Trekking In Ladakh - In Conversation With 3 Mothers

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TREKKING IN LADAKH - IN CONVERSATION WITH 3
MOTHERS
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• The trekking season in Ladakh starts somewhere
  around June and now extends unto September every
  year. These busy months at this Mecca of
  adventure are just about enough to give us some
  of the most exciting stories and unforgettable
  moments from the journeys of travelers. Be it
  bikers setting off on their breakaway trips,
  backpackers on a cultural journey, glamping
  enthusiasts on their luxury holidays or trekkers
  on some of the best trekking trails around the
  world in Ladakh, story of every traveler has its
  unique charm.
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• If youre looking for an unforgettable experience
  trekking in Ladakh, then the route from Rumtse to
  Tso Kar should definitely be on your bucket list.
  This beautiful hike on the Changthang plateau
  lets you experience the isolated highlands of
  Ladakh as you cross through three high passes and
  an avenue of stunning sights.

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• Joining us for the trek this season were Anant
  Golyan, Ranveer Singh and  a trio of mothers,
  Aditi Hirawat, Sumedha Singh and Kohinoor
  Agarwal. Sumedha is a baker and a mother of two
  from Calcutta running her own cafe in the city.
  Aditi and Kohinoor are both from Kathmandu,
  Nepal, mother of two kids and are into retailing
  and arts, respectively. This summer was all about
  ticking the box in their bucket list for these
  young mothers as they trekked from Rumtse to Tso
  Kar in Ladakh crossing some incredible high
  altitude passes Kumur La (4900m), Mandalchan La
  (5000m) and Shibuk La (5050m).

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• Seeking motivation for new adventures in
  life is essential. Tell us what motivated you to
  go for this new adventure.
• Kohinoor When I landed at the airport in New
  Delhi, on being asked the reason for my visit, I
  told the officer that I was here to participate
  in a trek. They asked me if I was a student and
  to their surprise, I told them that I was a
  housewife. It was indeed a shock for the officer
  and he didnt hesitate to convey his surprise to
  me. If anything at all, it was this incident that
  motivated me to complete this trek even before I
  started it.
• Aditi When the idea of this adventure trek was
  first proposed to me, it sounded pretty exciting.
  I had never trekked before and my curiosity about
  this new experience was a big reason that I went
  ahead with it. As a first-time trekker, I was
  apprehensive about the comfort and facilities
  available during the trek. I would say that we
  lucked out with UFO Adventure Travel. Throughout
  the trek we had clean and comfortable tents with
  chemical portable commodes. When the organizers
  take care of nuances like that, it simply
  elevates the outdoor experience.

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• How did you train yourself for this trek?
• Sumedha UFO had given us prior information
  detailing that at least a basic level of fitness
  and training would help us enjoy the trek better.
  I had been going to the gym for a year and this
  trek pushed me to train even harder as I had
  something to aim for. 2 months prior to the trek,
  I focused on strength training, cardio workouts
  and breathing exercises.

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• Spending a few days in Leh is essential for
  acclimatizing. What are your fond memories from
  the city?
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• Kohinoor We spent the first two days
  acclimatizing in Leh and visited the beautiful
  Shey Palace, Thiksey and Stakna Monastery near
  Leh. The visit to these gorgeous sights was
  essential in giving an insight about the region
  before we started for the trek. We were told that
  going on a picnic was part of the local tradition
  in Ladakh, so UFO organized a barbecue picnic in
  Shey village keeping up with this tradition.
  Sitting on the grass, in the midst of trees with
  the Indus river flowing nearby, was truly
  something special. We also got a chance to
  interact and get a sneak peek into the lives of
  the locals. My chats with Jigmet, Head Operations
  (UFO) and his sister Padma achi, are experiences
  that I really adore. This was our first chance to
  personally experience how beautiful the people of
  Ladakh are at heart and I feel that they are
  somehow innately hospitable.

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• Why trekking in Ladakh? What motivated you to say
  yes?  
• Aditi Treks in Ladakh are known for the instant
  landscape changes that leave you spellbound. Such
  dramatic landscape changes were indeed a
  mesmerizing aspect of walking on this trail. When
  we began the trek from Rumtse, I was completely
  taken over by purple mountainsides, glowing in
  the sun, on the pebble trail and I was keen to
  collect the stones too. But by the time I made up
  my mind to do it, wed already entered a green
  track and the pebbles were nowhere to be seen
  now. The changing trail with patches of greenery
  and the unending cold deserts were something I
  wanted to witness for a long time and it truly
  gave me a sense of how beautifully diverse
  landscapes in Ladakh can be.

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• You crossed three high altitude passes during
  your trek to Tso Kar. How challenging was it for
  you, both mentally and physically?
• Sumedha The high passes were both mentally and
  physically challenging for my husband and me.
  Sometimes you just have to keep your head down,
  breathe and put one step after another. I didnt
  keep my knees flexed while walking and my knees
  were jammed before we could reach Tso Kar.
  Kohinoor helped me out with the knee guards that
  helped me reach the next camp. We also had an
  extra horse with an oxygen tank along with the
  guide in case anyone was very tired or an
  emergency. So we had the necessary arrangements
  if anyone had any problems.

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• Travels, and especially high altitude treks,
  are always beautiful in retrospect. How do you
  remember this trek to Tso Kar? 
• Kohinoor It is said that travel is not about the
  destination but the journey and this trek proved
  it right for me. The view of the Tso Kar was
  breathtaking and indeed unforgettable but
  throughout this entire trail from Rumtse to Tso
  Kar, we were bowled over by the stunning vistas
  that unfolded before us day after day. Be it the
  changing colors of the meandering rivers, the
  herds of yaks or the local people we encountered,
  every experience simply renewed our energy to
  keep moving forward.
• Sumedha For me this trek had been about a search
  for a place where I could find perfect quietness
  and Tso Kar was a perfect destination in that
  respect. When we reached this majestic mirror
  lake, there was no other trekking group around
  us. The lake was beautiful in its reflective
  glory! Enjoying this sort of peacefulness away
  from the city and the civilization was what made
  it all worth the effort of tireless hiking for
  days.

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• What do you have to say about the UFO Adventure
  Travel support staff on this trek?
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• Kohinoor By the end of this trip, we felt like a
  family walking together. We all walked at a
  different pace but somehow we would always find
  someone from the support staff walking alongside.
  UFO Adventure Travel has a 11 staff client ratio
  and this is an important reason why I would
  return for another trek with them. Its
  incredible how after the long day of walking
  uphill, the head chef Kazi Dai, assistant chef
  Dawa and other helpers would hardly rest and get
  on with setting up the camp, greeting us with
  juice/tea and hot/cold towels and preparing for
  bonfire and dinner. Our guide, Tashi, had his own
  tricks to keep us motivated to walk and complete
  this dream of a trek.
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• Aditi We were definitely well taken care off
  during the entire trek. I remember the first day
  when I had a bit of a headache and Id stop after
  every 30 to 40 steps, I would always find someone
  from the team by my side to walk along. At that
  high altitude it was unbelievable how comfortable
  our sleeping tents were. We were using 5-person
  tent on twin sharing basis and had a separate
  lounge tent for playing games, reading books and
  socializing throughout the trek. Other than a
  mess tent and kitchen tent, we also had a
  chemical portable toilet, which is something I
  have never heard any other adventure travel
  company using in their itineraries. The staff
  understood that the devil is in the details and
  from clean and comfortable tents, portable
  commodes to impeccable hotel facility in Leh, UFO
  staff took very good care of us.

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• How important do you think it is for women to
  venture into the outdoors?
• Aditi In the past whenever my kids went out on
  camping trips, I would always be curious about
  it. This trek gave me an opportunity to
  understand their outdoor experiences better and I
  certainly go back with a better understanding of
  travel and exploration. As a mother, it simply
  opens a new dimension for me to connect with my
  kids and introduce them to newer experiences in
  life. I hope that i can go trekking with my two
  kids in the years to come and encourage them to
  step outdoors more often.
• Sumedha This was my first trek and it was both
  empowering and reassuring to see Aditi and
  Kohinoor on the trek as it was a completely new
  experience. We were very comfortable with each
  other and got along well since the beginning.
  Interestingly, each one of us is a mother to two
  kids so we had a lot to discuss about! Talk about
  having things in common. City life can get
  stagnant and uninspiring sometimes and getting
  out in nature is an instant reset. I feel active
  and rejuvenated now as i am back with my family
  and more than ready to face the challenges of
  running a business. Kohinoor and Aditi in the
  group and UFO taking care of the logistics
  certainly played a major role at making the
  entire experience really memorable for me.

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• Thank you for your time! 
• The experience of these first time trekkers and
  mothers crossing high passes and camping in the
  isolated Changthang plateau would have certainly
  inspired you to get out. Shedding inhibitions and
  overcoming self doubt, they are now more
  confident of themselves and look forward to more
  adventures and exploring the outdoors. So step
  out and explore the unique trails and fascinating
  new frontiers of the world waiting for you.
  Just follow_the_feather.
• Source https//www.ufoadventuretravel.com/bl
  og/trekking-in-ladakh-conversation-with-3-mothers