Mt. Machhapuchhre Photo: Bharat Koirala
A mountain symbolizes a national landmark, a tourist destination for adventure, and a snowy region which has cold weather throughout the year. It is a general perception and I believed the same. Given the topography of Nepal, the poor quality of infrastructures was eminent. The trail on the hills and some location boards which passed by every few hours made us realize that we were on the right track.
“I cannot move a step more. The hill is so steep.” I panicked
Panting for breath, the journey seemed endless and my energy was drowning with the discovery of every new hill to surpass to reach our destination for the day. Our trip kicked off from Pokhara and we settled at Forest Camp on our first day, then in Low Camp and finally reached High Camp on the third day. The ambience was chilly with only yellow grasses and bushes in name of vegetation and a number of snow-capped mountains could be seen in the vicinity after reaching a height of 3900m in High Camp.
Mt. Machhapuchhre seen from Machhapuchhre View Point. Photo: Bharat Koirala
Settling the tiresome day in High Camp, we had planned to trek to base camp early morning. The serene view of Machhapuchhre fading behind the darkness of the night vanished all the pain for three days of trek and restored the energy to reach the base camp. The glistening shooting stars took over the sky and the dropping temperature made us shiver continuously. The moment was beyond explainable when the stars seemed so close and the gradual movement of clouds could be vividly seen obscuring the mountain range.
The stony mountains grew steeper as we marched towards the base camp. The tiny trails fitting merely a step at a time enhanced the heart beat and reduced our pace. With every additional step, we were getting closer and closer to Machhapuchhre.
After reaching the base camp at around 4200m, the struggles along the way came as a flashback that was just to achieve the view I was next to. The carved names on the stones at the base camp symbolized the stories of all the people who went through a lot of hard work, time, pressure and experience despite their nationality, race, gender or age. As the strong monument stood in front of me, I had a sigh of satisfaction holding my country’s flag to mark an achievement of my life.
I truly understood why people from all corners of the world would take the trouble to be in our small country. The natural treasures that we hold are beyond comparison to any man-made landmarks. This journey became once in a lifetime moment for me.
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