Hiking to the base of Mt Everest

HYDERABAD: Eleven members from the GHAC made it to the Everest Base Camp, 17,500 feet above sea level. The two-week adventure began in Kathmandu on May 9. The team went deep into the mountains trekking through the Solukumbu valley and homelands of the Sherpa people, among their villages and monasteries, learning about the cultural and religious traditions of the Himalayan range with magnificent views of Everest, Nuptse, Lhotse and Ama Dablam peaks.

For the GHAC members, the expedition evoked a wide gamut of emotions. “I felt peaceful there, everybody around you is happy,” said Swetha, a member of the Everest exposition, who was blown away by the breathtaking scenic beauty of the mountainscapes. For many, this trip was a lifelong dream. “I had always wanted to go to Mt Everest but was daunted by the expense and the fact that it calls for a lot of skill. It is not easy to do this,” said Padmaja Pullathatla, a SAP consultant at Infotech, and one of the mountaineers.

The members of the Everest expedition returned to the city on May 21, eager to share their experiences with others, especially members of the GHAC. And they did just that, in the cosy atmosphere of 10 Downing Street on Sunday, with entertaining anecdotes and a slide show. Though it was quite a gruelling expedition, the team had plenty of optimism keeping their hearts warm. The group would often burst into songs to keep the spirits high. For Padmaja the trip was about more than just teamwork and high spirits. “It was more than happiness, you cannot make it unless you are spiritually aware,” she said.

“It is both satisfaction and achievement. The flora and the fauna there fascinated me. Even the people there had a slightly different boy structure. They could smoke and climb but we can’t,” said Sachin Ratan, who works as an IT analyst at TCS. “Everything from food, and water to the climate and heights was challenging,” he added, “It was the toughest thing I have ever done in my life.”

“There were lot more people from all over the world. While Indians are adventurous, many lack knowledge about the place,” said Sachin. Satish Kumar, who works at Microsoft, disagreed. “It is difficult to generalise,” he said, adding, “The journey was a unique experience. People are so generous there. I was curious about their eating habits and lifestyle.”

The crowd cheered as the group narrated their bittersweet experiences of the trip from fatigue and frostbites to the extreme weather and landscape. “Frankly, I do not draw conclusions from any trip. I just want to enjoy complete silence in the lap of nature,” said Satish.