Nainital Exploits

XXXXXXX This is the picture i took while climbing for Naina Peak. It shows the Naini Lake and practically the whole of Nainital XXXXXXXXX

Few weeks back i went to Nainital for a market research study. The work was for a single day but i extended my stay for another one.

I had no clear-cut plans as to how i would spend my second day. I had spent the first day's evening roaming the market and places nearby. On the second day i decided to take the rope way till Mountain View. But the thought of trekking up till Mountain View appealed to me more.

The path to the top was made of steep concrete steps. I was carrying a knapsack containing some food and a bottle of water. I bought some chocolates to last me throughout the journey. For a guy from the plains climbing is tough business even though being very fit. I had to stop every 15, 20 steps and take stock of my breath. At all my stoppages I absorbed what ever was present around me, the track up and both down, the hutments and how small the lake Naini looked from my vantage point. After a few hours of climb and after taking quite a circuitous route I reached Mountain View. While on my way to the top I had a few words with a number of people. I enquired them the correct route and sometimes even had a small talk. Once at Mountain View i got this gorgeous view of Almora and Ranikhet hills. I could have seen the Himalayas too, but the horizon was very foggy owing to the overcast conditions.

At Mountain View while chatting with the binocular guy i got my second target 'The Naina Peak'. It was a 4 Km hike from there till the top of Naina peak. The first Km didn’t involve much climbing, but the last three kms were through the woods. This was the toughest part. With not a single living soul the whole way baring a few wood cutters and the route being steep and rugged with cliff on one side and the situation being accentuated by the information that I got from the local ranger at the bottom of Naina peak as well as from the wood cutters that there were a few tigers in the jungle, the climb was a challenge for a guy like me going alone to the top. I had to watch each step that I took, as the route was very rugged. A fall could mean injury and problems while coming back.

Few lessons i learnt while this particular trekking exercise were to be properly clothed while climbing, good shoes and a supply of edibles especially chocolates and water. A climbing stick would always help while trekking. Also it is very important to stay calm and keep reading your body conditions. In the adrenaline rush to reach to the top always have in consideration that you need to get down too. It won’t help if you are on your last leg when you reach to the top. Especially if you don’t know whether a support system is provided for at the top to recover. I was few hundred meters shy of reaching to the top when i had to make the decision to turn back. After a 10 km climb I was bit out of breathe and had 5 km more to reach to the bottom.

Now the most perilous part of a climb is the journey back to the bottom. it is easy to loose footing while climbing down and one must always watch each and every step he takes. But once at the bottom one is filled with this great feeling of having achieved something and that takes care of all the sore feet and aching knees, which you tend to consider as you medals of honor.