Kedarkantha Trek: I summited the mountain- Literally and metaphorically!

It's absolutely crazy what a summit trek can do to you.

2019 had some of my best and worst moments together, and it was very emotionally draining to cope with the change constantly. By the end of the year I decided that 2020 will be nothing like this.

I had pictured seeing the first sunrise of the New Year from above the snow-clad mountains a long time back and knew it was about time to make that happen.

We started our summit climb for Kedarkantha at 3am as a group. But as we climbed higher...the slope got steeper, conditions got worse and all of us scattered.

At one point you could see the peak but just when you reached there, there was a higher peak sitting right behind it, and another behind that one. It was excruciating to climb peak after peak in -10°C amidst wild winds.

When I was only a few steps away from the summit I looked around to find nobody I knew. Everyone from our team had either reached or was far behind. People who were climbing with me began sitting where they were. I just couldn't climb anymore and the sight of people settling around was very tempting.

The sun was about to rise. I knew I would eventually summit but what I had dreamt of was to see the sunrise from the top, and hence began climbing again. Those last 15minutes were the hardest part of the whole trek.

But the moment I reached, the sun rose and I began to cry. It was mainly due to the extreme cold, the wind, AMS and dehydration but also because I accomplished what I had put my mind to; because I didn't give up and even after going through so much pain the previous year, I was here standing on top of Kedarkantha Peak seeing the most beautiful sunrise from the peak. I believed in myself and was amongst the first 10 people in our batch to summit.

Since this trip I've had the best of things come to me. I've felt unconditional love, gotten great opportunities and did things I never thought I could.

And if I ever feel low I say to myself, "I didn't summit that gigantic mountain only to come back home and sulk on something this petty". And it always works.

I summited the mountain; literally and metaphorically.