It is regarded as one of Worlds' top 10 difficult climbs by travel guides. Our desi khana might be rare but not spaghetti with tomato and basil sauce. If internet connectivity wowed climbers, the money they pay for the water they drink to the water you take bath equally shocked them.
The 12-member group who set out on a climb to the Everest base camp has more than such tales to narrate but it's the climb and the view from the top that brings the smile back on their faces.
The group of trekkers from different professions decided to trek 120 km from Kathmandu to reach an altitude of 17,500 feet. Headed by group leader Ali Rizvi, the team got their training and preparation acts together. The preparation required them to walk at least 1 1/2 km every day, climb 1500 to 2000 steps and a lot more. “We have been to some trek or the other earlier. Ooty hills, Western ghats, Tirupati hills but the EBC was our first. For that we had to prepare ourselves to combat altitude problems and being able to deal with the constant ups and downs of the climb. In such climbs we constantly gain and lose altitude and we need to be mentally prepared for it,” explains Manisha Gadalay one of the climbers.
As the group climbed for 13 days what kept them going? “Everything goes against us. At times you wonder why do all this happen at all? But once you look up and see the scenery you realise the climb is worth it. Everything so close to us, one feels as if they can rub their hands against the sloping snow capped mountains. Once at Everest Base Camp it takes a couple of minutes to soak in the feeling. The base camp is a plateau and everything is visible clearly. The steady 45-degree climb that at time goes up to 60 degrees takes a toll on you before reaching the base camp,” says Manisha.
Manisha and her team members were like-minded on the issue of doing the EBC climb and that she says made it all possible. “The trek is arduous but it is a lifetime experience,” says another team member.
