The Trek Story
People sometimes ask me, "Why are you so crazy about Treks, I mean you get one day off in whole week and you choose this physically tiring activity for pleasure, makes no sense, besides that a person like you (I'm one of the skinniest person you will ever meet) need to sit home eat loads and sleep to gain weight, you are doing the exact opposite thing than what you should be doing". Well that's what some people have to say. But this craziness has a story, rather a collection of dozens of story which keeps me going for it. Let me tell you some of those.
Love at First Sight
My First Trek was Bhimashankar, and those of you who have done it will know what a beautiful place that is. The series of Waterfall lined up one after another, that sight was just so beautiful, the fog, the non stop rains everything just seemed perfect. Next day I was tired like hell and yet the pain didn't stop my mind from thinking when I will be going back to this place again, so that was a sign that this is something I am made for, it was the start of the most beautiful journey, The Trekking Journey.
Bond like James Bond
You will make the same level of bonding with someone with whom you have spent a month for 9hrs a day in office and with someone on a Trek just within day. That's the kind of Bonding you make in the mountains. From Hi what's your name ? To Next Trek pe milte hai Kamine happens just within a day. The bonding you make in mountains are for real.
Friendships
From Dil Chahta Hai to ZNMD, the dreamy bunch of people we always look for to hangout, more often than not that stays a dream for most of us but I feel so lucky to have found them on Mountains, rather I found them at office, school and library but became best friends on Mountains. Even the finest of the Alcohol could not get out those stories from their heart which they have told me on Mountains.
The Leadership
I started Trekking with friends only, I have hardly done any Treks with large groups, most Treks are done by ourselves only, hence the plan, route, stay, food etc everything one has to manage by our own. We were the planners, we were our own guide most of the times, we lead ourself just in search of the way to the Top of the Mountain. It took time for us to realise how good we have become and we realised that only after we started organising Treks for people.
Fitness
The skinny body you see of mine used to be weak once upon a time. After Trekking the fitness level has gone from Zero to Well above average now. And the better fitness lead me to try other Physically demanding activities like Running, Cycling and Rock Climbing.
A Small Start Up
Who doesn't have the plan of Starting a Start Up with their friends. Almost everyone. Isn't it ? Well for all 4 of us this dream took its first step when we started Mumbai Trekkers. It remains as a part time activity for all of us apart from our mainstream job, but watching Mumbai Trekkers grow is one of the biggest joys of our Lives.
Scholar Naina
It's difficult to fall in love with someone else when the Nature around you is already so beautiful and mesmerizing. But sometimes that one person Smiles and Changes the whole world for you. Luckily or Unluckily I met that person on Mountains who probably wasn't made for mountains. Just like our interests about mountains are poles apart so did our life, that one unfulfilled, unfinished yet the Love of My Life was first found in this mountains. We may not be together but those amazing memories are always together which makes this mountains even more special.
Crisis
Can't Say Crisis but you will understand why I used this word in the end. Since we have done Treks on our own most of the time, there are times, we were stuck and lost the route in the mountains. We still came back handling it well (well almost) There weren't crisis situations as such but at least it taught us that sometimes things go out of your planned schedule and you have to make spontaneous decisions and especially be calm and strong in those times. I met with an accident on my bike on Gujrat Highway, bike got scrapped, crushed my elbow, with no one with me, with 2 heavy baggage on a national high at almost sunset, I still came back till the hospital travelling 120km alone by asking for lift from random people (ofcourse I was alot lucky that I came back safely) but to come back till here you need a strong mind which work in that crisis situations, I can say this toughness comes from mountains.
I don't have a Dream to Climb any particular mountain, neither I have any goals regarding number of Treks, The Only thing probably that matters to me is that People should be introduced to the wonderful Nature we have and Have countless stories to tell when they grow old and smile on their deathbed thinking about those Crazy Adventures on Mountains.
This is My Trek Story and I Hope this is Just a Beginning.
Written by : Kartik Mehta
(Co-Founder of Mumbai Trekkers)
