SURESH DICHOLKAR
We all have certain wishes in life, and while there’s no guarantee that every wish will come true, they often remain quietly nestled in our minds. For many years, I had a dream of visiting the Himalayas, the so-called “abode of the Gods”. It’s often said that there’s a time for everything, and for me, that time came when I visited my former workplace and met Deepa Pawar. We were chatting casually when she suddenly asked, “Joining us?” I was taken aback and asked her what she meant. She explained that she organises treks to the Himalayas through her trekking group, Trekker’s & Clicker’s Club, Goa. Their next trek was scheduled from May 23 to May 31. I went home, checked my schedule, and immediately called her to confirm my spot for the trek.
Originally, I was supposed to travel to Delhi with the group on May 21, but due to a family wedding, I joined them a day later. It was my first time flying, and my first trip to a new place—Delhi. On May 22, I left from Manohar International Airport and arrived in Delhi at noon where I met the other trekkers – a small but wonderful group. At 7 pm, we left for Manali by luxury bus from Majnu ka Tilla and arrived at 10 a.m. After some last-minute shopping in the market, we headed to our base camp. In the evening, we were briefed about the trek, following which we headed out and interacted with the locals.
On May 24, we were given a full briefing on the trek and the rules we would need to follow. As a complete novice to trekking, I had no prior experience. I didn’t know the basics, but I had been regularly walking and practicing breathing exercises like anulom vilom and kapalbhati, which turned out to be incredibly helpful.
The next day, at 8.30 a.m., we began our trek. Our first stop was the local deity of Kullu, Sharvari Devi, where we sought blessings. The guides provided us with valuable information about the area, which I found fascinating. We did an acclimatisation walk up to Arjun Gufa and returned to base camp to rest. Owing to rain, we remained here. That evening, Allen D’sa, the former DySP of Goa, visited, and he was surprised to see me. The camp-in-charge, an ex-Army personnel, also visited and asked about my health. As I was one of the oldest in the group, he checked if I was experiencing any difficulty. When I assured him I was fine, he encouraged me by saying, “You’re a good climber.”
For the next few days, our routine consisted of breakfast at 8 a.m., followed by a climb to the next camp. The landscape was stunning, and each new challenge was an opportunity to grow. I found strength in myself that I didn’t know existed, and I began to believe, “Yes, I can do this!” Our local guides continued to enlighten us with fascinating
information.
On May 28, we reached the summit point at 3,700 meters—Deo Tibba Base. According to mythology, Lord Indra would hold his noble meetings here when all the gods would be present. I could also see Hanuman Tibba from this vantage point. I was overwhelmed with emotion. I offered my prayers to the gods and sat there in silence, soaking in the serenity, far from the noise of the city and surrounded by the pure white snow. We played in the snow for a while before returning to camp. Our summit camp was nestled between two beautiful, free-flowing streams—one of the best experiences of my life.
The next day, we began our descent, passing several points of interest along the way, including the Pandavas’ grain storage site where they farmed. Once back at base camp, we spent two days sightseeing in Manali before heading back to Delhi. This experience will remain with me forever, inspiring new dreams to chase.
(The Trekker’s & Clicker’s Club Goa will be organising their next Sour Tal Lake Trek from May 12 to 25, 2025. Details: +91-8275217922/
tccgoa@gmail.com.)
