The other side of adventure

Usually we hear stories of backpacking and travelling as being adventurous, sporty, and we see a glimpse of the spectacular journey through photographs, but fellow backpackers see it as “an abode to enlightenment, humility and hardships.”

One such backpacker is Tariq Badar, who has travelled along the length and breadth of the country for the past 30 years. He tells Metrolife, “I have always been fond of exploring forests, hills, waters, wildlife, ancient and historical places. The adventure stories told by my father who was a police officer, in-charge of several anti-dacoit operations in the hostile terrains; the historical facts and adventurer’s stories shared my mother who was a history scholar and the kind of literature I read during my pastime, made me more passionate about travelling and adventure. However, I could pursue it regularly only after I had started earning on my own.”

Badar has done it all, trekking, rock climbing, camping hiking, water sports, parasailing and so on, but his satiation for travelling is still far from exhausted. With a secure government service at hand, he is well placed and says travelling is only his hobby.

“Sair kar duniya ki gafil, zindagani phir kahaan, zindagi gar rahi to naujawaani phir kahaan”, Badar quotes Ghalib saying that ‘Travel the world you ignorant (there is too much to see) since the life is too short (it is the only chance) and even if you have a longer life you will never be young again (to take it up)’.

Some emotions, are visceral to only the travellers. Every one gathers their knowledge through their experiences. Badar has has financial problems while travelling, but it has never been a deterrent.

He says, “Trekking and adventure for me is a relaxation which recharges me and enhances my psychological performance, in spite of the physical inputs gone behind it. It provides boost to professional life and betters problem solving skills.” Some travellers like to explore not only travel. Trekker Rijul Gill has been going to the Dhauladhar range for the past three years. He has crossed 28 passes and visited 20 high altitude lakes, across the Dhauladhar range and Pangi Section of Himachal Himalaya.

“There are no logistics that one can prepare before going through many of these passes, because there is no specific terrain that you find marked on any map. Some of them are gorges you just have to climb your way through,” says Gill.

Gill is not a trained mountaineer, he pursues his trekking solely on determination, he was an engineer, but now he has given in to his passion completely. “I didn’t know anything about making steps in heavy snow, cutting across and it is always difficult to carry on with limited resources. But the people you meet on these altitudes, seem like god to you during those times,” he says.

Gill met the ‘Gaddis’, a shepherd tribe living at the altitude of 4,700 to 5,000 metres during his journey. According to him “if they were not there, he couldn’t have survived it.”
Gill explains how meeting with the Gaddis, did not only widen his knowledge about their culture, but also it was a humbling experience to know there are humans living in tough situations and are rather happy.

“Some treks were 12 days long, sometimes you are not motivated enough, but the Gaddis always raised my morale. I couldn’t trek with one bag alone, and the Gaddis would carry 30 kg load and lead the way, several metres ahead of us,” he exclaims.

Along the way, Gill experienced conflicts with brown bears and cheetahs many a times. “It is always only by fluke that you overcome these circumstances,” he says.

He explains to Metrolife, that out there, is a world, with no predictable weather, internet connectivity or anything habitable,  but only a firm mind-set, strong willpower, leadership qualities, team management, resource planning and liaison skills, that can help you go forward.