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The magic of the mighty Himalayas
"I have no words to express my joy. The scenic beauty, flora and fauna of the Himalayas are simply superb and they have to be experienced by one all," says K. Navakanth Bayya Reddy, a member of the Tirupati unit of the Youth Hostels Association of India (YHAI).
He is at presentl doing a post-graduate diploma in hotel management and tourism at the IIHM in the metro.
It was the annual Himalayan trekking camp of YHAI, which had influenced Navakanth to join the association two years ago. His dream came true when he was selected for the Himalayan trekking camp held in May this year. He is ever grateful to the YHAI, which provided him with the "once in a lifetime opportunity" of trekking the Himalayas.
The expedition was also a lesson in community living, knowing and respecting different traditions and religions.
The 37-member batch, which included trekkers from Gujarat, Maharashtra, Punjab, West Bengal and Karnataka, besides Andhra Pradesh, reported at the base camp, Kasol, on May 1. The base camp, situated at an altitude of 1980 metres, is 45 kilometres away from Kulu.
The first two days were devoted to acclimatisation to the high altitude conditions and knowing each other. On the third day the participants were given training in rock climbing. The trek started on the fourth day and the last village was Grahan, which is 12 kilometres away from Kasol. "We passed through thick forests, climbed the slopes of mountains and passed through the streams which flowed down the hills through the valley. The village was so named because the villagers had never experienced an eclipse".
"The snow-clad mountains, the perennial streams and the valleys which abound in flora and fauna reflect the bounty of nature. The snowy peaks of Pirapanjal and Dhauldhar provided feast for the eyes. We also faced tense moments, with winds blowing at 120 kmph at Nagaru, which is known as the `little Iceland'. We held the tents and the supporting poles from inside lest they blew off, forcing us to sleep in the spine-chilling cold.
"A few participants wanted to stay back at the base camp apprehending dangers in the arduous journey ahead. But I motivated them to come along in spite of the risks involved as such an opportunity may not come calling again. At the end of the expedition they were all grateful to me for my advice."
Back from the expedition, Navakanth told his classmates and friends about his wonderful experience. Little wonder that some of them immediately decided to join the YHAI and to participate in the Himalayan expedition to be held next year.
B.M.G.
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