c u on top - satyabrata dam

Today my blogging avatar completes two years of virtual existence. Thanks to my friends, readers, followers and fans who continue to encourage me and visit me from all over the world and drop their comments too, the journey to my second anniversary, even though I wrote far less number of posts, seemed much quicker than the first. Today is the time to sum up and to once again go down the memory lane and to see a sneak rear-view of the year just gone by. But I will keep everything brief, mild and spice-less lest some of you might point at my vanity. Compared to 103 posts during my first year, in the second year I managed only 48 posts (present one included) and this could either be due to extensive travelling and climbing that I did in this duration or could be due to my lazy nature, as some of you might offer. A trek and solo climb of a Himalayan giant during Aug – Sep followed by a serious one during Sep – Oct succeeded by a long stint in Kenya (Nov – Feb 2011) kept me on my toes. Ma

The true bottom of the world is a difficult place to reach but nothing stops you from reaching out to the 200 odd people who reside there during the summers. Right where all the meridians collide and unite at the southern tip of earth's spin axis it is a mini-township of people comprising mostly of scientists, doctors, researchers, household staff, technical people, engineers, adventurers and those who are absolutely mad-cap. They are a jolly sort and they love to provide cheer and warmth to all that visit the South Pole and they all reside within a space-lab kind structure standing on telescopic steel legs that is called 'Amundsen-Scott' Base and it belongs to the US. Though you would find the inhabitants representing many different race, culture, language, color, ethnicity and palate. It is a symbol of humanity too since out there they work towards the world as one and not as individuals. They love to recieve gifts and letters, especially during the warm months of Christm

This is a request post. I had no intentions of putting this up, since what follows was written to a friend in a mail about which I had literally forgotten. But today the friend requested that I should put this up as a post. And as you know, I cannot refuse a friend. So here it is, for this friend, and for my all other friends and to everyone who would pass by. Love it, live it, there's no other way of living the journey called 'Life'. No one procreates because the life created will die one day, yet it will No one begins a journey because it will end one day, yet it will No farmer sows his field because his crops will be cut one day, yet it will No gardener grows flower because it will wilt one day, yet it will No one adores the youth because it will age one day, yet it will No one loves because the love will be lost one day, yet it will No one plays a game because you will lose, yet sometimes you will The spring comes each year, knowing full well that wh

After a series of Kenya posts, I decided to give Kenya a break, though there’s lot more to be written about that wonderful country with all its contrary incomprehensible comprehensiveness. So let’s go back to our favorite arena of the big mountains and look at the question posed above. Actually this is a trick question since it doesn’t really have a definite answer, even I don’t have one that can be universally applied. Though I can certainly tell you when does a climb really ends; and that happens when you return home to your family and friends and regale them with your stories while showing them your pictures over cups of coffee / tea / juice / alcoholic beverages to the accompaniment of delightful savories; I don’t mind a full 14 course dinner either. Many of my vertical community citizens too prescribe to this view. It has often been debated that if a climber dies while on the summit or on his way down and doesn’t return alive then should he be credited with the summit! This is p