I climbed a piece of the highest mountain range in the world, and it was magnificent. As any of my fellow 16 Northfield outbounds can tell you mountains are impressive, especially for teenagers who have never lived outside the flat plains of Minnesota. Don't get me wrong, I love my state to pieces, but mountains are undeniably majestic. It was an exhausting 48-hour journey each way but the beautiful landscape greeting us from the moment we arrived was completely worth it.
We set out the next day after breakfast equipped with backpacks and rain ponchos. Luckily we only had to carry the weight of our clothes, as the tents and sleeping bags at each camp were immobile and the food and cooking supplies were carried by a team of mules. This made the hiking less difficult and allowed us to focus more on enjoying the trip and the miraculous views. Each night was colder than the last as we ascended the mountain, but our tent endured. The girls' tent, however, struggled a little more - understandable for a Brazilian, Mexican, and Argentinean experiencing true cold for the first or second time in their lives. Being a true Minnesotan to my core, I love cold weather and have certainly missed it these many months. This trip helped me get my cold fix in a fun way. The third day we reached our highest campsite, bordering a large snowy hill. Naturally we headed right for the fun, building snowmen, having snowball fights, and sledding. We all had a good laugh as we watched our favorite latinas pack into a sled and scream the entire way down.
After two days of hiking we descended back down to base camp where warm showers awaited us. We cleaned up, unpacked our bags, and headed into town. Manali is a quaint city located in the middle of baby Himalayas, and its culture reflects a unique piece of India. Due to its location near the border, Manali is home to a significant Tibetan population who primarily run stores in the market where we spent all of our time. Manali is quite cheap for handmade items, especially if you are an adept haggler unlike myself. I did, however, manage to procure a few items for decent prices with the aid of more practiced bargainers. The experience was quite enjoyable with good shopping as well as a peaceful atmosphere that evades the majority of Indian cities.
When we left the North and reached Delhi, it was time to say our goodbyes to friends from other cities. Knowing we will likely never see the majority of them again was a sobering thought at the end of an otherwise fantastic experience. We closed the trip with another 24 hour train ride full of our usual shenanigans born of boredom, and it was nice to get back to a real bed after two weeks. Seeing the Himalayas was definitely a highlight of my year, and this experience is one I will remember forever. Thanks to Rotary for organizing this and all the other trips this year, and to my parents back home without whom I would not have been able to participate in all the amazing experiences they offered.
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| View from our tent |
We set out the next day after breakfast equipped with backpacks and rain ponchos. Luckily we only had to carry the weight of our clothes, as the tents and sleeping bags at each camp were immobile and the food and cooking supplies were carried by a team of mules. This made the hiking less difficult and allowed us to focus more on enjoying the trip and the miraculous views. Each night was colder than the last as we ascended the mountain, but our tent endured. The girls' tent, however, struggled a little more - understandable for a Brazilian, Mexican, and Argentinean experiencing true cold for the first or second time in their lives. Being a true Minnesotan to my core, I love cold weather and have certainly missed it these many months. This trip helped me get my cold fix in a fun way. The third day we reached our highest campsite, bordering a large snowy hill. Naturally we headed right for the fun, building snowmen, having snowball fights, and sledding. We all had a good laugh as we watched our favorite latinas pack into a sled and scream the entire way down. |
| 360 panorama of our highest point. Click to enlarge. |
After two days of hiking we descended back down to base camp where warm showers awaited us. We cleaned up, unpacked our bags, and headed into town. Manali is a quaint city located in the middle of baby Himalayas, and its culture reflects a unique piece of India. Due to its location near the border, Manali is home to a significant Tibetan population who primarily run stores in the market where we spent all of our time. Manali is quite cheap for handmade items, especially if you are an adept haggler unlike myself. I did, however, manage to procure a few items for decent prices with the aid of more practiced bargainers. The experience was quite enjoyable with good shopping as well as a peaceful atmosphere that evades the majority of Indian cities.
When we left the North and reached Delhi, it was time to say our goodbyes to friends from other cities. Knowing we will likely never see the majority of them again was a sobering thought at the end of an otherwise fantastic experience. We closed the trip with another 24 hour train ride full of our usual shenanigans born of boredom, and it was nice to get back to a real bed after two weeks. Seeing the Himalayas was definitely a highlight of my year, and this experience is one I will remember forever. Thanks to Rotary for organizing this and all the other trips this year, and to my parents back home without whom I would not have been able to participate in all the amazing experiences they offered.
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