It was in the month of April that my itch for going on a trek started again. It had been years since I had last gone for a trek. I was also feeling overburdened with the stress of work and everyday life and I knew the answer for me lay in nature.
But I also realized that I was surrounded by bums for whom the idea of going on a trek would not be appealing. I could already hear the responses in my head “Are you nuts? Let’s plan a lazy holiday by the beach! Let’s check into an Ayurvedic resort! I cannot possibly get an off from work!” And that’s exactly what followed.
It was around this time that I ran into a very old friend of mine, Ruchie. Ruchie and I had spun some magical experiences together in the past. She had been a free and wild spirit. But we had not met in years and had not bothered to stay in touch. Life had changed in all these years. Ruchie was going through a major phase of depression; she had just lost a brother, she had filed for a divorce and had resigned from her job. Nevertheless, being the bohemian that she has always been, the idea of a trek got her totally excited.
I was a little sceptical though. I have not ever been really close to a woman, nor have I ever considered women to be really adventurous, so the prospect of spending a week alone in the jungles with another woman was daunting indeed. To top it, Ruchie had put on a considerable amount of weight and did not look fit at all. Nevertheless, I said my prayer and agreed.
So that’s how, Ruchie and I found ourselves in Manali a week later, looking out for guides to accompany us on the trek. Since it was April, most of the mountain passes were still impassable, and we had to finally settle for a six day trek from Manali to Malana. Early morning, we set out on the trek. We had hired a guide and a cook. They were accompanied by two horses carrying the food supplies, tents, cooking equipment and our backpacks.( Ruchie was unwilling to carry her backpack)
It is impossible to describe the restorative and comforting effect the mountains and the trek had on our burdened souls. Spring was unfolding its vital force all around us as we sallied forth into forests, meadows, orchards, bushes and perilous mountain paths.
We both cheered up as we wriggled with ecstasy in the green meadows, imitated the sound of the birds and stopped to chat with random strangers in the villages we crossed on our way. We stopped to do yoga at the most exotic spots. We took pictures of children on the way, and of weathered, old women going about their tasks in the villages. We spent long hours in pouring out our troubles and miseries, and gaining a clearer perspective on life.
Our limbs would be sore from the hard trek, yet at night, we would frequently sit with the guide and the cook, listening to their edifying tales, and taking malicious pleasure in their human frailties. We would lie down outside our tents in silence and listen to the sounds of wind sighing in the tree tops, mountain torrents roaring down the gorges, and insects hissing in the undergrowth and we would instantly feel that God was speaking to us through these sounds.
As we were lying down one night, I told Suchie, “Trekking is like meditation for me. I have never been the type to close my eyes and sit in silence for hours. But walking is different. The entire world comes to a standstill and a deep sense of peace permeates every pore of my being. And it feels that all my emotions have been emptied out.” Ruchie totally related with this feeling, acknowledging that she was experiencing an inner transformation of being.
Everything negative within us, the diseased, the decadent and the sorrows slowly died a natural death over these 7 days as we drank from the springs of refreshment, purification and childish innocence.
We returned back to city life completely refreshed and restored. The trek had a profound effect on Ruchie’s life. Upon return, she enrolled for power yoga classes and over the months got herself into top form and shape. Within a few weeks, she registered on an online dating site, where she met a man with whom she fell in love. She has been married to that man for over two years now and is leading a life of her dreams running an eco-tourism lodge near Kaziranga National Park. She also goes regularly for treks as the man she married is a travel writer and an adventurist.
As for me, I took up a new job, wrote down my bucket list, and was ready to kick some butt again!!!
