PRELUDE TO MY HIKING EXPERIENCE. Part - Two.

PRELUDE TO MY TREKKING EXPERIENCE. Part - Two. 

It was mid-June when Anuj had agreed to take me on the trek.

Anuj had agreed, but that agreement was CONDITIONAL.

His first condition was that he was IN CHARGE.

I had to follow and do any and everything he told me to do in furtherance of our trip. 

It was only after I had signed on the dotted line, figuratively, that he agreed to proceed.

Main emphasis being, me being properly kitted, and second, the workout to physically prepare me for the trek.

So far as kitting goes, he started with the shoes and worked upwards, ending with woollen caps.

Which shoes I was using for my morning walks, what type of inner wear and winter clothing I had, and whether I had any woollen tops and caps, so on and so forth.

I proudly told him I was using one of the best bata shoes made specifically for walking. So far as Inners were concerned, I had LUX inner wear of "अंदर की बात है" fame. For winter clothing, I had a "Monte Carlo" wind cheater, and if that was not sufficient, I had THREE "Shillong Windcheaters", the ones we had purchased for Ajeet Anuj and me when we were posted to Shillong in the late eighties. 

Ahuj told me that I needed a proper kit. He warned me that even though I have all that which I said I have, I will still have to spend money, which may run up to Rs 40 to 60K. Anuj knows me well. He knows I hate spending money, particularly if I feel the expenditure is for thongs which I already have or don't need. He may have thought the amount would deter me and I may back out 😁.

I am made of sterner stuff.  I told him I will kit myself as he wanted me to kit.😉

From then onwards, he talked to me every day and overwhelmed me with YouTube videos about trekking shoes, trekking clothing, one about packing, it talked about how to Ranger Roll a T-shirt and pants to save space. 

We were WhatsApping like mad every day. We WhatsApped more than we had done since he had moved to Singapore, 14 years back

The Bata shoes were out. 

He sent me two videos, starting right from opening the Amazon parcel, till they had done a 60 km trek, made by experienced trekkers, reviewing trekking shoes made by Adidas and Puma. Which were ANTISKID, waterproof or water-protected.

I was to get one of them. 

I got one of them. 

The way I got shoes, I also got  

GOKYO Kalimpong Dry Fit Cargo Hiking Pant,

GOKYO Kalimpong Trekking Pants Ultralight Stretch,

Woollen Cap and neck protector, 

What I did not get, Anuj was getting for me.

He also sent me videos about Panch Kedar, Mad Maheshwar, Tungnat and Chandrashilla.