Hurdles, Heroes, and Happy Tidings: The Kailash Yatra

Time to head back!

Chaos and the Calm

After I reached Deraphuk and first sighted the glorious North Face of Mount Kailash, I called Rambabu to thank him for making this happen. A long-cherished dream of seeing Kailash—even if one cannot scale it—had finally come true. When I asked where they were, their response made me realize they were at least 4–6 km away from the resting place. My immediate thought was: are they truly coming? This meant they were walking unbelievably slowly, and the ladies with him had clearly reached a point of utter, bone-crushing exhaustion. The ever-optimistic man that he is, Rambabu simply told me not to worry, assuring me they would soon make it. He seemed to think 'soon' was a relative term up in the Himalayas.

(Clockwise) Raju couple, Srihari, & Sanjay 

As darkness slowly began to set in, my panic started to rise. Just after the sun had firmly disappeared, the Raju couple arrived, looking like they'd aged a decade on the trail. With them Vinoda’s aunt too arrived. They were the oldest among us. The man, though, is still impressively active and, when not tending to his business, is busy tending to his muscles and setting records at the gym! His wife, bless her, wasn't quite a gym warrior, but she had walked diligently for months to prepare for the arduous trek. She was even egged on by her grown-up children, who apparently believed their mother was secretly an Olympian. Olympian though she was - in different  ways! She was a great sport with a sparkling sense of humor and was her forgetful husband's complete support system.

The Raju couple caused a minor pandemonium when, in a moment of extreme, altitude-fueled fatigue, they managed to get into a spectacular fight with the guide team! It was a classic case of frayed nerves meeting cultural confusion. 

Thankfully, the rest of us were around to resolve the shouting match before everyone's temper flared and caused property damage like it happens in all Telugu (or, for that matter, all Indian) potboilers. A bit of refreshment helped allay the couple’s frayed nerves; we all agreed that the friction was, without a doubt, the result of their sheer exhaustion. Anyone who hasn't fought with their spouse over a map while starving hasn't truly traveled. I also felt - by the looks the couple gave me - that they were secretly disappointed that the fight didn’t go further! 

Venkat. My room partner and now a friend 

The Ordeal in the Dark

We began frantically making calls to Rambabu to find out where they were. It had become pitch dark. After ascertaining their location over the call, even though I could barely see a thing, I set out to wave my mobile torch in the general direction of our camp. After several calls, and with more people joining the search, a completely exhausted Vinoda and Rambabu finally stumbled into the camp.

Poor Vinoda was so spent she was practically catatonic, while Rambabu was his stoic self. She was not even in a position to speak. We rushed to tend to her, all of us flying into action: someone massaged her legs to help revive sensation, another brought her scalding hot tea, and everyone hovered with an air of concerned panic. She was also feeling nauseous and had a severe headache. We quickly gave her tablets and electrolytes, knowing this was likely the body's severe protest against dehydration and altitude.

Of Quiet Faith

Along the way, Vinoda’s nausea and exhaustion had reappeared. A little over halfway, she had simply sat down, stating she was done. Finished. Game over. She was out of breath and would stay put. Rambabu knew they had to keep moving. He realized she would have to walk further to retreat to Darchen than to reach Deraphuk, so turning back wasn't the easy answer. He took the bag from her and carried it himself, then coaxed and cajoled her—probably using every line in the book—forcing her to concentrate on just one agonizing step at a time. He realized—correctly—that stopping for a long rest would only make the body seize up. 

When she literally lay down on the trail, however, he had no option but to wait until she could be revived. He made efforts to stop some vehicles that were moving along the way but to no avail.  In a stroke of luck, some fellow travellers from China stopped and, learning of the situation, offered their portable oxygen cylinder. They even fixed a few shots of hydration for her. Oxygen worked its magic. Vinoda could stand up again and continue.

Rambabu with his energy drink at Hilsa

Rambabu stayed absolutely calm through the entire ordeal, gently taking care of Vinoda and allaying her fears. He truly was a portrait of composure in the face of absolute adversity. Several people from the group, on hearing the details, literally bowed down in front of Rambabu, not only for the pluck and courage he had displayed, but for his zen-like belief that nothing untoward would happen. If there was one who could qualify as a true devotee of Shiva, it was him. They say the ‘sea of tranquility’ is found in the moon; no, ma’am, they’re wrong. It was right in front of us, in the human form of Rambabu! While everyone was effusive in their praise, he simply brushed it all aside, turned towards me and said, “Come, let’s go out for a smoke”. 

Up or Down?

The relief that everyone had safely arrived was immense. It also forced us to confront the reality that not all of us were fit to complete the grueling Parikrama. The choices in front of us were clear:

* Split into two groups: One group would go ahead and complete the Parikrama, while the others would head back to Darchen and wait for our return.

 * Return as a full group: All of us would return to Darchen and find ways to head back to India at the earliest. We had also learned of the unrest engulfing the entirety of Nepal and thought it might be safer to return early than to get caught in the riots. Given the situation, we chose the latter. We didn't want to trade the exhaustion of the trek for the danger of riots.

All smiles in Simikot (The Rajus, Vinoda, her aunt, and Sridhar, Rambabu, the Murthys, and yours truly) 

We requested transport back to Darchen. After a simple but welcome dinner, our vehicles arrived and we were back at the hotel by midnight. The next morning, fueled by breakfast and adrenaline, we loaded the coach. While waiting for the driver, our tour members indulged in a brief, frenetic shopping spree for local curios, because nothing cures trauma like retail therapy. 

Saying bye to Darchen!

Back to the Future

Since the riots in Nepal had spread like wildfire, we were forced to stay a day in Taklakot and again at Simikot. Simikot offered what can only be described as "extremely basic" facilities. All ten of us men were huddled in a single dormitory, a situation that might have been miserable but instead became an opportunity to bond over banter, booze, good food, and card games. A few hours in a crowded dorm is all it takes to find out who snores the loudest - and the answer is always everyone. While at Simikot we also discovered some ‘herbal’ tea that made us all happy. Vinod and Sanjay took an initiative to make us all contribute towards the education of children at a government school - the kids received their year’s supply of books and stationery, thanks to this! 

Commendable Concentration 

When things were looking gloomy with Nepal burning, it was time for another hero to emerge. Sanjay worked his contacts across countries like a geopolitical maestro. He made sure we were boarded onto the flights from Simikot the next day, and we crossed the border at Nepalgunj without a hassle. By the time we reached Lucknow, it was almost midnight. The next morning, most of us flew back to our respective towns, with big smiles and bagfuls of memories for a lifetime. Some of us, already forgetting the pain and only remembering the glory, have even begun dreaming of returning to complete what was left unfinished: the Parikrama!

Tailpiece

I plan to write an appendix to this entire sojourn, wherein I will briefly pen about the details you shouldn’t miss should you plan a Kailash Yatra. For those who do not need any further advice or another word about the trip, this is the conclusion!