Our paths finally crossed!

5th June 2024 was the beginning of my conversations with Hemant Soreng. I had shared my desire to explore the beginnings of this journey. He was incredibly helpful, patiently answering all my questions and giving me valuable insights at every step about what to expect along the way.

Debjani Haldar, a PhD candidate at the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore — where I was pursuing my Master's — had once mentioned that she had trekked with him. I still remember her casually mentioning that he had summited Everest in 2024 — an achievement that left me in absolute awe. Coincidentally, that was also the year I was busy scaling Island Peak. She introduced us.

Hemant Soreng, a passionate mountaineer, IronMan triathlete, and adventurer, co-founded Rustik Travel — an Indian travel company specializing in sustainable and experiential travel. Rustik Travel curates unforgettable hiking and trekking experiences across India and internationally, with its headquarters based in Bengaluru, Karnataka. They operate extensively across the Himalayas, North-East India, South India, and various international destinations.

Fast forward to today, 4/26 — after countless phone calls and texts, I was finally going to meet him in person, in flesh and blood.
He was leading a group to Everest Base Camp and we had scheduled to meet today.

I had been waiting — and waiting — from 1:15 PM all the way until 2:00 PM, checking my watch every few minutes, debating whether I should just give up and leave or maybe it was not meant to be.
Just as I was about to turn around, a man nearby pulled down his mask...
And there he was — the very person I had been so eager to meet all these months!

It felt wonderful to finally meet and spend time with him today. Hemant kindly introduced me to the members of his group, who were incredibly warm, friendly, and very encouraging. They wished me the very best for my journey ahead and we parted ways. 

It was a wonderful way to spend the day and a beautiful reminder of our Everest Base Camp journey together back in April 2023.

Cherished memories captured in photos, taking me back down the memory lane....







Comments

  1. ShailendraApril 28, 2025 at 5:27 PM

    Great going, bhai. I informed Debjani about your climb.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Surbhi YadavApril 29, 2025 at 4:50 AM

    So cool Papa! Glad you could have this experience!

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Wrapped Around Him Like a Prayer: A Wife’s Reflection

Image
When Jiten first told me he wanted to summit Everest, I smiled. I nodded. I said the things you’re supposed to say when someone you love tells you they want to do something extraordinary. I knew it would be the hardest thing he’d ever done. What I didn’t expect was how hard it would be for me. This summit wasn’t just a goal for him — it became a deeply emotional expedition for me, too. One I took from a world away. It was a unique and personal mix of love, fear, awe, and raw hope. There’s a kind of courage that conquers mountains. And then there’s another kind — the quiet kind. The waiting kind. The kind that loves fiercely while holding its breath. In the weeks leading up to the summit push, the tension was electric. Every message, every update from Base Camp and above carried a weight that’s hard to describe. I tried to appear strong — calm on the outside — but inside, my heart was a drumbeat of nerves. I tracked weather reports, counted down days, circled dates not on calendars but ...
Read more

When Nature Tested the Spirit

My dream eluded — at 8,450 meters. After a brutal 10-hours ascent from Camp 3 to Camp 4, I managed only a brief 3-hour rest before setting out for the summit push at 8:30 p.m. on May 14th. But somewhere along that final stretch, battered by harsh weather and a biting, dust-laden wind, my body finally gave out. I had nothing left — not even the strength to take another step. The Sherpas from 8K Expeditions went above and beyond, helping me back to Camp 4 when I could no longer walk. Even after reaching Camp 4 on 15th May, I remained immobilized and on oxygen as it's the Death Zone. Realizing the severity of my condition, the team arranged for a rescue on 16th May— dispatching 2 Sherpas to begin the process of getting me down to Camp 2, the closest flat ground where a helicopter could safely evacuate me. I had experienced a total physical collapse , likely due to extreme fatigue and energy depletion at high altitude. I simply couldn’t move. 8K’s director informed me that a rescue m...
Read more

The time has come - Everest weather window is open!

Image
The highly anticipated weather window on Mt. Everest has officially opened, marking the start of the brief but critical period when climbers can safely attempt to reach the world's highest summit. This window offers a rare break in the brutal jet stream winds and sub-zero temperatures that dominate Everest’s upper slopes. We had an early dinner at 6 PM today. After breakfast at midnight (12 AM), we'll leave Base Camp around 1 AM for Camp 2. We've packed poop bags for Camps 3 and 4, and we've also picked up dehydrated meals since there are no kitchens at those camps—just access to hot water. I am also carrying the laddos my mother made, energy gels, protein bar and electrolytes.  We had fresh snowfall this evening, which changed the atmosphere around camp—everything looks pristine now. A video before the night set in  There are 10 people in my team, including myself: Jitendra - Austin, USA Soumen – West Bengal, India Dwarka – Maharashtra, India Dr. Seema – Maharashtra, I...
Read more