstacles and fears and worries all shared and dealt with like a family !
# Pushing self : The paths were difficult, there were valleys , so were the heights, boulders, rivers with chill glacier water, steep climbing, narrow paths. Many places you felt tired, but pushed ourself to the destination. Nobody could do walk for others !
# Adjusting / accommodating : We had lots of doubts about living in a tent, using a bio toilet etc. Irrespective of their age, profession and status of life no one had any complaints ! All used the same toilet, all washed their plates and ate the same food which was cooked and served ! A true family feeling.
# The Beautiful Destination : There was beauty everywhere but all had a common destination / Target in mind, 'The Tulian Lake'. The reach to destination, boosted our confidence and energy level, its like you can now conquer all the hurdles of life that may come across!
# No fear of judging : No make up, no bath nor changing of cloths but nobody bothers, nobody judges !
# Socialising : Many of us were interacting with each other freely, completely unknown to each other made it easy for introverts to share there experiences and views to each other. We met as strangers but at the end everyone left as friends !
# Counting the stars : There was no electricity, no network, complete disconnection with the rest of the world. One could count the clear sky full of stars! Many realization happens , many finds their direction, every little thing now made sense.
# To be prepared : We all made it to the end. But people who were fit and fine could enjoy much more unlike ones like me , who were constantly thinking of just reaching the next base camp. By the time I would reach the rest point the fit trekkers were already ready to move and I did not get proper resting while trekking. Trekking is not a joke, one need to be physically and mentally fit enough to face the realities. Most of the trekkers prepared their body to take the pressure by strength training and running excercises for months.
# Nature Repairs : We find nature in a pure way, the trees, meadows, water falls, birds etc. There was music everywhere as chirping of birds and the sound of water tpuching our hearts and sooth and cure us physically and mentally. Breathing pure air repairs your body !
Acknowledgement
Thank you India Hikes for this trekking experience. Special thanks the trek leader DJ who took a lot of trouble to make every one of us comfortable and happy. He entertained us well with his games and jokes and we felt home with him !!
All my team members (original and added), it was nice meeting you all. Lets be in touch ! Lets plan our trip together again !
Siji Thomas
