Things I learnt from 11 days in the mountains

I recently did an 11-day trek in the eastern Himalayas (Goechala) and these are the things I learned.Past learnings here.

• Sharing is way more than caring. It's practical. It's effective. It's efficient. After bearing the inclement weather for a couple of days, we, a bunch of strangers, immediately switched to the strategy of sharing chai glasses, tiffins, spoons, tissue rolls, sanitizers! Who would go out in the rain/wind/snow and wash hands and utensils when one cup could be used to drink tea from among 4-5 people! Spare me your judgemental look, but this is a life-saver in the mountains.
• A bunch of strangers within a couple of days of knowing each other openly started discussing their pee/potty issues. In a high altitude trek, if you are on a preventive course of Diamox to avoid AMS, then you know what I am talking about. No one in this group of strangers would question you if you woke them up at 2 in the night to answer what must be answered.
• I repeat my previous learning, showers/baths are for the weaklings. In an 11-day trek, you master the art of wearing same clothes differently. The icing on the cake, if anyone is carrying a perfume/deodorant (I was carrying one!).  Then it's like having a new you!
• The 'law of conservation of stuff' - courtesy yours truly. Things never get lost on a trek. They only move from campsite to campsite, tent to tent. And eventually, your stuff returns to you. At times on its own or at times after PSA.
• Your trek shoes will save you. I urge you to do proper research and buy a good pair which you have broken into before embarking on a terrain like Goechala. My shoes saved me from snow, rain, wind and protected my feet like they were supposed to.
• Because of the overall strenuous nature of the trek, my brain could hardly remember anything. Thankfully 'Gazab ka hai din' was stuck in my head for the 10 days and I would hum it throughout any leg. That also meant that I was taking notes of every day's activities on a regular basis as soon as I reached the next campsite.
• If you get to be as lucky as me, then you get to share your tent with a person who has successfully summitted Everest. Everything that happens on the trek in terms of weather, nature, fatigue or the lack of it is a bonus, compared to the learning from such a person. Day in and day out I would just wonder at her amazingness and feel grateful for the experience!
• On a trek like Goechala, every person you will meet will teach you something. I had a bunch of amazing strangers as the company for the 10 days. I trekked with almost everyone, starting from the fastest to the slowest and it was a different experience! Everyone had their reasons and motivations, but we all pushed each other to a successful summit.
• They taught us to pitch and un-pitch our tents during this trek. I would look forward to this activity at every campsite (if it was not raining) and go at it with other folks like this was the sole purpose of my life :D
• I was all ga-ga about wet wipes and their existence after my last Himalayan trek. But you know what, they are bad for the environment and are non-biodegradable. So I did not use a single one during this trek. None of the rest of the trekkers used them actually. Yay to us!
• On our way back, at a rest stop we were naturally counting our privileges and first world facilities we take for granted. The easy accessibility to hot water even in hot weather was one such thing! I have never laughed harder. The sheer irony of this discussion :D
• I am all for self-care but when you are in the mountains you slowly forget about vanity. How your skin looks or feels and what not. Even though I was being generous with the sunscreen and moisturizing doses to my exposed body parts, well-aware of the return to city life, at some point my apprehensions went south as the body gained more altitude. It felt immensely liberating to not judge my own appearance and anyone else's!
• The Himalayas are beautiful, humbling, grand and oh-so-inviting! I think I don't have it in me to venture but they elude me. This sojourn to the eastern Himalayas was one such thing. It was on my mind for a long time and the mountains let it happen. All over again :)
• I planned the entire trip from start to finish by myself. Without any external help or inputs or recommendations (of course, used google for local hotel bookings!). I have traveled by myself/alone before, but I had never shown this level of involvement in any of my trips. I am so glad I finally did this by myself. For myself. I know I'll one day die in peace.