Recently, I went on a short trekking trip to Savandurga with my husband. Savandurga, one of the largest monolith hills in Asia, is situated 60 km west of Bengaluru (Karnataka, India). The hill rises to 1226 m above mean sea level and forms a part of the Deccan plateau. I haven’t trekked much till now plus this was my first trek on a monolithic hill. So of course, I was excited about the adventure that was waiting but hadn’t expected to learn life lessons from this trek.
Yes, life lessons! No, I’m not being philosophical. Here are the 8 life lessons that this short trekking trip taught me.
You are never ‘ready’ ready
I was all ready with the shoes, snacks, water bottle, and loads of excitement. As we approached Savandurga, I was mesmerized seeing the peak covered in fog. We soon reached the base and started climbing. And I already realized it’s not going to be easy. There were many milestones on the way where people would stop to catch some breath. At one such milestone, I took a bit longer to get up and that too, after much coercing. I was making myself ready to resume but then I realized that if I’ll wait for the right moment to get going, I’ll keep waiting.
The view from the ‘top’ is worth the toll
After crossing 2–3 milestones, I could see the view around-the lush greenery, the Arkavathi river passing nearby, Thippagondanahalli reservoir, a temple and a mosque, and other climbers who were longing for the same view from there too. After every few steps, I used to turn around to look at the view and would smile to myself. But I know I can get an even better view from the top. This kept me going. This keeps us going IRL too.
Realize that you are not the only one at the top
After all the whining, stopping, giving up, and getting up again, we made it to the top. But then you realize that all you did was not a big deal. You were not alone to achieve this feat. Oh, and btw, there are people who have conquered Mt. Everest too. So, chill and be nice.
Everyone has different peaks in mind
Not all those who started made it to the top. Some stopped at the first milestone while some stopped at the last milestone and just missed the peak. At the last milestone before the top, there was a cottage-like structure in ruins and a small pond of water just behind it. We sat there and realized that not many people came on that side. They’d either keep climbing to the top or call it a peak and start climbing down. It’s you who decide where your peak is.
Keep improving and yearning for more
At every milestone, I’d stop and say, “Not anymore. This is it.” That’s because I kept the milestones in my mind and not the top. Once I realized this, whenever I’d stop to catch my breath, either I’d turn around, look at the view, and would yearn for a better view or I’d look at the top and see many people who have already made it to the peak. This boosted me up.
All you need is a little push (or pull!)
There were times when I’d refrain from taking even a step forward for the fear of slipping. I’d just look down at my foot and tell myself to go ahead but I was afraid. I’d then take a deep breath, take a leap of faith, and run a few steps upwards. Tada! Other times, someone (or my husband) even lent me a helping hand to pull me ahead. That made me realize that you will meet many samaritans on your way up.
If they can, you too can
There were moments when I had given up climbing any higher. But I saw a limping man just behind me, a lady in saree and chappals on my front, and even a Golden Retriever passing by panting and sniffing. I scolded myself, “If they can, you too can!”
Climbing down is easy, comparatively
We made to the top and were chilling out-having snacks, taking photos, enjoying the view when we realized we have to climb down too. But we knew it was easy. Making it to the top is difficult and slow but climbing down is easy, quick, and sometimes, scary too. A small misstep and you can roll down to the base — whether you are on your way up or way down. The same is with our lives, right?
To more such amazing trips!