New years eve trek ... Goechala & Dzongri trek, Sikkim 2009

Hi Prateek,

I hope the new year has kicked on well at your end. I'm back in Melbourne now relishing the summery weather. I am so glad to have actually made it to the Dzongri trek over the turn of the year. Thanks to you for the talk on the morning of the trek. It nudged me actually make it to the trek.

It was a refreshing trek with fabulous views with the milky snow almost rippling sometimes, the vibrant peely tree barks, dual coloured leaves and marvels of the sun+snow interface. Jhongbu Sherpa was a fabulous guide, always there to support. Thanks to him I actually got to see more than I would have noticed as it was so easy to drift into the 'thinking mode looking down as I tread.

 
' I can't but help looking at the snaps again and again to relive the moments during the trek. Just after the trek I was reading the book Into Thin Air - Jon K -about a Mount Everest disaster in 1996. I could so relate to it (almost) and thoroughly absorbed the book.

 

I would like to hear from Sunil, Ravi and Chimay regarding their escapade after I turned back from Dzongri. I soo wanted to stay on to proceed further from Dzongri but due to stingent flight schedules I had to turn back. I was a bit upset that I couldn't even stay for the extra day of acclimatisation at Dzongri - and I guess I was more upset than normal then for a simple reason like that, which I reckon was the altitude playing with my mind.

But it was all good - I had a nice walk downhill. My porter Dhonda was really nice to have helped carrry my stuff on the return trip. It was a new experience dodgin the icy planes to prevent slipping. There was fog developing on my way down and I was wondering how the guys are doing upstairs. I was concerned if they were ok.
 

 

I'd love to keep in touch with all of you I met over the turn of the year. No matter how brief the accquaintance was it was really nice getting to know you all.

Happy Trekking.
Cheers,
Pooja.

- all photos are copyright of Pooja. 
She is an active traveler and and good human being , working in Australia.