Challenge complete - November 2010

The 49 participants of the Girls Get Tough Hike raised in total  £75,000 for Wellbeing, and your contributions helped me to raise £2,665 - my sincerest thanks for your generosity! The charity is extremely grateful for your support and will use the funds for medical research to improve women’s health. There are fun many ways to get involved with the chrity and support their valuable work; please visit their website www.wellbeingofwomen.org.uk

Hike report

The Hike was the most amazing experience, a true adventure worthy of my hero Tintin whose Tibetian expedition was the origin of my desire to go to the Himalayas! It really was a challenge, but all the more rewarding at completion! The group of ladies ranged from 19 t0 66 in age, in all shapes and sizes, but  with plenty of common denominators: everyone was committed to complete the challenge, to overcome personal fears, to maintain a positive attitude despite discomfort and mishaps (ranging from stolen passport and money, serious injuries and painful blisters  to lack of sanitation facilities and Starbucks),  and in general to have a time of their life. And so we did, each and every one of us!

The actual trek in the Himanchal Pradesh region of India took five days. The daily hike was on average about 8-9 hours, although the distance covered was probably less than 15km per day. The terrain was quite difficult, with steep ascents and descents to increase the challenge.  I am pleased to report, though, that my diligent training, which included  stomping round the park, regular gruelling training in the gym and the practise hikes around the UK paid off,.

The altitude at the beginning of the trek was about 2000m, with the highest point at about 3300m. The altitude did affect quite a few of us, but nobody had to abandon the trek – nausea and headaches were not going to deter this amazing bunch of ladies determined to get tough!

We took off from McLeod Ganj in Dharamsala, where Dalai Lama resides. Alas, no sight of him when we visited the monastery, but the monks debating energetically and loudly (presumably fine theological points rather than whose turn it was to do the washing up…) made up for it.

The first couple of days the route took us through pine forests and small villages. Whilst scrambling and looking for a steady place to place the next step, gasping for breath, we were frequently overtaken by small school children in flip flops, nimbly negotiating the loose rocks and muddy paths. As we gained height, the scenery got more and more magical, with the magnificent mountain range in our vision all the time. There was a price to pay: the climb was relentless, little respite from the aching limbs and shallow breathing.

The camps were set in increasingly spectacular locations, starting off in a pretty forest by a stream and culminating for the last two nights at Triund, an alpine meadow on a ridge facing the Dhaula Dhar mountain range, at about 3000m. The views were just breathtaking, with the majestic mountains against the brilliant blue sky and clouds shifting across the valleys below us. There were vultures gliding in the thermals; the rumour had it that golden eagles were sighted, but I didn’t manage to see any.

At night it felt possible to reach to touch the stars. We joined in the Diwali celebrations by watching the fireworks going off far below us – fantastic!  A few fireworks were also let off at our camp. We also had a birthday celebration, complete with a freshly baked cake conjured by the fantastic kitchen team, who spared no effort to provide us with gourmet food three times a day - yes, they trekked ahead of us to serve us three-course lunches!

Scary highlights

There were a few accidents, including a nasty encounter with a cow, who decided that 50 women trampling  her patch was just too much to take, and butted one of the girls off the path. Despite a serious injury to her leg, the heroic girl managed to continue the trek, with super support from Dr Sophie, who taped her leg and administered the necessary painkillers.  Another trekker had a painful encounter with a prickly bush (modesty requires the omission of more details…), but thankfully someone had tweezers and Dr Sophie was once again at hand to save the unfortunate victim.

I did not find the yeti, but did have a brush up with the Hairy Himalayan Spider (think Aragog in Harry Potter 3…), who paid an unwanted visit to my tent just when I was trying to settle down to sleep.  Thanks to my tentmate Asha’s bravery and nifty work with a cup (woefully too small for the job) and a piece of paper, we got rid of the monster. When last seen, it was heading to the tent next door, clearly hoping for a warmer reception.

There was a Bridge of Doom, a rickety contraption stretching some 15 meters across a deep ravine; the rusty wires and the thin metal plates flapping in the vigorous wind certainly did not boost confidence. But across I went, with my heart in my mouth and legs shaking uncontrollably (afterwards).

And finally…

The trek was absolutely a dream come true for me personally, both for being able to raise money for a worthy charity as well as for having a great adventure. Thank you for your support for the cause and for  my efforts, which  gave me tremendous boost all the way.

Riitta

 

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