From Keyboards to the Clouds – My First Trek to Annapurna Base Camp
I’m Ashu, a 29-year-old software engineer based out of Bangalore. Life in the tech world is fast, logical, and often confined to screens, deadlines, and digital frameworks. Until recently, the most adventurous thing I had done was debugging code at 2 AM. But this year, I decided to step out — way out — of my comfort zone.
I signed up for the Annapurna Base Camp (ABC) trek, not knowing what to expect. I had never even done a basic hike before. ABC was going to be my first trek.
And what a first it was. When I reached Pokhara, my heart was pounding — partly because of excitement, partly from anxiety.
The idea of trekking through the Himalayas felt surreal. I had seen snow only in movies or desktop wallpapers. Glaciers, high-altitude villages, suspension bridges swayingover rivers — all that felt like fiction to me. Yet, here I was, standing on the threshold of a journey that would end up changing something deep within me.
The first few days were the toughest. My body, more used to ergonomic chairs than rocky paths, protested at every step.
The trails were steep, the altitude challenging, and the weather unpredictable. I remember one afternoon — we were climbing through stone steps near Chhomrong, and I was ready to give up. Every muscle ached. But that’s when my guide, Raj dai, came beside me. He didn’t say anything too dramatic. He just smiled and said,
“Slow pace, long breath. You are stronger than you think.”
That sentence stayed with me the entire trek. As we climbed higher, nature kept revealing gifts I had only dreamt of. The silence of the forests, broken only by rustling leaves or a distant waterfall. The sight of prayer flags fluttering in the wind at remote villages. And then — the snow. Fresh, untouched snow that blanketed the world in white. For someone who had never stepped on snow before, this was like walking in a dream.
The Day we Reached the Basecamp
At 4,130 meters — I cried. Not out of pain, but gratitude. The majestic annapurna stood in front of me, bathed in golden morning light. I had made it.
A first-timer, a city guy with no trekking history, standing proud in the heart of the Himalayas. What amazed me even more was the sense of community among fellow trekkers. Strangers who cheered you on, offered you ginger lemon honey tea at teahouses, or shared stories under starlit skies. Everyone had a different reason for being there, but we all shared the same path, the same challenges, and the same mountain.
There were difficult moments too — headaches from the altitude, cold nights, wet socks —but none of that mattered in the grand scheme. Every hardship made the view more beautiful, every obstacle made the journey more meaningful.
By the time I returned to Pokhara, I was a different version of myself. Tired, tanned, lighter— but happier. Something shifted inside me on that trail. It wasn’t just a trek; it was a journey inward.
I discovered that I could push beyond mental and physical limits. I learned to be present. I found peace in silence. And above all, I found a part of me that had been quietly waiting to be awakened by the mountains.
If you’re reading this and wondering whether you should take that first step — do it.
The Annapurna Base Camp trek isn’t just about reaching a place. It’s about discovering how breath-taking both the world and you can be..
