Age Proves No Hurdle as Diverse Group Conquers Mt. Phakonda in Manali Trek
Believe it or not, 17 senior citizens from Nagpur, along with 3 youngsters with an average age of 55, braved sub-zero temperatures to climb Mount Phakonda, which stands at 13,250 feet above sea level near Manali in Himachal Pradesh.
They reached the summit on May 21 after a 3-day trek, camping en route at Tilgan (8,300 ft), Sarabogi (10,200 ft), and finally at Teku ki Tapri (12,300 ft). The trek was led by seasoned mountaineer Atish Bhadange, who boasts 55 camps to his credit. The trek company, led by Harshit Jain and Rohit Pisipati of HRS Hikers, felt proud to have shown faith in the group’s grit and enthusiasm.
Among the group were 8 ladies, one of whom was a 4th stage cancer survivor, 5 retired individuals, 3 working professionals, and 2 qualified instructors. This diverse and courageous group refused to accept failure and embraced fortitude.
Their reward came in the form of the snow-capped Mount Phakonda, where they pitched their tents at minus 2 degrees Celsius and gazed at glittering stars two days before the full moon. It was a remarkable experience for those who gave their best to life and are now enjoying the best from life.
Team: Sanjay Singh, Reena Singh, Nalini Vipani, Rajiv Singh, Anjuli Minocha, Meeta Shaw, Adv SN Kumar, Sanjay Muley, Sanjeev Saggi, Rajkumar Keshwani, Avijeet Gulati, Fazle Qadir, Sita Picipaty, Suruchi Agrawal, Alok Dubey, Jyoti Naidu & Tejashree Visale.