Shiva Tripathi
1st Hike!
“Suddenly, Rudra dai came up with this idea of hiking and casually said: Let us start hiking in D2 and why not start it this Saturday.”[1]
When Rudra Sir casually suggested that we go hiking this Saturday at D2 Hawkeye on July 3, 2005, the corporate world he has established embraced the hiking culture since then. He did his first hiking from Budhanilkanth to Shivapuri with eight other participants.
Moving forward to Feb 5, 2023, it was Rudra sir’s 100th hiking. The hiking destination was Lubhu, by walking through the trails of Lakuri Bhanjyang, starting from Godawari. The excitement to hike along with Rudra sir made me arrive early at the office premises. After waiting a while, we headed towards our breakfast buffet, served by the 109-degree restaurant. I could see lots of excitement and enthusiasm from more than 100 people, from the boomer II generation to Gen Z, that had joined the hike. They included individuals from Deerhold, the Deerwalk education team, Hamro Patro, and a few of Rudra sir’s friends, to name a few.
The official hiking started at 10:30 am. Rudra sir, with utmost enthusiasm, motivated the hikers by saying that it was just a morning walk. Many hikers already had the opportunity to hike with him, so they knew what it was and how it felt. The weather that day was clear and bright, so we could see the eye-catching sceneries of the hills as we walked uphill. After an uphill walk of about 1.5 hours, we reached Lakuri Bhanjyang. At Lakuri Bhanjyang, we saw a school with few students studying outside the class and an empty football ground. We all gathered on that ground and had light snacks that we carried along and apples that all hikers got while departing from Deerwalk complex.
After a 30-minute break, we continued our hike and reached a tea shop, where a few hikers took a break. We then started walking downhill, where the challenging route started. Some hikers found the trail difficult because it looked like it was designed for the water pipes rather than for walking. We all were aware and careful of walking on this challenging trail with ample loose soil. While walking through the trail we can see a clear view of the city. After walking for an hour, we reached a comparatively easy graveled road where the hiking became easier. Following the steep road chatting and listening to songs, we all came to Lubhu at 5:00 pm. We had dinner at the 109-degree restaurant.
This hike was one of the most memorable hikes that I have attended. It felt great to witness Rudra sir’s 100th hike and take inspiration from him. I would like to congratulate Rudra sir for his 100th hike and thank Deerhold for continuing with the hiking culture. More than a hike, this was a celebration of achievement, and at the same time challenge for the young hikers.
Some of the experiences shared by the participant hikers:
- Celebrating Rudra Dai’s 100th hike through the jungle trail was a test of our determination and perseverance as we crawled through rough terrain.
-Kushma Thapa
2. Conquered the wild on Rudra Dai’s 100th hike, crawling through the jungle like champions and proving that obstacles don’t hold us back.”
-Kushma Thapa
3. Rudra Dai hit the big 100th hike and dragged us along for the wild ride of scaling uphill, sliding down a forgotten jungle trail, and getting down and dirty with some hardcore crawling.
-Kushma Thapa
4. Sharing a love for adventure with Rudra dai, working together, and pushing each other through the rough and unpredictable jungle to reach new heights both physically and mentally.
-Bibek Dahal
5. I feel fortunate to be part of Rudra dai’s 100th hike. I had a few challenging hikes with Rudra dai in the past during my D2 days and this turned out to be equally challenging especially in the second half as we crawled through the unexplored path.
– Subash Devkota
6. It was already a year that I hadn’t hiked at all, this hiking fueled my soul to hike and trek further. Tackling different challenges around the route built confidence that could also be applied to real-life situations. Indebted to this 100th Hike and motivation from Rudra Dai.
– Navin Raj Pudasaini
7. It was an amazing hiking experience with around 100 people. More than hiking it was a celebration and at the same time a challenge for young hikers.
-Shiva Tripathi
8. A pleasure to be a part of the 100th hike with Rudra dai and many many congratulations to him.
– Manish Man Maharjan
9. I experienced the beauty of nature and the thrill of adventure on the 100th hike with Rudra Dai.
– Sandeep Sada
10. It was an incredible experience. I am honored to take part in Rudra Dai’s 100th hike.
– Milan Thapaliya
11. Feeling glad to be a part of Rudra Dai’s 100th hike. Memorable hike for me with the Deerhold Family.
– Manish Maharjan
12. Rudra Dai’s 100th hike creates memories, bonds, and the experience of the beauty of nature together.
– Aayush K.C
13. Just like the previous hikes, this one was also exciting and adventurous—the 100th hike for Rudra dai, and one more in our account too.
– Milan Lamichhane
Thank You
