Frankthoughts

With every passing year, one thinks of all the activities that they could / should have done to improve their overall fitness. I am no different, and with each passing year, as the inches around my waist grow, so does the intent to lose them! I am a National Cadet Corps 'C' certificate holder, so this would not be the first time that I would be pushing my physical limits. Those times though, seem almost like a lifetime back.  "Pushing myself physically" was hence one of the reasons I agreed to go on my first-ever high altitude trek with my brother in law. Snow dunes en route to the pass Since both of us were new to trekking, we decided to go on an organized trek, and after some research we decided on Rupin Pass with India Hikes . Once again the moderate to difficult level as indicated by the organizers was an important deciding factor. Let me put on record that while I was very excited, I was also very scared of the prior physical training required - being

"Let's go on a trek to the Himalayas!" , who knew these innocent words of my brother in law in April 2014 would land us in one of the most beautiful places on earth and give us some of the most memorable experiences of our lives a year later! Last month (May 22, 2015), he and I embarked on our first high-altitude trek in the Himalayas to Rupin Pass  - 15250ft above sea level, 60+ Kms over 8 days. It was a very well organized trek by India Hikes , one of the oldest trekking companies in India. While a detailed post on our experiences is due, I thought a list (to add to the many I see on my Facebook timeline) of things to remember / do as a first-time trekker might be useful. These are based on our experiences and learning, and is by no means a conclusive guide. The Climb up to the Upper Waterfall 1.  Physical Training before is an absolute must: Treks are physically demanding on the body which means you need to keep yourself in reasonably good shape before yo