Posted on by vikasshirodkar

The fascination of mountains

Mother Abess sings in Sound of Music: ” Climb every Mountain/ Ford every stream/ Follow every rainbow/Till you find your dream”. The Good Mother meant it as an inspiration to Maria to leave the Abbey and find purpose outside. But it is not by chance that the symbol of reaching out & doing something larger than yourself is a mountain!! The same song comes at the end of the movie when Von Trapp family has escaped the Nazi clutches and as a family are reaching Austria and freedom Again the same words ring true,” Climb every mountain” Possibly a signal of achievement & happiness. The climb speaks to our character, but the view, I think, speaks to our soul itself. Craig Lounsbrough reminds, ”Without mountains, we might find ourselves relieved that we can avoid the pain of the ascent, but we will forever miss the thrill of the summit. And in such a terribly scandalous trade-off, it is the absence of pain that becomes the thief of life.” 

I was fortunate recently to personally experience the mountains & the thrill they create as I spent 10 days in remote Himachal Pradesh, a place called Sholtu. Nearest airport Chandigarh, and 300 kms from there. Due to the mountainous terrain it was a 10 hour drive!!! But what a drive!!?? we crossed Solan, Shimla, Narkhanda, Theog, Kufri, Chail to reach the Kinnaur district where a hydro-electric power plant is situated on the Sutlej river. I came back with my heart full of memories & eyes full of some of the most amazing views of the hilly region, the rivers, the deep valleys and the snow capped peaks all around you as you maneuver hilly roads.

Mountains & valleys are not new to me being from the Konkan region in the Western Ghats. But up in Himachal the majesty & size of the mountains was something else altogether. Being surrounded by the Himalayan range, mountains over mountains of sheer black rock, with little or no vegetation was a breath taking sight. And then as you moved further north towards Sangla, Raksham & Chitkul…360 degree view of snow capped peaks, glaciers & deep, deep valleys with gushing water fed by melting glaciers. You get a live experience of why this is called Dev Bhumi!! If Gods had to descend from heavens, where else would they make their abode save and except in the lap of Himalayas!!

I stayed in a company officers’ mess which had very clean & decent accommodation. Nothing lavish, but functional. Thick Rajais & an heater and one survived the night only with the use of both together. Weather was unpredictable and varying. Nights were cold with temp dipping down to 2 & 3 degree C. Mornings was the luck of the draw. Sometimes bright & sunny. Sometimes overcast n cloudy. But always cold. Max temp I experienced there was 8 degrees. By evening it would turn totally overcast & there would be massive rain on some days. News travelled that there is heavy snowfall in the upper terrain. And/or there has been a landslide at this/that place, & roads are closed!! A daily change program which helped you understand the power of Mother Nature and how she holds you in her sway.

But what was always true was the crisp, clean air which struck you outside. It was most enjoyable to walk in the colony. Flower beds both side of the internal roads. One end of the property gave you stunning views of snow-capped mountains benignly looking down at you from their massive height. Other end of the colony had the Baspa river flowing parallel to the road. Gushing waters, pristine white, flowing amidst the stones & the sound of the water transporting you to a heaven one rarely experiences in Mumbai. A week after my return I still miss the clear blue skies and the clean, cold air waking up every cell in your body.

I had a free day in between my work & the local managers suggested I go to Chitkul, the last village in India, @ 11320 feet. Beyond this point entire area is controlled by the Army as you are quite close to the China border. If Reckong Peo & Sangla had impressed me, the 80 kms drive to Chitkul via Kuppa & Raksham gave me a feeling of having already reached heaven on earth. Temperatures dropped to near zero. Air rarified, one slightly struggled to get oxygen. Surrounded on all sides by snow capped mountain peaks, flowing glaciers, & the gushing river it was a marvelous experience. The velocity of the wind, humming, screaming, whistling all around you never made you forget that you are in a unique place of ultimate physical beauty. Tough terrain, but unforgettable, I was sad when it was time to leave Chitkul & come back to Sholtu.

This whole trip emphasized for me the main message of the mountains. Mountains teach you humility & to recognize how insignificant we are in front of nature. I truly understood what I had heard Tenzing Norgay’s grandson telling us : “What I learnt from my grandfather & my life in the Himalayas: You cannot climb any mountain. The Mountain must call you.”. That is why the Tibetans call Mt Everest by a special name, Chomolungma, means “Goddess Mother of the World”. John Muir captures it best, “Climb the mountains & get their good tidings. Nature’s peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees. The winds will blow their own freshness into you, & the storms their energy, while cares will drop away from you like the leaves of autumn.” 

Let me leave the readers with the most inspiring story I have heard about mountains & climbers. After a failed attempt to scale Everest, Sir Edmund Hillary came to the Base Camp & rested. Unable to sleep, he got up, came outside the tent. The winds & snow were blowing & swirling. He looked to the Everest standing tall in the background. And uttered his famous words, “I will come again & conquer you because as a mountain you can’t grow, but as a human, I can” That is the magic, the promise, the mystique of the mountains.

I for one will certainly go back to Himachal to marvel at the mountains. Again & again!!! I invite you too on this adventure : vikas

29 Replies to “The fascination of mountains”

  1. Lovely travelogue! Very different from your usual posts – you have taken more effort with this one for sure. The flow, the quotes, the pictures all contributed to making it a memorable one. Your obvious emotion shines through the write-up! It sounded quite adventurous and I somehow never connected you with adventure.

    Loved this quote-

    “I will come again & conquer you because as a mountain you can’t grow, but as a human, I can.” 

    Nilu

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    1. Nilu

      i am not at all adventurous

      Getting out of bed and ambulating in the house is more than enough adventure for me

      So I thank the client who literally forced me to take the trip to Chitkul

      Did not really take any effort to pen this blog as the emotions were so over powering and over flowing that words & sentences just flowed and the rest was history

      collating the pics from phone and the net was more difficult

      In my style after sending lots and lots of pics daily to the Family Group & Vinita I had deleted them from my phone

      so I had to ask Padma nd Vinita to resend to me

      some got lost in the bargain as they had deleted?? Aso

      The Hilary quote is iconic and one of my fav too as an HR & developmental guy

      even the last one re you conquer not mountains but yourself is attributed to him

      Like

  2. Dear Sir, That’s wonderful! It sounds like you had an amazing time in the snow-clad mountains. It’s great to you embracing adventure and making the most out of life’s experiences. I feel so happy for you!

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  5. Kinnaur is indeed a heaven on earth like Kashmir. But it needs an all weather road as landslides, snow,rains ,bad maintenance shut it down often. We need ALL YOUR VOICES so that state,central govt,NH,Border Roads keep it ship shape with tunnels, bridges etc. Then Kinnaur and Spiti would reveal their beauty to you and you would love to see,smell,feel the coldbreath and listen to the silence of the lofty mountains ,truly unique ,at par with anything in the world. Wonderful, invigorating article sir,does justice to Kinnaur. With warm regards

    . 

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    1. Doc I understand what you are saying and fully empathize with the point you are making

      I really felt why do we go to Switzerland when we have such beauty here itself. The main difference is the infrastructure and how the tourists are given an experience there v/s here

      am sure things will change going FW

      Like

  6. Wonderful and vivid description of Dev bhumi contours! Why would Gods not descend on such a blessed land? And for us mortals, it’s heaven on earth.

    Every mountain beckons a challenge and a relationship. India has so many , that these are lifelong friends in absentia.

    Would love to visit these place you so fondly describe.

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    1. Vinay

      do make it sometime

      It is challenging terrain

      but that is what stretches your experience and creates an memorable holiday

      I am sure you will go and agree that however much is said the actual experience is much better

      Like

  7. Sitting in 40+ degrees, just reading the blog made me wistful! Mountains are truly magical! You always return from them wiser and happier!

    The blog combined your experience with the quotes so well, it is a lovely read!

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    1. Praju thanks

      Yes the contrast has been a wake up call for me too since I came back

      When I first thought of writing about the mountain experience I did get a doubt whether I would be able to pull off a full blog

      and make it worthwheile reading

      but when I sat to write the fluency confirmed I was on to a good thing

      finally what you describe acquires its own energy & life

      as you must have experienced often when you pen your blogs

      Thanks for your feedback and encouraging comments

      Like

  8. Nice to feel the pleasant weather of the cool hills in this hot summer via your words. Was nice to be transported to a serene and picturesque setting far away. Reading this on a Sunday, when normally your brain would cycle between a Sunday and the Monday to come, it was like going for a vacation in the midst of all the buzz.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Anthony thanks for your comment

      If I was able to make you forget Mumbai for a while and the Sunday Monday cycle I think I have done a good job

      thanks for your encouragement & support

      Like

  9. It felt as if I was also experiencing the same thrills & chills as you experienced. Mazaa aagya dost! Would certainly plan a tour to the Himalayas soon. Cheers!

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    1. Anoop

      pl do make it happen

      you and your family will thank me for it

      I had gone upto Shimla before but that is so busy and so commercialised now hat I did not enjoy it

      but the rough and stark geography above in Kinnaur and Kangra is to be experienced

      Like

  10. Both the observations of the mountains and the lessons derived from them rang a bell. Experienced their beauty, grandeur, lure and peace as a Junior Research Fellow at the Indian Institute of Advanced Studies Shimla. Thanks for taking me back in time Vikas!

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    1. Preeti

      my pleasure if the blog reminded you of your own experience

      Finally I do believe there is NO NEW KNOWLEDGE

      it is only rediscovering known truths

      Like

  11. Took me back there. Fond memories of the time I spent during my Service. Would love to go back, any day. Beautifully articulated with that special “Vikas” touch. Thanks for sharing

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    1. Col Sahib

      so nice to read your comment

      I am so happy the blog and observations resonated with you

      as re the “vikas” touch: you are being kind sir

      I was just reflecting what my heart felt and am sure what you saw

      the beauty is there for all to experience

      hope some get motivated to try it out and reach HP or UK

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  12. beautifully penned Mr. shirodkar. It literally made me feel the chill and beauty of the mountains. Thank you for sharing.

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  13. Thank you for sharing Sir. You took us on the journey to HP. Not everyone make be lucky to take this journey, the mountain may not call us ;-(. But grateful to experience through your journey!!

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    1. You said it my friend & Sathi

      Yes I was indeed fortunate and feel blessed I could share my joy with you all

      all authors write to “only connect” as Maugham said long ago

      and if you felt enthused I have done my bit

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  14. Superb Sir…Mesmerizing….Very well articulated…..I have been to Himachal multiple times for office work & personal travel and being from Konkan, I could relate to each word mentioned in your blog. Truely Heaven on Earth. Though I have never been to the last village of India but it is in my checklist to visit and after your blog all the more desirable.

    Thank you Sir, for sharing your blog and bringing the Mountains more closer to heart ❤

    -Pradip Gurav

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Pradip

      thanks for your feedback

      You are lucky you have experienced the thrill of the HP & UK geographies multiple times

      Chitkul is quite an experience

      Our PM ….with his special eye to reach out to everyone…renamed it NOT the last village of India but the FIRST village of India proving once again what an astute politico he is

      Do try and make it.

      There is THE LAST DHABA of India. I had the most amazing meal there. 3 types of daal and a kadhi served with Rice and Chutney I have never enjoyed a more delicious meal

      As John Fowles my fav English author says in The Magus

      “I envy you….your discoveries are still ahead of you”

      Hamara to dukan band karne ka time aaya

      your loving old magician vikas

      Like

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