Trekking... an unavoidable part of life

My first trek was quite sudden. I did it when i was 10 yrs old. Just before the Diwali vacation i.e. before winter break, my grandfather gave me a small pamphlet about a jungle trek in Mahabaleshwar, a hill-station in Maharashtra, India. It sounded much more interesting to me as it was something different from the usual stuff i used to do during the breaks. Incidentally few more kids from my neighborhood agreed joining me, and the plan was set.

It was mid November when we started from Pune. The rendezvous was a big ground in the town of Mahabaleshwar called 'Polo ground'. There were nearly five batched with 30-35 trekkers in each batch. I think i was the youngest kid in our batch, or might be in the whole camp. The actual trekking was for 5 days with about 125 kms worth walk. The combination of few expert guided trails regarding astronomy, wildlife and botany with this strenuous journey made it a big enjoyment.

The chapter of trekking got introduced in my life like this. Eventually i went to many treks to nearby mountains, forts, valleys, etc. It became like a part of life. This all was happening during 5 th to 8th grades. In 9th and 10th this fever went low, especially in 10th, when everyone experiences his first exam which exposes him to the surrounding competitive world, and pulls him out the comfort zone. So the year passed by in studies. 11th and 12th also went on quickly, 12th exams ended, and i planned a trek to Rajgad a king of all forts !

Here the second era of trekking started in my life. Seven of us went to the fort with no backup and no guide. It went on very well and we ended up enjoying it to the fullest. And the new fad began. Afterwords, I did many treks during the vacation. I went to Himalayas for the first time.
Ya... so Rajgad was the first trek to renew my trekking interest.

Sometimes i keep on thinking why i like trekking so much? I used to dream of sitting on the fortress of Rajgad, watching the sunset behind the Sanjeevani maachi, after each exam.