The recent devastating tempest that ravaged the Bay of Bengal area was a Category 3 super cyclone named “Amphan”, and left phenomenal marks on the land through which it passed. Well, she did make sure to chalk out a grim situation for people living in the coastal areas who have been deprived of water and electricity or whose homes have been damaged. Let’s pray for the quick recovery of stable conditions for these people.
Let’s scale up the altitude again. That fog which seemed a distant phenomenon floating towards you soon shrouds your environment in a thick haze, termed as a ‘white-out’. A few droplets kissing your face suddenly change into a downpour drenching you from head to toe. You hurriedly take cover beneath the water-proof canvas of your tent, making sure to keep your shoes safely dry at the corner.
But a few minutes later you peek outside and see sunshine lighting up the wet ground again, and that floating mist making its way up an adjacent hillside. So rainstorms in the mountains are pretty different.
They could pose quite a bit of risk as well, especially when you’re descending down a steep slope. Well you could just be like me and let your foot skid off of a slippery rock and get smothered in mud. So keeping a mental track of your footfalls is very necessary.
Your camping equipment must be kept dry at all costs-you have to grab those precious winks of sleep at night, don’t you? So the first crack of sunlight in the clouds should be the cue to prompt you to drag out those sodden clothes and sleeping bags and spread them out on a boulder or over your tent. Or the innards of your dripping shoes could be turned towards that fire lighted for cooking the night’s dinner.
A rainstorm also means an indefinite postponement of the day’s activities in an adventure course, leading to heightened rapture among the trainees. It could be the ideal situation to strike up a lively conversation, rush back inside the tent and doze off in the warmth of a sleeping bag, or just close one’s eyes and breathe in the ethereal environment.
the high altitude wallflower 