Destination: Uttarakhand
Following in the footsteps of climbing legends reveals how little the mountains and valleys of Uttarakhand have changed in the past 75 years. Words and pictures by Cameron Dueck
The camp is stirring. I open my eyes briefly, to confirm there is daylight, then nestle down into my sleeping bag, savouring its warmth as I wait for the magical moment that reminds me this isn't just another camping trip.
"Sir … sir, good morning," says a voice from outside my tent. "Your chai is ready."
I open the flap with a zzzzip and rustle of nylon, and there stand Gaurav and Saurav, teenage brothers, who hand me a cup of steaming hot chai.
I'm high in the Indian Himalayas, in the state of Uttarakhand, about 50km shy of the Tibetan border and close to the headwaters of the Ganges. I've done my fair share of camping and rough, backcountry travel, but never with a full posse of cooks, porters and guides; a one-to-one ratio of staff for 10 trekkers. The time and energy that leaves for savouring and reflecting on this phenomenal corner of India takes you back to an earlier time of exploration.
As I sit cross-legged in my tent, carefully setting my tin cup aside to cool, I open the books that have become my guides. Not trail guides that tell me to turn left at the big tree or cross the river near the bend, but guides for the mind and the eye as I follow in the footsteps of mountaineering icons.