I got an opportunity to go for a trek - Everest Base Camp (via Gokyo lakes) in April 2018. Although we couldn’t complete it because of various reasons including health issues, we did spend 11 days surrounded by mountains. I thought of sharing my experience of life in the Himalayas.

Talking about Himalayas and actually going there and being in it is a whole different experience. People say that you find yourself in Himalayas and now I realise why.

When you start the trek, you see a lot of vegetation around you, beautiful greenery and a very live atmosphere with many domestic animals, people, beautiful colourful flowers. You want to just stop and fill your eyes with all the beauties. After you start climbing to higher altitudes, vegetation decreases and you reach one point where you can't find even a single leaf!

Mountains are cold, lonely and windy. You look around and all you see is snow covered mountains with clouds and chilly wind. There is a deadly silence all around you. All you hear is the wind roaring or rocks falling from the mountains. No other sound at all! Are the views beautiful? Of course! It is breathtaking! Literally Breathtaking! Many times you just want to sit there forever.

This is where you think about yourself, your family, your loved ones. Looking at the snowy and lifeless mountains, makes you feel great just being alive! You want to do things which makes an impact in the society, you want to do something good. All of your problems in life seem tiny just by looking at mighty Himalayas. You are breathing and you are fine, that’s all that matters.

Now let's talk about the Sherpa community in Nepal. Any person who goes to the mountains for guiding purpose, as porter or offering tea houses are generally called sherpa. The amount of work they do versus the returns they get are very disproportionate. Porter wages are especially low. I got a chance to talk to one sherpa who was guiding us for trek and just by listening to his life story I got tears in my eyes. His father was in jail and his mother killed herself when he was a child. He had to stop his education and started working as porter since he was 10 yrs old to support his family and now he works as a guide. Education is very low in rural Nepal and most of the people in the mountains there earn money by working as porter or guide. Life is not easy - they have to be away from home for long time without taking any breaks. At max 1 or 2 days in month they can go home and when there is no trek season - especially in winters, they do farming; but it is not enough. They have to survive from money they got while trekking. Many porters continue their work even after they grow old because they need money to feed their family and many of them die on the trek because of health issues. When people climb Everest, they are in the news, but almost no one gives any acknowledgement to the thousands of Sherpas because of whom they could do the summit. Sherpas risk their lives, family and everything for the trekkers coming from all over the world. I have never seen such hardworking, dedicated and honest people in my life till now.

When we sit in front of computers, having high paying jobs and bickering about maid or cook not coming on time or which movie to see on Friday, these are people who actually fight with life and because of them all the treks in Nepal are possible. Cheers to all sherpas in Himalayas!!

One more surprising thing I found on the trek was that there were many elderly people doing this trek. For some of them I might be their grand daughter's age! I got so much inspiration from them and I really respect them a lot! Everyone was fit, cheerful and just full of life. In addition to being physically strong, they were so strong mentally that they decided to finish this trek and they really did it, no matter how weak or tired they got physically! One more goal added in my life that I want to be like them when I get to that age.

I think everyone should go to the Himalayas at least once during their lifetimes. It is not just about mountains and beauty, but more about the people you meet there, experiences you gather, things you find about yourself and lastly you realise value of people in your life!

I hope I was able to deliver even 1% of what it feels like to be in Himalayas!