My Top 5 Reasons to 'Take a Hike'

The views, the thrill, the high of the altitude, the ever-expanding horizons – these are the obvious reasons for which I go trekking. But when I dig down deeper, there are scores of non-obvious little things that make me adore the idea of going on a trek.

5. The Shaking Knees

 It’s been a long day’s walking. You have been on the trail for hours and hours. Finally in the distance you see the tents. You gratefully reach the tents and stop walking. But your knees just keep shaking and shaking, as if they are still raring to go. Someone told me it’s because of the adrenaline rush. It’s a weird feeling; it’s so much fun…. :)

 4. The Food

Sounds strange, coming from a non-foodie, doesn’t it? I really don’t care too much about food and I don’t have any specific likes and dislikes. As long as I get enough edible stuff to keep me going, I am ok. But meals on a trek are the ones I actually enjoy. There always seems to be just the right food in just the right quantity. And there’s this feeling of having earned the meal which makes it all the more better; there are no guilt-trips after hogging aloo-parathas, or on asking for second helpings of the dessert. ;)

3. The People

Next time you travel on a plane, look at the person sitting next to you. Ever wonder how you were destined to share these few, albeit unremarkable, moments of your life with this stranger; who you have never before, nor after landing, see again?

I have almost always trekked with a set of strangers. But the moments and experiences shared with them are nowhere close to unremarkable. The camaraderie that is formed over a trek is somehow different from the usual friendships. Instead of bonding over a cup of coffee or opinions on politics and movies, people bond over seemingly trivial problems - like how to keep bugs from getting into your sleeping bag, or who will keep a watch while the other person takes a piss… ;) Unreasonable amount of trust is placed upon these friends – on a slippery slope, the proffered helping hand is taken without hesitation.

Once back to the mundane, most of these friendships tend to dissipate quickly. People get on with their lives, go their separate ways; just like how you walk away from the luggage belt at the airport and never see your fellow-travelers again. But that does not mean that the moments you shared with them have faded away from memory. It’s just that they have been pushed to the back of the shelf, like some worn old sweatshirt which you think of putting on when you are alone and its cold outside….

2. The Sheer Physicality

 Being on a trek is one of the few times in life where what you do and how you do it, is more important than what you say and how you say it. True that the gift of the gab has always been a case of sour grapes for me; but isn’t it great there is some safe haven, where what you are not good at, is not really that important? I have always found a certain kind of elation when people say, ‘Tendulkar lets his bat do the talking.’ For me, it’s only too good to be true that there is no need to talk yourself up; you just do what you have to do.

 1. The Out-Of-Office 

“I cannot reply to your mail, because I am currently out of office with no access to e-mails or phone.” Priceless!!! Need I say more?? Give it a try, stay out of coverage area for a couple of days. :D

These were my top five salient reasons for going trekking. What are yours???

Trek to Roopkund - Part 7

Day 6 (contd..) 21st September

Roopkund to Pather Nachani via Baghwabasa

Climbing down a mountain is the closest that I have ever come to meditation. Strange as it may sound, it is while descending a steep mountain path that my mind is most focused. There are no thoughts in my mind except this question – where should I place my foot next. And this is what meditation is, putting a leash on the wild wanderings of our thoughts.

The best way to descend on a slope covered with snow is to cut steps and walk. I am sending a shower of show on everyone walking in front of me in doing so. Gradually the snow reduces and mixes with the mud to form slick which is even more difficult to walk on. ‘A walking stick would have helped,’ I think to myself. I am usually a slow descender, and on this slippery trail, my speed reduces further. After about 45 minutes, we reach the stream which had held us up in the morning. But now the ice layer on the rocks has melted away, and we cross it easily.

We reach Baghwabasa at 12:30, where we have lunch. It is decided that we will go only up to Pather Nachani today, because it’s already been a long day’s walking. The weather is heavenly now. But nevertheless, that day’s rain and storm are still at the back of our minds.Once we reach the Kalu Vinayak temple, we think of taking a small rest. But as soon as we sit down, we see a cloud descending upon us, and hear a low rumble. This jerks us back into motion, and the idea of the break is dropped.

Two days back, we had reached Pather Nachani in a dead beat state. Today we have reached here in a triumphant state – after completing Mission RoopkundJ.  Everyone is happy – all the 12 trekkers have made it to Roopkund in style. The jubilant mood continues for a long time, as all of us keep singing songs late into the night.

Day 7 - 23rd September

Pather Nachani to Lohajung, via Bedini Bugyal and Wan

I wake up to the melodic sound of Jagdish Sir’s flute on this beautiful morning. As this is the last day of our trek, we all thank the Trek the Himalayas team – they have been wonderful with all their arrangements and support; always patient, always ready with a word of encouragement.

Himalayan Griffin

Today we have to go to the village Wan, from where taxis would drive us to Lohajung. We are taking the same trail which we were walking on half dead only a couple of days back. But the weather is completely different today. It’s a glorious morning, the sun is on our side for a change, and the entire mountain side is bathed in sunlight. All the views that we missed the other day are now being presented to us. The peaks of Trishul and Nandaghungti can be seen clearly now. There are a few Himalayan Griffins flying around in the sky. These majestic birds with their huge wingspan are gliding about; it looks as if they are overlooking our trek, ensuring we don’t disrespect their great Himalayan Empire in any way.

Bedini Kund

After some time, we reach Bedini Bugyal. This is where there is another lake, the Bedini Kund, and a temple of Goddess Parvati. Oh! The beauty of this place is exotic! The bright blue sky with the clouds floating around in it! The lush green meadows, the sheep grazing around, the mountains in the background, and the vibrant colors of the Bedini Kund! It feels as if we are walking in a Technicolor painting. My words are not eloquent enough to describe the bliss that fills my heart. This is the happiest I have felt in a long time. I hope they don’t pave this paradise and put up a parking lot.

This is that time of the year when the Jat Yatra happens in Bedini. There is a fair being organized here, which will begin today evening. We see a lot of people from nearby villages making their way to Bedini Bugyal. Small kids holding on to their fathers’ hands, old women bent with age, mystic Sadhus in their saffron attire; anybody and everybody is going to be at the Bedini fair. And each of them asks us to stay for the fair. But we are not so fortunate – we are city dwellers, we have to get back to our mundane lives very soon.

The Neel Ganga

We have been descending for hours now, and my knees are rattling. After some time, we reach the Neel Ganga river. The water is very refreshing. After a long time, contact with water feels nice.  We have lunch and a little rest here. From here, there is small ascent to the Wan village, climbing up after descending so much feels very good.

All this while, a light hearted banter is going on among us. We tease Rhushi for his slow speed, (‘the art of walking slow’, as he calls it), we tease Anjali and Priyanka and Ravi for their jargon laded photography talks, and we tease Vaishali and Vineeta for stopping every few minutes to peer at some flower or some bird. As Vaishali and Vineeta are discussing the scientific names of the birds they saw on this trek, Sandeep tells us his four categories of all flying beings – ‘Makhhi, titli, kaua aur cheel.’ I almost fall over laughing. If only pulling a person’s legs could make them taller, Vineeta would have been eight feet tall by now… ;)  After crossing Wan, we see a road and the taxis. We would be going to Lohajung for the night, and would drive to Kathgodam tomorrow, from where we have to catch a train to Delhi.

This has been an amazing trek - I have reached new heights with my co-trekkers, and expanded my horizons. I realize, the more I see, the less I know. A lot of new treks have been added to my must-do-treks list. At this rate, one trek a year would not do. I have to plan for at least two treks a year. I hope and pray that as I keep checking treks off my list, I keep adding twice as many J.

Post Script

On the way back to Kathgodam, Ravi said, 'Sometimes I feel I should move to a small village in these mountains, and teach in a primary school.' I was amazed, this is exactly what I have always dreamed of doing. I was happy that I was not the only freak who dreamt of retiring to a small mountain village, untouched by the maddening pace of the urban world, where you have to continuously keep running just to stand still. Even after almost a month of coming back, my mind kept wandering back to that incredible week spent in the Himalayas. A little part of me is still there – there are some places you never completely come back from.

Trek to Roopkund - Part 6

Day 6 - 20th September

Summit Day

Have you ever had tomato soup and pop-corn at 4 in the morning? Well, that’s what we are doing now. Most of us spent a sleepless night yesterday - some owing to the excitement of summiting today, some because they were trying to capture star trails in their cameras, and the rest of us thanks to the snoring ballads by Rhushi. (‘I did not snore at all yesterday,’ he said as soon as he woke up... :P) Everybody had gone to sleep fully dressed yesterday night, so that all we have to do today is wake up and start walking. Everyone is looking fatter with the multi-layered clothing.

An early morning start

We start off half an hour later by the light of our headlamps. Today we have to go to Roopkund, (and Junargali if possible), come back to Baghwabasa, and then proceed to Pather Nachani, or even further till Bedini Bugyal. That is a runtime decision we have to take, depending on how tired we are and how much time we have at hand. As we have to come back to Baghwabasa on the way back anyway, we all leave our rucksacks behind, and just take our water bottles and sunglasses with us.

It is very cold in the morning, and more so because the sun is not yet out. As it is dark, there is nothing much to see around us. The snow covered peaks are faintly visible in the distance. I can see a single file of flashlights bobbing up and down along the trail behind me. The gradient is gentle initially, but becomes steeper as we go on. Ravi, Vineeta and I along with Sardar bhai have gained quite some distance on the others, when there are some flashing signals exchanged between him and Sandeep, who is at the far end of our queue of trekkers. Sardar bhai asks us to wait. In a minute or two Sandeep comes running and joins us and asks us to go slower. He wants the team to walk together today.

More and more snow

Trishul, at dawn

It has started to light up a little now. We cannot see the sun yet, but can see the sunlight striking some of the far off peaks. The top of Trishul is glowing softly golden. It looks exactly like a cone of vanilla ice cream, with a drizzle of honey on top of it, waiting to be licked. The slopes along the trail we are walking on are becoming predominantly white, with the grey rocks creating interesting patterns in between. I find myself walking solo again. Ravi and Vineeta are so far ahead I can barely see them. I can see the others some way behind amidst the meandering trail.

The ice covered rocks

After a while I come to a stream... it is not even a proper stream. It’s just some of the snow that has started melting down which has created a rivulet of water some 5 meters wide. It looks easy enough to cross, just that my shoes will get a little wet. I don’t give it a second thought, and take a step into the water.  But what I don’t know is this – there is a thin, almost invisible layer of ice which has been formed on all the rocks at the bed of that stream. At the first step I take, my foot slips a couple of feet. Heaven and earth mixes into one for a second before I regain my balance. Suddenly I am acutely aware of the slope on my left hand side, down which I would have tumbled. One slip is all it has taken to scare the daylights out of me, and I am not kidding when I tell you this – my mind rewinds to the last time I called up and spoke to mom.

With trembling knees, I come back and wait for the others to join me. In a minute or two, Dipesh and Alhad come in sight. I tell them that I dare not cross the stream alone. Dipesh has a walking stick with him, and tries to break the layer of ice with the end of the stick so that we have a better grip over the rocks. But the ice is quite hard and does not give way. I have this oh-so-brilliant idea of walking up the slope a little, where there is more snow, my logic being that it should be easier to get a grip on snow rather than ice. Which, as it turns out, is quite stupid. After climbing up a few feet, I realise that the snow is as slippery as the ice; and having slipped one more time, (and yeah... remembering the last phone call to  mom again),  I stay put where I am. The three of us wait for Sandeep to come. He is being looked upon as some superhuman force, who would have the ability to pull us out of any fix.

Sandeep reaches the stream soon enough, and takes a measure of the situation. He tries to find some rocks which he can dump in the water to make way for us. But there are very few stones around, and most of them are stuck fast in the snow. As I stand looking at all this, my knees start shaking again with the cold, and I sit down on the snow. Another extremely stupid move, I tell myself as my bum goes numb in half a minute. By now, Sandeep has decided that this strategy of trying to build a path with stones will not work. I see him take his shoes and socks off, and roll up his pants. Has the guy lost his mind?? Agreed, bare feet give you the best grip, but to think of walking barefoot in the ice water is pure madness. But that’s exactly what he does; he walks into the water, and helps us across one by one.

The last stretch

The last bit till Roopkund is a test of stamina. It is very steep, and the snow makes it difficult to walk. The thinning air has made life a little more difficult, and there is severe glare from the sunlight reflecting from all the snow around us. The Roopkund lake is in the middle of a sort of a crater, and cannot be seen till you reach the lip of the crater. So we have no idea how much more we have to climb. I am sure Sardar bhai would have become annoyed with our continuous questions – ‘Abhi aur kitna door hai? Aur kitna time lagega?’  At last, he is fed up, and he says, ‘Dekhiye, aap log trek pe aaye hai, to chalna to padega. Baar baar aise nahi poochhte.’

At last the moment arrives – at about 8:30 in the morning, we reach the top of the crater, and see the lake, the legendary lake shrouded in the mystery of all the skeletons found near it. But the lake is free from all the drama surrounding it; it just sits with dignity and serenity in the middle of the crater, all its stories hidden away underneath its frozen surface. But we are not so good at hiding our feelings, and the emotions come bubbling up to the surface. There are hugs and high-fives all around. It is indeed a great feeling to be standing 5000 meters above most of the people in the world.

First view of Roopkund

There is a Shiva temple near the lake, and prayers are offered to the God whose trishul created this lake. As we walk down to the lake, we see some skulls and bones on the ground. Sardar bhai and Mahesh bhai enthusiastically dig up a few more for us to see. As we are circling the lake, we hear a thundering sound which echoes in the crater.... it’s the sound of the ice sheet covering the lake cracking in the sun. As the snow has already started melting, it is decided that we won’t be going up to Junargali, which is another couple of hundred meters higher. I am a little (... no, very much) disappointed. :( 

Mahesh bhai has trekked from Baghwabasa to Roopkund with a packet full of aalo parathas. As we tuck in those, I express my nervousness at having to descend these slopes. How are we going to climb down these tricky slopes in the middle of this melting snow, I ask. ‘Well, you will have to do it,’ Sandeep says. ‘Climbing up is optional, but going down is mandatory.’ 

Don't we guys totally rock??!!!

Trek to Roopkund - Part 5

Day 5 – 19^th September Pather Nachani to Baghwabasa

'Kehte hai agar kisi cheez ko dil se chaho toh poori kaynat tumhein usse milane ki koshish mein lag jaati hai.' Is that why the sun is smiling at us this morning? Maybe… But what is more likely is this – After listening to the desperate lamentations of 12 people throughout the night, God would have asked the sun to shine, just to get us off his back. Whatever the case may be, the sun is shining feebly but surely. I have never been happier at the sight of this golden glow. The camp site looks like a mini ‘dhobi-ghaat’, all the wet socks and shoes and shirts have been spread out to dry. We all are standing having breakfast, basking in the sun. ‘It will be ok today, there will be no more rain now,’ Sandeep says. Oh joy! ‘At this altitude, there’s only snowfall.’ And how is that better? ‘You can just brush the snow off your jackets. You won’t get wet.’ Well, if he says so. I, for one, am willing to take his word for it.  

Today’s hike is relatively easy; we do not have to walk too much. God knows we need an easy day after yesterday’s debacle. It is a very nice trek till Kalu Vinayak. The gradient is not too much, and we start getting to see better and better views of the snow clad peaks. I want to walk solo today, so I make sure I keep a good distance from everyone else. There is a well-marked trail so there is no chance of getting lost. It is the best feeling in the world. It is the best way to absorb all the mesmerizing sights around me, and pack them in my memory for future reference. It feels as if these fantastic mountains and clouds have been specially placed there just for me. Also, this is the only time I can sing to my heart’s content. There’s nobody around to complain about my dreadful voice.

In a couple of hours, I reach the Kalu Vinayak temple. I offer my prayers to the lord of wisdom. Sardar bhai asks me to wait here. ‘All of the group will pray to the lord together, and only then proceed further.’ Religion is a way of life in the mountains, and this is understandable. In the middle of this harsh and unforgiving terrain, where nature can bring mankind to its knees so very easily, it is important to hold on to and reinforce every bit of faith, every bit of belief in our hearts. Just as John Mayer sang – ‘Belief is a beautiful armor, and makes for the heaviest swords.’

Kalu Vinayak temple

Brahma kamal

I ask Sardar bhai why all these places have such peculiar names – Bedini Bugyal, Pather Nachani, Baghwabasa. He promises to tell the story of Roopkund later that would explain it all. Once everyone reaches the temple, Mahesh bahi performs a little puja. Since it is Ganesh Chaturthi, Rutika and I recite ‘Ganapati Atharvasheersha’, and then we all sing ‘aarti’. Vaishali has brought ‘til ke laddoo’, which we offer as Prasad. And then it’s time to move on. Further ahead on the trail, Sardar bhai points to the ‘Brahma kamal’, flowers which bloom only in this region, and only in this season. We see the first snippets of snow, which has been hidden away safely from sun rays so far – hiding under a rock over here, nestling in a leaf over there. Pretty soon we reach a group of odd looking stone huts (I have forgotten their story – does anyone remember?), and a little further is the camping site – the beloved trekkers’ huts.

First glimpse of snow

Baghwabasa is the highest camping site on this trek. The altitude is around 4200 meters, and everyone has to take special care of themselves so that we are in the best shape for the summit stretch tomorrow. The usual rules of acclimatization apply here - have plenty of liquids, stay outside the huts for as long as possible, do not put on all the warm clothing at once, get used to the low temperature as much as possible. The peaks of Trishul and Nandaghungti appear very close from here. As the sun sets, the clouds go away and one by one the stars appear. And what a sight the night sky is. I have never seen the sky so jaded with starts. The milky white band of our galaxy is also very clearly visible. We are being rewarded in heavenly jewels for all the effort that we have made to reach here.

When dinner is served, in comes Sardar bhai to tell the folklore of Roopkund. It is a most interesting story, with gods and goddesses and demons playing their part well. We call it a day at 8 o’clock itself, coz tomorrow is going to start early.

The Legend of Roopkund

Once Goddess Parvati leaves mount Kailas to wander the mountains and the valleys without Lord Shiva’s permission. Shiva does not like the fact that Parvati has not informed him about where she is going. So he decides to teach her a lesson. He sends his Ganas after her, and asks them to create obstacles in Parvati’s way, thinking that if she faces trouble during this jaunt of hers, she will not dare repeat her behavior. At Lohajung and Wan, several Ganas attack her. She fights with them and makes her way to Bedini Bugyal.

At Bedini, a demon called Raktabeej gets in her way. When Parvati slays his neck and his blood drips on the ground, two more demons are created; when Parvati kills them, each of them gives rise to two more. As this continues, Parvati starts getting tired. She is not able to handle all the new Raktabeej demons that are wreaking havoc around her. She takes refuge into a pit on the ground, and keeps going down and down to reach paatal. Here, she prepares a drink made out of jiggery, yeast, etc. On having this drink, she is energized, and emerges from the ground in her Kaali avatar, with a stone bowl in her hand. In the meanwhile, the demons dig up the ground around the pit to find out where she has disappeared. One by one she kills the demons and collects their blood in the stone bowl before it touches the ground and then drinks it. Then she dances with rage here and there to see if any of the demons are still alive. The stone bowl in Garhwali is called a ‘Pather’, and hence the name ‘Pather Nachani’. The place where Parvati went underground spurts out water, and gives rise to a small pond. Since Parvati was in a lot of pain (or vedana) here, this pond is called the Bedini Kund. The bottom of the lake still looks as if someone has dug it up. It is also said that the Vedas were written here, giving this place its name ‘Bedini’.

Seeing Parvati in her Kaali avatar, the ganas are scared, and go to Lord Shiva for his help. Shiva comes down from Kailash to try and pacify her. Eventually Parvati calms down, and agrees to go back to Kailash with Shiva. But before going there, she wants to clean up her destructive avatar. So Shiva plants his trishul in the ground, and creates a pond. Parvati beautifies herself in this pond, hence the name Roopkund. Baghwabasa is the abode of Parvati’s lions; they do not go beyond this point.

Every year, there is a yatra, called the Jat Yatra, till Bedini Bugyal, retracing Goddess Parvati’s steps. Hundreds of people join it, and there is a fair held here. Every twelve years, there is an extra special yatra, called the Raj Jat Yatra, which continues further till Homkund.

What a story… but it does not explain the skeletons. So Sardar bhai launches into another one:

Parvati once visits the kingdom of Kausani. The king of Kausani is away, so the queen looks after Parvati. Parvati is very happy with the way she has been looked-after in the king’s palace. The queen asks her if she needs anything else, and Parvati asks for the king’s throne. But the queen refuses to give it away. Parvati leaves angrily.

When the king comes back, he gets scared of being in Parvati’s bad books, and wants to rectify the error. So he is asked to go alone to Homkund and perform a Pooja. But being the king that he is, he does not want to go without his entourage of army, horses, and courtesans. He proceeds towards Homkund with all of them and reaches Pather Nachani. The gods are not pleased with this. That night when the courtesans are dancing for their king, lightning strikes them and they fall down to paatal. (There are three pits in the ground at Pather Nachani which Sardar bahi had pointed out to us. This is where the dancing girls fell.) But the king does not learn his lesson. He continues on his journey with his army. When he reaches Roopkund, the gods let a hail storm loose on them. The soldiers in his army die, and it is their skeletons that we see at Roopkund. Humbled by all these events, the king finally reaches Homkund, performs his Pooja and is forgiven.

Hats off to Indian Mythology. It’s amazing how all the names, places characters and geographic features fit in perfectly in these stories. Why did National Geographic waste their resources on finding out the story behind these skeletons? All you need is a colorful imagination, and a love for fantasy. You can explain any phenomenon in the world!! 

Day 4 – Ali Bugyal to Pather Nachani 

(The EPIC day)

Trekkers' Huts at Ali Bugyal

The morning is cold, but I have an incredible warm feeling inside me. I can almost hear my eyes thanking me; they have been feasting on spectacular views, which is a welcome change for them from the ugly sights of concrete jungles. And they don’t have to focus on a tiny laptop screen for hours and hours, they can dance over displays of the green-blue mountains till horizon. My ears have not heard a screeching vehicle for days, instead they’ve heard the sound of mule bells, the pitter-patter of rain drops on the hut’s roof, and yeah… the beautiful melodies coming from Jagdish Sir’s flute.

The entire team is in high spirits as we start walking today. Imagine walking on a morning among the clouds, with a view of green slopes for miles and miles, pure crystal clear air to breathe, and you will know what I am talking about. When we started walking in the morning, Sandeep told me that I have good stamina and would be able to attempt Stok Kangri. This has made me swell with pride... :) Finally all the running in the mornings as prep for this trek is paying off.

The calm before the storm

The best morning walk ever

The warm feeling continues as we reach a vantage point, from where we can see Bedini Bugyal below us and a lot of other peaks in front of us – the mighty Trishul and Nandaghungti keeping the Nandadevi peak hidden from undeserving eyes can be seen towards the right; Neelkantha and Chaukhamba towards the left. The shutterbugs among us are full of ideas. Priyanka and Anjali are making everyone run and jump and pose and their cameras are working overtime. Cannot wait to see the results of these clicks.

Taking the advantage of our preoccupation, the sun has quietly gone out of sight. As we start walking further, the clouds have begun expressing themselves.We don’t take it seriously at first. It has rained every single day so far, but the rain has faded away eventually. I am sure it would stop raining soon. This, as I would realize later, is called denial - denial that we are in trouble. Bad weather has crept up on us with soft feet; the rain refuses to go away, and invites her friend, nasty wind, to give her company.

There is nothing that we can do but continue walking – because if we stop walking, the cold gets to us. The cold rain drops strike my face like bullets. The biting cold wind rushes into my ears and it feels as if it is straightaway hitting the brain. When I put up the hood of my windcheater and try to tie the lace, I find that my fingers won’t move. They are frozen like the claws of an old woman. I put my head down and keep walking. The ‘nova dry’ shoes, which have kept the water away from my feet so far, finally give up and I can feel my toes going numb too. This mountain face is absolutely bare – we have already left the trees behind, there are no big or small rocks under which we can take shelter.

As the clouds gather and disperse in the valley below, I get intermittent glimpses of stunning mountain sides. But now I am in no mood to appreciate them. All I can think of is somehow keeping one foot in front of the other. I can see Sardar bhai’s feet in front of me, and I open my mouth to ask him how much further we have to go before we reach the camp site. This is when it dawns on me that my face is frozen too. I frantically make faces at myself to get the circulation going. Finally my lips are able to form some words… they come out like kiddy talk. I say to Vineeta, ‘I am not able to talk.’ ‘Me too,’ she says. Thank God!! I thought I was getting paralyzed or something. But at least it’s not happening only to me.

My brain has stopped working now. My body works on auto-pilot and keeps moving ahead. I have stuffed my hands inside the pockets of my jacket and keep clenching and unclenching them to keep them from freezing. If only we could reach the camp site. This is when it hits me that the mules have not overtaken us. ‘We are doomed even if we reach the campsite,’ I say to Alhad who is just in front of me. ‘The tents are with the mules, and they are somewhere far behind us.’ The bloody raincloud has been examined under a microscope, and there is no silver lining in sight. The air is heavy with gloom.

Left, right, left right, we keep treading on in the rain and the wind. Suddenly Alhad turns to me and says, ‘I can see trekkers’ huts ahead.’ My heart leaps with joy. ‘God bless these little huts,’ I exclaim. I did not know that there were trekkers’ huts at Pather Nachani. Our pace increases. In a typical so-near-yet-so-far fashion, two extra strong gusts of wind hit us and almost blow us off the trail before we reach the huts. But we march on. And FINALLY we reach the huts. Ravi, Alhad, Vineeta and I are the first ones to reach the hut with Sardar bhai. 

Once inside the hut, even though we are out of the rain and wind, we start shivering uncontrollably. I am soaked down to the bone, and my hands and feet have gone scarlet and are painfully cold. I am sure they are about to fall off. All the warm fuzzy feeling from the morning has been washed away. So far I had only heard stories about how weather in the mountains can change in the blink of an eye. But now, I have lived through it. I try to think straight, and realize that I am the only one who has my backpack with me, and have an access to dry clothes. I ask everyone to turn the other way and change into dry clothes. I pull on my thermals, my fleece jacket, my scarf and my gloves. And still keep shivering like a twig in a storm. We are worried about all the others who have not yet reached.

After about half an hour, we see the mules appearing, and almost immediately Sandeep comes in with the rest of the group. I look at everybody’s faces. Everyone is baffled, shivering, doesn’t know what to do next. People are rubbing their hands together, trying the rub the cold out of them. There are about 20 people in that small hut, and wet shoes and windcheaters and rucksacks thrown around on the floor. It looks like a hopeless situation. Spirits are low, shoulders are down.

And then I see Sandeep quietly moving around, and rallying his support team into action. Sandeep, Mahesh bhai and Guddu bhaiya create a temporary partition by holding up the foam sheets. One by one everyone changes into dry clothes behind that partition. One half of the hut is cleared out, and a plastic sheet is spread out on the floor for us to sit on. When we are finding it difficult to even move a finger, Puna bhai and the others have rolled up their sleeves and are going out into the rain and unloading the kitchen equipment from the mules. Very soon the kerosene stove is fired up, and the tea kettle sits bubbling on top of it. Onions and potatoes are being sliced up, and soon enough, golden crisp pakodas are being fished out of a wok.

All huddled up

Pakodas in the making

It’s amazing how chai and pakodas can lift the mood. It has been wonderful to see Sandeep and his team keep their cool and bring things to order. The rain has reduced now, and we make a move into the next hut. We open our sleeping bags and snuggle inside. Finally the shivering has stopped. There are a lot of speculations about whether we would be able to carry on with the trek or not. Alhad and Ravi keep saying it’s gonna be bright and sunny tomorrow, as if leaving the forces of nature no other choice but to comply with their wish. Priyanka says she will not have tea for the rest of the trek if it is sunny. Everyone is making some or the other bargain with God, to make the sun smile at us the next day. As the kitchen crew continues sending out tea, soup and dinner, the warm feeling spreads from our tummies to our hearts.

Finally, as everyone gets ready to sleep, Ravi breaks out into a beautiful song, ‘Din dhal jaaye’, and all of us join in. This is followed by more songs, sung by yesteryears musical greats Kishore, Rafi and Mukesh. When there are songs around, nothing, not even the chill in the air, can keep Rutika down. She comes to life, rendering one song after another. As I lie there humming those evergreen tunes, I think over this rollercoaster of a day. From being in the greatest of moods, to being down in the dumps, to eventually emerging from the gloom and in the end singing songs – it’s been a hell of a day. Yesterday I could not even have guessed we would be going through all this. So I try not to think about the past or the future. After all, it’s all about living in the present, isn’t it? And I must say, at present, I am not in a bad place at all…. :)

Trek to Roopkund - Part 3

Day 3 - Didna to Ali Bugyal

Ali Bugyal, our destination for today, has been claimed to be one of the most beautiful camp sites on this trek. ‘Bugyal’, in Garhwali, means a meadow. I have been dreaming about walking in the Himalayan meadows, just after the rains, when it’s all lush green, ever since I registered for this trek.

Breakfast is delicious as usual, aloo parathas and some fruits. Since today we have to walk a little longer, we get a snack pack of a boiled egg and a roasted potato. Yesterday, it was a little difficult walking in the sun, so all of us have prayed for overcast skies, but no rain. And that is precisely what we get.... :) Our prayers are being heard loud and clear.

Sardar Bhai

As we start walking, the group of 12 gets sorted into sub-

gangs depending on our pace. I find myself in front, walking just behind Sardar bhai. I ask him about his life in his village Lohajung, and his family. He has a little daughter, ‘10 saal ke aas paas hogi.’ What keeps him occupied in the non-trekking season? ‘Kuchh khaas nahi, thodi kheti hai. Humare kheto mein rajma, ramdaana hota hai.’ How many times has he been to Roopkund? ‘Plenty... I have lost count’. I ask him if we will be able to go to Junargali. (It is a little further ahead from Roopkund; a friend has recommended it to me. The view from there should not be missed out on, he had said.) Sardar bhai replies, ‘Bilkul ja sakte hai... Aap chaloge to ja sakte hai.’

The LOTR forest

We have been walking for about half an hour now, and we have entered the oak forests on these slopes. The dense trees, their barks covered with green moss, the softly drizzling rain, and the beam of sunlight making its way through the tree canopies... makes us feel like Frodo, travelling through the forest with the ring. A little further up the mountain, we come to a little cluster of huts. This place is called Tolpani. These huts are temporary set-ups by shepherds, who come to the meadows with their cattle herds for a few days. We meet a group of kids here, all of them extremely inquisitive, bright and sharp. They tell us why this place is called Tolpani. ‘Pehle yaha paani ki kami thi. Nandadevi maa yaha sabko tol ke paani deti thi.’ Hence the name ‘Tolpani’. ( Dunno how much to believe... ;) )

After a short rest, its forward march again. The climb is quite steep now, and the gap between the trekkers increases. I see a couple of locals coming from the opposite direction. They know Sardar bhai. One of them calls out to him, ‘Ye baaraat leke kaha ja rahe ho? Koi band baaja nahi hai?’ Sardar bhai points to my tired face. ‘Roopkund ja rahe hai. Lekin ye baaraat to abhi se thak gai bhaiya.’ I go red in the face. We are huffing and puffing, but this path is a piece of cake for them. I am always in awe of mountain folks – simple living, hard working, ever smiling. ‘Abhi to thaoda hi chale ho madam... abhi aage bohot chalna hai.’ They continue down the slope, and disappear from sight in moments.

This steep climb continues for a little while, and then we reach a place called ‘Tolkaan’. Its almost 12 now. There is a short break and we eat the boiled eggs and the potato. Refuelled, we continue walking. Sandeep tells us that the climb is over, its almost flat ground now. Which is bosh-talk, as we soon realise. Through the rest of the trek we would learn that when Sandeep says its flat ground, its actually steep; when he says its steep, its actually extremely steep; when Sardar bhai says its only 10 minutes more to go, its actually an hour more.

The tree line

Eventually, we reach the end of the forest. After this we won’t be seeing any more trees. The tree line, as it is called is very interesting.  One moment there are a lot of trees, one step further, there are none. This is where the meadows start. The grass is green on all sides, strewn with little colourful flowers and mushrooms. The clouds are getting thicker now, and veil the views of the valley. Jagdish sir opens his ‘pitaara’, and out come yummy gujju snacks – thepla and khakra, which all of us eagerly line up for.

Ali Bugyal

Here on, the walk is most pleasant, meandering through the lush green Bugyal, occasionally coming across a herd of cows or horses. The soft drizzle converts into insistent rain, and as the sun is on the last leg of his days journey, it starts getting quite cold. Ravi, Alhad, Vineeta and me are in front, and our pace increases considerably coz we want to reach the camp before it starts really pouring. A slight turn to the right, and we see the trekkers huts. As we reach the huts, the rain intensifies. Once everyone is in, tea is served. After a little while, at around 4, lunch is served.

 This is where we were supposed to get the first view of the great Trishul peak, but we only get to see it late in the evening when the clouds clear up a little. We have to stay cooped up in the hut because of the rain. At dinner time, nobody is really hungry. But once the food is spread out in front of us, our appetites come back. (It happens exactly the other way round at office – I lose my appetite at the sight of food.) Everybody is singing praises of Mahesh bhai’s daal and kheer.

Sleep comes easily – I dream of slopes with pretty pink and white flowers, mule bells ringing melodiously in my head.

                 

First glimpse of the snow clad peaks