Gaurav Ajmani (8251), a proud Hamletian & an adventure enthusiast, recently trekked to the Everest Base Camp (EBC). Gaurav balances a fulltime job, running after his kids, running on Janpath & trekking effortlessly!!
So, what made him get into mountaineering? “Being born in Mussoorie, I’ve a natural love for the mountains. It began during the Tata Mumbai Marathon in January when I expressed my desire to trek to EBC to a friend.
My friend instantly got excited & showed interest. One thing led to another. Five of us got ready for this epic trek!”
Gaurav’s preparation focused specifically on running. As he’d to trek ~10 kms per day, he wanted to ensure he built enough strength & endurance.
Wondering if any mountaineer/ trekker has been his guide/ inspiration, he replies, “I am too new to the world of mountaineering/ trekking. The thought of doing EBC came to me when I saw this documentary on Netflix called 14 Peaks where this fearless mountaineer, Nirmal Purja conquers 14 of the world’s 8000-meter peaks in just seven months, including Mount Everest.
The previous record for doing all 14 peaks was 7 years and 310 days.”
Gaurav observed that many Indian trekkers he encountered were inspired by the movie ‘Uchaai’. The movie makes the trek look easy, but it’s not. The challenge he faced, besides fatigue (long treks + carrying day bags), was how his body reacted to high altitude.
“Some of us, including myself, had Acute Mountain Sickness & High-Altitude Cerebral Oedema. At one point, my SPO2 went down to 59! Yes, that’s scary. I’m thankful I survived.
The weather is unpredictable in the mountains. We were lucky to reach EBC on time. A few minutes late would have led us into a massive snowstorm.”
Gaurav’s advice for a trekking newbie would be “If I can do it, so can you. With planning & hard work, you can conquer all difficulties. When you plan a difficult trek such as EBC, ensure that you are prepared.
Get a knowledgeable guide to assist you during the trek.”
Passionate for runs, Gaurav is training for an ultramarathon currently. Does he have any other base camp plans? He naughtily replies “Shh… I have set my eyes on Mount Kilimanjaro!!”
by Vandena Bal (HNo.11021, 99111 46882)
