Where do I begin when I think about the mountains? Its exhilarating, all consuming and yet you feel so tiny, insignificant when you encounter it, it takes you by it’s horns and makes you realize all that you have been missing in your daily life..

One of the many things I have discovered while continuing my sojourn with the mountains was meeting people. Yes People from all walks of life, from different parts of the country with different temperaments.

As one trek lead to another I made friends, companions who shared the same likes, dislikes and a love for the Himalayas. We had the same taste in music, people, brought together while going through some tough conditions in the mountains and a bond was formed.

These past years have taught me that whatever I planned in advance fell flat while whatever I jumped into spontaneously opened up a whole new world of happiness and experiences.

The trek in April this year at Deorital forged some solid bonds with a few people. One of them significantly was a friend Bhim. We shared an all consuming love for Himalayas, a desire for self exploration, to be with one self, in silence and solitude and at the same time enjoy the company of friends, we had quite a bit in common.

So when my Kashmir Trek in August failed again because of the usual tension and strife there, Bhim suggested Roopkund in September.

He had already signed in with a couple of his friends and I was more than willing to sign up for it. It was always good to have company around, a friend / friends to go along with in this journey.

Roopkund had fables, myths around it. A mysterious lake, a very high altitude summit to reach it, hundreds of bones and skulls surrounding it, rumors plenty around it.

Scientists were  unable to reach a conclusion on it’s origins while the locals had their own tales and tragedies associated with it.

I guess for us, it was the journey. A whole 9 days of being away, being disconnected with everything and being connected to the self, bare and raw that drew us to it.

For who can resist the call of the mountains?