L a l a w r i t e s

I had other commitments- packing my rucksack, collecting the technical equipment from IMF, coordinating logistics, wrapping things at home for 15 days off, getting the approval for leave, and preparing mentally for the expedition. I was able to complete most of the tasks but it took a toll physically and mentally which bothered me later in my expedition. Somehow I had the feeling beforehand that the climb was not going to be easy. However, I was excited to have the company of experienced mountaineer Anshu Jamsenpa (5 times Everest climber), Instructors from HMI, and other experienced mountaineers from Assam and Bengal who had good climbing experience. It was a fairly strong team and the task now was to form a bond to take on the challenge. From Left to Right: Aroop, Ninja, Priya, Disha, Manmeet and myself at Leh market The team reached Leh in parts. Some flew to the Leh airport and others took the route via road. The journey via road is a long winding one starting from Delhi to Man...

The expedition to Kang Yatse 1 and 2 It was a much-anticipated event for me being my first expedition of life post Basic Mountaineering Course and was an introduction to mountaineering. I had been preparing for the expedition after the BMC and was in a fix on whether I  would be able to make it to the team given my official obligations. Getting a leave for 15 days just 50 days after a month-long leave was a challenge. Surprisingly, I was transferred mid-year which displaced me from Gurgaon. Joining a new place, I was not sure if I would get the leaves on the set dates. There was no time to prepare physically and mentally. It was not even known if the organizers were sure about us joining the team as the sanction of leaves from work was to be the deciding factor. It was a tough call to take. All the haphazard planning and anticipation culminated in getting leaves sanctioned on time. For Manmeet, it was not much of a hassle and she even got  her confirmation a bit earlier....