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Why does one knowingly go on a long and tough
trek like the Kailash-Mansarovar Yatra?
 There are two main reasons-one is religious fervor
(this being the ultimate in pilgrimages where a Hindu is concerned), and
the other is the love of trekking through picturesque places to reach a
beautiful place and the challenge of accomplishing a difficult
feat---and a rare one at that!!
Ever since he read about Kailash
and Mansarovar in Geography, my
husband had decided he would get to this place on the roof of the world
some day! As for me, I had no such urge and after last year's tragedy of
Malpa where about 200 people had been swept away in a massive landslide,
I had thought this was one place I would never attempt! But destiny must
have laughed at me all the time. I became part of the XIIIth batch of
1999!
I started with a lot of
apprehension in mind. Meeting a few people allayed those fears a bit.
But I had just about convinced myself that all would be well when a
landslide happened and a girl from the IXth batch was killed! Now it
really seemed like we were asking for trouble by planning this trip-that
area is always prone to landslides anyway! But my dear husband was
determined to go anyway, so it was a choice between staying back and
fretting for a month or going along. They say if you can't fight them,
join them! So that is what I did. Frankly, I even hoped it would get
cancelled, but it did not! So here we are, back in one piece, with an
experience that very few can boast about, and a lot of photographs to
show!
We were a large group of forty, who travelled a rough
and tough path together, for 27 days! The Liaison Officer is the leader
who also has the right to send you back if you do not behave! This
turned out to be quite an exercise of National Integration. About 50%
were Gujaratis, while the rest of us were a smattering each of people
from the South, East, West and the Centre. Food
rations had to be carried for the 7 days of the Parikrama in China.
This is something one does not understand, because we pay $500 to the
Chinese Government for our 9-10 days stay there. Only during our stay in
Taklakot, which is the town near the border, are the meals provided,
which is 3-4 days.
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