Early morning of the BIG DAY

DSC_2113 by hmrashid, on Flickr
The Big Day
At night it was decided that we will start for the Peak right beside the sunrise. Me along with Usman was in a mood to start as early as possible due to the hardcore of trek in winter and shortage of time in day light. At 5:30 of the morning Usman came up with the shouting “it is 5:30 of the morning , so wake up guys we are gonna late for the trek”. After a number of shouting calls he became quite as it seemed no one have any interest to go on Makra. Our last day trek of 6hours was not so tough but it wasn’t an easy one too for beginners as most of the members were on their maiden trek and some of the members were not feeling well in previous night. We were expecting very few members to go with us on the top, so want to do it quickly. At last members started to come out from their warm sleeping bags; breakfast is going to be prepared and one after the one….all the members were ready to go up for the Peak. All the night long, snow falling was singing it songs and adding some further layers on the previous one layers of the snow. Finally we left the camp site at about 7:45 of the morning. Snow level was about 1/1.5 feet before we following the trail. It lasted before the last hut on the way. We crossed a couple of dangerous crossing till the last hut, but at such situations it is advised to focus on the trek and crossing and avoid to see beneath the trek.
After the last hut when the valley expands itself till the base camp the snow level significantly increased and it was about ? feet almost all the way. We were following the foot prints of a wild animal who must be more experienced trekker than us. We crossed the nalla to follow the foot prints as it seems less snow on the other side of snow nalla. It did work for a time but then again on the same situation and there wasn’t any possibility except to make a new trail. Making a new trail always very hard work and a leading man always do a better job for the followers. Step after the steps we reached at Base Camp in about 2 hours and as per expectations snow level was at the same level of 3/4 feet. Due visible/hidden rocks this area seems much more difficult, so, we motivated the team to cover this 100FEET area with great courage. After this 100Feet patch we tried to adjusted with the destiny of the day. Followed the LONGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG ridge and climb up up and never coming up. As long as we were gaing height we were exposing ourselves into the hands of nature. At the start of the trek we found some really wellcame rays of the Sun but then a drama of sunrays and snow blizzard started. Whenever Sun came into action it also brought the snow blizzard with it and when ever it went into a shielding sleep the temperature went down to a freezing effect. From our previous days experience of FREEZING WATER we kept our water bottles into the covers and into the bags too but after a few km of hike all became same. No water in liquid state, all WAS FROZEN. We all became the SNOWMAN then. Due to very low temperature and snow blizzard the our breathing was continually converting into snow. So the covering around our faces carrying the snow particles, our scarfs, caps, eye bros, hanging hairs(lehrati zulfain)…kia scene tha yaar. At time we bend down ourselves to avoid flying into the air. Air velocity tried many time to shaken our feet on the ridge. Visibility went and come and it happened on and off.Near the top the SUN challenged us to face the zero visibility and it will never come on our return leg….But but but all this vanished when we jumped at the top within isolated foggy environment. The mission have accomplished then.