Every time this writer has found himself flustered and out of breath on a trek or hike, we have cursed novelist Jack Kerouac’s command — ‘Climb that mountain’. Stand-up comic Aditi Mittal certainly identifies with that struggle. Her recent trip to the foot of the tallest mountain in the world, Everest peak, began on a whim, but “It has been the experience of a lifetime,” she exclaims over a call.

The expedition

The journey began on May 4 when Mittal left from Mumbai for Kathmandu. “There were seven of us in the group, with two trek leaders. Actor-director JD Majethia was on the trip with us as well,” she shares. It all started when Mittal’s fitness trainer shared a wish to visit Everest base camp. On a whim, the comedian agreed to join her. “As it went, my trainer could not make it because of work commitments, and I ended up taking the trip,” she laughs. It took the team 16 days in total; from Lukla to base camp, and back.