Sar pass!

Suddenly life seems to have become too hectic to even take a time out for posting a blogpost. Not sure, how exactly this happened. Guess, it's time to really do some time management :) Because, i have been planning to call up so many friends and it just doesn't seem to happen. The only time, when i pause and think about it is at 10.30pm, which isn't the right time to call them :)

Maybe because i was trying to cram things at work so that i can take a week or more break :) Yep, atlast, after 2 and half years, i am taking a real break.
And i was in a huge dilemma as whether to post about it 2 weeks ago...couldn't stop myself from typing it out and left it as draft :) (btw, there are 2 long interesting drafts still pending - Language, India and World, Diet vs Healthy)

I guess it all started on Apr 13th or 14th. It was over a telephonic conversation. While discussing about the job uncertainties and how this recession is taking an indirect toll on everybody by putting a mental pressure, suddenly pappu mentioned, "You know, this is all forcing me not to plan for the Trekking as well".
Me : What trekking?
Friend : Yes, the Himalayan one.
Me : Oh, god. This is April. Time when himalayan trekkings are conducted. I totally forgot...
Friend : My friends had been there last year and it was wonderful. I saw the photos.
Me : I know the site. It was studentconcepts.org i think. I even sent a mail to that coordinatar few years ago when i was in full enthu to go for that trek. But, as usual it never materialized. :(
Friend : No, this is conducted by Youth Hostel Association.
Me : Do you know the site details?
Friend : Search the net for Youth hostel india and trekking.
Me : Ok, let me do that. Shall we go this time?
Friend : Yes, lets see.

The next moment i was searching on google and ended up with the site. Thats it, i guess from that moment, it has been a kind of constant badgering for my friend from my side :)

First was to check for the holiday details from office...I was able to confirm my holidays with my manager in 3 days....
Then it was to register for the trek...We had finalized on a date(May16th). The availability was 8. His comment was to wait for a while. This inturn made me check the site for every one hour :) I was quite tensed as what if some group of 8 members book all the tickets at one shot...After a day, it came down to 7. The next day it was 6... One was on the verge of panic :) So ended up calling my friend and explained the rate at which the tickets are disappearing. Then he agreed for me to book. Immediately, 2 tickets were booked. Apparently, 1 and half days after that, there were no tickets available.

Then came the torture of booking the flight tickets and bus tickets from Delhi to Kullu. Thanks to my friend's friend's wife, time taken to travel from Delhi to Kullu was wrongly conveyed as 5 hours...When i checked with a colleague of mine, he was surprised and mentioned that for sure it'll take atleast 10 hours...This guys is from Delhi and he seems to have visited all the places in himachal and for everything, he was using the adjectives like amazing, fantastic, out of the world. Out of a pang of jealousy, i ended up asking, "Have you been to Ooty?". (Well, ofcourse, it's totally moronic to compare Himalayas with Ooty, but then who thinks of this rationality every time ;)) He replied,"Yes...i had been there in Feb when i took a week off...wonderful place". Now, one is contented :)

Anyway, he called up his father and enquired the distance, time and route details...The same was conveyed to my friend who enquired with his friend this time instead of friend's wife :)

After all draggings, Return journey flight and bus tickets were booked on 22nd April...

Then the thing pending was the items required for the trek...One had come up with the list, which was scrutinized thoroughly by the friend :)

Backpack bag, shoes and few other items had been purchased first.
Then the plan was to buy all the remaining stuff last weekend. But still few things are pending and today evening is THE last moment :) I have to do it...

Actually now, i am torn between the enthu to go and the fear of leaving office and the guiltiness of not meeting my brother who had a minor operation this week. Guiltiness is because if i had been here for the weekend, i could've travelled to meet him. Now it'll have to wait for 2 weeks. He claims that he's fine now. But then the guilt one feels just doesn't go away and makes one wonder whether one has become selfish...
Fear is because there is a major reorg happening and i have requested for a team change...The reorg will be going into next week and i have to be in touch over mobile to get the details. Luckily, the coverage is good all through out the trek it seems. I am sure my friend and fellow trekkers might frown at this.

Also the other sore point is my brother was not able to join the trip...Stupid has to attempt CFA again on June 7th...And unfortunately, the last slot available for this trip is May 31st....
So, the promise is, if he clears the exam, then one shall plan for Valley of Flowers in August :) My manager might have a heart attack or put me on the layoff list if he gets to know this thought :)

Anyways, coming to the blog topic, i intend to pen my thoughts and experience in a diary and also take loads of pictures. So, once i am back, the same shall be typed datewise :)

Meanwhile, here is the Wiki link of the Sar Pass Trek.

One other slight point to be worried about is,apart from the fear of sliding down towards abyss on the way back from Sar pass, i think i am generally not a great companion as one tends to have quite a few mood swings. So, i have kindly warned my friend about this and requested not to get irritated :) Also, i did ask him as whether he'll heave a sigh of relief on me sliding down towards abyss or will he arrange for a search crew to look out for me. Eventhough he said he might arrange for a search crew, i highly doubt that as it might depend on the number of friends (girls) he meet over the trek. The higher the number, the lesser the time he might have to arrange for a rescue ;) :) So, one ought to be quite careful on sliding down :)