Journey to the Mountain of Spirit
When I first saw the mountains, I never imagined that I would ever take on anything physically challenging. Even the thought of attempting a simple 4km jog seemed daunting. As I stood in Nagarkot, mesmerized by the line of towering peaks, I vividly recall thinking that I would never dare to touch snow. Because it is I have preconcieved it to be difficult, dangerous and deadly. The cold, near-zero temperatures and the strenuous climb up to Nagarkot felt impossible to me, a typical tourist with no real desire for adventure. Nagarkot is a view point of the greater Himalaya near Kathmandu.
Two years later, I met Sudhakar in Mysore. He was from Vijayawada, and I was tasked with his knowledge transfer. I was working in the IT Infrastructure department in the Computers and Communication Division. Initially, we exchanged nothing more than polite smiles, but since we both spoke the same language, we eventually started interacting more frequently. As bachelors with little to do after work, we began exploring Mysore.
I’ve always had a bit of wanderlust, a desire to see the world, and I was usually the one to initiate weekend plans. One Sunday evening, Sudhakar suggested we go to a movie at the Mall of Mysore. We went, but didn’t watch the film. Instead, we ended up window shopping at an Adidas store. I, reluctantly, took the plunge and bought a pair of running shoes—beautiful, stylish, and unfortunately, outrageously expensive. The thrill of purchasing those shoes was quickly overshadowed by the guilt of spending ₹6000. But there was no going back, as the return policy was non-refundable. Now that was the time I made a decision to use them at the fullest, because I want to expect returns of every penny I spent.
The next morning at 5 am, I called Sudhakar and told him I was going for a jog. Infosys Mysore had a world-class 400m synthetic running track, and that morning marked the beginning of my fitness journey. On the first day, I barely managed three rounds before I ended up puking in the parking lot. But over the next 18 months, those three rounds increased upto 45. Sudhakar joined me a couple of days later, and I believe we were among the few who have used the running track maximum at Infosys Mysore. There were times we wanted to impress a girl who occasionally came for morning workouts—a fleeting distraction for two, lusty minds in their early twenties. Trust me, ‘gorgeous’ for her looks is an understatement.
Our routine was relentless: Monday to Friday, 5 am to 8 pm, we spent almost 14 to 16 hours at the office. Mornings began with a workout, followed by breakfast, work, evening swimming, sometimes tennis, and finally, a strangely calming cold coffee before bed. People say coffee keeps awake, it was reverse for me. I wasn’t the best employee; in fact, I was underperforming. My manager, Mr. Rajiv, once asked me why I was losing weight, and I proudly told him about my fitness regime. I could see the smirk on his face, likely thinking about my lackluster work performance. Despite this, Mr. Rajiv actually inspired me in many ways. Especially those all mails he wrote, as I’d never seen anyone draft such impressive emails. He was the inspiration for me when I began writing my book Unfailing. I never expressed this with him.
After leaving Mysore, I joined Wipro in Hyderabad. Sudhakar was disappointed, and I too felt the pang of leaving Infosys behind. Although Hyderabad was good in some ways, nothing could compare to Infosys. I continued my fitness regime at Wipro’s gyms. And I was never a standout employee in any of the companies I worked for. Insults, scoldings, warnings—Managers all eventually gave up on me.
Amidst this corporate chaos, Sudhakar called one day and urged me to join the Sar Pass Youth Hostels trek. It went well, and later I became a lifetime member of the Youth Hostels Association of India, reserving a spot for the Sandakphu Gurdum Trek in West Bengal, later that year. It was there that I met Dhaval. Coincidentally, we had both worked in the same company, on the same floor, but in different teams. Dhaval was senior to me. I don’t remember meeting him in that office.
Most recently, 2023 October, we went to Manali, where I mentioned to Dhaval, as we summited Khanpari Tibba, that I had taken a bath in every house he had lived in, both in Pune and Bangalore. He burst into laughter. When I climbed Manaslu, I didn’t tell him that I was attempting the 8000er without supplemental oxygen.
All the heartbreaks and disappointments faded away when I entered the death zone and stood atop Manaslu, the mountain of spirit. If the mountain permits, I hope to return one day and offer my respects and tribute to her.
Stay tuned for more cutting-edge, mind-bending, and close-call adventures.
I often wanted to say, “I am from Andhra, and we do things that no one else even thinks of,” just like Mayabazaar, Baahubali, RRR, and recently Kalki. While those film projects are financially lucrative, my projects are physically lucrative.
The full story of my Manaslu climb is presented in two parts. Manaslu Dairies Part 1 & Part 2. Read and enjoy.
