There and Back Again: the World Travels of a Watson Fellow: Trekking in the Himalayas

September 9, 2013 - Trekking in the Himalayas

Wow. This has been the most exhilarating weekend of my life. I spent the last three days trekking in the Himalayas from Zingchen to Chilling. At first, I wasn’t sure if I wanted to do a trek at all, but realizing that this is the reason many tourists come to Ladakh in the first place, I figured that it would probably be a good idea because who knows when I’ll be here again. I spent an afternoon walking around town, popping into different tour operators looking for a group and a good deal. I almost joined a 6 day trek through the Markhar Valley, but decided for something shorter, which ended up being an excellent choice. I set off on Saturday morning with an Israeli couple and our guide Chos, a twenty-year-old Ladakhi who spends most of the year studying mechanical engineering in Delhi. After we had hiked in about 3 hours or so, the girl was feeling awful due to the altitude and they both decided to turn around. At one point, they were stranded without a phone and no way to get back to Leh, so they asked if I would mind going back with them and starting the trek another day. I told them I would, but obviously, it wouldn’t be ideal. Fortunately, everything worked out. They found a ride back to town and my guide and I continued on to the homestay location. Although I really enjoyed Chos’ company, I was a bit disappointed that my group had disintegrated. Fortunately, the homestays along the trekking routes are filled with people and I made quite good friends with a couple of Dutch guys who had the exact same itinerary, including the white water rafting on the third day. We spent the remainder of the time walking together, and I really appreciated their words of encouragement and offers to carry my bag as I thought I was going to pass out going up to the pass. There was only one large pass we had to cross at about 4900 meters (16,000 + feet), but boy was it a killer. They were alternating feeling sick from the altitude, having barely had a day to acclimatize and myself, well frankly, I am just out of shape. But the altitude definitely makes it harder to breathe and the sun is so strong, beating down on you and sapping you of energy. However, when we arrived at the pass and could finally take in a truly panoramic view, the boys decided they wanted to climb to the next vantage point: 5100 m. This was even more incredible, and well worth it because the snow covered peaks in the distance weren’t obscured. I could have laid on top of the peak forever – it was just unbelievably beautiful. Our guides bonded, which was also fun to observe, and I got to ask a lot of questions of their guide, who has a background in agriculture, in addition to leading trips for almost 30 years. The trek, although on the shorter side, feels to me like a mini Watson lesson: it was difficult to look up while walking, so I had to focus on one step at a time for fear of becoming overwhelmed or exhausted, and the hike was simultaneously about the incredible viewpoints once reaching high points but also about the walk/journey itself. For this fellowship, I am likewise trying to take things a day at a time and relish the journey more than the destination because in reality, there is no “destination” in the conventional sense, except for the ultimate culmination of knowledge and experience. I so loved the three days trekking because it was physically demanding, definitely one of the toughest things I’ve ever done, which made it all the more rewarding in the end. The second day, we walked nearly 9 hours over 24 km (almost 15 miles), and it was so beautiful – the landscape was incredible and it felt so raw and remote. Even though there were many other people walking along the same path, plenty of moments occurred during which you felt like the only person in the world at that place at that time. It was incredible. I’ve never felt so much in the moment, wanting desperately for the views and feelings to last forever. Especially on the walk down from the pass into the valley – I could let my muscles relax a bit and just enjoy the scenery. I was feeling like a million bucks at this point, fortunately spared of altitude-related symptoms and was just relishing the sheering beauty of my surroundings. We finished the third day with a short 2-3 hour walk and then joined a larger group for white water rafting down the Zanskar River. But not before the hilariously traumatizing experience of having to cross the river in a tiny crate because the bridge had collapsed. The whole set up seemed questionable at best, but we hardly had another choice. So I climbed into the crate with Feodor and Tundup, their guide, and he pulled us across the river. We must have been suspended more than 50 feet in the air, connected to an overhead cable, something similar to ziplining, except that the Zanskar River was roaring in white rapids beneath us. I was terrified to say the least. Tundup said, “it’s one of those life experiences,” with his classic smile. And that it was. Once we safely touched ground on the other side, it was a quick walk to the rafting launch point. We donned wetsuits and helmets and took off down the river. There were several “rapids,” which varied in intensity, but I found it to be just the right amount of challenging and relaxing. The only thing I would have changed was the weather. The sun wasn’t out the whole time, so it was freezing when the raft would flood or we would hit a rough patch. By the end, I was so cold my body was uncontrollably shaking and my hands were tingling with numbness. It was a much-welcomed hot lunch of spicy mixed veg, dal, rice and papadam/papad/papar (a type of super thin cracker) before we took a bus back to Leh. Needless to say, the weekend was jam packed with physical activity and I can’t think of a more beautiful place to have hiked and rafted.

It’s amazing how things work out sometimes. To think that I went from having virtually no group or hiking companions to amazing friends. Walking with people, while seemingly monotonous is an excellent chance to bond, especially if you are taking in the same breathtaking surroundings, sharing humbling moments engulfed in nature. I think that the second day hiking with them was one of the happiest days of my life and I can’t pinpoint exactly why. I was just so unbelievably content in that exact moment, not thinking about anything but making it to the top of the pass and taking in the natural beauty. And after spending nearly two weeks in a remote village farming with a family that could barely speak English, this little jaunt reminded me of how important it is to spend time with westerners, for one’s sanity and self-preservation (although the Watson Foundation would probably say otherwise). The boys reminded me of what it’s like to let loose, have fun, and live in the moment. In retrospect, I found Tanzania to be anything but fun because I really didn’t make any friends there, but in India already, I feel myself grasping for expats and backpackers, something I don’t want to make a habit of.