Why do you want to climb
mount Everest?
"Because it's
there !" answered a respected mountaineer, and that has become the legend of
the spirit of mountaineering.
Before I was not
running I used to ask myself the same question regarding running.
Why do these guys run
so much? What's in it ? They must be crazy.!
To answer our
question, hardly we knew that we were destined to meet a psycho (and in fact a
lot of such) when the two causes met at the SUMMIT 2015, which was held in the
mountains of Saputara, and team PRAYAS gang was asked to volunteer.
Just a couple of
years down the line to that, I along with all my team PRAYAS gang, am into running,
participating, and contributing to the cause.
Why do I mention
this now? I am reminded the same by a small
gang from our Surti Runners family that is headed to Himalayas as we speak.
Why? To underline the answer to that question above, by doing a Himalayan Ultra
known as Uttarkashi 220, organised by The Globe Racers.
Leading the pack,
the maverick of the Surti Runners, Dr Ashish a.k.a the Psycho, doing 220, and
drafting behind his whirl wind, there are Jatin, Chintan, Mihir and Khyatiben,
doing their 100 Ks, each of them are no lesser in grit and adventure !
While I still clearly
visualise the similar dare by Dr Nehal earlier, smiling his way through in
sandals down the steep slopes of Masoori crewed by Sandipbhai, I didn't think I
would get to be any closer to this phenomena that I would actually be inspired
to do it some day !
The brief company
of the god's own soul Bhupi sir at SUMMIT 2.0 was an inspirational encounter
that gave all of us an insight into an ultra runners mind and heart. And here
he is leading from the front ! Almost obviously.
And with the ultra
man Amishbhai joining as support team, the team is poised to melt some good
mountain miles.! Trying to match the craze are the crew to the runners namely Sushmaben,
Harshil, Birjubhai, Samir (Sam), Keyurbhai, and Sameer Kavani.
No matter how
arduous it sounds, with a cumulative 34,000 + feet of climbing and just as much
descent in a single stage race, the gang is up to it and its broadly written on
their determined yet smiling faces!
Cutting through the
lower Himalayas and rallying through spectacularly scenic villages, this race
is actually a mountaineer's delight, and the mountaineers turned novice runners
of team PRAYAS are actually fascinated by this adventure.
Least can we wait
for the day when we will also do this, and we cross our hearts we will, the
juvenile mountaineer in us talks to the infant runner in us, ..."don't ask
ever again that why do they run !", as we wish all the best to the SURTI
RUNNERS brave hearts !
All the very best
runners who are looking to be mountaineers, from the mountaineers who are
looking to be runners ! team PRAYAS and the SURTI RUNNERS family wish you all
the best for the ultra !
Go high, Go long,
Go Blue !
Don't forget to bring
back some clouds from the top destination cloud 9, that is our mountaineering school,
the NIM, Uttarkashi , The FINISH Line !
