31 July – Part 6 – Preparations for the Next Day

That night we hung up all our jackets and socks and shoes to dry. Our sacks had arrived by mule. We unpacked, pulled out dry clothes to wear. As we packed our bags and prepared for the next day, almost all of us had the same thought, “Will tomorrow be as bad as today?”

Sahji answered that question in the nightly meeting. “Tomorrow,” he began,” we will again cover a distance of 18 kms.” A collective groan went up. “Plus, in the first 3 kms itself, there is an altitude gain of more than 650m”. What? “So, do not attempt any heroics. Take it at an even and steady pace. But do not loiter. Today’s performance left a lot to be desired. It was the first hard day, so let's make an exception this time. But reaching camp at 7 pm is not what I want to see again. 5 pm is the latest, get it?”

“Can we take a break tomorrow?” a voice piped. “Since we have anyway planned for an extra day in our itinerary”. Sahji looked aghast. “The extra day is for emergencies. And every single day is planned thoroughly in advance. This is not some picnic that you can reschedule according to your choice. Tomorrow you start at 6:45 am and reach Gunji at 5 pm. Period!” Feeling properly chastened, we made a beeline for bed immediately.