Trek India 2011 Blog
Magic View
We finally, at 2600 metres (8500 feet - nearly 3 times the height of any peak in the UK) reached Magic View - a breathtaking point overlooking the whole Kangra Valley where we had been trekking.
There was lots of emotion as people realised they had met their personal challenge. Tears as they remembered for who and why they were trekking.Some in the group were honouring loved ones lost, some had set themselves a personal goal to challenge illness and others simply wanted mastery over their potential - we all felt that we had done our sponsors proud and that every penny raised for the hospices was well-deserved !
So...after thousands of litres of water and hundreds of life saving jelly babies, we made our long descent (killing on the knees) to Baghsu and started the long train journey overnight back to hectic Delhi - a shock after the peace of the mountains.
From Delhi we caught a coach to Agra to see one of the wonders of the world - the Taj Mahal. This remarkably beautiful building of white marble was built by Shah Jahan in memory of his third wife Mumtaz Mahal who died in childbirth while delivering her 14th child. It took 20,000 workers 22 years to build and the Shah incarcerated many of the workers in a nearby compound so that the Taj couldnt be copied. We also visited the Red Fort in Agra, another astounding World heritage site - a walled city of red sandstone and marble.
Refreshed by the awe of these sights, we took the coach back to Delhi en route to the airport.
We had strangely become used to the unique style of driving in India - constant tooting, no lanes, cows and children wandering between cars, no more than an inch between vehicles at anytime ! The M25 will be a doddle !
The trip has simultaneously moved, disturbed, changed and inspired people - it will take time to fully absorb the impact of this trip. India affects everyone in different ways. For me...the highlights were completing the project for CanKids - creating a better place for children facing cancer treatment in Delhi, linking with the team at CanSupport and meeting their pioneering founder Harmala Gupta....and surving the physical challenge of the trek, camping in the mostawe-inspiring scenery in the world.
I have a simultaneous feeling of energy and peace - long may it last !!
Ros
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Thursday 13th - Tuesday 18th October
The Trek!
An absolutely extraordinary few days...
No words can describe the awesome scenery, the absolute exhaustion, the exhilaration of reaching the summits, the wildlife in the tents (!) and the amazing support from all the group for each other.
There were 40 of us, at different fitness levels, ages ranging from 24 to 74 ! And we all did it!
Our guides were Sanjay and Rajiv, really experienced climbers who chose the routes and set the pace - we quickly discovered that an Indian 10 minutes is a UK half an hour ... So when Sanjay said we will be at the top in 10 mins ... We knew what lay in store.
So we started the trek in Dharamsala and ended in Bahgsu - 2 Himalayan hilltowns with a Tibetan and hippy influence. In between we trekked for 10 to 12 miles each day in glorious sunshine with endless steep descents and ascents that tested every muscle we had!
Our training in Hertfordshire hadn't really prepared us!
Highlights included scrambling over rocks at high altitude, crossing swinging rope bridges over cascading waterfalls, being welcomed in hill villages with chai ( sweet Indian tea), seeing children trek 2 hours to school over the mountains in snow white uniforms, sitting round the campfire with the 2 guides singing Hindu love songs, seeing the sunrise from the Buddhist temple, the hot lunches cooked by the porters en route, the stamina of the mules
carrying supplies up the mountain, the constant sound of cicadas, the worry about the next toilet stop, the Tibetan lunch on the terrace when we arrived in McLeod Ganj to start the trek, the vibrant colours of the women working in the fields, a rather traumatic Indian wedding, eagles and vultures, local people trekking the mountains in flip flops and high heels while we are in full trek gear !
Next instalment later with actual pictures (hopefully)...
Ros
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Wednesday 12th October
Different Travel!
Well that's the name of the company who organized this charity trek for the Hospices ... And last night was certainly different! We arrived at Delhi station (with a million other passengers) to be greeted by 2 men with dinner for 40 on their head - see photo!
We were taking the train to Pathankot in the far north at the foot of the Himalayan range - a ten and a half hour journey!
Then chaos ensued. Indian trains have numerous sections for different classes of travel ... We weren't first class - in fact it felt like 10th class!
9 people seemed to be booked into 6 berths, it was hot and the night was freezing...and we couldn't go to sleep in case we were moved as we were all in the wrong beds ... And then we were moved!
And there's Dave ... Married to Chris one of our nurses and Dave is 6 foot 7 inches tall ! He didn't fit anywhere easily! In fact we think Dave will become an Indian hero .. He is the tallest white man seen in Delhi for a long while and yesterday 11 people stopped him to ask to take his photo!!
Anyway we arrived at 7am and then had a stomach churning 3 hour mountain drive up to McLeoudganj for the start of our trek. Already at 2000 metres, (6000 feet) the views are absolutely majestic, towering snowcapped peaks beckoning us!
The Dalai Lama lives here and although he is not at home at present, his red and orange robed monks wander through the town, alongside the cows and the trekkers!
We meet our guides who mention the steep 3 hour ascent after breakfast - early night for me. The air will be thin and the weather hot - wish us luck.
Just for good measure, some of us are visiting the Buddhist temple at 6 am to get in the mood ( and pray for strength!!) No more news for a few days now .. We will be in the mountains. (This pic show "Peace" in Hindi)
Ros
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Tuesday 11th October - Afternoon
Teaching and Temples!
This morning our teaching session at CanSupport went so well!
CanSupport is a charity with 12 homecare teams around Delhi supporting people in their own homes. Each team is a nurse, doctor and social worker and they seem to do extraordinary work for all classes, from luxury to the street slums.
The charity was started by an inspirational lady 12 years ago called Harmala Gupta - Harmala joined us this morning.
Same problems as the UK - not enough recognition or funding!
Their Midnight Walk has 6000 people walking ... Our fundraising team might struggle with that number!
We shared cases, audit results, protocols and ideas for the future... And then we shared a wonderful lunch. It was a privilege to meet this team and there is so much that countries can learn from each other- it's certainly not a one way process from theUK to India! For instance the team we met is masterly at managing difficult symptoms at home with no injections!
After lunch we took our life in our hands and took a TukTuk ( a terrifying autorickshaw) to the Bahai Lotus Temple. These TukTuks weave between traffic, cut between cars and bikes with inches to spare - I simply shut my eyes and clung on tightly and prayed!!!
The Lotus Temple is a breathtaking building where we quietly meditated.. Off to the Himalayas now!! Xx
Ros
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Tuesday 11th October - Morning
Teaching and Trains!
This morning, Sue Varvel Nursing Director at Iain Rennie, Judy Hepper our St Francis specialist nurse and myself are doing a teaching session for an Indian Hospice Homecare organization called CanSupport. We are doing an update on symptoms, measuring quality and resilience in palliative care for their team of doctors and nurses. We are also meeting their inspiring founder Harmala Gupta - she's worth a Google!
Then off to see then off to the train station for a (very) long overnight train journey to Dharamsala in the Himalayas to start our trek. Hope to see the beautiful Bahai Lotus temple on the way to the station. Wonder if the Dalai Lama will be at home - he lives in exile from Tibet in Dharamsala and often wanders the streets.
My medical blog so far(everyone else not me!) - mild concussion at the airport, one short bout of tummy ache, Fannys finger cut on the fan while decorating (could have been worse) and Sue Varvel has a very sore knee ... Needs to be better by tomorrow ! No-one has had diarrhea and there had been no discussion about toilets!
Ros
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Monday 10th October
A Day of transformation!
2 days of non stop cleaning, painting, scrubbing and creativity has transformed what can only be described as a mouse-infested dump into a bright, colourful, clean healing space for children and their families to stay during their difficult chemotherapy treatment. A true Home Away from Home (HAH) which is what it sets out to be.
13 bedrooms, the kitchen, a common room and schoolroom look so different and the project team from CanKids feel this new space will make a huge difference to the children they support.
As well as the decorating (the Indian helpers mixed the paint colors by hand!), we were also able to leave the bedrooms with new bedlinen and gifts for the children who will be staying next week. 40 of us worked together sharing dishcloths and paint brushes and Brillo pads to arrive
at a fabulous result with great team spirit ...and a lot of rather lethal white spirit!
Some of us also visited a CanKids project today at the All India Institute of Medical Science (AIIMS). We met desperately sick children on the lawn outside the frantic hospital. They were all having chemo today, many for leukaemia or with eye tumours... And were being cared for before and after treatment by the CanKids team with teachers, a psychologist, social worker, counsellors nurses and play volunteers.
Many of the children and parents look very vulnerable and worried, but the attention of the CanKids team seemed to be hugely valuable, making an unbearable hospital visit more tolerable. The programme is called a Chattai Clinic - somehow rather like what goes on our Children's Support Room but for up to 50-100 children per day.
A liitle girl, Geeta is wilting in the corner - she can't sit up, feels sick and drowsy - her mother is crying.
The lead nurse makes an urgent phonecall about her - she had a brain tumor and needs urgent surgery - CanKids arrange for her to be seen by a top childrens brain surgeon today - a volunteer driver takes bewildered mother and little girl to see the surgeon. Let's hope for the best. I am glad we have supported this charity as part of our challenge - Geeta will be staying in the newly decorated Home Away from Home after her brain surgery. Phew ... An emotional day.
Ros
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Sunday 9th October
CanKids...Kids Can!
Today was our project day working for CanKids .. An amazing charity working to support children with cancer. They raise £100,000 per year (80 staff and 100s of volunteers - money goes a long long way here) and support 4000 children per year from diagnosis.
They pay for chemotherapy and medical treatment (80% of childhood cancers are curable) and they fund psychological and social support for children going through treatment. So they have teams going into hospitals to play with children, teachers to help continuing schooling, palliative teams for those who are not doing well and support parents through the traumatic journey.
Our project is to renovate a derelict building where children and families can stay while having weeks of gruelling chemo at Delhi's big hospitals. 20 families each have a cubicle ... And the place was DISGUSTING.
We have started transforming today! Decorating in humid 35degrees is not to be recommended!!
Ros
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Saturday 8th October
Incredible India!
We're here in INCREDIBLE INDIA - that's how it's marketed on all the tourist posters .... and it is!
A long overnight flight with curry for dinner and then curry for breakfast. We had better get used to this. Oh incidentally its Hospice Awareness this week in the UK ... But did you know it's also national curry week!
Delhi is frantic, noisy, hot and humid but truly fascinating in terms of contrast - ancient history and fabulous modern buildings, luxury and abject poverty all alongside each other.
The most TERRIFYING challenge is crossing the road... there are no rules! We saw women in saris riding side saddle on the back of motorbikes, winding in between taxis and coaches, wearing no helmets and carrying babies! Traffic lights are ignored and crossing the road feels much more dangerous than the trek to come!
In the afternoon we had a briefing and brainstorm on the project we are working on for the next 2 days for an extraordinary charity called CanKids - more about this tomorrow.
And last night we had a thali ( mixed vegetarian starters) at a restaurant in the buzzing centre, avoiding potholes and beggars ( all Europeans are seen as millionaires). I failed in my first task as St Francis team leader - we left Sue and Lynda behind when we boarded the coach to the restaurant - I hadn't counted everyone! All was well as they took their life in their hands and caught a taxi to join us!
Ros
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From the Airport!
Nice Surprises!
Just discovered at Heathrow that we could take 46kg not 23kg ...Virgin special offer !
Oh well ... Could have taken my laptop after all !! Slightly sad though as could have taken more gifts and useful things for the patients at the Cancer Support Centre.
However it does mean we can do more shopping in Delhi on the way !
3 of the team are drinking champagne at the airport...won't say who!
Ros
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On our way!
Friday night Weight-Watchers!
On the way to Heathrow with Fanny Judy and Sue !
First problem ... Fannys luggage weighs 30kg ! We don't know what she's taking but it includes hairstraighteners, 11 toilet rolls, porridge, tins of tuna and 6 sachets of miso soup ... and she won't admit to anything else! We have already strained muscles from laughing so much ....
Ros
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Friday 7th October
Departure Day!
So..really excited now. Stayed up late last night reading the Lonely Planet Guide to India (instead of packing ! ). The culture shock will be awesome arriving in Delhi - the noise, the crowds, the cows, the rickshaws, the roads. We are preparing to be overwhelmed !
It sounds an extraordinary city - we hope to squeeze in a couple of visits (maybe the Lotus Bahai Temple, maybe the Gandhi Museum) before we start our support project on Sunday before the Trek.
We will be redecorating a gutted property that is to be a new base for a childrens Cancer Support service in Delhi - more details and photos on Sunday. Decorating in 35 degrees doesnt sound appealing though !
So off to the airport later today to meet Team St Francis... Judy one of our specialist nurses, Sue nursing assistant on the IPU, Yvonne one of our patients, Fanny and Chris St Francis volunteers, David husband of one of our IPU nurses, Linda wife of a patient we cared for 2 years ago ....as well as Jane a local vicar and 2 other friends who just want to support St Francis !!!
Had steak and chips for dinner last night - seemed like a good idea given all the warnings about eating in India ! Now trying to stuff all necessary items into a too small rucksack including 4 knitted blankets that my wonderful PA Carol has supplied for me to donate to the Childrens Centre in Delhi !
Next update from India!!!!
Ros
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Wednesday 5th October
2 more nights of sleep I am told and then insomnia will set in!
We are all meeting at Heathrow for the night flight to Delhi on Friday night and struggling to pack the kit list!
Weather conditions will vary from - 3 in the tents overnight to 30 degrees while walking in the day! We are told there could be torrential rain as we are at the end of the monsoon season - so packing has been a challenge!
And there is the medical kit . . . . . as the only doctor in the group, there has been an expectation that I can take anything to cover all possibilities. I will be well equipped but hope not to use any of it! Plasters and a few Paracetamol should sort most things out!
My mind is swirling with dietary advice - people have told us not to eat salads, not to eat raw food, not to eat washed food, not to eat meat, not to use ice - at the moment it is looking like boiled rice for eleven days! I hope not.
More news tomorrow,
Ros
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Sunday 2nd October
8 miles and 6 jelly babies!
This is the last Sunday before our flight to Delhi on Friday and it is one of the hottest days of the year - so good practice for the Himalayas! Yvonne, Jane and I plodded, sweating buckets, between Ashridge Monument and Ivinghoe Beacon and talked all about the things we are looking forward to on the trip.
Toilets took up a lot of the conversation - Yvonne is going to practice with her She-wee in the shower this week, Jane told us about her experience of Chinese toilets when she trekked the Great Wall and I am really wishing that I'd practiced my squatting a bit more!
However I am determined that toilets won't be the only topic of conversation and we moved on to issues of faith, challenge, inspiration and back to jelly babies!
All sort of advice is pouring in now - how to keep the camera charged when there is no power, remember to shake your shoes before you put them on in the morning and then I have just been told about the best restaurant in the world - the Bukhara in one of Delhi's oldest hotels!
All the worries about hand washing, and water and toilets and boots and fleeces and sleeping bags and blisters are all drifting away and being replaced by a huge wave of excitement as departure date approaches.
Ros