Day-9 & Day-10: Travel at Rishikesh, Haridwar & Delhi

Day-9 & Day-10: June 19^th, Travel at Rishikesh, Haridwar & Delhi It was the day geared up for doing rafting at Rishikesh and attending the famed arti ritual service for mother Ganges at Haridwar. River rafting at Rishikesh is renowned all over the world and is considered one of the best for it's easy access to level-4 rapids(level-1 is easy and level-6 is toughest). Rishikesh is also sometimes referred to as “World Capital of Yoga” as there innumerable number of Yoga centers available here which teach different types of Yoga. Our hotel manager arranged rafting service for us and we were given three options: 2-hour rafting which would cover 8 km, 4-hour which would cover 16 km and 8-hour rafting which covers 24 km. He told that the first one will not offer much thrill and it is mostly done by families and advised us to go either for second or third options. As we didn't had much time, we opted for the second one and we traveled 10-12 km to reach the base point where we will be starting rafting.

There were many groups who came to do rafting here and we had to wait for some time before we could enter the boat. We were given life jackets and helmet for protection and a paddle for each. We had to split into two groups as the boat can accommodate only 8 of us. We were accompanied by a guide who gave us some basics in rowing while rafting and made us comfortable by making us to practice some basic lessons. We had to drop our cell phones and cameras in a dry bag as water is going to get all over the boat. 

Once we were on the river, we started rowing and the flowing river made our job much easier before we faced our first rapid where we popped in, out, over the rapid within a few seconds. We were in a state of adrenaline rush and eagerly waiting for the next rapids. At some places along the river, the rapids were so turbulent that our boat got elevated and we needed to do sharp maneuvers to prevent our boat from capsizing. After facing some rough and more turbulent rapids, we came on a point where the turbulence of the river reduced and we could do diving there. We enjoyed as much swimming in the flowing river as on the boat during the rapids. We came to a point where we can do cliff jumping and all of us enjoyed it. Actually while jumping from the cliff, you have to be straight into the water but Pavan fell flat on the river which hurt him. It was  a thrilling experience doing rafting as well as cliff jumping and one should miss them if they are going to tour Rishikesh. At the end, we got down at Laxman jula and took a holy dip in the river even though we got completely wet during the rafting.

We traveled to Haridwar after having lunch and were able to reach before the arti service. We have to wait for some time as the pooja was going to be performed at 7.00 PM . The place was so much crowded that it was almost impossible to pass through them. Luckily, we were able to squeeze through the crowd and witness the arti from close-by and offered our prayers to maa Gangamayi. After the crowd has dispersed, we took a holy bath in the river Ganga as it said that whoever takes a dip here, all his sins will be cleansed away.

We left for Delhi at around 10.00 PM and the next day we visited Akshardham temple. As the main temple was closed , we couldn't enjoy much. Even the temperature was around 44 degrees which made the visit altogether a bad one. After having our lunch at Pizza hut we boarded the flight to Bangalore.

And regarding the trek, it was a great and diversified one as we came across alpine forests, beautiful meadows, rocky mountains and icy paths. Never I have seen a trek with so many elements of nature blended into one. Even though I told my friends that Roopkund trek is my last, I still get mesmerized by the beauty of the majestic Himalayas and I simply cannot refuse any future treks.

MainPage ->                                                  <- Previous

Day-8: Loharjung - Rishikesh

Day-8: June 19^th, Loharjung to Rishikesh We started the day cracking PJs and enjoying ourselves with gossips. All of us were in jovial mode. I called up home to inform my whereabouts after which I got good bashing from my mother for being on the trip without any connectivity for 4 to 5 days. We met our guide and made payments to him for the trek after which he informed us that he is going to lead another group to Roopkund two days latter and we conveyed our best wishes to him.

Later we started ourselves for Rishikesh( in a single jeep) after having a good breakfast. At Karnaprayag, we had to split ourselves into 9+2 and were looking for those 2 bakra guys who have to travel together. Some people argued that who ever joined the group last had to travel separately. Hari and Aswin were ruled out as they had already traveled on the way to Loharjung. I suggested that we should single out those 2 guys based on lottery system and we adopted it immediately. We gave our driver to pick those two guys names and everybody was in a tense mood as they don't want their names to come up. At last, Raju and Karthik were the destined people to be chosen by fate :-) as they were one of those guys who didn't agree to the lottery system initially. Later they informed us they enjoyed very much in the bus as they had the chance to sleep well.
 

On the way, we stopped at Devprayag to have a look again at the sangam of Alakananda and Bhagirathi(actually, we got down here to have some refreshments :-) ). By the time we reached Rishikesh, it was around 7.00 PM and it took some time to find a lodge as the guys who went to look out for them were in conflict with each other on the room features. We went to a nearby Gujarati restaurant and pampered ourselves with tasty food after a long time. Initially, Pavan refused to eat anything and only ordered lassi but latter joined us as he couldn't stop his temptations.

 Next ->                                                              <- Previous

Day-7: Bedni Bugyal - Loharjung

Day-7: June 18^th, Bedni Bugyal(~ 11300 ft) to Loharjung(~ 7900 ft) via Wan This was the day , I could clearly remember, when everyone of us were in their jovial mode. After remaining silent for so many days, Hari came out of hibernation and starting cracking PJs. Even Pavan was in the same state. We thanked our porters once again and started walking towards Wan, the village from where our guide is from.

The trail was a zig-zig route through forests and we took shortcuts to get down faster which hurt our knees badly. At some point, we could see Wan village through the forests which gave us relief that it may not be more than few hours before we reach there. It took us 2 hours to reach Wan river where we took a break to enjoy the captivating greenery. During any trek, one feels refreshing whenever he meets a source of water and takes pleasure in playing with it.

After walking through some difficult routes, we were left thinking how people start their trekking from Wan village. The route we took (Loharjung → Tolpani → Bedni) was much better and easier than the route from Wan to Bedni Bugyal. The idea of trekking from Wan itself was a bad one and one should not use this route at all to trek till Bedni Bugyal. After we reached Wan village, me, Murali and Vasanth took bath near a water tank and it was great to have cold water bath after a long and tiring trek as it refreshes your mind and body. We settled accounts with our guide and porters and Raju offered an extra amount to the porter who carried his rucksack. From here, we traveled in a jeep loaded with 14 people inside and 4 guys on the top which is common in some villages as the public transport is poor. As the roads were pathetic and the jeep heavily loaded, it took us 1 hour to reach Loharjung. When we got down, all our bags were dusty and we had to take bath to clean ourselves. 

At night, me, Karthik and Murali went out to have some snacks and we ate 3 samosas per person. When we informed the other guys that samosas were really tasty, they hurried themselves to the hotel but they had to share a single samosa and they craved for each piece of it. Later, the shop-owner informed them that 3 guys came before them(we were those 3 guys) and finished all the samosas.

Next ->                                                              <- Previous

Day-6: Bhagubasa - Roopkund - Junargali

Day-6: June 17^th, Bhagubasa(~ 14500 ft) to Roopkund (~ 15500 ft) & Junargali( ~ 16000 ft) and back to Bedni Bugyal I had a sound sleep the previous night because of the long and tiresome trek that we did. I woke up without any symptoms of fever and was perfectly fit to trek to Roopkund and Junargali. It snowed the previous night which is common at this altitude levels. We had some tea and maggi for breakfast and we started for Roopkund at around 6.00 AM. We carried warm water with us as it would be difficult to drink from the icy streams. After walking for about a kilometer, we saw first signs of the snow patches on the trail. We walked on hard ice and snow which was a kind of fun for us. Walking on snow was easier compared to hard ice as the hard ice walk looked like walking on greasy roads and our guide used ice axe to cut steps through the ice.
 

The whole trail is surrounded with huge mountains and it was totally a different experience. Now, we could see peaks of Mount Choukumba rising over the clouds more clearly than before. After one point the well-marked trail disappeared under heavy snow and we were treading cautiously. The final half kilometer is a 60 degrees climb over heavy snow and we were climbing up on all fours to get a better grip on the dangerously perched rocks. As usual Aswin was way ahead of us and he was climbing effortlessly while we were taking regular breaks to counter the thinness of air.

For some of the guys, it was difficult to trek as it takes some hardship to walk on the ice. While me, Raju, Karthik and Murali scaled the last climb without any support, our guide has to use trekking ropes to help the other guys. All of us were so elated as if we scaled mount Everest. We trekked faster and better as compared to our last Himalayan trek where we walked like zombies. I was captivated by the 360 degrees view around us. We could see clear sky above and around us and the horizon was as clear as it could be. We were all enjoying the place and happily clicked some snaps. We thanked our porters and guide. Our porters also did a small pooja for goddess Nanda devi for which we offered our prayers and a small donation.

The lake was completely frozen and there was no sign of any of the famed skeletons anywhere around it. While we were enjoying the surrounding locations and the beauty of the lake, Karthik was desperately searching for skeletons but got disappointed later as he couldn't find any. Mohan reminded us that we still have to trek to Junargali and we should hurry as the weather can turn worse at any time of the day. We all had a glance on Junargali and it looked like it was about 400-600 feet high and the climb is a steep 60 degrees up. Raghu, Vivek, Karthik, Hari, Vasanth and Pavan refused to come with us and told us that they are satisfied with the views at Roopkund and they don't want to strain themselves more. While me, Aswin and Murali decided to trek all the way to Junargali, Raju and Ram told us they will trek as far as their body allows them to do so.

As the trail to Junargali was steep, we were talking smaller steps so as not to strain ourselves. After sometime, Vasanth joined our group as he thought himself of doing the trek till Junargali. It was almost hiking in soft snow for the first 200-300 feet and then we reached a point where we had to negotiate the rocks. At one point, the trail became treacherous and we had to climb up using rope held by our guide and porters on either side. This is where we encountered an event we never expected of and we got shaken by it for the next couple of minutes. The story goes like this: When we were trekking the treacherous path, Aswin was resting on a rock, waiting for us. As were approaching him, he tried to get up to resume his trek but his camera got stuck to a rock, detached from the strap, fell from the cliff and started rolling down the snowy mountain. Everybody thought that it will stop on the flat terrain below us but to our shock, it slided over and leaped over another cliff and broke into pieces. Later, when Aswin went to collect the camera, he found his camera in a battered shape but luckily found his memory card which was dear to him. Whoever were on their trek to Junargali, imagined themselves in place of camera for some time and wondered what would have happened to them if they had the same fate.

We all reached Junargali and its a ridge which one uses to cross over to reach Shilasamudra It took us around 45 minutes to complete the steep and treacherous trail from Roopkund. It was indeed a great feeling to be here on the top at ~ 16000 ft. The feelings were simply out of the world. The views from Roopkund were limited as the lake lies in a shallow crater like formation behind the mountains. However, the views from Junargali were great and one could get 360 degrees view from here. We could see mount Trishul as well as mount Nandghunti ranges so close. One can also see a snowy patch far away to his/her right which would cover some 3-4 football fields. If we go along the Junargali ridge and trek down, we can reach Shilasamdra(Shila – rock, Samudra – sea) and Homekund.

As we were happily taking snaps and chit-chatting, the weather was turning bad and dark clouds were looming over us. We all thanked the weather Gods for being with us and we immediately decided to go down. At some point, I got bored of getting down the same trail and started sliding on the soft snow. It was fun to do it and I wanted to do it again if I find such kind of snowy patch again. Seeing me unhurt, Raju and Murali followed me later. We met our friends at Roopkund and started getting down faster. As it was already 11. 00 AM, the snow started melting and created difficulties for us. On the way, we met Aswin, who got down long before us to search for his camera along with one porter. Luckily, he found his camera which got battered but could be repaired as the lens didn't break. He lost the batteries but found the camera's memory card which had all the photos he has taken till then and he was happy with that.

From the past trek experiences I had, I always felt happy after reaching the peak but after that the descent is always killing and a boring one. Sometimes its more challenging than the climb as it hurts the knees very badly. I was getting down faster and trekking down alone as I wanted to reach the Bhagubasa camp and take rest. After all of us reached Bhagubasa, we had ice - cold lemon juice which was a refreshing and luxurious drink for us at such an altitude.

Since we have done the trek successfully, we felt that the burden to complete the trek has been removed from our mind. Raghu, Ram & Vivek informed us that they were not feeling well and they are going to load their rucksacks onto the mules. Even our guide agreed to that as the mules were carrying less weight now due to our consumption of the food items. As usual Raju, Vasanth and Pavan's rucksacks were loaded on the mules. We had a little lunch and started for Bedni Bugyal. Now we were walking coolly as now we were not much concerned about our health. When we reached Kalu Vinayak, we once again offered our prayers to Lord Vinayak and our guide blew couch shell to perform pooja. When Murali got to know that whoever lifts Kalu Vinayak stone and does three pradakshinas(revolutions) around the shrine, will get married soon, he immediately did it as he might be wishing to get married soon.

The weather was excellent while trekking down to Bedni which made the trek down the same trail dissimilar. We didn't took much breaks and wherever we stopped, we took snaps of the alluring nature. We reached Bedni by 4.00 PM and all of us immediately ordered maggi and omelet. That night, we had a good sleep as we got tired of walking ~ 20kms on a single day.

Next ->                                                 <- Previous

Day-5: Bedni Bugyal - Bhagubasa

Day-5: June 16^th, Bedni Bugyal( ~ 11300 ft) to Bhagubasa (~ 14500 ft) via Ghoda Lotani & Pathar Nachoni I couldn't sleep well the previous night due to indigestion. Last night, I felt that dal and rice were half cooked. When I woke up, I had a little fever and started fearing what will happen if my temperature rises. This I found out as one of the riskier part of trekking as there would be no doctor nearby to attend on you. I found that even Aswin and Raghuram were suffering from food indigestion and Raghuram's health was even worse. After having a cup of tea, I immediately gulped down some medicines. It felt to me that I lost all the energy I had and it would be difficult for me to complete the trek. I had some maggi and tea which gave me some strength. I did some exercises and by recollecting my previous treks, I regained back my confidence level.

The weather was clear and we got excellent views of Nandghunti, Trishul and choukumba again. We felt the weather was excellent for trekking. But as time passed, clouds started looming over the far off places where we were going to trek. Our guide told us it may start raining at any time and we better hurry.

 

We decided to camp at Pathar Nachoni if it rains continuously on the way as rain slows down trekking speed. I feared that fever coupled along with the windy rain would make me unwell and it would not be possible for me to reach Bhagubasa. Then I felt the need to pray to God/Nature to make me fit to reach Bhagubasa without any difficulties and let it not rain on our way. I feel that, we pray to God or remind ourselves of Him only when we are pushed to our knees. This may be because human memories are short and we need to be reminded frequently of Him. I think I have become a bit spiritual here but prayer has positive effects on us. That's why so many people become well or satisfied once they pray. 
 

There was a small climb from the campsite towards the marked trail and the Gults were leading the group. The initial climb to the marked trail was good but after that it was a gradual walk. Me, Karthik and Mohan singh(guide) were walking  so fast on the trail that we had to stop in between and look for others. As we were walkingl, we were being caressed by the clouds on their way to the top where they are going to rain. We couldn't see 10 meters in front of us and it was all misty. We were slowly gaining height and after treading through mist and fog for two long hours, we reached “Ghoda Lotani” (place where Ghodas/horses graze). Me, Raju, Karthik and Mohan were walking very fast as it took some time for others to join us. This was the place where the mules and porters overtook us and left us behind.

I felt grateful to God as it didn't rain till then. Even my condition was becoming better and better and my morale was up. Mohan informed us that we were lucky as it didn't rain and better rush and reach Pathar Nachoni. I felt Raghuram's condition was becoming worser but his liking for treks made him to trek. Even till now I can't believe how he trekked all the way to Bhagubasa and Roopkund. The walk from Ghoda Lotani to Pathar Nachoni is a gradual descent along the winding trail that goes through the sides of the mountains.

As we were approaching Pathar Nachoni, it started drizzling. We tookout honchos to cover ourselves and rested near a large boulder for shelter. It was windy and cold and the temperature could be around 5-8 degrees. As it was only 1.00 PM and all the guys were in good shape, we dropped the idea of camping at Pathar Nachoni and prepared ourselves to reach our base camp for the day before 4.00 PM. At that time, I felt that nothing would have been in our mind except reaching our camp site for the day. Before we reach Bhagubasa, we have to tread all the way till the base of Kalu Vinayak(black Ganapati) and a steep climb there will take us to the famed temple for trekkers.

When we stopped at Pathar Nachoni, the top of Kalu Vinayak was visible but it looked too far. For the first time, in this trek, we saw snow on the boulders and rocks on the way to Kalu Vinayak which indicated the start of the snow line. We could feel the thinness of air as we were taking breaks at very short intervals. As were trekking towards Kalu Vinayak, the skies started to clear out and we were elated. The climb to Kalu Vinayak was a steep one and we gained height rapidly. Only Aswin was able to make to the top in a matter of minutes and we all were grasping for our breath on the way.

Kalu Vinayak gets its name from the black Ganesh idol enclosed in a beautiful stone shrine. A small temple bell was kept there to perform pooja. I offered my prayers to Lord Ganesha for the easiness with which I did the trek. We got a magnificent view of the mountains surrounding Roopkund lake and the views kept stopping us from moving forward. The trail from Kalu Vinayak is a nice and easy one and it took us 1/2 hour to reach Bhagubasa. We could have camped at the stone huts on the way hadn't it been not occupied. We went a little further and camped near a stream. We had left the lush green meadows and beautiful camping sites far behind and were at high altitudes now (~ 14500 ft) where there is very little vegetation. We all thanked the weather Gods for being with us; it would have been impossible for us to reach Bhagubasa if the weather had gone sour.

By evening, we could see peaks of Trishul, Kaalapahad and Choukumba sometimes very clearly and sometimes eclipsed by the clouds as if they were playing hide and seek with us. To watch such majestic mountains so close was an all together memorable experience for us. It was windy there and the weather was biting cold. We have to wear all our woolen clothing to bear it while standing outside our tent. Since we prepared ourselves a lot by exercising before the trek, we felt lesser nausea and giddiness as compared to last trek. Even though we didn't feel the effects of AMS(Acute Mountain Sickness), each one of us gulped down medicine for AMS which we found out was unnecessary, the next day. Raghuram would have easily gulped down some 4 to 5 tablets that night so that he could trek the next day. It would have reached sub zero temperatures at night and we saw snow on our tent the next day morning.

We started discussing our trek plan for the following day. Some of us had an opinion that we should trek till Roopkund, come back and rest at Bhagubasa and start trekking to Bedni the day after. But our guide advised us that we can trek till Bedni the same day after returning back from Roopkund and told that many groups had done it before. He always used to say “Aaraam se hojaayega” to boost our confidence so that we can trek faster. We calculated the total distance and it was around 20 kms which was a big number but we agreed with our guide as he lead many groups till Roopkund before. 
 

We decided to get up as early as 5.00 AM the next day as we have to trek a lot(Bhagubasa → Roopkund → Bhagubasa → Ali Bugyal → Bedni Bugyal) . At night the cold was severe and we used seven layers of protection during our sleep. (Order: Tent, Sleeping bag, Jacket, Sweater, T-shirt, inner garments and thermals) 

Next ->                                                                   <- Previous

Day-4: Tolpani - Bedni Bugyal

Day-4: June 15^th, Tolpani( ~ 8900 ft) to Bedni Bugyal( ~ 11300 ft) via Ali Bugyal  We woke up early in the morning around 6.00 AM may be. We again had the same meal, maggi which is a kind of staple food during treks and cups of tea. We started our trek through bushes and after trekking uphill through forests, we again came unto a meadow surrounded by oak trees and wild grass flowers. Later, from the net, I found out that this place is called 'Khana bugyal' (Khana -food, Bugyal - meadow) as according to legends, Lord Shiva and Parvati had their food here. Here we attempted to do group-jumping where Vasanth did his famous circus trick. 
 

From here, we walked through dense oak forests carpeted with dried leaves which always gives me a feeling that I am lost somewhere in the wild. The ground is covered with carpet of dried leaves which chirp as you walk along and the air is cool enough which makes you forget your pains. Everywhere around us was a dense foliage of green and the seductive smell of moist earth lingering around. 
 

At the end of the forest, where the tree cover thins, a vast rolling meadow was spread in front of us which indicated that we reached Ali bugyal. It's beauty is unparalleled as it a high-altitude meadow and gazes across the valley. The path to Bedni bugyal is along a ridge covered by lush green grass with wild beautiful flowers popping out. The ridge is bordered by moss laden oak trees on right side and the valley on the left. It may be the largest and greenest rolling meadow and it's length may be a few kms. I felt that this may be the place where gods and goddess spend their time whenever they visit earth. All tiredness forgotten by the nature's beauty, we didn't want to move from there. It was mesmerizing to walk along the ridge. I don't know before how heaven will look like, but now I can enjoy it by treating my eyes with the landscapes around. One has to see the landscapes here to enjoy them as words are not sufficient to describe them.

As we walked more, we could see mules grazing across the meadow. Most of the photos we took here were suitable for desktop wallpapers. Even I could take some macro photos of the wild flowers blooming on the lush green meadows. We got some initial views of snow-capped mountains where it was raining heavily. The entire scenery remembered me of a scene in LOTR where in the far-off distance the sky is covered with black clouds and the tall mountains piercing through them. From here, the path is along a zig-zag route to Bedni bugyal and one can easily trace them. It was so cold here that we have to cover ourselves with jackets and start trekking. As it was a long walk, I could see frustration mounting on some of our guys.

At around 4.00 PM we reached Bedni bugyal, another Himalayan alpine meadow overlooking a valley on the northern side. Bugyal means meadow and the place where we were is called Bedni.It looked like a very small village with two small temples, a tea house and a small playground. As far as I could remember, this has got to be one of the most romantic spots in the Himalayas for camping. From our guide, we got to know we can have a clear view of mount Nandghunti, Trishul and choukumba from here but there were dense clouds and both these peaks were hidden away from us the whole time. From the net, we got to know that we can view mirror images of Trishul and Nandghunti on BedniKund (Kund: lake) waters but to our displeasure the lake was dry as it was summer.

We went to the tea house to order some maggi and omelet. After having dal and rice as our daily meal for so many days, we found omelet as a luxury one for us. We were fighting for it with each one of us saying that they are the one to have it first as they are the one to come first. As we were sipping hot tea, it started raining and it was a hailstorm. It subdued after some time and the clouds started clearing. Now we were able to view both Nandghunti and Trishul peaks in all their glory. 

As the sun started shining again, all of us went for a stroll around to explore the campsite and this was where Karthik had some crazy ideas for photo shoots and started experimenting on us. Meanwhile, Raghu along with our porters and guide joined the local team to play volleyball. In the evening, as the sky was clear, we were able to witness the Sun setting across the cascaded valleys which was quite a captivating view.

Next ->                                                              <- Previous

Day-3: Loharjung - Tolpani

Day-3: June 14^th, Loharjung( ~ 7900 ft) to Tolpani ( ~ 8900 ft) via Kuling I had a sound sleep and got up early to have a view of the sunrise. Since it was summer, it was bright already by 5.30AM. It was from the lodge that we got our first view of the snow-capped mountain, Nandghunti. We again had a chit-chat with Arjun and roamed around the guest house to have good snaps. The weather was excellent and the sky was clear of clouds which gave us the much needed boost to start our trek. When our guide told Raju that he will put his luggage on the mule, Pavan who was desperate to reduce his load, tried to stuff half of his load into Raju's rucksack. He stuffed so much that the backpack got teared and it was in such an awful condition that no trekker would expect it to be. Raju has to tie the rucksack with ropes. While Ram, Raghu, Vasanth and our guide went to Loharjung market to buy rations, me, Raju and Murali went to buy some clothing and to make calls to our homes.
 

After having breakfast, we started our trek on a good spirit. Mohan singh informed us that the mules and porters will follow us and we can start our journey. On the way we met a govt. official who gave us a receipt for doing trek in that part of the region. We had snaps on a bridge and met some localities. By looking at their face, one could clearly say that they were content with what they have. They were always in a talkative mood whenever we talked to him unlike the city people. We had a good glimpse of Kuling village and it looks like a cluster of white houses against the landscape of stepped hills.

On the way the trail splits into two, one way goes towards Wan and the other to Didna. We have to take right to reach Didna. We drenched our thirst and bought some chocolates to gift to the village boys. From the Kuling village, we have to trek down to reach our campsite at Tolpani on that day. It is quite a descent to the Wan river and we didn't like it, knowing in a while that we have to climb all the height lost on the other bank. As we rested near the Wan river we saw a small hut. When we asked a woman what is inside, she told us that it has a 'girni' operated by the flowing water. We were amazed at these villagers who are extracting the most from the nature without disturbing it. We saw the same skills when we went for Sharavati valley trek where the villagers were generating electricity from flowing water(just like in Swades Movie). 
 

Now we faced the most difficult part of a trek. We have to trek uphill and gain all the height that we lost while getting down through the Kuling village. This is where we consumed most of our glucose and electral stuff. While we stopped near a house, I was able to capture some nice moments of a local woman and a boy. 

 

At some point while we were resting during our uphill climb, the porters along with their mules overtook us even though they started one hour late. This is where Vasanth handed over his rucksack, unable to carry it. After lot of huff and puff , we were able to reach Didna, one of the camping sites. It was lush green and that was the first meadow that we faced during our trek. From here, one can have a view of Loharjung, Kuling and Wan by spanning from left to right in a sweep. We were told by our guide, Mohan singh, that we were going to camp at Tolpani but not at Didna, as we have to walk a lot the next day, if we camped at Didna. He told us that it is just 10-15 minutes from there but we found out that is almost ½ hour after reaching our day's campsite, Tolpani.

 

We pitched our tents and waited for some hot tea and maggi. The tents were alloted based on groups speciality: Telugu speaking guys( or gults), the snoaring guys( or silence killers) and the left overs. Based on this division, me, Murali, Karthik and Raju entered tent-1, Ram, Vasanth and Pavan entered tent-2, while Raghu, Vivek, Hari and Aswin entered tent-3. This division got carried on over the entire trek. We had a camp fire during our dinner and we started playing dare or truth as suggested by Karthik. We found out some interesting things during our discussion. One of them was, if given a second chance, most of us would opt for completely different profile jobs like NGC photographer, Artist, doctor, geologist,etc...

Next ->                                                   <- Previous

Day-1 & Day-2 : Bangalore - Rishikesh - Loharjung

Day-1: June 12^th, Bangalore to Delhi We all started our journey from Bangalore to Delhi by flight at 7.00 PM and were able to catch train to Haridwar at night 12.00 AM. As we got bookings in AC coach, we were able to sleep well which was important for our strenuous travel.

Day-2: June 13^th, Haridwar to Rishikesh(~1300 ft) to Loharjung(~ 8600 ft) From Haridwar, we left to Rishikesh at around 5 AM by bus and from there we left for Loharjung with the help of two sumos. As we were 11 and the govt. rules don't allow more than 8 to 9 to travel in a single sumo, Hari and Aswin had to travel seperately. We had breakfast on the way to Devprayag and lunch at Karnaprayag. Along the way, to avoid boredom we either listening to songs or chit-chatted with each other. As the ghat road is good on the way to Loharjung, we didn't face nausea as in the previous trek. On the way, me and Murali made a bet with the freshers (Raju & Pavan) that they will get a treat in Leela Palace if they don't puke during the journey without using any medicines. Raju was in a josh that they would win the bet but Pavan played spoilsport by taking in medicines.

 

We traveled along the twists and turns of the ghat road and had glimpses of the beautiful valleys and mountain peaks that adorned the Garwal mandal of Uttarkhand state. Most of the roads here are carved out of the mountains by BRO(border roads organization) which is why they are still in good condition.

On the way, we had a glimpse of sangam of Alakananda and Bhagirathi rivers at Devprayag. Devprayag is one of the five sacred confluences of the tributaries of river Ganges in the hills while the other four prayags being Karnaprayag, Nandaprayag, Devprayag, Rudraprayag & Vishnuprayag. We can easily differentiate the waters of Alakananda & Bhagirathi rivers, as the waters of Alakananda are brown in color and Bhagirathi's one are in green. This may be because of the type of sediments they carry.

At NarayanBagad, Hari and Aswin joined us. From Debal we took another jeep  to Loharjung. While we were very near to Loharjung guest house, it started raining dogs and cats and our backpacks were getting drenched on the top of the sumo. We had no way to get out and pick our backpacks as it was a hailstorm. We could see hails of the size of pearls hitting our sumo. I was awed at the driver skills as he was driving fast on the dangerous roads where the visibility was close to zero. Our driver asked Hari if he could see anything outside clearly to help him out. Hari couldn't see the path and got a bit confused as he was not able to see the road in front of the sumo clearly and he was thinking how he could help the driver in such a situation. At last, our driver said even he couldn't see anything visible outside but drove the sumo with his indigenous skills. When we were just 10 meters away from the guest house, we saw a steep climb of around 45 degrees. We thought it would be impossible to climb with 12 of us inside the sumo and it would be a mission-impossible kind of stunt if he does it. But our driver made it as though its usual to do such kind of driving here in the ghat section.

While it was still raining hailstorm, Raju was in a hurry to have his backpack brought down from the sumo top as it was not a waterproof one. We got help from our guide Mohan singh to have the backpacks removed while it was still raining. We got to know from our guide that the weather here changes dramatically and it can rain at any time. As we were getting afraid because of the unsuitable climate for trekking, he assured us that the sky will get cleared by next day morning.

I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw visually charming valleys and mountains in front of the guest house. If given a chance, everyone of us would like to have such picturesque landscapes greet us in the morning when we get up. It would be one of my most memorable moments and I would like to spend a big vacation in such guest houses without having to roam anywhere. The guest house had all the basic amenities one needed on a stay in such a nice location(even a MTNL WLL phone with which I called home to inform where I was). 
 

Sometime in the evening, we met Arjun who talked to us about the intricate details of trekking to Roopkund. We got to know from him that the whether here changes dramatically and it can rain at any time. Even though we got a little bit afraid with his talk, we wanted to complete the trek with much more enthusiasm than before. He asked us to insist our guide to take us to Junargali peak as it has more breath taking views than Roopkund. He told about the localities, their culture and how they survive there. Through him we got to know that the place Loharjung got its name because of a 'jung' that happened here between two kings.

While we were talking to our guide about the rations, safety equipment and climate information, Raju was trying to ask the guide if you could rent an extra mule to carry his backpack. Even he got me involved in it by supporting him while Pavan was more eager to have an extra mule. Our captain commented that “a trek would not be a trek if you don't carry your rucksack and trek”. Anyway the guide assured Raju that he will allow his rucksack to be carried either by a mule or a porter.

At night we had a good dinner made of chappatis, curry, dal & rice. Whatever served to us was emptied in no time. The weather was cold but bearable. Our guide's words were correct about the local whether and the sky got cleared by night. We had a rare glimpse of the entire sky getting bejeweled with the infinite number of stars which is not a possibility in the cities because of light pollution. Even with our naked eye, we could see the path of milky way. We started to recognize some of the planets and constellations that draped the sky. I think the sky with the infinite number of colorful stars aroused curiosity in most of us and the curiosity even got more when we got to know of the astronomical distances and birth of the stars.

Next ->                                                    <- Previous

A trek to Roopkund lake

I think, I disappointed many of my friends by not writing the blog immediately after the trek and I feel sorry for it. I made them wait for this blog for the last 3 months. Now I am writing this blog due to repeated requests from my previous blog readers and I would feel embarrassed if I don't do it now .

Before I start penning my feelings and experiences, I want to answer a question many people ask me whenever I go for a trek.....Why do you trek ? I say "Trekking makes you in getting close to mother Nature and also helps to break one's routine life".If people say why don't you tour, I say I want to go off the road which reminds of a quote by Robert Frost "Two roads diverged in a wood and I - I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference". I like to go to places which are isolated from human intervention and here is a small poem from Ruskin bond which represents my state of mind

Once you've lived with mountains
You will return
You will come back
To touch the trees and grass
And climb once more the windswept mountain pass.

Even though my first Himalayan trek(Kedartal trek) was a nice one I was not fully satisfied with it. Throughout our trek we were gazing at the same set of mountains. Even it was not much greener there. I like treks which has greener landscapes, river streams and waterfalls(that's why I like Sharavati valley trek the most). When Ram mailed us about the Roopkund trek, I immediately voted for it after going through the information and photos related to it on the web.  As one blog says (Ref:  http://indiahikes.blogspot.com/) the trek to Roopkund got everything going for it. Deep virgin forests, gurgling brooks, breath-taking campsites, miles of undulating meadows, snow and ice, and the taste of a great adventure as we climb from 8,000 ft to 17,000 ft in 4 days. 

Roopkund lake is a picturesque and beautiful tourist destination in the Himalayas, located near the base of two Himalayan peaks: Trishul (7120 m) and Nandghunti (6310 m). The lake is also known as a “mystery lake” or "skeleton lake" because of a large number of human skeletons found in the lake in 1942. Roopkund's skeletons were featured in a National Geographic documentary "Riddles Of The Dead: Skeleton Lake"(Ref: Wiki).

We formed a team of 11 consisting of Ram, Karthik, Pavan, Raghu, Vasanth, Hari, Vivek, Aswin, Raju, Murali & me. We made Ram our Captain as we don't need to bother about the trek arrangements as he takes care most of them. Pavan was hesitant to come initially as Ram scared him and told him that it will be very difficult for him but he made it into our group after lot of requests from me. I never thought Raju would come with us but he surprised me. We started to build our stamina through different ways as we got to know that this trek is not going to be a easy one. As I suffered a bit in the last trek, I want to make sure that I will complete this trek without any problems. I used to jog 5kms in the last one month and completed 5k marathon in 28mins which gave me the necessary boost that I am fit for the trek.

One week before the trek, we all met to get to know of each other. Some of us were meeting the rest of the members for the first time. Aswin,Vivek, Raju and Pavan were the new members in our group. We discussed our trek plan and also listed down items(medicines,clothes..) needed for the trek. We shared our experiences from our previous trek in Himalayas with the freshers so they can decide what items to buy for the trek.

Our plan was to start trekking from Loharjung → Kuling → Tolpani → Ali Bugyal → Bedni Bugyal → Bogwabasa → Roopkund. From our previous experiences, We thought to have plan-B but we didn't find feasible or interesting ones so we decided we will go with plan-A only.

Next ->