Mind sapling: Lachen: Blending austerity with rich beauty: "My Blog List"
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Sikkim, Assam, Nagaland, Meghalaya, Aranuchal Pradesh, Tripura, Manipur,Miroral travel plans and planners. Food for planning trip to the north east of india.
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Lachen: Blending austerity with rich beauty
Even as he negotiates a sharp bend ahead, Passang Lepcha makes little secret of his happiness. For one, he is in a chatty mood, with his exuberance leading him to the point of offering me tea when we stopped for refreshments. Passang’s gaiety finds easy explanation in the fact that after a brief hiatus enforced by onset of winter, tourist season in Sikkim is on the roll again. This also explains why on a beautiful March morning in Gangtok, huddled up in Passang’s cab, I’m journeying eagerly to Lachen.
Any trip to North Sikkim is always a special one; wrapped as it is into layers and layers of exquisite beauty, each journey involves peeling of one layer after another to savour the beauty of the kernel.
Located on the northern fringes of this tiny Himalayan state, about eight-six kilometres away from the capital town and at an altitude of 2750 meters above sea level, Lachen markedly manifests what booming tourism can do to a tiny and remote village comprised by no more than hundred odd families. Tourism though, is only a recent phenomenon; industrious as they are known to be, the Lachenpas, before the advent of tourism, were waging a remarkable battle against weather conditions ordinarily regarded as rather harsh for vegetation. The potatoes and cabbages grown in the high terrains of Lachen are famous all over the state: apples grown in Lachen valley were once considered good enough to be exported all over the world, although in recent years the production has dwindled acutely. A perfect counterpoint to the perennial cold of the valleys is provided by the warm and hospitable nature of the people of Lachen.
While it primarily serves as a stopover for tourists venturing further north towards the famed Guru Dongmar Lake, Lachen, in itself, has all the enchantments that should ideally constitute a good tourist destination. Guru Dongmar Lake, a high altitude desert is situated little over sixty kilometres from Lachen. The lake is famous for its clear beautiful lakes and is also regarded as a place of pilgrimage by the Sikhs.
Lachen’s popularity as a tourist hotspot is indisputable, and the measure of it is amply provided by the fact that almost every house placed along the main road has now been morphed into a comfortable retreat for the travellers. All meals are taken care of by the lodges, which is a big deal considering there are hardly any proper restaurants in the area. Notwithstanding the impressive number of lodges in Lachen, during the peak season- which is between March-April and October-November- nothing meets the demand posed by a steep rise in tourist footfall.
After over five hours of continuous ride, Passang brings his vehicle to a halt in front of what reads as a lodge. “Sir, your hotel awaits you”, he affirms with a ready flourish. Few minutes later, I find the ‘flourish’ replicated in its entirety, when Dakpo Lachenpa, the proprietor of the lodge, presents to me my room for the night- a commodious room with a large window overlooking the snow covered valleys. Dakpo and his enterprising wife, as I’m made to understand later, have been running this two-storey lodge for over five years now, and it takes but few glances in the direction of the newly polished wooden floors and recently acquired high end furniture set, to infer that the business is in sound health.
Barely few minutes after I have ensconced myself in my room, I witness my first snowfall. Falling dreamily and, yet, not without an odd-sense of purpose, each flake of snow seems to lay an end to its earthward descent not before putting a little show of reluctance. Soon they are everywhere. Even as the chill escalates sharply, the sight of the valleys, the trees and the slanting corrugated tin-roofs covered in pristine, white furry blanket of snow, is strangely comforting. Enticed by such a comely sight, I feel inclined to take a walk around. As I step outside to indulge the whim, my eager host suggests why not I visit the village monastery. An enquiry in regard to the directions to the monastery produces a response in the form of a squat forefinger pointing in the up-hill direction. The directed route shapes into newly constructed village foot path, which, meandering aimlessly through the many houses and their mandatory courtyards, finally veers, with certain newfound intentness, into the direction of the monastery. As is true of almost all the monasteries in these parts, Lachen Monastery too forms an integral part of the village social life, not only facilitating social cohesion but also providing a physical space for village meetings, ceremonies and gatherings. I find the monastery wearing a deserted look, the Kue-gne or the priest having retired for the day. Sharing an identical regal air, the monastery bears an uncanny resemblance to the Tshug-lakhang in Gangtok; exuding the same pervasive air of aloofness underlined by the loftiness of its location. The overlooking hills- both cold and secular- vying against the monastery for the sky, seem hardly game for companionship. The view of the village from the monastery is, to say the least, panoramic; there being not a single roof hidden from its hallowed glare. If Gods resides in Lachen Monastery then, (omnipresent, as they may be) with the entire village laid out before them like a well-spread mat, they will have no problems dispensing what they may construe as ‘justice’ to the individuals below.Dinner is announced not long after I have returned to the lodge. The meal is simple and homely; showcasing not even a hint of adventurous gastronomic streak in its maker. Next morning, soon after breakfast, the ever punctual Passang honks in front of the lodge. Greeting with a warm smile is all he does before he restarts the engine; no word about how the stay was. Perhaps, he knows too well that some things in life are all so apparent that any interrogations in the regard are superfluous.
Any trip to North Sikkim is always a special one; wrapped as it is into layers and layers of exquisite beauty, each journey involves peeling of one layer after another to savour the beauty of the kernel.
Located on the northern fringes of this tiny Himalayan state, about eight-six kilometres away from the capital town and at an altitude of 2750 meters above sea level, Lachen markedly manifests what booming tourism can do to a tiny and remote village comprised by no more than hundred odd families. Tourism though, is only a recent phenomenon; industrious as they are known to be, the Lachenpas, before the advent of tourism, were waging a remarkable battle against weather conditions ordinarily regarded as rather harsh for vegetation. The potatoes and cabbages grown in the high terrains of Lachen are famous all over the state: apples grown in Lachen valley were once considered good enough to be exported all over the world, although in recent years the production has dwindled acutely. A perfect counterpoint to the perennial cold of the valleys is provided by the warm and hospitable nature of the people of Lachen.
While it primarily serves as a stopover for tourists venturing further north towards the famed Guru Dongmar Lake, Lachen, in itself, has all the enchantments that should ideally constitute a good tourist destination. Guru Dongmar Lake, a high altitude desert is situated little over sixty kilometres from Lachen. The lake is famous for its clear beautiful lakes and is also regarded as a place of pilgrimage by the Sikhs.
Lachen’s popularity as a tourist hotspot is indisputable, and the measure of it is amply provided by the fact that almost every house placed along the main road has now been morphed into a comfortable retreat for the travellers. All meals are taken care of by the lodges, which is a big deal considering there are hardly any proper restaurants in the area. Notwithstanding the impressive number of lodges in Lachen, during the peak season- which is between March-April and October-November- nothing meets the demand posed by a steep rise in tourist footfall.
After over five hours of continuous ride, Passang brings his vehicle to a halt in front of what reads as a lodge. “Sir, your hotel awaits you”, he affirms with a ready flourish. Few minutes later, I find the ‘flourish’ replicated in its entirety, when Dakpo Lachenpa, the proprietor of the lodge, presents to me my room for the night- a commodious room with a large window overlooking the snow covered valleys. Dakpo and his enterprising wife, as I’m made to understand later, have been running this two-storey lodge for over five years now, and it takes but few glances in the direction of the newly polished wooden floors and recently acquired high end furniture set, to infer that the business is in sound health.
Barely few minutes after I have ensconced myself in my room, I witness my first snowfall. Falling dreamily and, yet, not without an odd-sense of purpose, each flake of snow seems to lay an end to its earthward descent not before putting a little show of reluctance. Soon they are everywhere. Even as the chill escalates sharply, the sight of the valleys, the trees and the slanting corrugated tin-roofs covered in pristine, white furry blanket of snow, is strangely comforting. Enticed by such a comely sight, I feel inclined to take a walk around. As I step outside to indulge the whim, my eager host suggests why not I visit the village monastery. An enquiry in regard to the directions to the monastery produces a response in the form of a squat forefinger pointing in the up-hill direction. The directed route shapes into newly constructed village foot path, which, meandering aimlessly through the many houses and their mandatory courtyards, finally veers, with certain newfound intentness, into the direction of the monastery. As is true of almost all the monasteries in these parts, Lachen Monastery too forms an integral part of the village social life, not only facilitating social cohesion but also providing a physical space for village meetings, ceremonies and gatherings. I find the monastery wearing a deserted look, the Kue-gne or the priest having retired for the day. Sharing an identical regal air, the monastery bears an uncanny resemblance to the Tshug-lakhang in Gangtok; exuding the same pervasive air of aloofness underlined by the loftiness of its location. The overlooking hills- both cold and secular- vying against the monastery for the sky, seem hardly game for companionship. The view of the village from the monastery is, to say the least, panoramic; there being not a single roof hidden from its hallowed glare. If Gods resides in Lachen Monastery then, (omnipresent, as they may be) with the entire village laid out before them like a well-spread mat, they will have no problems dispensing what they may construe as ‘justice’ to the individuals below.Dinner is announced not long after I have returned to the lodge. The meal is simple and homely; showcasing not even a hint of adventurous gastronomic streak in its maker. Next morning, soon after breakfast, the ever punctual Passang honks in front of the lodge. Greeting with a warm smile is all he does before he restarts the engine; no word about how the stay was. Perhaps, he knows too well that some things in life are all so apparent that any interrogations in the regard are superfluous.
The man who speed-climbs summits, pauses for Sikkim
WORLD RECORD HOLDER FOR FASTEST SEVEN SUMMITS IMPRESSED WITH TREKS IN SIKKIM
“Challenge enthralls me and courage, conviction and free spirit define me; Never give up, never give in! is the mantra I live by,” exclaims 34-year-old Malli Mastan Babu, the world record holder for the Fastest Seven Summits across the world.
Hailing from Nellore district of Andhra Pradesh, Mr. Babu is the first person, and the only one at that, to have scaled the summits of seven mountains across the world, including Mt. Everest, in a record time of 172 days between 19 January to 10 July 2006. Not only that, his feat had been planned such that the seven summits were successfully scaled on different days of the week and in each month of the seven-month period.
During the stupendous feat, the climber became the first Indian to summit Mt. Vinson Massif, the tallest peak in the Antarctica, and Mt. Carstensz Pyramid, the tallest peak in Indonesia/ Oceania, and the fastest Indian841 ft in 8 days), Mt. Kilimanjaro (19354 ft in 3.5 days), Mt. Denali, USA (20,320 ft in 7 days) and Mt. Elbrus, Russia/Europe (18,512 ft in 2 days) and the first person from Andhra Pradesh to summit Mt. Everest, Nepal (29,035 ft), the highest mountain in the world. These are the seven peaks which stand tall on the world record.
Besides, he has also scaled Mt. Kosciuzsko, Australia at 7,310 ft. In an exclusive chat with NOW!, Mr. Babu shared his experiences and multi-pronged achievements as well as his insatiable affinity for the alpine trails of Sikkim which has brought him here once again.
“I am here to do the Yuksom-Dzongri trek in West Sikkim with a friend, K Jayashanker from Pune. We are conducting a Corporate Training Trek for executives of a Denmark-based company from Delhi, DANFOSS. There will be a total of eight members in the team which will begin the trek on 28 April and we plan to complete it in 4 days, which is a huge challenge. The main objective of this undertaking is to help the team members get important lessons on leadership skills wherein the extreme weather and tough trekking requirements are expected to put their skills to real tests of endurance,” he informed.
On the selection of the Dzongri trek amongst the numerous trekking destinations in the world, he explained, “The world renowned Kanchendzonga National Park lies within this trail and also this is one of the most challenging and spectacular trekking trails in the world, while the feeling one will get after accomplishing this feat is simply unmatchable; Sikkim is also one place in the world which is in close proximity with the Himalayas, where else can you view them after a mere four hour drive from the sea level? This is surely amongst the best trekking trails across the globe and there is something about this place which compels me to come here again and again”.
This is his third visit to Sikkim and the Dzongri trek will be his second, while he has also done the Goechala trek when he had organized several adventure courses for IIM Kolkata, from where he passed out with a PGDM in 2004, in West Sikkim. He has also worked as a senior software engineer between 1998 and 2001.
A legend in the making, the man arrived here on 18 April and is a guest of the Black Cat Division here. He was part of the inaugural function of the Water Shed War Memorial at Sherathang where he met with the Chief Minister, Pawan Chamling.“The Chief Minister has assured us all support towards promoting adventure tourism through trekking and mountaineering here and he has even asked for my expertise in this field which I am more than glad to furnish,” he mentioned.
Mr. Babu also met with the Secretary Tourism who invited him to be part of the International Trekking Expedition to begin 01 May but to which he is unable to commit since he will be part of another expedition in the same area.“However, I shall return to Sikkim soon and encourage and inform more people to come explore the rich trekking trails and mountains here,” he added.
Among his other achievements is the first Indian Solo & Fastest Ascent of the tallest peak of Western Hemisphere, Mt. Aconcagua (22,841 ft) in 01-08 February 2005 and the fastest Indian Ascent of Mt. Kilimanjaro (19,354 ft), the tallest peak of Africa, in 3.5 days in January 2005.
Last year during 07 June to 25 July, the phenomenal mountaineer also bagged the record for the first ever High Altitude Traverse of ‘4 Dhaams’ spanning trekking and climbing of 900 km, while the following month, on 15 August, he led the first exclusive Indian team to summit the Kilimanjaro, becoming the first Indian to summit the mountain thrice in the process.
Apart from mountain climbing, Mr. Babu is also an avid marathon runner which has earned him more records to his overflowing cup of achievements.
In October 2007, he became the first Indian to run the half marathon of 21.2 km distance in 14 days across 14 states, including Meghalaya, Assam, Manipur, Nagaland, Jharkhand, Bihar, Haryana, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Kerela and Andhra Pradesh. The same year in December, he also became the first Indian to run 8 full marathons (42.2 Km) and 3 half marathons in 13 days, spanning 10 Indian states, Jammu & Kashmir, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Uttarakhand, UP, Chattisgarh, W. Bengal, Mizoram and Orissa.
Mr. Babu has been honoured with the Conjee Rustamjee Cohoujee Bey Award for Outstanding Youth of the Year-2006 for his world record of the Fastest Seven Summiteer from Senator John Kerry (2004 US Presidential Candidate) at Disney Concert Hall, Los Angeles. He has also been conferred the title ‘Pride of India’ by Indo American Friendship Council at Dallas Texas, also in 2006, and further felicitated in New York, Silicon Valley, Chicago, Dallas and California by various organizations. He was also conferred the Army Commander’s Commendation at to ascent Mt. Aconcagua, Argentina (22, 841 ft in 8 days), Mt. Kilimanjaro (19354 ft in 3.5 days), Mt. Denali, USA (20,320 ft in 7 days) and Mt. Elbrus, Russia/Europe (18,512 ft in 2 days) and the first person from Andhra Pradesh to summit Mt. Everest, Nepal (29,035 ft), the highest mountain in the world. These are the seven peaks which stand tall on the world record.
Besides, he has also scaled Mt. Kosciuzsko, Australia at 7,310 ft.
In an exclusive chat with NOW!, Mr. Babu shared his experiences and multi-pronged achievements as well as his insatiable affinity for the alpine trails of Sikkim which has brought him here once again.
“I am here to do the Yuksom-Dzongri trek in West Sikkim with a friend, K Jayashanker from Pune. We are conducting a Corporate Training Trek for executives of a Denmark-based company from Delhi, DANFOSS. There will be a total of eight members in the team which will begin the trek on 28 April and we plan to complete it in 4 days, which is a huge challenge. The main objective of this undertaking is to help the team members get important lessons on leadership skills wherein the extreme weather and tough trekking requirements are expected to put their skills to real tests of endurance,” he informed.
On the selection of the Dzongri trek amongst the numerous trekking destinations in the world, he explained, “The world renowned Kanchendzonga National Park lies within this trail and also this is one of the most challenging and spectacular trekking trails in the world, while the feeling one will get after accomplishing this feat is simply unmatchable; Sikkim is also one place in the world which is in close proximity with the Himalayas, where else can you view them after a mere four hour drive from the sea level? This is surely amongst the best trekking trails across the globe and there is something about this place which compels me to come here again and again”.
This is his third visit to Sikkim and the Dzongri trek will be his second, while he has also done the Goechala trek when he had organized several adventure courses for IIM Kolkata, from where he passed out with a PGDM in 2004, in West Sikkim. He has also worked as a senior software engineer between 1998 and 2001.
A legend in the making, the man arrived here on 18 April and is a guest of the Black Cat Division here. He was part of the inaugural function of the Water Shed War Memorial at Sherathang where he met with the Chief Minister, Pawan Chamling.
“The Chief Minister has assured us all support towards promoting adventure tourism through trekking and mountaineering here and he has even asked for my expertise in this field which I am more than glad to furnish,” he mentioned.
Mr. Babu also met with the Secretary Tourism who invited him to be part of the International Trekking Expedition to begin 01 May but to which he is unable to commit since he will be part of another expedition in the same area.
“However, I shall return to Sikkim soon and encourage and inform more people to come explore the rich trekking trails and mountains here,” he added.
Among his other achievements is the first Indian Solo & Fastest Ascent of the tallest peak of Western Hemisphere, Mt. Aconcagua (22,841 ft) in 01-08 February 2005 and the fastest Indian Ascent of Mt. Kilimanjaro (19,354 ft), the tallest peak of Africa, in 3.5 days in January 2005.
Last year during 07 June to 25 July, the phenomenal mountaineer also bagged the record for the first ever High Altitude Traverse of ‘4 Dhaams’ spanning trekking and climbing of 900 km, while the following month, on 15 August, he led the first exclusive Indian team to summit the Kilimanjaro, becoming the first Indian to summit the mountain thrice in the process.
Apart from mountain climbing, Mr. Babu is also an avid marathon runner which has earned him more records to his overflowing cup of achievements.
In October 2007, he became the first Indian to run the half marathon of 21.2 km distance in 14 days across 14 states, including Meghalaya, Assam, Manipur, Nagaland, Jharkhand, Bihar, Haryana, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Kerela and Andhra Pradesh. The same year in December, he also became the first Indian to run 8 full marathons (42.2 Km) and 3 half marathons in 13 days, spanning 10 Indian states, Jammu & Kashmir, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Uttarakhand, UP, Chattisgarh, W. Bengal, Mizoram and Orissa.
Mr. Babu has been honoured with the Conjee Rustamjee Cohoujee Bey Award for Outstanding Youth of the Year-2006 for his world record of the Fastest Seven Summiteer from Senator John Kerry (2004 US Presidential Candidate) at Disney Concert Hall, Los Angeles. He has also been conferred the title ‘Pride of India’ by Indo American Friendship Council at Dallas Texas, also in 2006, and further felicitated in New York, Silicon Valley, Chicago, Dallas and California by various organizations. He was also conferred the Army Commander’s CommendatiShillong in October 2007.
“For me, life has only just begun after this world record of mine and I am proud to be an Indian. I am hopeful that it will be another Indian who will break this record, if anyone does and I also hope that my feat will inspire and motivate the youth in the country,” he expressed.“This is an original record and is hard to beat but I hope that this record will be broken by another Indian and that my feat would inspire and motivate millions of our youth”, expressed Malli Mastan Babu.
“Challenge enthralls me and courage, conviction and free spirit define me; Never give up, never give in! is the mantra I live by,” exclaims 34-year-old Malli Mastan Babu, the world record holder for the Fastest Seven Summits across the world.
Hailing from Nellore district of Andhra Pradesh, Mr. Babu is the first person, and the only one at that, to have scaled the summits of seven mountains across the world, including Mt. Everest, in a record time of 172 days between 19 January to 10 July 2006. Not only that, his feat had been planned such that the seven summits were successfully scaled on different days of the week and in each month of the seven-month period.
During the stupendous feat, the climber became the first Indian to summit Mt. Vinson Massif, the tallest peak in the Antarctica, and Mt. Carstensz Pyramid, the tallest peak in Indonesia/ Oceania, and the fastest Indian841 ft in 8 days), Mt. Kilimanjaro (19354 ft in 3.5 days), Mt. Denali, USA (20,320 ft in 7 days) and Mt. Elbrus, Russia/Europe (18,512 ft in 2 days) and the first person from Andhra Pradesh to summit Mt. Everest, Nepal (29,035 ft), the highest mountain in the world. These are the seven peaks which stand tall on the world record.
Besides, he has also scaled Mt. Kosciuzsko, Australia at 7,310 ft. In an exclusive chat with NOW!, Mr. Babu shared his experiences and multi-pronged achievements as well as his insatiable affinity for the alpine trails of Sikkim which has brought him here once again.
“I am here to do the Yuksom-Dzongri trek in West Sikkim with a friend, K Jayashanker from Pune. We are conducting a Corporate Training Trek for executives of a Denmark-based company from Delhi, DANFOSS. There will be a total of eight members in the team which will begin the trek on 28 April and we plan to complete it in 4 days, which is a huge challenge. The main objective of this undertaking is to help the team members get important lessons on leadership skills wherein the extreme weather and tough trekking requirements are expected to put their skills to real tests of endurance,” he informed.
On the selection of the Dzongri trek amongst the numerous trekking destinations in the world, he explained, “The world renowned Kanchendzonga National Park lies within this trail and also this is one of the most challenging and spectacular trekking trails in the world, while the feeling one will get after accomplishing this feat is simply unmatchable; Sikkim is also one place in the world which is in close proximity with the Himalayas, where else can you view them after a mere four hour drive from the sea level? This is surely amongst the best trekking trails across the globe and there is something about this place which compels me to come here again and again”.
This is his third visit to Sikkim and the Dzongri trek will be his second, while he has also done the Goechala trek when he had organized several adventure courses for IIM Kolkata, from where he passed out with a PGDM in 2004, in West Sikkim. He has also worked as a senior software engineer between 1998 and 2001.
A legend in the making, the man arrived here on 18 April and is a guest of the Black Cat Division here. He was part of the inaugural function of the Water Shed War Memorial at Sherathang where he met with the Chief Minister, Pawan Chamling.“The Chief Minister has assured us all support towards promoting adventure tourism through trekking and mountaineering here and he has even asked for my expertise in this field which I am more than glad to furnish,” he mentioned.
Mr. Babu also met with the Secretary Tourism who invited him to be part of the International Trekking Expedition to begin 01 May but to which he is unable to commit since he will be part of another expedition in the same area.“However, I shall return to Sikkim soon and encourage and inform more people to come explore the rich trekking trails and mountains here,” he added.
Among his other achievements is the first Indian Solo & Fastest Ascent of the tallest peak of Western Hemisphere, Mt. Aconcagua (22,841 ft) in 01-08 February 2005 and the fastest Indian Ascent of Mt. Kilimanjaro (19,354 ft), the tallest peak of Africa, in 3.5 days in January 2005.
Last year during 07 June to 25 July, the phenomenal mountaineer also bagged the record for the first ever High Altitude Traverse of ‘4 Dhaams’ spanning trekking and climbing of 900 km, while the following month, on 15 August, he led the first exclusive Indian team to summit the Kilimanjaro, becoming the first Indian to summit the mountain thrice in the process.
Apart from mountain climbing, Mr. Babu is also an avid marathon runner which has earned him more records to his overflowing cup of achievements.
In October 2007, he became the first Indian to run the half marathon of 21.2 km distance in 14 days across 14 states, including Meghalaya, Assam, Manipur, Nagaland, Jharkhand, Bihar, Haryana, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Kerela and Andhra Pradesh. The same year in December, he also became the first Indian to run 8 full marathons (42.2 Km) and 3 half marathons in 13 days, spanning 10 Indian states, Jammu & Kashmir, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Uttarakhand, UP, Chattisgarh, W. Bengal, Mizoram and Orissa.
Mr. Babu has been honoured with the Conjee Rustamjee Cohoujee Bey Award for Outstanding Youth of the Year-2006 for his world record of the Fastest Seven Summiteer from Senator John Kerry (2004 US Presidential Candidate) at Disney Concert Hall, Los Angeles. He has also been conferred the title ‘Pride of India’ by Indo American Friendship Council at Dallas Texas, also in 2006, and further felicitated in New York, Silicon Valley, Chicago, Dallas and California by various organizations. He was also conferred the Army Commander’s Commendation at to ascent Mt. Aconcagua, Argentina (22, 841 ft in 8 days), Mt. Kilimanjaro (19354 ft in 3.5 days), Mt. Denali, USA (20,320 ft in 7 days) and Mt. Elbrus, Russia/Europe (18,512 ft in 2 days) and the first person from Andhra Pradesh to summit Mt. Everest, Nepal (29,035 ft), the highest mountain in the world. These are the seven peaks which stand tall on the world record.
Besides, he has also scaled Mt. Kosciuzsko, Australia at 7,310 ft.
In an exclusive chat with NOW!, Mr. Babu shared his experiences and multi-pronged achievements as well as his insatiable affinity for the alpine trails of Sikkim which has brought him here once again.
“I am here to do the Yuksom-Dzongri trek in West Sikkim with a friend, K Jayashanker from Pune. We are conducting a Corporate Training Trek for executives of a Denmark-based company from Delhi, DANFOSS. There will be a total of eight members in the team which will begin the trek on 28 April and we plan to complete it in 4 days, which is a huge challenge. The main objective of this undertaking is to help the team members get important lessons on leadership skills wherein the extreme weather and tough trekking requirements are expected to put their skills to real tests of endurance,” he informed.
On the selection of the Dzongri trek amongst the numerous trekking destinations in the world, he explained, “The world renowned Kanchendzonga National Park lies within this trail and also this is one of the most challenging and spectacular trekking trails in the world, while the feeling one will get after accomplishing this feat is simply unmatchable; Sikkim is also one place in the world which is in close proximity with the Himalayas, where else can you view them after a mere four hour drive from the sea level? This is surely amongst the best trekking trails across the globe and there is something about this place which compels me to come here again and again”.
This is his third visit to Sikkim and the Dzongri trek will be his second, while he has also done the Goechala trek when he had organized several adventure courses for IIM Kolkata, from where he passed out with a PGDM in 2004, in West Sikkim. He has also worked as a senior software engineer between 1998 and 2001.
A legend in the making, the man arrived here on 18 April and is a guest of the Black Cat Division here. He was part of the inaugural function of the Water Shed War Memorial at Sherathang where he met with the Chief Minister, Pawan Chamling.
“The Chief Minister has assured us all support towards promoting adventure tourism through trekking and mountaineering here and he has even asked for my expertise in this field which I am more than glad to furnish,” he mentioned.
Mr. Babu also met with the Secretary Tourism who invited him to be part of the International Trekking Expedition to begin 01 May but to which he is unable to commit since he will be part of another expedition in the same area.
“However, I shall return to Sikkim soon and encourage and inform more people to come explore the rich trekking trails and mountains here,” he added.
Among his other achievements is the first Indian Solo & Fastest Ascent of the tallest peak of Western Hemisphere, Mt. Aconcagua (22,841 ft) in 01-08 February 2005 and the fastest Indian Ascent of Mt. Kilimanjaro (19,354 ft), the tallest peak of Africa, in 3.5 days in January 2005.
Last year during 07 June to 25 July, the phenomenal mountaineer also bagged the record for the first ever High Altitude Traverse of ‘4 Dhaams’ spanning trekking and climbing of 900 km, while the following month, on 15 August, he led the first exclusive Indian team to summit the Kilimanjaro, becoming the first Indian to summit the mountain thrice in the process.
Apart from mountain climbing, Mr. Babu is also an avid marathon runner which has earned him more records to his overflowing cup of achievements.
In October 2007, he became the first Indian to run the half marathon of 21.2 km distance in 14 days across 14 states, including Meghalaya, Assam, Manipur, Nagaland, Jharkhand, Bihar, Haryana, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Kerela and Andhra Pradesh. The same year in December, he also became the first Indian to run 8 full marathons (42.2 Km) and 3 half marathons in 13 days, spanning 10 Indian states, Jammu & Kashmir, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Uttarakhand, UP, Chattisgarh, W. Bengal, Mizoram and Orissa.
Mr. Babu has been honoured with the Conjee Rustamjee Cohoujee Bey Award for Outstanding Youth of the Year-2006 for his world record of the Fastest Seven Summiteer from Senator John Kerry (2004 US Presidential Candidate) at Disney Concert Hall, Los Angeles. He has also been conferred the title ‘Pride of India’ by Indo American Friendship Council at Dallas Texas, also in 2006, and further felicitated in New York, Silicon Valley, Chicago, Dallas and California by various organizations. He was also conferred the Army Commander’s CommendatiShillong in October 2007.
“For me, life has only just begun after this world record of mine and I am proud to be an Indian. I am hopeful that it will be another Indian who will break this record, if anyone does and I also hope that my feat will inspire and motivate the youth in the country,” he expressed.“This is an original record and is hard to beat but I hope that this record will be broken by another Indian and that my feat would inspire and motivate millions of our youth”, expressed Malli Mastan Babu.
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