MEET THE ADVENTURERS

the towering crags to take respite in crystal clear pools with gravelly floors before the swelling streams poured over more rocks and disappeared into the undergrowth. Far above us in a clear blue sky towered the twin summits of Macchapuchare (translated as the Fishtail Peak). A solitary sentinel standing guard over the head of the valley, its distinctive fluted shape looked like the finest Swarovski crystal glittering in the sun.

Abruptly the fairytale came to an end at a small stone temple behind which a steep flight of stone steps soared into the forest above. Now the climbing was relentless and we gained height rapidly to our lunch stop. Following that, it took almost two gruelling hours with the clouds closing in and the temperature dropping before we broke through the forest cover at the giant Hinko cave (where the mysterious yeti was apparently sighted by the 1970 British expedition that climbed the South Face of Annapurna). After a brief respite, we set off for the distant beacon of Deorali, using torches to pick our way over the stones.

Ranjan Pal and his friend from St Stephens, Ashesh Ambasta, both 64 years old, along with their guide and their porter, Shyam and Bhakto, set off on the trek together. While Ranjan has been a freelance travel writer for the last six years, Ashesh used to be Executive Vice President &

Head, Social Investments with ITC Ltd.

The next morning dawned a perfect mountain day and all the exhaustion slipped from my body as if by magic. I looked up at the blue vault of heaven cut off by the forbidding walls of the canyon closing us in on all sides, softened by sparkling waterfalls plunging from impossible heights. “Up ahead in the distance, I saw shimmering light’’—but this was the sunlight reflecting off the solar panels in Chomrong from where we had started our journey. The climb eased off and the vista widened out over the next two days as we followed the giant moraine of the Annapurna glacier up to the Base Camp.

Morning has broken...

ABC appeared in the distance as a cluster of low white buildings with blue roofs, perched on the rim of the moraine at a height of 4,130m. Below was the great brown expanse of the Annapurna glacier which drains the entire South Face, covered in dirt and debris fallen from the slopes above. It

Clockwise from top: The steady uphill climb from Bamboo to Dovan; The gang of four finally at ABC; and taking a break at the wooden bridge on the way to our lunch stop, Himalaya is a desolate an d lon ely place in the surreal wilderness but just lift your eyes higher and you will have your breath taken away by the magnificent spectacle of the highest mountain amphitheatre in the world! The four great Annapurnas an d their atten dant peaks of Gangapurna, Bharhachuli and Khangsarkang girdle the sanctuary like a vast Olympus of protective deities, not one summit lower than 7,500m.

In the pre-dawn darkness, we joined a small, shivering huddle of enthusiasts to catch the first rays of the rising sun as it came up behind Macchapuchare. Standing guard at the entrance of the sanctuary, the stunning mountain took on a very different aspect. The separation of the two tails was no longer apparent and the serrated ridges and steep snowfields that sweep down from its summit slopes made it look like an impregnable ice fortress.

Finally, the sun broke over the shoulder of Macchapuchare and Annapurna’s sacred circle lit up for a few seconds in alpenglow, one of the greatest spectacles that nature has to offer. The crowd fell silent, staring at the giant glowing wall of ice and snow surrounding them. For me, this sublime moment was what makes it all worthwhile—the bitter cold, the sweat and grime, the inedible food, the exhaustion. One more moment that will live forever in my memory.