trekking from Odari to Bali Pass base camp
On our way to Basecamp of Bali Pass
We all have heard several times from different people that if you are going to attempt any adventure activity then make sure your mental fitness is much better than your physical one. Especially in trekking, on each trek there comes a moment where we have two options that is either we give up or we continue with our full confidence. Only that moment decides that you are going to conquer it or not.
 

 

On 5th day of Bali Pass trek, there comes a campsite called Basecamp, situated at an altitude of 4678 meters above the sea level. To reach the campsite, one has to cross some strenuous ridges of about 65-degree incline. The ridges are 3.25 km long in distance. The terrain is full of scree and moraine and both sides having a downfall of about 400 ft. While I was crossing this ridge, I got completely drained out. Instead of walking on the ridge, I was crawling because the terrain was too steep. And the scree present on the ridge was making it more difficult to cross. At that time there were several thoughts coming into my mind i.e., would I be able to cross it or not and blah blah! The trek leader was just behind me and was continuously forcing me to walk. I kept saying “yes! Just give me two minutes”, but I was not moving. Self-motivation is a quite tough thing and it often remains in short supply. Every person has its own source of motivation. Mine is motivational songs. So I requested my trek leader to play some songs. It really helped me. After listening songs such as Zinda (Bhaag Milkha Bhaag), Lakshya, etc. the negative vibes that I was getting got converted into positive ones. Ultimately I crossed that ridge and reached the base camp. It was one of the most thrilling experiences that I have ever had in my life.
 
Descending down from Bali Pass through a rocky terrain
Descending down from Bali Pass
While descending down from the Bali Pass, I faced several challenges. There were stretches (like you can see in the above picture) on which we had to climb down through a rocky terrain full of scree and loose stones. All the stones were moving down with us and making it difficult and risky at the same time. Then we crossed a section which was a straight descent down the hill. After this, we came across a path which was a goat path. Only goats can walk on it. The path was narrow like hell. It was just 6 inches wide and on one side there was a valley 200 ft down from here and on the other there was a mountain wall having loose plants and bushes. All the moments were really scary but I didn’t even think about giving up. I had just one thing in my mind, i.e., I have to complete this trek and reach the final destination, Yamunotri. All these moments taught me one thing that “come what may we should never give up” 😊😊
 

Written by

Manu Khandelwal

An engineer and a travel blogger. Loves trekking and doing bike road trips. Burger lover (want to try every burger in the world). Clinomaniac. Sports fanatic. Likes technology but not a technology addict.