On my first trek I couldn’t carry my backpack. I suffered motion sickness on the bus ride from Delhi to Manali. And on the next day when I tried carrying the bag, I realized that my body was too weak for it.
Long time back, I had learnt to carry only that amount of stuff on my travels that I can lift and the fact that I couldn't made me feel terrible. Whenever I saw a mule carrying my bag it broke my heart a little. But on my recent trek to Annapurna Base Camp when I was able to carry the weight all the way, I can't tell you how happy it made me.
I don't have any problem with people who opt for 'offloading' during the trek. But personally, I feel it should not be treated as a privilege but a backup option when you are hurt or not feeling well.
The level of satisfaction you will get when you climb mountains carrying your own backpack will be so worth it. And believe me, it’s okay to not feel strong enough in the first attempt. But I have seen people offloading right from the start of the trek, without even trying, just because they have an 'option' to do so or because of some fear that is merely in their head.
So, the next time you think to offload, think about this... is it just the beautiful landscapes that you’ve come to see, or do you want to test yourself? Do you want to just take back some snaps from a nice stroll around the mountains or an experience that changes your life, or at least changes your perspective towards it? If it’s the latter one, I can assure that carrying your own backpack is the first step.
