Himalay ki Godh Mein!

ISM Convocation - Best Student Award

The first year at Noamundi  as Trainee whizzed past with visiting various departments, other mines at Sukinda & Gomardih and the Jamshedpur Steel plant & TMTC attached to XLRI. In between there was convocation at Dhanbad too.

With all this getting over was the part of training recently introduced but everyone looked for with excitement the Tata Youth Adventure Program for the trainees for 2 weeks in the Himalayas around Uttarkashi headed by Bachendri Pal the first Indian woman to scale Mt.Everest.

with Bachendri Pal (white jacket) at Uttarkashi

It was unique, exquisite and a very revealing experience. Pal herself was so down to earth and grounded in what she wanted us to do and got us to do. GETs in Tatas were a pampered lot with nose up in the air and she was clear about putting us in place and more than anything else to make us respect and learn from nature. We went to Delhi and the group from Collieries Division which had some of my batchmates from ISM (Unni, Pram) also joined. We went by road from there to Uttarkashi for the 2 weeks of pure adventure. The drive through Rishikesh thorough the ghats, sight of the gorges, Bhagirathi river at the bottom etc. was first time experience for most of us, just wonderful.

Self cooked food after a tiring rock climbing workout at uttarkashi

The first few days was about rock climbing basic and some of the standard techniques like rapelling and chimney climbing etc. It was also about us getting used to the high altitude and workouts, living in tents, managing life in the open woods. Pal will keep telling us to keep our palms out of our pockets, to not use monkey caps and focus on getting acclimatized. She was clear the more we protect ourselves the more difficult we will find the rest of the program. We realized the power that is there in our fingertips when holding and climbing rocks, the need to let go while rapelling and that often it is easy to go up but more difficult or uncomfortable to come down.

After the first few days of rock climbing, river crossing and short treks we embarked on our trek to Dodital a lake some 16-20km from Uttarkashi, which freezes in winter. I think there was a gentler route but we were taken through a shorter 16km route. On route it rained and made the trek difficult and a chilling experience. Keeping the clothes dry, not slipping and staying as group was challenging. We reached Dodital but the weather was bad, as the Himalayan weather they say is unpredictable. Lot were bruised and exhausted with the climb but we were to trek the next day morning to a Pass above (think they called it Bakra Kal) from where we could see some landmark mountains of Himalayas. The weather was so bad it got ditched and the next day we had time to relax but the weather was still extremely bad. The trek to Bakra kal was again to be attempted the next day and till 1130 in the night the weather was bad and it was decided to call it off . And then we saw the vagaries of Himalyan weather when the next day morning we got up at 5 to prepare to trek back and saw crystal clear skies and wonderful weather. But we headed back and I remember one of the members was injured and we had to take turns to carry him all the way. 

@ Dodital evening before and the morning next day 

Once back in Uttarkashi we had a relaxed trip to Gangotri, saw an avalanche onroute, a dip in hotsprings don’t remember where. Each angle, each day and each part of the Himalayas was awe inspring and refreshing. At the end was this test of how fit one has become with a 6km marathon in Uttarkashi. Having been a sprinter all my life I did not like it one bit but had to be done, with Pal watching. I just decided to run at a comfortable pace compared to sworn long distance experts. Guess it was combination of altitude, undulating terrain and staying within limits that helped me edge out all the others (the stalwarts rushed, had cramps etc.) and to my own surprise, win it- the only cross country long distance run I have ever done to date.

Back In Noamundi, we also managed to go on a Industrial tour again and entitlement for GETs where we visited Bangalore to see BEML’s earthmover factory, Kudremukh the most modern iron ore mine then in India, Goa to see more iron-ore mines and of course fun and finished off with Mumbai and got back. With this ended the trainee fun and one got into working in Shifts to manage production at the iron ore mines in Noamundi. Drlling, Blasting, Shovelling, feeding the processing plant was cool if everything went to plan but that would not in the constant battle with nature- most often one equipment will breakdown throwing things off gear and with all the heavy equipment it was not easy to move or ready alternate plans. Managing really senior operators and getting them to work efficiently and teach you tricks of the trade was a great learning.

Lambretta my sarati and me with others- bye Noamundi

Grihapravesham took place at Coimbatore of the house dada had built, but I could not go. CAT exams happened at Calcutta and whatever could be done was done and one got back to wait it out. Joka it was for the interview, lot of tips from friends and seniors many of whom were in IIMC then – Group discussions and interview by a panel etc. I don’t think we prepared for these but there were plenty of tips floating around and those were eternal qualities of being assertive, confident and thoughtful. There were warnings of the pressure cooker treatment and a silent observer who can be unsettling etc.   There were so many pranks around results at the hostel that when it finally came one was not sure till the call letter / telegram itself got seen and it was time to bid goodbye to Noamundi and say hello to Bangalore.