THE first time Merven Paliam decided to trek in the Himalayas, he was caught in a snowstorm and avalanche for five days. Six years later, the weather gods smiled upon Paliam, making his dream of completing the 46km Gaumukh Tapovan trek a reality.
"High altitude trekking in the Himalayas was always a bucket list item and a dream of mine. I initially attempted this trek in 2018 but that didn't pan out and I decided to return and finally completed this trek. It was a region in the world that I always wanted to visit and explore due to its natural beauty and spirituality,” said Paliam, 45, of Gauteng.
Gaumukh Trek is hiked over six days - eight days including the drive to and from the trek - in the greater Himalayas. It lies in the state of Uttarakhand and begins and ends at the pilgrim town of Gangotri.
According to the website indiahikes.com, the 60km trail with an altitude of just over 4 300m, snakes through the greater Himalayas within the confines of Gangotri National Park; and it is referred to as a moderate-difficult trek that can be attempted by beginners if you prepare well.
"The trek is to the source of River Ganga, which is the Gangotri Glacier and Tapavon that serves as the base camp for Mount Shivling and Mount Meru," explained Paliam.
Paliam, who works in the manufacturing industry and is married with three children, said he left South Africa on his own but joined a group of 15 other trekkers.
“I used a trekking agency called IndiaHikes. They provided all the technical gear, sleeping bags, tents and four to five meals a day. The journey was magical and amazing. The trek was divided into multiple camps as we needed to gradually acclimatise to the high altitude.
“We stayed in tents and food was strictly vegetarian due to the religious aspect of the region. During the trek, we were surrounded by 6 000m and 7 000m meter snow-capped peaks. You get an opportunity to walk on a 32km glacier, which is the source of the holiest river on Earth and bloodline to close to a billion people.
“The views of the Gangotri group of mountains were surreal. The terrain could get technically challenging, the river crossing via a trolley system was a great experience, and the final summit to Tapovan was difficult and dangerous due to the numerous rock fall areas, glacial melts and deep crevasses. We were fortunate to have two local guides and a highly experienced trek leader. The day temperatures were in the teens and at night it dropped to about –2C."
He added that the trek was unique to him because this region of the Himalayas was a sacred place.
"It has the Gangotri glacier and many lakes, rivers and mountain peaks related to Hinduism and Lord Shiva. It's just a special place to visit; to experience the local culture, the challenges of this trek and witness the splendor of the greater Himalaya range.”
In the two weeks that Paliam was in India he also visited the Karthik Swami Temple deep in the Himalayas.
"It's a temple dedicated to Lord Murugan, the place where the bones of Lord Murugan are kept. I also completed the Char Dham Yatra, which is made up of four temples. I visited the Kedarnath temple in 2018 and on this trip I completed the Char Dham Yatra by visiting Yamunotri Temple, Badrinath Temple and Gangotri Temple."
Paliam previously reached the Chandrashila Peak, the summit above the Tungnath temple in India at 4 003m; and the Vasu Ki Tal, a high-altitude lake in the Uttarkashi district of Uttarakhand at 4 700m; both in 2018.
In 2019, he summited a peak called Stok Kangri at an altitude of 6 153m in Northern India in the Ladakh region.
“Its pretty easy and affordable to partake in high altitude trekking and mountaineering in India. I found the locals to be friendly and helpful. As a South African of Indian descent, it was easy to adapt to the local cultures and the food is fairly similar to what we prepare at home. One has to have a certain level of fitness to qualify for this trek. I prepared by running and gyming frequently, and I had to provide proof of this to the trekking agency,” said Paliam.
He added: “I am grateful to my wife Desiree for all her support. In the future I would like to do the K2 base camp trek in Pakistan and the summit of Ojos del Salado in the Andes on the Argentina–Chile border in the future.”