2023-January-19

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A Time When My Soul Came Alive

BY GIRISH BHAT · ENGINEERING PRODUCT MANAGER · INDIA

4 MINUTE READ · 6 MINUTE LISTEN

When I reached the top of Mount Everest’s Base Camp in Nepal, stumbling over loose rocks, all I did was sit and admire what had become one of my greatest achievements.

I forgot everything in the world — the heavy breathing, struggle to take even a single step, exhaustion on the way.

Reaching the summit of a trek makes your soul come alive!

About the Everest base camp trek

Just a mention of Nepal’s Everest Base Camp trek is usually enough to stir the soul of hikers all over the world. To go to the base camp of the highest mountain in the world is on most mountain lovers’ bucket lists.

They call it the “steps to heaven” for a good reason.

There’s scenery that’s so breathtakingly stunning and unlike any mountainous terrain that you have ever seen before. It changes from lush green farmland, dense forest, and glistening blue, fast-flowing rivers to barren land and glacial pools the higher you climb.

The rewards of the trek don’t come so easily. The Nepalese Everest Base Camp sits at an impressive 17,598 feet (5,364 meters) high and requires considerable acclimatization over a good distance.

It was 13 days of full-on trekking — that’s right, “rest days” involve walking too — to complete the 80-mile (130 kilometers) roundtrip.

This distance is roughly divided into individual daily sections of 8-10 miles (13-16 kilometers), but the reason the whole adventure takes so many days is because it needs to be broken down into bite-sized chunks due to the altitude.

The first step

Looking back, I felt proud of the achievement because I took up the challenge to complete Everest Base Camp trek to challenge myself. All this started with my annual health checkup meeting with Cisco LifeConnections in April 2022.

I am a marathon runner and have completed many marathons.

I had COVID-19 in January 2022. After I recovered, I was not confident about my fitness and had not resumed my physical routine. I felt “stuck” and it took a toll on both my personal and professional life.

During my annual checkup at Cisco LifeConnections, the doctor suggested I take up a challenge that is achievable within the next six months. She suggested this would help me restart my fitness regime.

At the same time, one of my friends informed me about her plans to do the Everest Base Camp trek. I immediately jumped on and signed up for the trek. This was my challenge!

To prepare, I started running and step climbing, which helped a lot to complete the journey. This also brought back my confidence to start running regularly.

Walking in the mountains was meditation for me.

I’ve enjoyed running since childhood. I had to walk 14 kilometers every day to school, crossing multiple mountains and rocks. I relived my childhood days while walking on Everest Base Camp trail.

Every day astounded me with new and interesting experiences. The experience hit a zenith on the seventh day, when the trail passed through narrow mountain gaps and a glacial moraine alongside the Khumbu glacier, where I experienced 360-degree views of snowy peaks.

Along the way, I emerged from packs of sal trees and ironwoods into a whole other world with a landscape that looks right at home on the surface of Mars.

It felt as though I was forever gazing up at Mount Everest through the dusty Nepalese valleys.

How I summit at Cisco

All this was made possible by Cisco, which has provided me with work-life balance and support from leadership to take time off to pursue my passion.

I always try to learn something new when I run or trek. Here are three things that I apply from my Everest journey to my work at Cisco.

• Persistence and endurance. While heading towards Everest Base Camp, you have about 30% oxygen availability, yet need to walk with full strength. This is a lesson to make best of available resources every day at work.
• Being flexible. Learn from mistakes, be willing to try new things. Similar to the Everest climb, there are situations when we have to make tough decisions in the best interests of the team.
• Resilience. When I stood at the Everest Base Camp and looked back at the journey, I realized that one thing that made this possible was resilience. Keep trying to reach your goals in your personal life and at work.

I am grateful to my leadership team, family, and friends for supporting me to complete this trek!

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