Writing this in mid-May, 2018, it has been almost 2 months since i have returned from the trek to Gosaikunda, a holy alpine lake situated in the Langtang region in Nepal at 4380m. And my heart still skips a beat reminiscing about the first view of snow and floating mist at Lauribena, the last stop before you reach the high lake. I had trekked in Ladakh last year but had not trekked in Nepal. And i live in Kathmandu! So i had my heart set out to do a high altitude trek in Nepal in 2018. And when i got to know a departure for Gosaikunda Lake in April, 2018, i immediately signed up. And so glad i did! Positive feelings of belonging, resting your heart to the view of everlasting beauty,and coming close with nature have motivated me to trek again and again.
Now i am not your typical trekker. I weigh 70 kgs and 5’3” tall so not exactly fit, to be honest. And sometimes it's is difficult in the high altitude and steep trail, but that didn’t stop me from walking up in the Himalayas to fulfill my dream. I kept hearing from people, whenever I spoke to them about me trekking, that I have to first be physically fit and then go trekking. Its true but only partially. Trekking takes a toll on you mentally as well as physically. And the inner strength on a trek matters most. Well, being outdoors has always been my dream and after raising 2 kids it has taken me a long time to realize it. My kids and husband have all supported me and encouraged me to go out and gain new experiences.
My first trek was in Ladakh, India where we walked from Rumtse to Tso kar in July, 2017. With three 5000m plus high passes, it was a tough trek, being my first one, but stunning nonetheless. Trekking with Ultimate Frontier Outlands (UFO Adventure Travel), helped us as we were 4 first timers in the group. They guided us through the mountains, maintaining pace and rhythm, breathing right and short breaks to enjoy the view. Crossing each high pass was an achievement and camping in the evenings with some delicious food was an incentive each day to reach the next camp as fast as we could. Learning how to be 'mountain smart' and meeting your inner strength, patience, the new you; that was remarkable and I was proud of myself at the end of the trek.
So when UFO contacted me about the trek to Gosaikunda in April 2018, I knew what I was getting into. I had to prepare myself mentally first and then did a bit of fitness training. As i walk slowly, UFO made sure there was a guide always with me. Helping me , encouraging me and making sure that i enjoyed my walk. UFO does good study on their clients and make sure that their requirements are met. This was a 7 day planned trek and we left Kathmandu for Dhunche on 31st March. A 7 hour drive on an almost non-existent road isnt a bright start to a trek. But the next day our walk to Sing Gompa more than made up for it. A decently steep climb with steps along the trail (i hate climbing steps!) we reached Sing Gompa by 3 pm after a 6 hour walk. We were staying and having our meals in mountain lodges (the one in Sing Gompa had an attached bathroom!) . We met other trekkers at the lodge and exchanged stories and had beautiful views of the fog covering the mountains at sunset. The next day we trekked to Lauribena at 3900m. Walking through tall pine forests in the mist was almost surreal. We could finally witness the high peaks of Ganesh Himal (7422m) and Langtang Lirung (7234m) from our lodge.
The next day we had to stay the night at Gosaikunda at 4380 m. But as i had a little mountain sickness, i decided to trek up to Gosaikunda and then walk back down to Lauribena to stay the night while Anant and Aatir would stay back at the lodge next to the lake. A challenging 3 hour climb through jagged mountain side and snow covered paths, we finally made it to our destination, Gosaikunda. The alpine lake is believed to have been created by Lord Shiva when he thrust his 'Trishul' (holy Trident) into a mountain to extract water so that he could cool his stinging throat after he had swallowed poison.
Half covered with mist, with snow capped mountains in the background it was a breathtaking sight. I would have loved to gaze on the morning views there but sadly had to return to Lauribena after lunch. The flexibility of convenience was so comforting and I have always loved this fact traveling with UFO Adventure Travel. I left for Sing Gompa the next morning while Anant and Aatir were to join me there by lunch. Anant started having problems with his knee and was unable to walk further down. Therefore, we called in a helicopter rescue the next day to fly us back to Kathmandu. A thrilling flight over the Langtang region to Kathmandu to finish of a stunning trek!
