The road i took for becoming a mountaineer

Travel is always in me. During the MBA days also me and my friends used to go somewhere and explore.So before joining decathlon after the studies i wanted to work in some travel related companies so i can travel. So i researched about these companies and saw so many trekking and outdoor companies in internet. That time and all i didn't even know what trekking is what mountaineering is. So when i searched for the jobs in these companies all of them mentioned with the other requirements BMC course is mandatory. So then  i searched what is BMC. Then got to know there is a 1 month professional course is there where you can actually learn how to climb a mountain or how to survive in those harsh conditions and which is basically known as mountaineering. And there are 5 major institutes in India which provides these courses.

So after this I've tried for seats in these institutes but the waiting period was too long and at last i got seat in JIM  which is in Kashmir. But when i introduced this to my family they were little sceptical about this because first the course is in Kashmir which they only heard negative news thanks to our media and second they thought it's dangerous. But i really wanted to do this and made the family understand everything and finally on 28th may 2019 i started my journey towards Kashmir for the BMC. When i landed Kashmir everything was completely new for me. I am from Cochin which is a coastal area and i ve never seen snow, high mountains, valleys like this except in Discovery and Nat geo. It's a completely new world for me back then. So the course was in Sonamarg so there i reached through Srinagar. And i reached Sonamarg one day before the course. So the course was happening inside army territory and you need permission to get inside. So they checked my admission papers and all and after finishing everything reached the training area by around 3 in the evening. By that time i can see most of the students already there and they are actually pitching their own tents wth the help of course instructors. So i met the course director his name was Showkat sir and he told me to put my things in one tent come back fast and help the other teammates. So i also started helping other mates which eventually helped in breaking the ice between us. So in camp it was like this every morning we have to report by morning 6 before that we will get the bed tea. So from 6 the PT starts and it was very tough. We have to at least run 8 km in that session wth so many push ups and other workouts. It was very tiring and hectic in that high altitude. So after the PT we have our classes which includes both theory and practicals. So first week was all about rock climbing. Learning different techniques of climbing different rock faces and the equipments required for that. So before the classes started the instructors divided us into different groups and each group has 7 members in it and one rope instructor. An according to these groups aka ropes they provided equiments also both personal and central equipments like harness, carabineers, helmet, pittons, ropes etc etc. So in first week of the course each day after the PT and breakfast we will be trekking to the rock climbing area carrying the big rucksacks including all the equipments. And we were lucky that we got to practice climbing in HAWS climbing wall and this is the same place where Indian army also practices rock craft. Here we learned different climbing techniques including lead climbing, belaying, belay climbing, rappelling, chimney climbing etc and it was awesome experience i had which i only saw in documentaries or in movies. From the second week we moved to glacier area known as Thajiwas glaciee were we practiced ice craft includes how to use crampons n snow boots, 4 point climbing, 2 point climbing, how to use ice pittons, rescue techniques in crevasses etc. All of them were very fun but at the same time very hard also. All of these exercises required high level of endurance level and muscle strength and also good mental strength too. Life in the mountains are actually very hard and you have to hustle a lot. And the instructors were actually making us ready for that life. So whatever we did in that course is actually connected to this fact including all the PT, punishments, food everything. So most of the days the trainings will finish by max 3 in the evening and after that we will be playing some games in the camp area like cricket, football, volleyball etc. And everyone were part of it including all the instructors, portes, cooks everyone in the camp basically. And it was next level fun playing sports in that altitude. And before the end of the we did a hight gain also in that we summited a near by peak with the elevation of almost 4700 meter. And the course ended with the practical tests both in snow and rock and a written test too and with a graduation ceremony were we got our badges as becoming officially mountaineers.

So in that 28 days we learned so many things which I'm not even aware of existed before it. But with all the knowledge and techniques i learned for becoming a mountaineer this changed me as a human being also. Somewhere i read mountains are the best teachers you can ever find and it was true with what i experienced over there. I got real friendships from there, i understood we can actually live without our phones, teaches me the importance of minimalism in our life that we can live our life without any luxuries and with the basic things. Changed my view of life in a spiritual and holistic way.

And the instructors, more than mountaineering they will teach you how to be a good human being first. I can give you an example for this. In every treks they will give us an rubbish bag so in that we have to fill all the plastic waste we see in the way. And everyone did it without any hard feelings. And before the course I am not even cared about these things but from that moment i changed.

Before i end this i wanted to thank my tent mates. You guys were awsome. You guys made that 28 days unforgettable till the day i die. And thanks for all the memorable moments you guys made inside the tent.#bestmates😂

So if you guys can spare 30 days from your life. Go out, enlist for a bmc course, learn, explore and live the life of a mountaineer.

Thanks
Vishnu
https://www.instagram.com/im_vishnu_venugopal/