Another Sunset at Triund

Sunset at Triund, Himachal Pradesh

What do You Sell to the Tourist?

I remember it was the rainbow day at Triund. We were chatting with a young local lad who was studying in Germany and had a tourism business based out of Germany too.

Rainbow at Triund, Above McLeod Ganj, Himachal Pradesh

We were discussing random things, like the trek, the snow at the Indrahar Pass, the changing weather patterns, the shopkeeper at the Snowline and the tourists visiting India. Both of us expressed a deep desire that one day we want to exchange rupees for a lot of foreign currencies so that we could back pack around the world.

Soon the talk turned to the tourists visiting Triund and McLeod Ganj.

Souvenirs for Sale at McLedo Ganj on the Roadside, Himachal Pradesh

A little while back there was one young girl who gave a piece of her mind to the shopkeeper at our camp because she thought she was asked to pay more for a room. The local lad from Germany told me, "Ma'am yahan haans kar aap dhul bhi bech sakte ho" (Ma'am, in these regions if you know how to talk nicely you should even be able to sell the dust). He was not being derogatory, he said it as a matter of fact, no boasting nothing.

Triund Story now at Gonomad

Souvenirs for Sale at McLeod Ganj.

My entire trip account about trekking through Triund, Snowline and beyond is now up at Gonomad. Do let me know what you think about it.

On our other treks, we hardly met anyone but this one was different. I did a lot of talking with people from Germany, Israel, Switzerland (she was in India for the third time and was staying for more than 6 months) and the US (the boy was staying in India for a year and he had already completed 10 months) and of course the shop owners and the guides.

But there is one conversation that has still stayed with me. I was talking to the groom at Snowline thinking that there were just two of us around. When he walked away I realized there was a figure in a sleeping bag inside the chai shop behind me.

He said, "God, the way you talk, ...

Our Itinerary for McLeoad Ganj, Triund and Lehs Cave Trip

Blue Mountain Flowers at Snowline, above Triund, Himachal Pradesh

Megha has asked for the itinerary of my recent trip to McLeod Ganj, Triund and beyond. We are not big at planning anything but here is what we did.

22/05/2009 (Friday morning)- Leave for Chandigarh by Shatabdi Express from New Delhi, we had some work in Chandigarh otherwise the straightforward way is to go to Pathankot/Chakkibank by train and take a bus for Dharamshala/McLeod Ganj from there.

22/05/2009 (Friday afternoon)- tried to take a bus to Dharamshala but we were told we missed it by a few minutes and the next one was around 6.00 pm. We did not want to wait that long and asked for advice. The bus conductors told us to go to Jwalaji and take a bus from there for Dharamshala. We reached Jwalaji by 8.00pm and decided to stay there for the night is a ghastly Rupees 400 hotel.

23/05/2009 (Saturday Morning) Got up, ate Aalo paratha (flat Indian bread stuffed with potatoes) took Avomine (both of us have bad motion sickness on hill roads) and sat in a bus for Kangra as there were no immediate buses available for Dharamshala. After Kangra, we immediately got the bus straight for McLeod Ganj.

23/05/2009 (Saturday afternoon) With two big rucksacks we finally reached McLeod Ganj. Sesha found an atrocious hotel and I agreed to stay there! Did nothing. Sesha found a trekking agency but we were told that Indrahar pass route was not yet open because of snow.

24/05/20089 (Sunday) Lazed around McLeod Ganj.

25/05/2009 (Monday morning) Started walking for Triund. Reached triund sat there, literally soaking in the Dhauladhar range.

26/05/2009 (Tuesday morning) Walked up to Snowline. Stayed there.

27/06/2009 (Wednesday morning) Walked up to Lehs cave and above. Got caught in hail while returning. And then had to put our tent down for the fear that it would get blown off in the stiff wind.

28/05/2009 (Thursday morning) Walked back to Triund, sat there, it was the rainbow day.

29/05/2009 (Friday morning) Unfortunately walked back to the civilization (Mcleod Ganj). Stayed at a marginally better hotel.

30/05/2009 (Saturday morning) Lazed around Mcleod Ganj.

30/05/2009 (Saturday afternoon) Took a bus back to Pathankot.

31/05/2009 (Sunday morning) Unfortunately we were back to reality, Delhi.

As the Dusk Falls

Another Image of the Sunset at Snowline above Triund, Himachal Pradesh

I like this sunset picture even better even though it is quite similar to the one posted two days before.

Sunset at Snowline at Triund, Himachal Pradesh

This picture was also taken on the same day as the one above but a little later. It was so cold that a few others who were out there to view/click the sunset were wearing gloves. When I went back to the Chai shop, there was soup waiting for me. But even that had gone cold.

A Wedding at 10000 Feet!

Wedding at 10,000 Feet!

There was a couple from Mumbai and their friends on this trek and the couple was getting married at a temple near the snowline called Kunalpathri! Now after 6 years of trekking this is the first time I heard of anyone getting married at this altitude in the Himalayas apart from the locals! By the evening I had the pleasure of chatting both with the bride and the groom. They decided to do so because they had first met on a trek in the mountains. They said they would have another wedding in Mumbai for family and relatives as not everyone was willing to trek. I wonder if this idea would slowly spread? This wedding was organized by the trekking agency from McLeod Ganj.

Photos from McLeod Ganj, Triund, Snowline and Lehs Cave

I finally managed to upload the pictures from Mcleod Ganj, Triund, Snowline (also know as Ilaka) and Lehs Cave.

Traveling to the mountains is always magical. I have a lot to write about and I will be mixing my UK and Himachal Pradesh posts.

Another Sunset at Snowline (above Triund) Himachal Pradesh

I got three days worth of fabulous sunsets but this one on the Day 3 of the trek was the best. And the note to self is that while shooting sunsets I should take more of the sky and less of the hills in the frame!

My Rainbow! At Triund, Himachal Pradesh

As I say, in each trek some rain must fall and we had quite a bit of it. But I would live with it every time if I get to click and see (in that order) a rainbow at the end of it.

And when I wish to write about this trip, I have to complete a report for the office (I am changing jobs too) which comes first.

But very soon, this trip account is waiting to get written.

Lazy Sunday Photo- Sunset at Snowline above Triund, Himachal Pradesh

Sunset at Snowline (also known as Ilaka), above 9000 feet, near Triund, Himachal Pradesh

I am back at Gurgaon, at last and I think I would have liked to have a few more days of hills! This is our tent (Sesha is in picture too) at sunset against part of the Dhauladhar Ranges. I have walked so much on uneven terrian that it feels strange to walk on the even floor! My feet are protesting and missing the uneven turf!

Hi from McLeod Ganj!

We are back to McLeod Ganj afte trying to trek through Indrahara Pass. No luck, too much snow as of now but enjoyed a lot below the pass. Saw a rainbow too. Pictures when I reach home tomorrow.

Dhankar Lake, Spiti

I still remember the day so clearly. Dhankar was our last stop on the Spiti Homestay Trek. And the place is magical. The Dhankar village in itself is so charming, our homestay was in a house next to the fort in ruins.The river Spiti flows by the village and the sunset was over magestic mountains which we watched from the roof of our home stay.

Flowers on the way to Dhankar Lake

I went to sleep with that day quite tired but sure that the next day I wanted to trek to the Dhankar Lake. Anjan came with me and Sesha and Dilip (my nephew) refused to wake up in the morning. And what views he missed!

Dhankar Lake, Spiti

We trekked for a little more than hour, all mildly uphill to reach the lake. And what a place it was. I consider another picture to be my best shot of Dhankar Lake but even these two pictures are no less. I was so happy to click all these reflections in the water!

Another View of Dhankar Lake, Spiti

And the best part was there were just three of us around. the lake It feels like such a long time ago (it was June 2007) yet I can remember so much about the day without any notes, just from memory. Like the flowers in the first shot, they were actually quite far away from the road and try as I might, I did not manage to get a decent shot of them. And that Anjan found my habit of stopping to take a picture of every flower on the way quite amusing. That a village heardsman stopped and insisted that I took a picture of him. That there were a lot of workers walking up hill with heavy pipes and great difficulty for some water work in progress. We ate que for dinner the night before that Dilip and Sesha did not like too much but I did!

Lazy Sunday Photo- Roopkund, Uttrakhand

Trekking to Roopkund, Uttrakhand

This picture was taken by Sesha on his way to Roopkund, a trek that I had to miss because of the viral fever I got. I think I will be able to pursuade him to do a trek report again at my blog.

Maggi Omelet in a Trek, Cooked on Wood!

One of our Group Members Cooking Omelet and Maggi on Har Ki Doon Trek, as the Canteen Owners Look and Pose for Pictures

I have to admit I am quite fond of Maggi even on an ordinary day (packaged noodles sold in India by Nestle. And as soon as you take the name of any corporation the current turmoil in the global market starts creeping in my thought process, even though Nestle is not a bank!). On treks I just love Maggi.

If you trek in the Himalayas, along the path you can find temporary canteens selling Maggi, eggs and tea (and what a pity that this year I did not manage to trek at all!) and many of us wait eagerly to come across such a canteen. With big groups like YHAI (Youth Hostel Association of India) that usually have 50 people trekking, such points get jammed. I mean 20 of us would reach together and demand Maggi or tea or some such thing.

Yet, it has always been worth the wait and food tastes so different after a long walk!

Trek to Bagini Glacier- Guest Post

Here is a guest post by Seshadri of his trek to Bagini Glacier in June, just after I came back from UK and hence could not join him. So here he goes ...


Hi,
I am seshadri, husband of Mridula. So it is not surprising that I am writing a post on her blog about my trek. I usually trek every year with my family, but this time I was to go alone, so I decided to trek with my old guide and friend Mr. Sohan Singh Bisht (see Kuari Pass). I told him to take me some place which wouldn’t be too easy. And boy this did prove to be one difficult trek to finish.

I equipped myself with a good pair of trekking shoes (salewa) from Stikage in Delhi, shoved the usual gear into a rucksack and was off. Since I was trekking I decided to shed my yuppiness from day 0. Which means taking a bus to the ISBT in Delhi and then another bus to Rishikesh. Bad decision, as it was raining throughout and the summer vacations being peak travel season, there were traffic jams near Haridwar and I reached at 1am after having left at 3pm the same day – a total time of 10 hours!! Travel advice – avoid the road take the train to Rishiskeh.

Was pleasantly surprised to know that buses to Joshimath leave Rishikesh leave every hour from 3am. It’s a good idea to take the earliest bus, because the ride lasts 12 hrs. If you already haven’t been to this side of Uttaranchal then you might be awed by the Alaknanda (joins the Ganges) but a seasoned cynic like me cant help notice the uniform drabness of the shanty towns enroute. You drive via devprayag, rudraprayag, karnaprayag and nandprayag. These are all holy spots where piligrims take a dip in the Ganges. There is very little for the tourist here especially an atheistic one like me. You will find no public toilets on the way. The plentiful eating joints which you will encounter hawk their ‘bathrooms’ along with their parathas. They usually have no running water and the lesser described the better.

Joshimath is the mandatory halt overnight for passengers traveling to Badrinath as the traffic stops after midnight. And all the honking Sumos and Qualis and Innovas full of nauseated passengers are dumped here overnight. The eateries make brisk business and you encounter the same coarse rudeness of the plains from the dhabawallas. All the beautiful people of the hills don’t live at Joshimath, they live in villages above it and beyond.

I met my guide and decided that we’d be off after a day’s rest for me. We loaded up on the rations, as there were no eating joints on the trek route. Ponies do walk this route but since I was only one fella, my guide just brought his pal along and they divided the luggage mostly among themselves. We had to hire a jeep to take us to our starting point some 30kms from Joshimath a place called Ruing.

Bagini Glacier

Day 1 – My knees were a bit shattered after I walked up nearly 5kms to Auli on my rest day as part of acclimatization. Thankfully the first day’s walk lasted only about an hour till we reached Ruing village. Population of about 50-75, I was enamoured by the sudden calm of the place. I played with a new born calf and chatted up with a middle-aged man there. They were all landowners (a man gets tied up to his land ...) and were employed in the hydel project below or had family members working as trekking guides in Joshimath. We opened our bags set up shop in the panchayat house. I was puzzled to learn that an abandoned building there was actually a medical centre and the guy who was playing cricket there was a local physician doing research on local herbs and medicinal plants.He was a paid government employee on duty. The ways of the mammary welfare state are indeed mysterious. I walked about a bit, thought profound things, ate a heavy meal and went to sleep. Woke in the dead of the night sweating like a pig and threw up my dinner. I was more irritated than worried because now my trek would become difficult as I was considerably weakened.

Rishi Kund

Day 2 - Decided to rest an extra day at Ruing to gather my strength.

Day 3- The world was at my feet again and off we went to Dronagiri village. The route was steep and green in the middle of thick forests (I always miss the trees for the wood), butterflies, waterfalls and landslides. Standard fare for a seasoned trekker but thankful of the fact. Reached the village after 4-5 hrs of climbing. Dronagiri is a beautiful village hundred’s of years old with a population of about 100. The teenaged kids here were very smartly dressed in jeans and t-shirt and designer shoes. This was clearly the influence of television and plains. The villages here migrate to near Chamoli during winter and all the distractions of the plains are picked up from there. There is no electricity/telephone from Dronagiri.The route to Nandi kund and Canary pass is visible from Dronagiri. See photos.

Rishi Pahad (Peak)

Day 4- I didn’t sleep that night probably because of the altitude and by morning I was feeling a bit dazed. This day the route to Bagini glacier was to be the longest and I didn’t feel really well when I started off at 9 in the morning. The route climbs over the pass to the left and comes steeply down to the river over which is a concrete bridge. The fury of the river was breathtaking and I spent many spell bound minutes by its bank. The vegetation quickly turned from meadows to boulder ridden rocky terrain. It started to rain by late morning and never let up the entire day. We had to cross the river by jumping over it and since it was getting to late afternoon the current was strong. I am chicken hearted when it comes to skipping over slippery stones, so at my request we undid our shoes and waded into the water. The sensation of near freezing water on your warm and dry feet is pleasurably painful. The pain comes once you leave the water and your feet stings for a few minutes. All the adrenaline rush drained me off whatever energy I had left and from there on it was a slow plod till I reached the camp site at 5 pm, a total walk time of 8 hrs.

What was most beautiful was the passage of mist from down below over you and beyond. It was a continuous cycle that would reveal peaks on either one direction. My raincoat came in handy as a kitchen tent, as it continued to pour well into the night.

Chang-Bhang Peaks

Day 5- Still alive. The sky had cleared near Rishi Pahar and my guide said now was the only time to take pics. I still had to walk up a couple of kilometers to the glacial lake called Rishi Kund before Changbang, Kalhanka came into view. It was a slow and painful trudge right in the morning after a difficult day. I made it though and my guide said I was the first guy in his group who could come make it this far. I am sure the trek isn’t all that difficult, just that the altitude can play havoc with your body.

Just 2 years previously 2 Mexican climbers had perished climbing Changbang and my mind boggled at what they had tried to achieve. The immense massif of Changbang looked so remote and the peak unattainable.

View from Drongiri

Day 6- Rest day at Bagini glacier, went down to where the river vanished underneath the glacier, it emerges some 2 kms down. My 2 Chinese alkaline cells had run out and I couldn’t get many pictures this day. Strange, how a day passes by in the mountains with any sense of boredom.

Flowers at Bagini Glacier

Day 7- Back to Dronagiri , knees shattered. Chatted up with a teenager there, who said he lived with his mother in the hut and has been there for 6 months. He said how he liked the place and never felt the need to be away. I was touched by their simple if harsh lifestyle and this is what I carry back from the trek.

Day 8- Back to Ruing and Joshimath.

Rappling- A Few of the 'Adventure' Stuff I Have Done

Rappling Down a Rock, Sankari, Har-Ki-Doon Base Camp 2004

I had clicked this picture for our camp leader (and who turned out to be a good friend too, he visited us more than once when he has been in Delhi) on the Har-Ki-Doon trip. I too tried this activity and came down the rock without too much of a sweat. Then my younger nephew tried it and he slipped, got up and then came down. Unfortunately there are no pictures of ours.

That reminds me, during this trek, I had a very nasty Yashika film camera that used to jam the film at will. And you guessed it right, when we started walking from Seema to Har-Ki-Doon, the most most beautiful day of the walk, that damn camera jammed. That is when our camp leader handed us his digital camera for the rest of the trek. I mean that was really large hearted of him and whenever I remember this trek, I do think of his gesture with a lot of fondness.

Why Do We Run to the Mountains?

Mountains on the Kuari Pass Trek, Uttrakhand

At the first opportunity, Sesha and I head to the mountains. And winters are no exception. Recently it was my husband's birthday and hesulks and cribs if taken through the restaurant and movie routine. However, as his birthday came squarely in the middle of the week there was no way we could travel. So, this time around it had to be the restaurant and movie routine or nothing. As soon as we entered one of numerous malls that have mushroomed in Gurgaon, he told me, "You know what? I never feel relaxed at this place." And by this place he meant malls in general. I had to agree with him. I think that is why we run to the hills, it is very different there, quiet, peaceful and relaxing.

One of these days, a colleague of mine was also joking, "Why do you have to walk all day to feel relaxed, I mean I need all the creature comforts to have a good vacation." I agree, on a trek creature comforts are actually missing but then that is the only time I when I try to think about things that are of earth shattering importance to me :) With a big flat rock and miles of serenity I manage to think better, in fact that is the only time I manage to think and gain some perspective :) That is another reason why I long for treks and mountains.

And this is part nostalgia and part crib too, as I said after five long years it has happened that I am not sure if I am trekking this summer or not. I better manage it somehow or I will die with envy when others come back from some trek and show me the pictures.

No Trekking Plans for Sure this Summer!

Ladakh- The Food Place Near Pangong Lake

Since 2003, every summer we have trekked or at least tried to trek. Tried as in we went trekking but could not complete the Markha Valley Trek in Ladakh, as I took ill.

In the summer of 2003 it was Saar Pass

In the summer of 2004 it was Har Ki Doon

In the summer of 2005 it was the unfinished trek in Ladakh

In the summer of 2006 it was Kuari Pass

In the summer of 2007 it was Spiti

So, of course, I feel quite like a fish out of water as I am not sure whether I will be able to trek this summer or not. I mean there could be some work related travel (but this one is with a big 'maybe'). Of course, my family merrily told me that if I am not coming they are trekking on their own and anyway my nephews are much better trekkers than me, Sesha only likes to think so! I am keeping my figures crossed. I mean I don't know which one I want more.

Finally, the Spiti Tale!

Magnificent Spiti

Months after I actually trekked in Spiti, my travel tale is up at the Gonomad website. I even got poked by Priyank that it was about time I wrote this tale. Here is a short excerpt from the article-

The walk from Komik to Demul was the longest. It took us 6 hours, though I met a gentleman from Austria who said he did it in 3 hours. Hats off to him, is all I can say. It was the day when I realized that when pushed a lot my back is capable of hurting like mad.

However, the route was so beautiful and the weather pleasant due to a clouded sky. At our lunch point we were visited by Yaks, who came to drink from the same source as us! But at that time, I found it difficult to eat and was lying flat on my back waiting for others to finish the lunch.

Those Who Trek ...

... not always like it. I found this well written account of Jamie about his trekking experience of the Annapurna Circuit in Nepal. He says-

When most trekkers get to Jomsom, our nominee’s starting point, they’ve already been trekking for two weeks and they’ve just crossed the 17,000 feet+ Thorung La. They normally complete the Jomsom stage in about 4 days. Our bloke took a week.

His legs simply don’t work any more.

Bits of him ache that he previously didn’t even know existed.

Even I have wondered on so many treks that why do all my vacations involve walking from morning to evening and then trying to relax so that I can walk some more the next day. But then I think trekking defies logic! After every trek, I look ahead for trekking some more.

PS. I saw the reference to Jamie's post first at Indiamike on a thread discussing how to get your significant other let you trek!

PPS. Cross posted at Blogharti too.

Full of Stones or so it Seems Sometimes!

We encountered this stone filled track on the Kuari Pass trek. Why does it seem to resemble life at certain point? I know, I know, I have no right to crib. But just felt like it.

Kuari Pass Trek, Uttranchal Himalayas, India

We decided to trek through Kuari Pass, in Uttranchal Himalayas and the journey started from New Delhi. It was raining for the most of the journey and when we reached Rishikesh at 12 midnight, it was still raining. I was quite disappointed and I started bugging my husband that maybe we will not be able to trek at all if it rained like this. He too got confused for a while and we considered alternatives but he pacified me, saying if it would rain too much we would trek through Valley of Flowers instead.

So we checked into Gaurav Hotel, which is just in front of the bus stand and it is nothing to write home about. The only saving grace: no carpet that would stink and relatively clean washroom.

Next morning, we started for Joshimath on this Khatara (uncomfortable) bus. Our journey for the Kuari Pass Tek had finally started. It was full of pilgrims intending to visit Badrinath, which is quite close to Joshimath. Both of us have motion sickness and have no option but to get zonked on Avomine.

The Journey Begins in Earnest: Two of Our Fellow Passengers on the way to Joshimath

The journey was the usual bus journey with lovely view of the river Ganga, stops at Dhabas for lunch and tea, the aching limbs and the fervent wish that we may reach soon. Most of the time, because of taking Avomine, we both fall asleep and miss the view.

This bus had particularly sharp edge (I kept my tracksuit top on it) where I rested my hands on the window and I hit my head on the seat in front so bad a few times that I had small bumps (blame it on Avomine induced sleep) till two days after.

We Liked their Philosophy: Our Trekking Agency for the Kuari Pass Trek

When we travel, we never book a hotel in advance (don’t ask me why, ask H) or decide on a trekking agency we would use. While we were walking to a hotel with huge rucksacks (and shoes tied to them), a young guy asked us if we were here to trek? He pointed out Grand Adventures to us and we were sold on their punch line 'Where you come from is not nearly as important as where you are going!' We liked their philosophy and decided to give them a try. They gave us good rates and ultimately we trekked with them. Our guide's name is Sohan Singh Bisht (Sonu and I recommend him highly as a guide) and not only he is an excellent guide but an excellent cook too, a much appreciated quality by both of us! He along with our two horsemen (young lads really, of 18-19 years of age) told us so many fascinating stories. And by the time we reached Joshimath, the rains had completely disappeared. We really had a sunny trek this time.

Ropeway To Auli from Joshimath

The starting point of our trek was Auli, and one can take a jeep to Auli from Joshimath, but that would have meant Avomine and being zonked again. So, we decided to take the ropeway along with Sonu. We were quite scared that the state government authorities would not let us take so much of luggage on the ropeway but they were really nice and helpful. I have high praise for them for treating us with a lot of consideration. Our horses were waiting for us in Auli. We started quite late on the first day but it really did not matter, as we covered a very short distance.

.
A Temple (built by ITBP) on the Way to Gurson Baghyal from Auli

We walked barely for 45 minutes when our guide told us we would be camping for the day. Our guide helped us pitch our tent and then took over the kitchen! Very soon we realized we had forgotten to bring sugar. But our guide, with the help of the young lads managed to get it from some village. As I said earlier, Sonu cooked excellent food and we feasted throughout this trek.

Our Home in the Hills: The First Day of the Kuari Pass Trek

Crossing Gurson Baghyal: The Second Day of the Kuari Pass Trek

From the second day we started trekking in earnest, and we camped at the base of Kuari Pass. We decided to sit there idle for one day, as the views were fabulous. Usually, people camp at Chitrakanta but our guide took us further probably to compensate for the little walking we did on day one.

Nandadevi Peak

We got the most wonderful views from Kuari Pass base and I share a few of them below.

The Hathi-Ghori Peak: Views on the Third Day of the Kuari Pass Trek

Chaukhamba Peaks: The Views on the Third day of the Kuari Pass Trek

After sitting for one day we were raring to go and our guide set us a really ambitious target. We had to reach Pana (skipping two campsites along the way), and even he was anxious, as to how long we would take. We started at seven in the morning and crossed Kuari Pass and continued walking on and on and on ... We walked for nine hours that day and even the locals would feel surprised that we managed to cover all that distance in one day. We feasted on Maggi in the evening before dinner and this was the most tiring day of our trek. The day after this was moderate and we camped at, Jhinji.

From Jhinji, we again had a long day, a walk of 8 hours. I thought people would be quite convinced that I can do this walk as I had done the nine hour day without any complaint. But it was not to be.

By now, our rations were really getting light and H kept joking that if I can't walk, then I can sit on a horse and complete the trek! He also kept harping on how playing TT (I play table tennis almost daily) can never keep me fit. The guide also chimed in a few times with H. I decided to teach H a lesson.

Look What We Found: Day Six of the Kuari Pass Trek

When I walk on a trek my head is usually in the trees, flowers, hills and peaks or the stream that is flowing by. But on our walk from Jhinji to Dhuni, I kept it firmly on the path and I started with my former athlete tread and then I do not stop much (a lifetime ago, I could run ten kilometers without too much sweat). We climbed two hills that day to reach our destination and H kept struggling to keep pace.

We took a small break (where H is posing with the buffalo skull above) and after he reached there panting, much later (OK, maybe not that much later, but still after me) I told him he could use the horse if he felt like it. I also asked for his opinion on TT again and it had changed considerably in the short span of time!

Our walk downhill was a really tough one as the road was full of loose stones and believe me, itne pathron per tou mein jindagi mein kabhi nahin chali hun (I have never walked on so many stones in my entire life). Even now my knees hurt.

Please Don't Leave Plastic Behind: Litter on the Kuari Pass Trek Route

Kuari Pass trail is not that littered but in the pictures above you can see the typical haul for a day. Both H and I try to pick up as much plastic as we can from the way but sometimes we are just too tired to bend down one more time or go after a off the track piece. We burn it at the camp later. If you have a better suggestion to deal with the plastic problem, do drop in a comment.

Village Dhuni: The Last Stop on the Kuari Pass Trek

The last stop on our trek was quite close to this village and the kids have a favorite hobby, they hang around the campsite and just sit and stare at you! Quite unnerving if you ask me.

The Bridge that Leads to the Roadhead to Ghat:the End of Walking at the Kuari Pass Trek

The last day's walk was relatively easy and we soon reached the road head and once again back to the reality. Oh! and if you trek through Kuari Pass, the villagers consider you either Ungrez (Foreigner! imagine me, dark and sunburned on top of that, being mistaken for a foreigner) or a bangali (Bengali, which is far from ture but at least West Bengal is in India). For the local people no one else treks!

PS. More pictures of this trek are here and here.

My First Trek: Sar Pass (Himanchal Pradesh)

My husband and I took a trek in the Indian Himalayas from May 17 to May 27, 2003. I still dream about it, it was so incredibly beautiful. As I am writing this, I can see this one is going to be really long! Have patience with me.

My husband has trekked before but this was the first trek for me. He didn't want to scare me off by taking on a very difficult one. Searching for options we stumbled upon YHAI (Youth Hostel Association of India). They offer choice of three locations in the Himalayas for trekking in summer and have various other programs. Their website is:

http://www.yhaindia.org/default.aspx

The trek starts at a base camp in Kasol, in the state of Himanchal Pradesh (HP). Kasol can be reached from India's capital New Delhi both by bus and train. By train one has to go to Chandigarh and then take a bus to Manali (a famous hill station) and get down at Bhuntar. From Bhuntar all the buses going to Manikaran pass via Kasol. Manikaran is famous for its hot water springs. Else, one can straight away take a bus from Delhi to Manali, get down at Bhuntar and follow the route.

After coming from the plains in the Indian summer where temperatures sore to 40 degree centigrade or more, I was greeted a view of tents pitched on a small flat piece of land, next to which river Parvati was flowing and facing it were snow capped peaks (Pin Parvati) looming high in a distance. And this was just the base camp. It was so soothing for our frayed nerves of metropolitan life. Whenever I was out of my tent (which was for most of the time) I would just keep looking at those peeks. On the day of reporting there are no activities scheduled though we were a day late for reporting but were accommodated in our original group.

The second day at base camp was spent in morning exercises followed by an acclimatization walk and a briefing in the evening about our route and expected behavior of us. Believe me, it is required as people seem so prone to leaving all kind of litter behind. The second is devoted to morning exercises and some rock climbing but this is not really required during the trek so they are pretty lenient about it. Third day and you are off to the actual stuff.

Before I start describing the trek, I will put in a quick word about YHAI and their organization of the trek. The whole show is run on a ‘not for profit’ basis and by volunteers, who themselves are experienced trekkers. They are called camp leaders. They are stationed at every stop, often two to three people along with the cooking staff. So at every stop we are greeted by ready tent and food for us. There cannot be any greater luxury than this after a day spent walking through the thick. There are camp leaders who have been coming every year since 1978! In the month of May every day batches leave in group of 50 and keep walking between these campsites. Such a crowd is managed every day in camps efficiently. I have a few peeves with YHAI but they are really minor and I will touch on them at the end.

An Old Lady in Village Grahan

A Waterfall on the Way to Grahan

Scene from Padari Base Camp

Crossing a Stream

The groups that trek with YHAI contain people who are novice and not really fit, to really good trekkers. It has been designed such that a person who does nothing much their day apart from normal school/office going activities and occasional walking, too can complete it. The food they serve is Indian vegetarian and they do not allow you to smoke and consume alcohol while on trek (people do it at higher altitudes, but if you are caught, you might be sent back). Every night there is a campfire if the weather permits it but no burning of wood.

So coming back to the actual stuff, on the third day we started at 8.30 in the morning from our base camp for our first stop from base camp Kasol was to Grahan.

Kasol to Grahan: When we started, we were asked to leave in a single file with all the girls in front (we were 12 in number) and we used to hate this arrangement, the view is blocked by row of rucksacks and for heaven's sake I wanted to walk with my husband. Well, after walking for 200 meters all of us would go to wherever we wanted and fall in our own groups. The route was around 9 km. and we had to reach our destination by 4.00 in the evening.

Grahan is actually a small village and the last populated place on the trek. The way is through lush green forest and we were walking upstream on a river, waterfalls could also be spotted along the way. The route was fairly easy and we had a nice time going close to the river wherever it offered a patch safe enough. At midday we had lunch in a group of around ten near the river. Imagine the joy of drinking cool water straight from it! However, we were in for a surprise as the last two kilometers were steep uphill. Being moderately fit, I had no problem in completing it. Upon arrival we were greeted by the camp leaders and were offered tea, snacks and a little later soup. The idea is to force us to drink plenty of water. It was still daylight when we had dinner. At sundown it was time for campfire and then bed. All the twelve girls were in one tent and my husband in another, but then we were on a trek and not a honeymoon, so I didn't mind. Next day after breakfast we were off to Padri.

Grahan to Padri: This was the easiest day we had in the entire trek. The route was again scenic, through forest, dotted with purple Iris and giving a better view of the snowcapped peaks that were visible through our base camp. In Padri there is grassland where locals graze their animals. We kept meeting them on the way. Our tents were also pitched in the same grassland. From here on, call of the nature has to be answered in the open. The view around this grassland was smashing. In the distance was Pin Parvati again looming high and covered in snow in patches. Watching sun set on it was an amazing experience. There were flat rocks throughout the ground and sitting on one, I was having my dinner with my husband watching the sunset. We were wondering what a resort would charge for a view like this! Then I guess for such views we have to take some trouble and go near them.

By this time all of us were settled in our own groups. My husband and I would keep together for most of the time but we would often walk between this group from Bhopal (a city in MP state) and another one from Gujrat and would join them whenever we wanted or they cared for. By the end of the trek we were exchanging addresses. Again after sundown it was time for bed and early off to next day to Ratapani. Till Padri we were following arrow marks and walking on our own.

Snow Snow Everywhere

Sliding Down at Sar Pass

Footprints on Snow

Walking Fron Nagaru to Biskeri Via Sar Pass

Padri to Ratapani: From here on, the way is uphill and the distance traveled roughly 10 kilometers everyday. The route becomes increasingly beautiful as we are gaining height. The flora has started changing again and there are flowers of different kind now. We are almost at the snowline. It has also started raining. We were enjoying ourselves at a stream when rain hit us hard for the first time. All of us went into our rain sheets but still it is uncomfortable. Fortunately the rain did not last long. From Padri up to this point of stream we had a guide with us (a local villager) as the forest was dense.

The local people set up small tea stalls along all the camps, and we were eagerly looking forward to this one. After hot cups of tea, we started again to our destination. The way was again uphill till the end but it was manageable. The view from the camp side was breathtaking. Tents were pitched in a flat piece of land. Next to it were rocks of medium size and beyond it stretched completely snow covered peaks of Himalayas. We were told that they look magnificent when the sun rises from behind, and I agree as I saw them in the morning.

It rained heavily in the evening but a few of us were in the tea stall tent next to our camp and we enjoyed the rain and the view for quite some time. We had to eat inside the tent as it was still raining till dinner time and we could see the snow falling in the distance. After sometime the rain stopped and we were out again till we felt like sleeping. The next day we were off to Nagaru, the most famous and feared campsite.

Ratapani to Nagaru: Ngaru is the gateway to Sar Pass. Nagaru is where wind speed is so high that at times it has blown off the tents (we were told this by none other than the Camp director at the base). Nagaru is where there is snow everywhere. We started from Ratapani around 9.00 am. The way is completely uphill. We had lunch at a particularly beautiful spot. What I remember most is watching an eagle circle below us is huge graceful sweep for quite sometime. I am used to looking up at them from the ground and not sitting above them! It was incredible. It was also along this route that we saw snow close at hand for the first time in this trek and for me in life! It was a dirty brown patch of old snow but still I went off route to touch it and stand by it for some time. It rained on this day too but not heavily. However, there were patches of snow that were melting and it caused some problem to get over it. As I turned one last bent for Nagaru, it was just white everywhere. We were finally in snow. I was jumping all over, but not literally, as it was so slippery. A few of our group members guided me through.

The view from the campsite cannot be described in words. I was told by someone “ma'am look that way, you are in heaven.” I had to agree with that young chap. The campsite is small, one way leads back to Ratapani, other to Saar pass. The rest were steep falls and miles and miles of snow and high peaks. Though initially the weather was full of mist it cleared eventually. Along the tents was freshly fallen snow. In middle a rock that is considered holy by the locals. All of us were fooling around in the snow and trying to learn how to walk on it without falling. The temperature was freezing. After the usual tea and soup, we were told to hurry up or it might start snowing again. The serving staff added maybe for ten hours. I replied that “it may, but why are you scaring us off?” He smiled and said “no, I can't see you scared.” Well I was not.

Frozen Sar Pass

Biskeri

Another View from Biskeri

In this camp we are packed off to bed at 7.30 in the evening as we have to get up at 3.00 in the morning and try to leave as early as we can, so that we can cross the pass before snow starts melting. So by 4.30 we were off and we had two guides with us, taking us every inch of the way.

Nagaru via Sar Pass to Biskeri: The initial part of the trek was smooth. The most stupid thing I did on this trek was not to wear a proper trekking shoe but a jogger. It was payback time.

The incredible thing is that a person puts a tea stall even in this region! He treks with us and goes back after a point. A stray dog came with us all the way from base camp to base camp!

After this tea stall I found that my grip was not so sure and at two spots, one of the guides literally held my hand and see me through, leaving a huge dent in my ego. I blamed my husband heavily for not advising me properly for the trekking shoes as he had walked on snow before and knew what it would be like. But what made me forget all this was the slides.

By this time we were walking in snow and all over were high peaks of snow and more snow. There was a very light snowfall along the way. Peaks of other famous mountains like Deo Tibba are visible from here. The highest point we touched was 14,000 feet. The climb at certain point in this route is such that we have to sit and slide down on the fall, it is impossible to walk on the other side of it. Sitting on snow and sliding through is to be experienced and not described. There were three such slides and the last one puts us on the way to the other camp Biskeri. It was the sliding that made me forget my miserable shoes and slipping on snow.

After this third slide we are on our own again and out of snow. The peaks are around but we are not walking on it. At the end of this slide is canteen too, where we hogged on Maggi (noodles) and omelet before starting again.

Biskeri is called the royal campsite of the Sar Pass trek. The small flat land of campsite is surrounded by snow covered peaks in a distance. The stream that we used for drinking purposes and cleaning had small flowers all around it, yellow and red. The setting sun would give glowing colors to the peaks. After dinner I lingered for a long time outside before going to bed.

Biskeri to Bandaktach: This was our last campsite. The route was downhill and we took it easy. The snow capped peaks were still with us. This campsite again is very beautiful with tents pitched in a small grass land and snow covered peaks all around. It rained for sometime but when it cleared it was beautiful. Late in the night there was a faint moon glowing and stars lit the sky. Next day we were off to our base camp again and back to roads and civilization. The funny thing is that river Parvati was still flowing as majestically and the Pin Parvati peaks were still there at the base camp but it was not enough. I had seen so much more, that I will surely return for another trek in the Himalayas, but in some other region as there is so much to see.

Before I wind off this one peeve that I have with YHAI, due to some reason I did not find them friendly to couples and by that I mean even married couples. Girls were always asked to walk in the front and men at the back. It was OK as we would walk as we please as soon as we were out of the campsite but I wonder why this was required. Anyway the magical pathway we took and the care YHAI took about our food, sleeping bags and tents (of course we would clean up the tent before leaving but that was the minimum expected of us), was an excellent introduction

An Ode to my Departed Ladakh Pictures

I had 400 plus pictures from my recent trip (June, 2005) to Ladakh. Like a fool I saved them in 'my pictures' folder on C drive. Like a fool I did not write a CD and like a fool again I did not transfer them to the other system at my home from my laptop. Then the hard disk on my laptop crashed. Only D drive data could be retrived. Apaprt from a few photos that I have on my blog and 50 that I have on webshots all others are gone! Today I am posting a few of my favorite existing ones and lament the ones that are gone.

On the Way to Ganda La, Ladakh

This one is again taken on the trek route and I love the clear blue sky and the pebbles in the picture. But I lament so sorely many other trek route photographs that included some glorious sunsets.

Wild Rose Bush, Ladakh

This photograph was taken on a trekking route on the way to Rumbak and I love it because the blooming flowers provide such a sharp contrast to the otherwise bleak scene. But I lament a lovely yellow rose bush photograph that I took near the hotel I stayed. The kids playing near it offered me a few of its flowers too, one day when I was passing by.

Spitok, Ladakh

We had to leave our trek mid way as I took unwell. When we came back to our starting point, we sat at a tea stall. In the photo you can see the gate leading to the tea stall. There was a bridge near it and I took at least 50 pictures that day. A few of them I uploaded but the rest are gone.

Pangong Lake, Ladakh

This is my most magnificient shot of the Pangong lake and I am happy it survived. But my husband and I took at least 100 shots of the Pangong lake and a few had our faces in it too, which I do not upload anywhere! All of them gone. And both of us to be blamed for it.

Only one good thing has come out of it and that is our resolve to visit Ladakh again, sometime soon.

I Stumbled!

When I started working in the higher education sector in India, it turned out to be a real eye opener for me. When I was studying, I either went to better places or our generation was a bit more tractable. When I started teaching, I found the first two places completely impossible. This period of gloom lasted around two years. But I will write about that some other day. I will write about one good thing that came out of it.

My husband and I have always been fond of traveling but before I was really thrown into bad jobs, traveling for me was a nice change. But now it has become a religion. In between the breaks both my husband and I, dream about the vacations we are going to take later!

Our Trek through Har-Ki-Doon, Uttrakhand

It also happened that during my bad jobs I had zero opportunity to do research. I used to feel very restless then. It was then I started trying to write either in magazines or for websites. I started with the Indian ones and most of the time I never even got replies for my queries or unsolicited manuscripts. If I sent them by post after 2 to 3 months I would get a reject card! Even with the foreign publications it usually was no reply.

Our Recent Trip to Leh

Then one day when I was browsing the net, somewhere I saw a bunch of travel websites. One of them was http://www.gonomad.com/.

If you take a look at my post:

http://traveltalesfromindia.blogspot.com/2005/09/one-tale-from-abroad-most-unusual-walk.html

It is a watered down version of what I sent to GoNOMAD.com. And to my surprise I got a reply from them within three hours! Of course they rejected it. But getting a reply that fast itself was so reassuring, after all someone was reading whatever I was trying to write.

That got me hooked, and sometime later I sent them another story (on Goa) and this time I did not get an immediate reply. That raised my hopes. I thought, if they had to reject it they would have done it immediately. Later, I got a mail where they asked me for photographs related to the story. That raised my hopes still higher. Finally, that story came on their website after nearly three months and the check came one month later after the publication. In India the foreign currency checks take more than 15 days to get cashed, and I have still not seen the money in my account. But, it has turned out to be such a thrilling experience. The story on Goa can be found at:

http://www.gonomad.com/alternatives/0508/goa.html

After this, I tried searching for other sites that pay, and though I found a few that do, but so many that do not. I tried very hard to find another website where I could send my other two stories but after my initial search proving so fruitless, I got lazy. I again sent them my two stories and they again have asked for the photos after a long time!

Before I sign off, some of the best stories that I found on GoNOMAD are listed below:

Photography Tips:

http://www.gonomad.com/traveldesk/0505/photographers_advice.html

To Drive or to be Driven?

http://www.gonomad.com/transports/0505/ireland_drive_or_bus.html

On Paris

http://www.gonomad.com/destinations/0508/paris.html

I may continue writing travel stories and looking for avenues to publish them or I may get busy with my job, but either way I am going to remember GoNOMAD for giving me the first avenue for my stories.

An Attempt to Trek in the Markha Valley, Ladakh and a Story

Near Ganda-La, Ladakh

When we went to Ladakh this year in June 2005, our aim was to trek from Spitok to Hemis, which is also known as Markha Valley trek. After two days of taking rest in Leh, we started the trek. The first day itself, I developed a violently upset stomach. To tell you the truth, I guess the damage was done in New Delhi itself when I ate mushroom Momos in Connaught Place. But generally, I have a very strong stomach and I did not pay too much attention to the rumblings from New Delhi.

So on the first day of trek as we were camping in a place called Zinchen, I was paying many visits to answer the nature's call. My husband was getting worried and he started asking me if we should head back? I wanted to continue. So, we walked for the second day, and I was walking like a zombie. Still, we reached Rumbak and camped there. My stomach was not too well even now. We decided that we would walk for one more day and see what happens after that. The above photograph is from the third day of walk. We started early in the morning from Rumbak to Ganda-La base. We must have walked for at least three to four hours (OK, we walk slowly, locals will cover the same distance in probably less than an hour) and then we discovered just this house, standing all alone in the wilderness. It is at least one hour’s walk from Rumbak (the place has no motorable road, though locals can use a pony) and on the other side, the nearest habitation is at least four to five hours walk away. Again, there is no other means of transport, apart from a pony. Can you imagine living in such a place?

Lady near Ganda- La, Ladakh

The lady in the picture was working in the field in front of the house. She very kindly posed for me twice and was quite delighted to see her snap on the LCD screen of my camera. Nearby, a much younger woman was washing a few vessels in a stream and a young kid was playing next to her. The tea stall for trekkers on this route was run by a couple of this house. In all, probably they are five people living together (or maybe more, I cannot be sure, but how big can the number be?) in this house, away from everything. I wonder how it would be like.
As, for our trekking the Markha Valley, we had to return from Ganda-La base, a little distance ahead from this house, as I just could not recover from my bad stomach. I was very disappointed but Ladakh is so beautiful and the other places that we visited, made up for the unfinished trek.

Off the Beaten Track

My husband has a penchant for walking on any Indian mountain trail that diverts from the main road. I am usually given two options- either to walk with him or wait for him in the hotel room.

Otherwise he is a pretty sane person. But as soon as he sees a mountain trail in the Himalayas all logic deserts him. Till date I have always dragged my feet along with him.

We were walking in Dalhousie (India) once at the forest reserve Kala Top. He spotted a dirt road and wanted to follow it. Thankfully, a forest reserve officer came to my rescue. He told us we cannot go there without a guide. We returned back to our hotel. But the respite proved to be short lived. Next day, my husband found a guide and we marched about 12 kilometers through forest from Kala Top to Khajjiyar. No doubt Khajjiyar is very beautiful but it can also be reached by bus or taxi from Dalhousie or Kala Top in less than half an hour. But not when my husband is around.

Next time it happened when we were walking around Renuka Lake near Nahan. Again, he saw a dirt road leading to a Parashuram Temple ahead at 10 kilometers. Again we took that road after a feeble attempt on my part to protest. After 8 kilometers uphill, I was completely spent. My husband of course saw the temple, which anyway was just an excuse. We did not find any lunch on the way. So I logged a total of 16 kilometer that day on an empty stomach. I had the best tasting Maggi noodles and omelet that evening once we came back to our hotel.

It happened at to me Chail and Almora too. The only time my husband admitted defeat was at Jageshwar when I started feeling giddy and refused to move an inch. Little wonder then, that soon after we have graduated to full time trekking.

Markha Valley Trek, Ladakh, India

Near Ganda-La, Ladakh (Photo uploaded in Augutst 2009)

I will be doing the Markha Valley trek in Ladakh (India) this June. I was searching google to see what others have to say about it. From the number of travel tour operaters offering the Markha Valley trek it seems half the world would be doing it. I hope it is not going to get crowded even there. But, maybe I am getting worried needlessly. Crowd in Delhi is one thing and it should mean something else altogether in Ladakh. At least that is what I hope for.

The idea of the trek, for us, is to escape the crowd which we find in plenty almost everywhere in India. I am a bit worried about high altitude sickness though. Still, the thought of sleeping in a tent again and living right in the middle of nature's splender for atleast fifteen days does manage to sooth my worry ridden mind. But the question is for how long after coming back from Markha and Ladakh? I hope for a long long time, till I find more peaceful employment. Boy! if you have stayed in a bad job you will probably understand what I mean.