Lessons from the peak

Mountaineering, said to be the mother of all adventure sports, beckons people of all ages

They used ropes, harnesses, and equipment like carabiners and quickdraws for climbing. Credit: GGI

The author tried rappelling for the first time.

When I turned 50 on March 27, it didn’t just look like a milestone but a sign that the road ahead would be full of challenges. I was overweight — the weighing scale crossed 90 kg in May. Lifestyle-related problems started surfacing. I was distressed.

I had always loved the outdoors, and done a lot of walking, jogging, and trekking. But could I use outdoor activities like mountaineering and rock climbing to beat my health woes? I had done a course in basic mountaineering in school. Nothing more.

Mountaineering is not just about the Mount Everest. The Deccan Plateau in Maharashtra offers many peaks for scaling. I signed up for a four-day Basic Rock Climbing Course conducted by the Pune-based Guardian Giripremi Institute of Mountaineering (GGIM), the only such club in India to have scaled a slew of peaks above 8,000 metres — Mt Everest (2012), Lhotse (2013), Makalu (2014), Cho Oyu and Dhaulagiri (2016), Manaslu (2017), Kangchenjunga (2019) and Annapurna (2021).

But at 90 kg and a year after a major shoulder operation, any strenuous adventure was outside my comfort zone. And I was a sugar addict. In June, I started my expedition preparations by signing up for a weight loss and lifestyle management programme with a Bengaluru-based healthcare startup. I had to completely give up sweets. I have kept my promise to myself, and haven’t tasted a grain of sugar since.

By October, I was down by 15 kg, and I thought I could give the mountaineering course between November 17 and 20 a try. I asked my son Arindam whether he would come along, and he said ‘yes’. My wife Ruma also wanted to join but she had to stay back to look after our pets. We have two fish tanks.

Father and son were bonding finally, keeping aside their laptops and mobile phones. Failing before my 19-year-old son would be difficult to accept, I told myself and made a surprise call to Umesh Zirpe, director of GGIM, whom I have known well for a decade.

Zirpe, also president of the apex body of Maharashtra mountaineering club, had led expeditions to the Sahyadris, the Himalayas and other mountain ranges. He told me: “Mrityunjay, there is nothing to worry… on the last day, you will ask for more.” The words of Mama, as Zirpe is lovingly called, gave me confidence.
“Mountaineering is not merely about your sporting abilities. It offers a new perspective on life. It makes a social impact. A good mountaineer gets a deeper understanding of life,” he said. He was headed for London to attend a conference when I rang up. “Even when I am in London, I will monitor updates about each and every trainee,” he told me.

Day 1: Reach Bhorgiri

A group of 20 was taken in a bus to Bhorgiri. The village is located near the Bhimashankar Wildlife Sanctuary in Pune district, set amid a mountain range with an elevation varying from 450 to 600 metres. The training had earlier been scheduled at the famous Sinhagad Fort. The change of venue came as a surprise.

Some in the group were fighting fit, and had done a lot of challenging outdoor activities. Was I being foolish to go with this athletic group? The participants included engineers, doctors, students, hobbyists, and nature lovers. I was the oldest among them and my son, the youngest.

At the campsite, Bhushan Harshe, head of operations, GGIM, gave us the first lesson of mountaineering. “Start enjoying the discomfort… and our motto is ‘mountaineering for happiness’,” he said as he introduced our instructors Dr Sumit Mandale, Vikas Bhondve, Lokesh Shinde and Aishwarya Ghare. Harshe said the instructors would make sure that we had no free time, and also spring plenty of surprises on us.

The trainees were divided into three groups — Everest, K2 and Kangchenjunga, named after the tallest peaks in the Himalayan ranges. I was in the Everest group and my son, in the Kangchenjunga. Harshe explained tent pitching, and Shinde spoke about how to pack the rucksacks and maintain the centre of gravity. Aishwarya explained knots.

“Ropes are the lifeline of mountaineers. These are going to be with you for the next four days,” she said, handing us small ropes. She demonstrated the safety knot, clove hitch, fisherman’s knot, reef knot, figure of eight, and bow line. Dr Mandale stepped in and said: “Remember the knots. We will ask you about them in the written examinations and in the practicals.” He elaborated on the equipment we would see — ropes, carabiners, helmets, crash pads, climbing shoes, harnesses, quickdraws, etc.

In the evening, we saw the rocks where we would be practising. We returned to our tents after dinner.

Day 2: Start climbing

The whistle went off at 5.30 am. After the morning tea, we went for a 2 km jog and some physical training. On our return, we were taken to the rocks, and the climbing began at three places. I found the going difficult but Shinde motivated me not to give up. I managed to climb at two spots, but at the third, I injured a finger and nail, and blood started oozing out.

“This is a medal you will cherish,” said Manoj Kapade, a fellow trainee and journalist based in Pune. In the afternoon, the instructors told us about bouldering techniques (bouldering is a form of free climbing on small rocks). In the evening, we learnt more mountaineering and rock climbing terminology.

Day 3: Try jumaring

After the 5.30 am whistle, the three teams were taken for physical training sessions and then for jumaring (climbing with the help of a clamp that can move freely up a rope). This calls for strength in the shoulders — and again I was apprehensive. “You cannot give up,” said Ashish Sukhadare, a veteran trek leader, while Shinde guided me about what needed to be done next.

Once we climbed up, Aishwarya taught us how to handle ropes again and followed it up with something more exciting — rappelling. It had been my dream to rappel down from a rock. As Bhondve, popularly known as Appa, checked my harness, I could hear the pounding of my heart. I leaned backwards and asked if it was okay to look down. He calmly explained: “Yes, look at both sides, feel the surface, and start stepping down.” I did, and reached where Dr Mandale was standing. I was overcome by the adrenaline rush and also a child-like excitement.

The risks of slipping and falling are a given in adventure sports but our instructors checked the routes, anchors, ropes, harness and other tools before every activity and insisted we also do.

After lunch, we had sessions on map reading and navigation followed by real-time exercises to locate co-ordinates and take a selfie at the spot for proof using an app.

Later in the day, Dr Mandale spoke about first aid. “For five days a week, I am a doctor, but for two days, I am a mountaineer,” he said, explaining how he balanced his profession and passion.

Since I was walking and jogging for the past few months, I experienced no pain through these tasks. But we would be so tired by the end of the day that all we wanted was to eat the food, prepared freshly at a resort next to the campsite, and hit the bed. There was no time or energy for dancing and singing in and outside the tents. Drinking and smoking were strictly prohibited.

Day 4: Advanced training

We were put through written and practical tests. Not easy. The group had been exposed to bouldering, rock climbing, jumping, rappelling, tent pitching, basic first aid and map reading, and the tests had questions on all these. The good news is that all of us passed.

I got a ‘B+’ grade. My son passed with an ‘A’ grade and qualified for the Advanced Rock Climbing Course (ARCC). The ‘B+’ gave me a sense of achievement though. I told myself mini weekend expeditions and solo tours in the Sahyadri ranges were going to be a regular feature in the coming year.

At the convocation, GGIM president Jayant Tulpule said: “Never compromise on the ethics of mountaineering.” Where we climb, how we climb, how we treat our climbing environment and how we wish to see the sport develop in the future, form these ethics.

What it takes

Whether it is a small mountain in your backyard or the Himalayan peaks, the final sense is one of accomplishment.

“Mt Everest is no doubt the highest peak but there are many 6,000 or 7,000 metre peaks that are challenging. A lot depends on when you are climbing and who you are climbing with,” said Zirpe.

So start with trekking and go from easy to moderate to difficult. You can then graduate to rock climbing and ice climbing. You can also try artificial wall climbing and sports climbing.

Once you reach a peak, he said, you look down and in a flash recall the whole journey, your family and friends. “You feel humble when you are up there. Mountaineering develops a person physically, mentally, emotionally and practically,” he said.

Here is his advice: Mountains are vast, and with every metre you climb, the enigma darkens. You can lose your way even during a simple trek, so a knowledge of navigation comes in handy. There is no chronological order to learn the skills to be a good mountaineer. But to remember the mountaineering skills, the mind should not be cluttered.”

Mountaineering is an art and a science. You learn about geology, geography, topography, archaeology, heritage, hydrology, navigation, astronomy, physics, chemistry, biology and much more.

What a beginner learnt

Preparation is a big part of mountaineering, the mother of all adventure sports, so strengthen your muscles. Even those with a good physique and strength can falter in the Himalayas because of the weather. For most climbers, the pleasures of mountaineering lie not just in the ‘conquest’ of a peak but also in the physical and spiritual satisfaction of undertaking the mission.

Outdoor principles

The Leave No Trace or LNT is one of the crucial aspects of the outdoors and these are its sevenprinciples:

* Plan ahead and prepare.
* Travel and camp on durable surfaces.
* Dispose of waste properly.
* Leave what you find.
* Minimise campfire impacts (be careful with fire).
* Respect wildlife.
* Be considerate towards other visitors.