If you have been following my facebook page, you'd already know my craze for rainbows. If not, I tell you now that I have an extreme liking for the colorful rainbows appearing out of the blues. There are few times where I really get ecstatic and spotting a rainbow is one such time. Ask anyone who has been with me on such trips and you'll know. I will be literally jumping out of excitement when I see the colors arch across the sky.

There is something magical about seeing the pretty colors in the sky or maybe it is just the rains that have just stopped and the sunshine trying to sneak in through the dark clouds. Whatever it may be, it presents such a pretty picture it is hard for me to stay calm in such moments. All the times I have seen a rainbow, I have been spotted going hysteric, be it Roopkund trek where we saw a rainbow below us in the valley or be it Dudhsagar where the rainbow was an almost 360 degree arch going around the bridge. So here they are, a few of the rainbow pictures I have managed to capture in the last year. Hope to see many many more in the coming years.

Back to Himalayas:

I read a mail from Arjun which said the trek starts somewhere and ends in Lahaul. Well that was it, the word Lahaul hooked me onto it and I sent a mail saying I am interested in joining the trek. It was an exploratory trek and I was long gone out of the trekking scene. But nothing mattered, I just wanted to go to Lahaul and Spiti and why I had to go on a trek before going to Spiti I don’t know. But I was going on an exploratory trek in the Himalayas. I had no clue about the difficulty, about the terrain, about the arrangements, about the skill required, nothing. I just knew I was going there on September 1st. 

One Step Closer:

This trek was special in many ways but first and foremost it took me a step closer to being a true Himalayan trekker. I carried my own backpack. At altitude where even one tiny speck of dust might seem like a burden, I carried my own backpack. At an altitude where even one extra step might seem overkill I carried my own backpack. At an altitude where even one additional ..okay I think you got the point – I carried my backpack all along which would weigh anywhere between 8 – 10kgs. Well it is not exactly alpine style because the porters were still carrying our food, sleeping bags and tents but it is one step closer and one step better than having a mule carry your luggage. Signs of a true trekker eh? ;)