When my husband and I started visiting mountains together, I used to break into a song and dance about any snow capped peak I could spot even if it was at a great distance. Seshadri, who had trekked before would tease me a lot and always brag about his experiences of walking on snow for hours on end. I never paid any attention, I was happy with whatever I could see!
Finally, in the year 2002 we trekked through Sar Paas in Himanchal Pradesh. On day four of the trek, I spotted a brown dirty patch of snow for the first in my 30 years of life. It was a bit off the track, but I took pains to go near it and touch it. I again broke into a song and dance about it. When I now see others doing it, I understand there feeling, I have not forgotten that first thrill at all.
But even in my wildest dreams I could never imagine the sight that waited for me a few hours later, when we reached our campsite, Nagaru. As far as the eye could see, there was snow everywhere, even beneath my feet. Even though it was a feast for my eyes, it posed a few other problems. First off, I was not wearing proper trekking shoes, and for that day and the next, I slipped and slipped whenever I tried to walk, which on a trek is pretty often! Then it was so damn cold. And when the sun comes out the sown becomes a slush, which makes it very difficult to walk. I remember we started early in the morning, around 3.00 am so that we could cross the snow before it became slush and arrive at the other side! Still, seeing snow for the first time. is one of the most cherished memories of my life.
Ah.. I exactly know how it feels! I have my version of the story too, see http://travel.paintedstork.com/blog/2005/12/in-search-of-snow.htmlFrom the second image, looks like its a real beautiful place. I should consider going there some day..!
Yeah, it’s a beautiful scene always to see snow capped mountains. All white and nothing else. Jahan tak nazar jaaye sirf safed chaadar. It’s a different world altogether. :)Have been to quite a few places during winters. Yeah, one should always go with proper accessories.
koooooooool ! i envy u, i ve been living in US for almost an year and i havent seen the snow yet 🙁
I agree. Snow does have its own charm :)I remember the first I saw snow in Shimla…we kids were practically rolling around in it!
dear mridula,some years we get ten feet, tho not all at once.i get a little sick of shoveling, but the year i went to houston for the winter i really missed it.best wishes,steve h
same here. lot of people wondered I never saw snow before. It was christmas eve last year when I saw it snowing for the first time in my life(in A’dam). Wonderful feeling. Almost same as yours. 😉
🙂 – I saw ur ‘wish i could travel more’ post just yday – and realised i did have company!btw, if i may ask – are u a travel writer for gonomad??and some of these narrations are from the past??? ( i ‘ll probably die of jealousy if u tell me u do it every month! 🙂 )
I know what you mean about the first time you see snow. 🙂
Lovely pictures… and exactly how I felt with my first encounter with snow. Can’t forget it.
it was Koofri for me – when I saw the snow fall and fallen for 1st time… strangely.. i was roaming beaches of Goa around 5 days after that :)quite a change from 5 layers of clothing to none!!
beautiful–thank you for the pictures.
Mridula PLEASE POST MORE, we now are updating every day and we want to hear from you at least a few times a week!!thanks
After reading your posts or blog someone might think this lady always seems doing travel or trekking but I know that’s not true.
Mridula, When I experienced by first snow fall, I felt the same and wanted to sing and dance. But that was only the first time…when I saw it for 6 months straight I had enough. The next i felt the same (like singing or dancing) was when I saw grass again for the first time 6 months later. Never knew plain grass could bring me so much joy. I was in Buffalo, US then. BTW nice picture.
Dear Mridula,Seeing your post reminded me of my own experience as well… summer 1982. we were on a visit to kedarnath and badrinath. we walked about 7 kms to kedarnath in snow and drank hot tea at various stalls along the mountain pathway. We stayed the night in a cottage heated by coal fire!I live in tehran for some 12+ years now and your photographs of Delhi’s footpaths brought alive many memories for me too……Work has held me from my annual treat of visiting India.. How i miss India!manjusha