Always Look Up

Being stuck indoors for months due to the coronavirus quarantine hasn’t been a pleasant experience. Our daily routine has been disrupted, and there's this prevailing feeling of being trapped, all of a udden. Honestly, I’m tired of all the negative news around me. I think we all are. So I thought of sharing my happiest travel moment that takes us as far away from the pandemic as possible, to the outer world where we all yearn to be.

My trek to Hampta Pass was full of mixed emotions but throughout the journey, this was one of the moments that I felt the happiest. It was always given that while trekking the stunning terrain, we would come across nature’s awe-inspiring imagery. But being surrounded by that bliss with the people whom you had just met were the momnets that actually made one feel alive. 

I had been a bit apprehensive about the trek, wondering if my condition was good enough for Hampta Pass. I was also uber excited for my first real high altitude trek in the Himalayas.

We always woke up at 5am, had breakfast by 6 and began the trek to the next campsite at 7. That was the routine.

In just a few days, we had descended from the lush green of Kullu to the deserted Spiti.

Our trek started from Jobra to the open grasslands of Chika to picturesque Balu-ka-Ghera where wildflowers in vibrant pinks and yellows were strewn around. Walking through the green valley, we made our way towards the icy mountains and glaciers of Shea Goru. We came to the stunning Hampta Pass where we were surrounded by snow-capped mountains. All though, I was constantly looking around me so that I didn't miss out on a single thing.

We ended our trip with a drive to Chandratal Lake. Our campsite throughout had narrow valleys, mountains towering on both sides, lovely meadows, and crystal clear water flowing just next to us.

The whole time I was moving with my head down, heart-pounding, hustling through. I would rush to the end as a result of sheer doggedness, but what I learned was not to forget to look up. It’s easy to become so single-mindedly focused on the destination that we miss the entire journey. The thing that I was constantly trying to do was to stop and look up and around, take it all in. Sometimes this can be discouraging when you look ahead and see how far you have left to go. When that happens, turn around and look behind you. You’ll be astonished at how far you’ve come.

And I suppose that’s how it is with life.

I still yearn for that experience, hoping that it would fill me up and bring a smile to my heart, but till then I am okay with looking back and being nostalgic about the past. And prepping myself for future adventures.

This article is a submission by one of our readers, and part of our series #OTReadersWrite.