With over a decade spent in the mountains, independent exploration has been the focus
of Pranav Singh Rawat’s mountaineering career. He has gradually forayed into alpinism
and ice climbing, trying to push the boundaries of the sport in India’s context. Much of
his climbing experience is based on a learning through approach. Working with limited
resources and a knowledge repository built through experience, Rawat has forged his
way up on demanding climbs. Know more about him on Instagram @pranavrawat_
Kalindi Base
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Important Fire
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the information in small pieces. On the second last
day of the trek, we were to cross three passes, but we
lost the way and remained that way for two and a half
hours. It drained a lot of our energy and only reached
our destination late and exhausted. The hike was a
learning process through and through. We learned
a lot during the traverse about how people live
throughout the Himalayas, from the cold desert area
of Ladakh to the lush green mountains of Kumaon.
We met a lot of people, dined with the local people
who were always kind and helpful to us strangers. Al-
though they have different belief systems, they have
one thing in common- the love for nature and respect
for the mountains. They live very close to nature
and seem to enjoy every single moment of their life.
We were especially floored by the hospitality of the
Changpa nomads who welcomed us and shared their
food with us even when they themselves had little to
eat. We saw how the villages in Kumaon and Garh-
wal face the same problems of migration of youth to
cities for job opportunities and a lack of basic public
Waiting for good weather
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Towards Ghastoli
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facilities, like schools, hospitals, transportation and
communication.
We witnessed the myriad of cultures hidden away in
the crevices of the mountains and believe me when
I say it that there is magic in those mountains, in the
way those mighty mountains appear different each
time you see them. There is humility in the way the
sky-high peaks have their feet firmly planted in the
ground. There is a learning in the mountains and
much more than that, there is an unlearning. We
learned a lot, and even had to unlearn a lot of things
but the reason that this trek was a success is not that
we completed it but because it was a start to a new
journey for us- a journey to educate people about
sustainable mountaineering practices and about the
importance of preserving the environment so that in
the future, the people who embark upon the trails
like the Western Himalayan Trail may also witness the
magic in the mountains.