Resolution(s) T24

।। श्री आशापुरी देव्यै नमः ।।

a Year of Mountain madness..

Resolution(s) T24..

24 peaks, 2024 kms, 224 climbs

thursday rituals at सिंहगड 🐚 

resolutions are like the trail markers of life - they keep us on course and ensure 📵 we don’t accidentally end up binge-watching our way through another year.. goals give us purpose 👻, and achieving them brings immense satisfaction - not to mention some serious collective bragging rights though 😝.. resolutions also push us to step out of our comfort zones 🛌, whether it's scaling new heights (24), or simply walking those extra miles (or 2,024) !!

as the year passed by, the yearly goal / goals were like, "हमने तुम्हे चारों तरफ से घेर लिया है" 😉.. first of the 4 being - 1️⃣ 24 peaks.. as one can easily guess, this calendar year is T24, so "24 peaks".. well, I didn't literally climb all 24, but the goal was to gain 📈 the elevation equivalent to combined heights of all these..

before getting into more details.. some Q&A..

what is a mountain? and how to identify / categorize any particular geolocation as a peak? any idea ❓.. while the first is an easy one, for the second one, few of you seem perplexed 🤔.. here we go then..

mountains aren’t just heaps of rock 🪨.. they’re natural skyscrapers that inspire awe 🫢.. "a mountain" is a large landform that rises prominently above the surrounding land in a limited area.. and, "a peak" is its tip 🔝- like the cherry on a giant rocky sundae 🍨.. that was easy and obvious? wait !! here's the twist - prominence.. no offence 😭, but as per "International Climbing and Mountaineering Federation (UIAA)", राजगड doesn't qualify as a peak according to Himalayan standards of min. 600m.. hope 🤞, the standards in western ghats are different.. so, क्या बला है ये?

"prominence" is a measure of a peak's independence, or how much higher 📈 it is than the lowest point on the ridge that connects it to higher terrain.. in simple words, कचरे काकांच्या घरापासून बालेकिल्ला म्हणजे, राजगडचा prominence, which is not 600m+.. anyway,

none of these 24 need any introduction on "why it was included in the list?".. बस नाम ही काफ़ी है.. 14 eight-thousanders 🗻 (600m+ prominence), नंदा देवी 🇮🇳, कळसुबाई, zugspitze 🇩🇪, सिंहगड 🚩 and highest from other 6 continents = summing up to 164,183 meters, equivalent of ascending ⛰️ सिंहगड 328 times..

न भूतो न भविष्यति

along with this (24 peaks) then, and evaluated based on the same criteria, the next 2 were 2️⃣ 2024 kms of feet distance 👣 (hike / walk / run) and 3️⃣ repeat सिंहगड 224 times.. 4th one, which did not include any '24' in the target, was achieved on 24-Aug, with 2400m+ elevation gain, qualifying for a 4️⃣ "¼ Everesting".. more details on Everesting, read here..

one important refurbished learning was - to never stop striving for the personal bests.. having had given-up after multiple failed 💔 trials in the past - this year, attempts to better the सिंहगड ascending time paid earned well / unexpectedly well.. lingering around 42 minutes since a long time, it is bettered to 35m today 💝..

not adding any numbers now, but all of this was only made possible with a mix of determination, planning, and a touch of madness 🤪.. for the elevation gain, each peak was visualized as a milestone and chipped away, one step at a time ⏱️.. completing the first resolution ensured second and third needed no extra planning.. but the last one (¼ Everesting) turned out to be a pretty hefty climb 😦, translating into a feud between the legs and gravity 🤜🤛..

to sum up the year..

it’s not just about reaching the summit but enjoying the climb 🌞.. setting audacious goals teaches us discipline, perseverance, and the art of laughing 😃 at our own exhaustion.. completing the resolution(s) is immensely fulfilling, especially knowing that I gained enough height to match the elevation of these iconic peaks 🗻 ⛰️ 🏔️..

the best part was also the realization of "how capable 💪 we are when we commit".. in other words, "how much we underestimate our bodily capacity" 😇..

quote credits - महेश

caption credits - IRONMAN event 

in the end - don't be afraid to dream rationally big.. setting ambitious goals and working hard to achieve them can be incredibly rewarding 🎖️.. as James Clear states in his book "Atomic Habits", break them into smaller milestones and celebrate the progress 🎉.. the mountain we’re climbing isn’t just a peak, it’s us 🤠..

so, lace up those shoes and conquer your own Everest 🎯, one step at a time..

last but not the least, the most memorable moment amongst many others in all of this was a special "conquering Everest" gift 👕 from महेश..