The journey into the mighty

Somebody told me like a year ago that there are lots of advantages living in a city like Mumbai. Of course, he was mum about the disadvantages, which is a long story too, but I recently got to purchase to a beautiful book that I was searching for some time now and that was certainly something good about Mumbai. There are just thousands of all sorts of esoteric books.

I've always been an ardent fan of Mount Everest and people who climb it. Not that I am a big-time mountaineer or anything, but the fact that there is something so challenging and people tirelessly try to scale up despite all the odds gives me goose-bumps. I mean, how could you not respect that mountain and the people who climb it? Looking at the technical details, you HAVE to believe in a superpower, atleast for this one time. Mount Everest, at about 8,850m is a marvel. With oxygen levels at 33% of the normal above the dangerous 'Death Zone', it is a mighty challenge. What makes it special is: had it been 300m taller, nobody would be able to climb without supplemental oxygen. Had it been 300m shorter, it wouldn't have been something that evaded people till around 1950's when people finally surmounted it.

My love for mountains started, arguably, during my Engineering College days when I got a chance to go to Ooty and Kodaikanal for the chill weather. There was always something very fascinating about the mountains. It was first love when I went to Manali a couple of years back. And I simply had to go to the Led-Ladakh (Jammu & Kashmir) trip that still stays as one of my bestest-ever. Life on the mountains is so unbelievably good. The chill that passes through the bones, the ragged woolen clothes sticking ominously around the body, the fumes flying out of the tea-cup, the people who don't know how to stop their smiles, and the ice clad setting. A paradise alright!

Coming back to the point, I got lucky during one of my regular sorties to the Crossword bookstore. The book 'Making of the Imax movie called Everest' was for sale. At a discount at that. The story-cum-photography book was available for around $11 instead of the usual $24. $11 is not cheap by any stretch of imagination, but I figured this book could be my once chance of motivation to somehow sometime make it atleast to the Base Camp of Mount Everest. With prices hovering around Rs. 15 lacs to Rs. 25 lacs, climbing the mountain itself would be impossible, even if I were physically trained and prepared to take the onslaught. But with just about Rs. 50,000 or Rs. 75,000 and a 15-day break from routine, I could make it to Base Camp sometime. Doesn’t matter when. All I need is time and motivation, and this book could probably be my only chance. This book has to be within my eyesight for years to come I don't aspire to be a Reinhold Messner, the guy who climbed all the 8000 m plus tall mountains without oxygen, but Base Camp is one of my dreams all right. Thank you Mumbai.