For ace mountaineer D.S.D. Solanki, a veteran of more than 40 expeditions to the slopes of the Himalayas in the past 30 years, the trek to Everest Base Camp last month was a special one.
His 13-year-old daughter Riya Solanki accompanied him and they successfully reached the Everest Base Camp, situated at a height of over 17,500 feet in the Himalayas. The trekking team included six others.
Though the 13-day expedition, which began from Kathmandu on October 14, was not Ms. Riya’s first visit to the picturesque mountain ranges (she has trekked to Surya Top, Rumtu Top and Kedarkantha in the Himalayan mountains, besides Saurkundi Pass in the last five years), the daunting trek to the Everest Base Camp was described by her father as a milestone for a mountaineer.
Even though hundreds of people from different parts of the world trek to the Everest Base Camp every year, Mr. Solanki said it was uncommon for a father and daughter to scale it together.
For Riya, the days preceding the expedition involved walks up and down Chamundi Hills to improve her fitness levels. As the expedition was planned around Deepavali, Riya had to overcome pressure from her folks to reschedule her trip. “I wanted to see the world and celebrate the festival outside home,” she said.
After reaching Kathmandu, the team of trekkers hopped on to a small aircraft that carried them to Lukla on October 16.
Over the next few days, they acclimatised themselves through treks and by eating the local cuisine. On October 18, they began the trek towards the Everest Base Camp through the picturesque and snow-capped mountain ranges.
En route, the team ran into model and runner Milind Soman in Namche Bazaar, a Sherpa market town, where they celebrated Deepavali.
Long trek
Though the trek was arduous, they stayed in villages, taking in the Buddhist culture and visiting monasteries. Finally, after trekking more than 60 km through valleys, ridges, mountainous slopes and hanging bridges, the team reached Khubhu glacier before scaling the Everest Base Camp on October 25.
“Tears started rolling down the cheeks of most of the trekkers when they reached their destination,” Mr. Solanki said.
