Mt Gardner Trail Hike, BC, Canada

Bowen Island is a small,well, Island near Vancouver. A sort of a weekend retreat for the people of Vancouver, it has a number of options to either relax or do some hiking and kayaking. Or if you want to do nothing you can just go and relax there.

Keeping in mind my systematic increase of intensity of the hikes I was doing while in Canada, I decided to do the Mt Gardner Trail on Bowen Island. It was a step up from the previous hikes of Quarry Rock and Lighthouse Park. In fact they were more of a stroll than a hike.  The Mt Gardner trail,on the other hand, has an elevation gain of around 650 Mtrs which is a decent climb for a day hike. 

My friend from University, Douglas who is from Guatemala, was joining me. He had done some awesome hikes before, including climbing some volcanoes in addition to doing endurance races. One couldn't ask for a better hike buddy. 

On the day of the hike we started quite early in the morning and reached Horseshoe Bay from where we were to catch a ferry to reach the island. Now, I like ferries, so I was equally excited about this part of our trip as well. Operated by BC Ferries, this journey offered excellent views of the surrounding mountains. The weather was excellent with the sun shining warmly above. Not too hot and not too cold. Just the perfect weather for a hike. The ferry itself was sparsely occupied.There were not many people around. We both stood in front of the windows like two officers on deck. This ferry called 'Queen of Capilano' is, as a google search told me, a 2500 Tonne vessel with a top speed of 12 knots. It can carry around 100 cars and around 400 people.  After a quick 20 mins journey we reached Bowen Island. As the ferry slowly glided towards the the unloading area of the Island it reminded me of the movie Jurassic Park with its tall gate. We made our way out of the ferry and following the crowd, headed to the town.

Here we were a bit confused about which road to take to reach the starting point of the Mr Gardner Trail. Douglas suggested we better ask someone instead of just following the map we had. So we entered a Bar and asked the guy there. He turned out to be very helpful, showing us the directions patiently. We thanked him profusely and left for the trail.

Following his directions we walked for quite a bit before we reached the starting point of the trail. but before we did we came across a beautiful lake. From afar we could see the trees stacked against the shimmering white of the water. As we approached nearer we could see the huge lake beyond the trees. There was some picnic tables at the edge of the water. It was a beautiful place. I remarked to Douglas that one can spend the whole day just chilling here. We roamed around the edge of the lake for a while and continued on towards the trail.

Soon we reached the base of the Mt Gardner trail. It was around 1130 am now. The elevation at this point was 66 MSL. The sun was still shining warmly above and off we started on our hike. It starts off a wide dirt road but soon narrows down to a trail. We trundled on for a while. Initially there is not much on offer just the tall trees and the quietness of the place. Perfect for some nice conversation. Specially when you have interesting people around. Douglas regaled me with his experiences from back home. 

Soon we reached a point with a clearing at the edge of the hill. This point offered spectacular views of the surroundings. We were delighted looking at the view. Douglas remarked aloud what I had in mind. This was better than what we had expected. So we took a short break here.  There were a number of smooth rocks offering a nice place to just sit down for a while and unwind which is exactly what we did. And there weren't many people on the trail and the solitude was wonderful. We met just 4 people the whole time. The sun was still shining warmly above and as we sat there, the blue of the seas in front of us offered a pleasing sight. Directly on the opposite side was the blue sea and beyond it, land. Far away, the snow covered mountains were visible. Now and then a gentle breeze was blowing. The whole scene was pretty relaxing.

It was 1310 now and the elevation at this point was 560 MSL.

Soon, we left this point and continued our way further up. Somewhere around this point we lost our way. We didn't realize it immediately but later found out when the trail disappeared. Some little bit of wandering here and there got us back to the right path.

Now we reached a point where the climb got quite steep. It was 1332 Hrs now and the elevation at this point was 660 MSL. We started climbing this steep section. There were a couple of ropes hanging down from the top. Someone had tied these ropes to the trees at the top. Though we could climb without using the ropes it proved very helpful later during the descent. 

After this steep section, a brief walk finally led us to the top. The view that greeted us at the top was spectacular. To our right, emerging out from the tops of the trees lining the edge was the view of the surrounding seas and the mountains beyond. At the edge was a platform to sit and enjoy the views. To our front was a tower and a small house. To our left was again views of the sea but it was not visible from where we were right now. We first headed to the wooden platform I mentioned before. Here we sat down facing the sea and enjoyed the atmosphere. First we had something to eat. And then took a short nap. The feeling was amazing. I lied down on the warm wooden platform stretching my legs to my fullest. I covered my eyes with one hand to shield them from the sun's rays. There was no sound anywhere except the sound of the wind ruffling the leaves of the trees now and then. With the sun above giving off its warmth, I slowly drifted off into a sleep that can only come in such places and situations. The last time when I fell into such slumber was many years ago back in India, when I fell asleep near a river bank, on the warm sand. I don't know for how much time I slept but when I got up and looked around Douglas was strolling around exploring the place. I called him over and we took some pics before heading to the other side of the top. This place offered some awesome views too. The most interesting thing for us was that we could spot our University from here. There was another viewing platform here and again we sat down and spent some time here. The elevation at this top most point was 724 MSL. We started our descent at around 1500 Hrs.

At around 1600 Hrs we reached the bottom and we made our way back to the Ferry terminal.

 Looking up the schedule we found out that the next ferry was still some 40 mins away so we strolled around the area a bit before finally our ferry arrived. . 

In a couple of hours we were back in our homes. It was a wonderful hike and much better than the previous hikes I did in Canada

In Brief
- Mt Gardner Trail - 650 Metres elevation gain.
- Takes about 2 hours to climb and 1 hour to descend.
- Highest Point - 724 MSL

Quarry Rock Hike, BC, Canada

Quarry Rock Hike is a tiny trail tucked away in the corner of North Vancouver. With a length of around 3km and an elevation gain of just 100 mtrs its good enough for a short half day outing. Having done 3 Himalayan Treks before and many smaller treks back in India I was desperately looking for a short hike to start things off here in Canada as well. One of our friends in University suggested I try Quarry Rock.

So one fine day(which soon turned to be not so fine) four of us started off for Quarry Rock. Sunil, Suyog, Divya and myself made up the group. We took the public transport buses to reach the quaint town of Deep Cove from where the trail starts. As we got down from the bus, the sky had turned dark and rain looked imminent. Before starting off, we had coffee in of the charming shops there which was bustling with the morning crowd.

The trail starts from an unlikely place. Near someones driveway. It has a small signboard saying its the Baden Powell Trail. From here starts a steep step of stairs. The first section was all stairs but later the stairs disappeared and the rough trail started. The whole section was covered by tall trees the kind of which I didnt get to see in India.  There is nothing else to write about. We crossed a few bridges over creeks and finally after an hour of walkin
g we reached the main view point of Quarry Rock. The views were spectacular. The dark and overcast skies gave the whole landscape a moody vibe but we enjoyed it nevertheless. We sat here for a while enjoying the views. But within minutes it began to rain again. Suddenly I remembered that we had packed some chai in a thermos from home. So we quickly took it out and right there, standing atop those rocks, in front of the awesome views we had some hot chai. It was wonderful. Soon, the intensity of the rain picked up and we started on our way back. After maybe 40 minutes we reached the base and we walked back to the center of the village. Here we spotted a nice park with a shelter in the middle offering views of the sea and the many boats parked near the banks. We sat here for sometime chatting with a fellow hiker who came with his dog. After almost an hour here we left. We boarded the bus back to downtown and thus ended my first hike in Canada.

Trek to Udayagiri Fort, Nellore Dist. Andhra Pradesh

What is the connection between the once magnificent city Hampi in Karnataka and a remote fort called Udayagiri in Andhra Pradesh?

Udayagiri was the scene of a number of violent battles between the Mighty Vijayanagar Kings of Hampi and the equally strong Gajapati Kings of Orissa. Finally King Krishnadevaraya, the most able of the Vijayanagara Kings managed to defeat the Gajapatis and drive out them out from Udayagiri. To mark this victory Krishnadevaraya took a sculpture of Lord Krishna from Udayagiri and took it with him back to Hampi and had it installed in a new temple he had constructed. Presently this sculpture lies in the Chennai Museum in Tamil Nadu.

Udayagiri lies just 100 km from Nellore so a couple of weekends back I decided to check it out. The Fort lies at the top of a hill so I heard its quite a climb to the top. This made me doubly excited. Hills plus a fort. Its a combo on offer and I couldn't resist.

Our target was reaching that speck at the top 

My colleague from work, Dwarka joined me on this trek. We reached Udaygiri by 8am and after a good breakfast started looking for an auto to take us to the starting point of the trek.

After much searching and some dead ends we finally reached the starting point of the trek. There were stone steps rising away, which disappeared into the thick forest after some distance. These were engulfed by shrubs and trees all around. I stopped here and noted the altitude. It was 300 MSL. Time 1100 Hrs. We started the climb aiming to go as high as possible. We had been warned that going in twos was quite risky as there was the danger of wild animals attacking. The villagers had told us that a group of 4 or more is the safest. Keeping this in mind we decided that we will stop whenever we feel its not safe to proceed further.

The day was cool and the sky was covered by a carpet of clouds torn here and there revealing the clear blue of the sky. The sun was peeking between the clouds now and then. Overall it was an excellent day for a hike.  So on we went on the stone steps. As we gained some height on the towering cliffs of the hills came into proper view. We were surrounded by the hills on three sides leaving one side offering views of the surrounding plains.The sides of the hills were red in colour, characteristic of the soil in these areas. After about 20 minutes we met another group of hikers resting under a tree. They were a bunch of middle aged guys who looked as if they lost steam and had settled down to have a rest. They inquired about our target and we said we were aiming for the top even though we know it was quite late to do that. Inspired by our intent they decided to join us. They offered us some snacks to eat which proved heaven sent to me later in the day.

So with the middle aged guys joining in were now a team of seven. The trees around us kept getting dense and the top of the hill still looked far away.The stone steps ended near a small water stream. It cannot be called a water stream exactly as it was just a sheet of water flowing over a huge overhanging rock and narrowing down to a trickle of water. The middle aged guys were saying that during the rainy season there is much more water. A couple of them had done this climb before hence the information. Here we rested for a while before moving on. We still had a lot of climbing to do so there wasn't much time to indulge in long rests. The next stop came at a spot where there was a long fortification running along the side of the hill. There was a gateway through which we entered and found ourselves surrounded by the stone walls on two sides, one wall running along the right and one in the front like two adjacent sides of a square. Here the views of the surrounding plains were stunning. As we stood at the corner of the square I mentioned before, in front us, to the right, was the side of a hill on which stood a lone watchtower jutting out from the undergrowth. On the opposite side, to the left was the gentle slope of another hill making a rough V in the middle offering views of the plains ahead. The sky and the land merged into each other far away. 

From here we resumed our climb in earnest,our spirits boosted by the wonderful views. We passed by a number of ruins of other structures scattered here and there. The sky was getting a shade darker and now and then a gust of wind was blowing. Seeing this the middle aged guys were getting a bit agitated. The top was still out of sight and they worried that if they push for the top they wont be able to return to the bottom before dusk. So they had a discussion and decided to call off and head back. Dwarka and myself decided to push on regardless. Luckily for us just as were there standing there another group of three appeared and after a brief talk with them we joined them. Finally after going through another stretch of thick forest, the object of our trek came into view far away. As we emerged from the forest cover into an open land,in front us, there lay a structure exuding a mystical and dark appearance. It was a greyish decaying building rising above the growth surrounding it. At the two front corners stood the sturdy bases of towers. It looked like an English castle and reminded me of the Tintin Comics I used to read when I was a kid. Climbing over the rocks which littered its approach we finally reached it. The time was 1330Hrs. Altitude 856 MSL.

This stucture was a mosque. It stood at the edge of the hill with its front facing the edge. It was a small mosque with one arch in the middle clubbed in between the two towers, the tops of which were destroyed and only the bases remained. The location was breathtaking. We stood here, near the crumbling mosque at the edge of the hill at 856 MSL and took in the views. Directly below us lay the town of Udayagiri. Above, the clouds shone bright white against the clear blue sky. A hazy air hung around the horizon merging the sky and the land indistinctly. Here and there a low hill rose above the haze and revealed itself. The whole land was spread with square cuts of agricultural fields. In all, the view was magnificent. The mosque had a spiral staircase going around one of its towers which I attempted to climb but the dilapidated nature of it made it risky and I stopped midway. After taking some videos from here I climbed down.

We still had the 2 hour climb down and there were chances of us getting lost so without much delay we started our return. It was imperative that we reach the base before it got dark. So we retraced our steps to the best of our abilities as the path had no markers to guide us. By 1530 Hrs we reached the base without any incident and we were relieved. Just as we were going back we spotted the middle aged guys having lunch. They invited us to join and we accepted the offer gratefully. To our tired and hungry bodies this was heaven sent. The lunch comprised rice and dal with mutton fry. It was lip smacking. And a perfect finish to our grueling trek of 6 hrs. 

The Chota Masjid as its called

View from the steps of the Masjid

Here's a short video I made of the trek. Enjoy! 

Everything you need to know about the Bhutan's Druk Path trek

The Druk Path trek is one of the most popular treks in the small yet beautiful country of Bhutan.Myself along with my friends did it last month.It was a wonderful experience.

Bhutan,especially in India,is very little known. Not many people consider going there. Trekking in Bhutan is even more unheard of which is a pity because Bhutan will leave you spellbound both in its cities and in the wilderness.Now with that short account of what I felt about out trip/trek let me move forward to the main intention of this post i.e to throw some light on some important info about the Druk Path Trek which will help you plan your own trip. 

First,this is a Himalayan Trek which starts from Paro (a city) and ends in Thimphu (Capital of Bhutan).This is not a 'summit' trek where the goal is to reach a peak or a highest point and from the base camp and then descend. This is A to B trek.From one point to another traversing through some 

wonderful scenery.The path takes you through rhododendron and pine forests,some stunning lakes and old creaking monasteries.  

Claim to Fame-

1. Beautiful lakes en route

2. Short and arguably most popular trek of Bhutan

3. Stunning views of Mt. Gangkar Puensum, the highest unscaled peak in the world.(In our case the weather was not good and we did not get any views)

Region-

The trek starts in Paro which is in Chukha Dzongkhag(District) and ends in Thimphu(Thimphu Dzongkhag).Both of these cities lie in the western part of Bhutan.

Best time to do it-

There are two windows for this trek.
1.March-May.
2.September- November.
I will be talking about everything related to the March-May window in this blog post.

Duration-The whole trek starting from Paro and ending at Thimphu typically takes 5 days.It can be done leisurely in 6 days too or If you are fit enough it can be done in 4 days also.

Distance- Around 50 to 60kms

Grade-This is described as a Moderate trek. There is some amount of physical work required but relatively speaking I found this easier than my last trek ie Roopkund trek. First timers can easily do it by doing some amount of training for it. Indiahikes formula of running 5km in 30 mins will be more than enough for this trek.

Medicines-Altitude Sickness plays a factor in this trek.So be prepared with medicines.AMS (Acute Mountain Sickness) differs from person to person.Some may get affected by while some may remain completely free from it.I strongly advise everyone to carry a set of medicines with you.While Diamox is the medicine for AMS,the various trekking agencies have differing opinions about it,Some suggest taking it may cause more harm than good.The locals prefer taking roasted garlic for every problem.

Even if you are the sort of person who despises taking tablets I suggest you carry a strip of Paracetamol with you.Calpol 500mg or 250mg is a good option.Make sure it is pure paracetamol.It shouldn't be added with any other compound.You never know what side effects it may cause.

Equipment- No matter what the trek, equipment always plays a huge factor in how much you enjoy your trek. And remember always pack keeping in mind emergencies.99% of the time you might not need them but prepare for that 1%.

My top 3 must have items on this trek apart from the usual sweaters,jackets,raincoats and rain pants are-

1.Torch (A torch is essential for movement in the night.Although there is no night time trekking involved having a torch is vital for movement between tents in the night)

2. At least 5 pair of socks (I carried 7 pairs with one woolen pair included.Woolen pair was for the night). With the many monasteries you have to enter, it is better for everyone to have a good clean pair of socks on your legs.The moment you remove your shoes it shouldn't send the monks into a pain induced trance.Thank you.

3.Garbage bags (Do not underestimate the worth of garbage bags.They have a number of uses.They can be used to store wet clothes,your chappals,sometimes shoes,your valuables in case of a rain.)

And finally the Trek Agency-

Choosing a trek agency is very critical.Remember the following points when choosing an agency
1.They are responsible for your fooding and lodging all throughout the trek.You don't have other options once you start the trek.You solely depend on the agency
2.They are responsible for your safety. The competency of your guide and his team is vital.Good guides are certified First Aiders and have undergone proper mountaineering courses
3.You get to use their gear.Good agencies use good gear.Simple really.
4.Go with agencies that do treks with small groups.Easy to manage and ensures proper safety of all.
5.Choose established agencies as they have local contacts in the villagers and can be of huge help in case of emergencies.

Apart from the above points you have to keep in mind one very important thing.In Bhutan it is a policy to take the services of a local trek agency only.That means whatever Indian agency that is offering treks in Bhutan has a Bhutanese counterpart which is providing the actual services.

We did our trek with GIO. This was my third trip with GIO after doing Nagtibba Trek and Roopkund Trek. Their services are excellent and there was a reason I was taking their services for this trek also. But GIO left me a tad bit disappointed this time.The Bhutanese agency which they engaged was simply not good.The food was not upto the mark and the hotels were disappointing. 

Add to that the way GIO handled a couple of last minute changes in the Border regulations left me angry.I believe that to be a one off bad experience with GIO. I have written to them and am still awaiting a explanation from them. Anyway point is, be very careful in choosing an agency.Find out how many treks they have organised in Bhutan till date and always inquire about the Bhutanese agency which they will be employing.

A short plan of the trek-

Day 1: Paro to Jili Dzong (3450MSL) 

Trek/4-5 hrs
Total Ascent-1090mtr

Day 2:Jili dzong to Jang chulakha (3760MSL) 

 Trek/5-6 hrs
Ascent-310mtr
Descent- 50mtr

Day 3: Jang Chulakah to Jimilang Tsho -Jana Tsho(3956MSL)  

Trek/7-8 hrs
Descent- 230mtr
Ascent- 330mtr

Day 4: Jana Tsho to Phajoding (3600MSL)

Trek/6-7 hrs

Day 5: Phajoding to Thimphu (2300MSL) 

Trek/3-4 hrs 

Over the next few weeks I will be writing a day to day report of the entire trek.Stay tuned.

Roopkund Trek,Uttarakhand. Day 4.Summit Day (Pathalnachni to Roopkund lake)

I don't know what it was that woke me.Maybe it was the wind or the uneasiness of the sleep itself.As I opened my eyes and looked around my mind couldn't make sense of where I was.I saw that I was in a sleeping bag.I could see a silhouette beside me.Realization slowly dawned on me then.I was on the Roopkund trek and today was the summit day.My mind still foggy I lay there.Around me the tent shook now and then as the wind outside crashed on it violently.I slowly looked at my wrist watch which I never took off during the whole trek.The light green tint of the hour hand told me that it was 3 am.I groaned as I realized it was time to get up and get ready.I was laying in the sleeping bag with five layers of clothing.I had a T shirt on top of which I wore thermals on top of which I had two sweaters.On top of all this I had a jacket.Below I was wearing a thermal pant plus my trusty Solognac trek pant.I was reluctant to get out of this cozy sleeping bag but the thought of Roopkund lake pushed me out of that warm cocoon.I had a slight headache and the biting cold was not making things easy.I unzipped myself from the sleeping bag and started getting ready.The sound of me rummaging around in my bag disturbed satya who started muttering something in his sleep. Satya was my roommate back in my hostel and I knew his sleeping habits.We were to start for Bhagubasa at 3 30 am so I was not worried about disrupting his sleep.In any case I wanted him to get up as soon as possible.

As I stepped outside my tent the freezing wind cut across my face immediately numbing my cheeks and lips.I shone my torch around the tents.There was no sign of life anywhere.Apart from the faint light coming off from the master tent everything was dark.Far away the snow covers on the mountains were giving off a dull whitish glow.I felt a stinging sensation on my lips.Running the tip of my tongue over my lips I could feel that were broken in many places.I made a mental note to take some lip balm from Abhishek.

Abishek was my childhood friend.I had two childhood friends with me here on this trek.The other being Bhanu.Together we had been on many trips and we understood each other very well.I couldn't have asked for a better set of people to accompany me.Bhanu exuded intelligence and abhishek was the practical mind.I could trust both with my life.

I made my way around the tents to the dining tent to see if there was anyone already there.There was none.I went inside and sat on one of the chairs.After a few minutes I could hear footsteps approaching I looked out of the tent and saw a torchlight shining on the tents.I could see that it was aman, one of our guides. He went from tent to tent and woke up everyone.Slowly, reluctantly everyone got ready.At around 3 45 am we were ready to depart.

We trudged off.Nine figures wrapped in heavy warm clothing shining our torches in the darkness.Initially the path was steep and went over a rocky terrain.Our head guide Durga was leading the group with Aman bringing up the rear.All around us we could see nothing just the faint glow of the mountain tops far away.Once I stopped and looked behind me.The lights of the torches bobbed up and down as they made an arc over the slope of the mountain side. Angkan who was Bhanu's friend from work was the only one wearing a headlight.In terms of gear he was the best prepared in the group.But the disadvantage I found with a headlight is it makes looking at the face of the person who is wearing it very difficult what with the light shining brightly in the pitch black night.For two hours we walked in the darkness in silence.There wasn't much talk except for the cry of halt now and then.At around 5 am the sky turned bluish.There was a bit of visibility now.I could make out the faces of others as they huffed and puffed over the rocks.Beside us the vast mountains presented themselves.The layers of mountains looked breathtaking in the morning light.

We encountered stretches of snow around us on the mountains but none directly in our trail.We came across the first stretch of snow on which we had to walk somewhere around 6 am.Their frequency increased as we reached nearer to Kalu Vinayak. Around 6 30 am we reached Kalu Vinayak where we took a long break and had our first leisurely view of the snow covered mountains around us.After a good rest we started again.After walking for 15 mins we came across a curve on the side of the mountain such that we couldn't see ahead of us.Here Durga called for a break and we wondered why.When I went a bit ahead I  saw that the entire path ahead was covered in snow. Here Durga told us we will be wearing our crampons.We all sat down on the rocks on the side of the trail and one by one Durga and Aman attached the crampons on our shoes.It took almost 45 minutes for the entire process to get over.

With my crampons attached,I planted one step on the snow ahead.Pressed firmly against it.Then took another step.This way I moved ahead.This was only the second time I was walking on snow the first being in Kashmir.So naturally I was thrilled.The trail was now entirely covered in snow.As we walked to my right the mountain sloped away to the top and to my left it sloped away below where in some areas the snow cover broke to reveal the rocky terrain underneath.The trail cut across the mountain side.One slip on the snow and a person can go sliding on the snow to the bottom.If you are lucky maybe you get caught somewhere and it halts your progress.Otherwise the injury can range from a few fractures to even death. Durga assured us in case of anyone slipping and sliding down he would come after us and halt our slide.He had an ice axe with him and he explained that he would come sliding after us, then hold us first with his left hand and then slam the ice axe into the ice thereby stopping both.Though this comforted us a little bit I wondered what he would do in case two people slip at the same time.Also we all were separated by some distance.What if he was ahead and somebody at the back slipped.These kind of thoughts swirled in my mind as I walked carefully on the snow my eyes fixed only on the trail ahead.

Somewhere around 8 am we could see the camp of Bhagubasa in the distance.The numerous colorful tents were in contrast with the black and white background of rock and snow.
At 8 am we reached Bhagubasa. It took us one hour to reach the actual camp  after the first sighting.We took some rest here. Durga was initially reluctant to give us much time.But we all were adamant in taking our time.He gave in and he himself sat down.He took out some apples and five stars.I was not interested in eating anything so I chucked the apple and the five star into the depths of my clothing.This was to provide a pleasant surprise later on.

At exactly 10 am we started off.Now the group was reduced to 7 persons from 9.Satya and Nitesh decided to stay back at the camp as both were not feeling well and did not want to take any chances.We all were already very tired as by that time as we had completed 4 hours of trek but the thought of finishing what we came to do kept us going.Now everywhere I looked I saw only snow.The only other colours apart from white was black of the rocks,the blue of the sky and the blood red jacket of Aman.

At one point we spotted a fox on a snow covered plain field below.It appeared from some rocks and  sauntered along the field.It roamed a bit and then disappeared among the rocks from where it had come.All this while we stood there looking at the animal in amazement.This was no zoo.We just saw a wild animal in the wild.The thought thrilled us.As time wore on the leading position in the group kept changing between bhanu and myself.Abhishek and arun formed the middle section.The rear was bought up by angkan accompanied by Aman.At some point I stopped to take a break.I could see bhanu just a few metres behind me.He came and stood beside me.Abhishek and Arun were trudging slowly.Their steps measured and careful.Behind the blood red jacket was moving back instead of moving forward.We rightly assumed that Angkan must have turned back.This was confirmed by durga when he rejoined us from the back.

The one big problem today was sitting down to take rest.The problem was the snow.The cold would numb our back sides.But we sat down nevertheless.We were getting so weary we didn't bother.But sitting increased the chances of slipping so we took very small breaks and kept walking.In this manner we trekked the treacherous slopes of snow slowly inching towards our goal.As the trek wore on the others fell behind and there was only a porter and myself at the front. Rahul,the porter had joined us from Bhagubasa and quickly progressed to the head of the group.He would lead the way for me and then stop ahead till I reached him.As we progressed the frequency of stops began to increase.The angle of the slope also increased greatly.I was panting heavily now.Now and then a cough came out as I grappled with the thin air.But I kept going on.By now I had no idea how the others were faring as there was considerable distance between us.Rahul kept encouraging me by saying frequently that our goal was very near now.I was utterly exhausted but I kept going.Of one thing I was and am very much proud.At no point of time did I get the thought of quitting and going back.

As we neared our goal we met a few trekkers coming back.They passed by us with some encouraging words.One person even asked me If I needed any help or If I wanted some water.I politely declined and thanked him profusely for his offer.I learnt one thing here.Up on the mountains everyone is a friend.

The final stretch was upon us now.The slope became gentle and I was huffing and puffing as I was ambling over it.Meanwhile Rahul went ahead and spotted the lake and gave me a cry of jubilation.He shouted that I was near the lake finally.Controlling my excitement I increased my pace and reached over to where he was standing and there it was.

Roopkund lake.

In all its serenity and beauty.The lake itself is not big.Its a small lake.From where I was standing it looked even smaller.It was completely frozen now.Also there were no signs of the famous skeletons.Everything was covered with snow.It looked heavenly.To give you a complete picture.I was standing there in five layers of clothing.A beanie to cover my head.A muff to cover my ears and nose.A pair of sunlasses over my normal specs to protect my eyes from the bright snow.Gaiters over my pants.Waterproof gloves over my hands.And a intensely cold wind was blowing.In this attire I looked at the lake.And It looked heavenly.I would be lying If I said that I did not feel a sense of achievement.For the time being this was my Everest and I climbed it.I felt mighty proud.

To our front lay the frozen roopkund lake.To our right was the Junargila ridge.It was unclimbable that day because of the heavy layer of snow on it.To the left layers of snow covered mountains stretched away as far as the eye could see.Here everything was black and white.The black of the rocks and the white of the snow.

After the initial wave of excitement passed away and gave way to exhaustion I sat down on the snow and started taking pictures.After 20 minutes bhanu and durga came.Durga was visibly happy but bhanu,as is his style,simply gave a weak smile.Soon abhishek and arun joined us.Both were mighty tired but gave small shouts of hurrahs.It looked as if no one was interested in taking a pic because of the conditions we were in.To make matters worse the wind kept blowing.I kept yelling everyone to assemble so we could take a group pic but initially my words fell on deaf ears.A bit of angry yelling soon woke them up from their reverie and we took a few pics.

After sometime Durga took out our lunch.It was roti and some vegetable.I removed my gloves and immediately they became numb with cold.With my freezing hands I took the roti.It was stiff because of the cold.I thought if I eat it, it will never reach my stomach.It will get stuck in my throat itself and choke me.So though I was starving I declined to have lunch.Then I remembered about the apple Durga gave back in bhagubasa.I took it out and cut it into pieces by my swiss army knife.I gave half of it to bhanu and I had half of it.That was the best apple I ever had in my life.

We spent only a total 30 minutes at the top.We reached at 1 pm exactly four hours after we started from Bhagu basa and we started our descent at 1 30pm on the dot.

So that was it.We had reached the roopkund lake. After looking at the pictures of the lake for two years I finally looked at it with my own eyes.

In person.

I was happy.

Roopkund Trek,Uttarakhand. Day 3 (Bedni Bugyal to Pathalnachni)

Day 3

In Brief
Distance to be covered today- (~4km)
Change in Elevation-from Bedni Bugyal(3354MSL) to Pathalnachni (3800MSL)
Scenery-Through grasslands initially,then through rocky terrain and then stretches of snow here and there.
Duration- Around 2-3 hours depending on your speed
Difficulty- moderate

For accounts of Previous days  -Introduction

                                                  -Day 1

                                                  -Day 2
                                                  

In Detail

Day 3 was the easiest of all the days of the trek.We were to cover a distance of around 4km in about 3 hours.We were pretty relaxed in the morning and had our breakfast leisurely.The morning produced some spectacular views of the snow clad mountains surrounding us.But it was Mt Trishul which took the limelight.It shone majestically as the sun's rays reflected off its bright coat of snow.Today we were to trek to Pathal Nachni which was going be the base camp for our final push to the Roopkund lake.This was decided on the previous day.Since GIO(our trek agency) had the concept of a running camp we had two options for our choice of base camp.Either Pathal nanchni or  Bhagubasa which was further away.Pathal nachni camping was on dry ground as opposed to Bhagubasa which was on complete snow.Mr Durga gave us the liberty to choose our camping spot.After a brief discussion amongst ourselves we wisely choose Pathal nachni.

      We started off by 9am from bedni bugyal.There were two options for us, either we could retrace our steps from yesterday(where we descended to reach the campsite )and catch the trail or we could take a tougher shortcut to climb a steep section and reach the trail a bit ahead.We chose the latter.We passed by the enchanting bedni kund lake.The water of the lake was shimmering with a bluish tint reflecting the perfect cloudless blue sky above.As we had lots of time on hand today we stopped by the lake and took some pics.A lake in the midst of mountains is truly a spectacular sight.Only Mr Durga's insistence compelled us to leave from that spot and we trudged off onto the trail again.

      We left the grasslands behind and a rocky terrain welcomed us.We reached Ghora Lautani after an hour into the trek.This place was called so because this was the last point where horses could reach,Beyond this point there was no food for the horses and they couldn't be taken any further.So the horses returned from here.Hence the name Ghora(Horse) lautani (return).

      There were stunning views everywhere and we kept stopping to take pics.We finally reached our campsite around 12 noon.We spotted our camps from a distance and the location, for the first time  did not look good.Our camps were to be clustered very near to each other.There was a small hill just behind our tents which we found out a bit later was the 'potty hill' (I overheard this description from another trekker from another group) Even our Toilet tent was set up on this hill.This was a bit annoying but we had no choice here.Reluctantly we headed into our tents and got ready for the rest of the day ahead which meant slipping into 4 layers of clothing.This was going to be the harshest night of the whole trek so I was not taking any chances.In addition to the 4 layer clothing I had 2 layers of socks on my foot with a plastic cover in between the two layers.During the night I wrote thermal socks over these.This kept me warm and I did not feel a thing.

Our camp site of Day 3

      We spent the afternoon talking.Now and then bursts of rain completely enveloped the area.So we only came out when it was clear.We had our dinner in the evening itself because we were to start very early in the morning at 3am.So we had our dinner at 6pm and were into our tents by 7 30pm ready to sleep.The next day was going to be the most important day of the trek when we push for the final ascent to the roopkund lake.We were very excited and I slept with visions of myself standing beside the roopkund lake.

Everything that you should know about Roopkund Trek,Uttarakhand

Roopkund Trek,it is said, is one of India's best treks.

And I did it last month.

For those of you who have zero idea about it let me point out a few things about Roopkund Trek.

First off this is a Himalayan trek which starts from Lohajung in Uttarakhand.The goal of this trek is to reach the Roopkund lake situated at a height of 4500MSL. The lake has mythological significance and for all thrillseekers,some mystery to it too.In 1942 a park ranger found mounds of human skeletons here.Since then a lot of theories have been floated about their presence much to the delight of the conspiracy theorists but recently National Geographic put in the theory that they may have been hit by a huge hailstorm.This theory is consistent with the found evidence of cracked skulls.

And to the delight of some and dismay of others there are no haunting stories associated with this macabre presence.

Claim to Fame- Three things
1.Human Skeletons
2.Breathtaking views.There are three different landscapes on offer here.Forests,Meadows and snow.Also it presents views of peaks like Mt Trishul(7120MSL) and Nanda Ghunti(6309MSL)

3.Many websites rate Roopkund as one of the top three treks in India.

Region- This trek starts in the Kumaon region and goes into the Garhwal region.

Best time to do it- There are two windows for this trek.

1.May-June. This is for the snow.You will find lots of snow but no skeletons as they lie covered by snow.

2.September.This is for the skeletons.

I will be talking everything related to the May-June window in this blog post.

Duration-The whole trek starting from Lohajung village and ending at Wan village typically takes 5 days.It can be done leisurely in 6 or 7 days too.

Grade-The grade is Moderate+ which means get ready to do some exhausting physical work.
It is said that this can be done by fit first timers.I strongly suggest you do some physical exercises before undertaking this trek.I trained for this trek by trying to achieve Indiahikes's formula of being able to run 5km in 30 mins.I achieved my personal best of 5km in 36min in 10 days.

Medicines-Altitude Sickness plays a factor in this trek.So be prepared with medicines.AMS (Acute Mountain Sickness) differs from person to person.Some may get affected by while some may remain completely free from it.I strongly advise everyone to carry a set of medicines with you.While Diamox is the medicine for AMS,the various trekking agencies have differing opinions about it,Some suggest taking it may cause more harm than good.The locals prefer taking roasted garlic for every problem.

Even if you are the sort of person who despises taking tablets I suggest you carry a strip of Paracetamol with you.Dolo 650 is a good option.Make sure it is pure paracetamol.It shouldn't be added with any other compound.You never know what side effects it may cause.

Equipment- This is the kind of trek where if you forget even one key item from your gear you may have to stop your trek midway.Take very seriously whatever your trek agency suggests you to pack.

I am the kind of man who packs everything with emergencies in mind.99% of the time you may not need them but I prepare for that 1%.Sometimes when I get carried away I prepare a back up for my back up.

My top 5 must have items apart from the usual sweaters,jackets,raincoats and rain pants are

1.Sunglasses (on the day that you push for the summit you have to pass through snow everywhere.And with the sun shining above everything will be bright white.For people like me who have migraine problem this is a nightmare as bright light triggers an attack.I don't usually have the habit of wearing sunglasses as I wear prescription glasses but for this trek I packed in a pair of sunglasses which was sent by my brother who bought it from the Decathlon store in Hyderabad.

So I repeat if you forget your sunglasses you may have to stay back at the base camp.
2.Torch( A torch is essential for movement in the night.Also on the day you try to summit you may have to start at 3am in the night depending on where you camp for the night.Don't forget to pack in an extra pair of batteries)
3.Waterproof Gloves(Believe me with the amount of cold and the snow on the penultimate day you will be saved a lot of pain with a pair of good relaible pair of waterproof gloves.)

4.Atleast 5 pair of socks (I carried 9 pairs with one woolen pair included.I did not regret.4 pairs got wet on the last day of the trek.Woolen pair was for the night.

5.Garbage bags (Do not underestimate the worth of garbage bags.They have a number of uses.They can be used to store wet clothes,your chappals,sometimes shoes,your valuables in case of a rain.I even wore them over a pair of socks on which I wore another pair of socks on the summit day.Protected my feet from getting wet as I was not wearing waterproof shoes.)

And finally the Trek Agency.

Choosing a trek agency is very critical.Remember the following points when choosing an agency

1.They are responsible for your fooding and lodging all throughout the trek.You don't have other options once you start the trek.You solely depend on the agency

2.They are responsible for your safety. The competency of your guide and his team is vital.Good guides are certified First Aiders and have undergone proper mountaineering courses
3.You get to use their gear.Good agencies use good gear.Simple really.

4.Go with agencies that do treks with small groups.Easy to manage and ensures proper safety of all.

5.Choose established agencies as they have local contacts in the villagers and can be of huge help in case of emergencies.

We did this trek with GIO Adventures.They met all the above criteria and were excellent in their service.Our guide Mr Durga Singh Banta and his deputy,the sprightly Mr Aman Chouhan ensured our stay was comfortable.And on a lighter note you don't have to wash your own plates with the freezing cold water if you are with GIO. Apparently some agencies have this policy.

Over the next few days I will present a day to day account of the whole trek.

Trek to Nag Tibba,Night 2 and after.

                After a snack of delicious hot pakoras we changed into fresh clothes and went for a stroll around ourcamp.The location of the camp was excellent.Huge tress were behind our camps and the front offered beautiful views of the village with the mountains in the background.Soon darkness was enveloping us and we made our way back to the camp.On reaching we found out that a camp fire was set up for us.we took seats around the warm and comforting fire and soon engaged in conversations,the kind of which spring up after a day of action and adventure.Only the five of us were around the fire as Mr Vinay and family retired for the night a bit early.

                Tall trees,mountains and camp fire,with these settings the conversation was begging to be taken in the right direction,the direction of scary stories and I provided the impetus by suggesting we start talking about it.Everyone readily accepted with much enthusiasm. Raja started things off by a really scary story about an incident that happened to him and one of his friend.A eerie silence followed the completion of the story and set the right mood for the rest of the night.Then I started talking about urban legends.Being a huge horror fan I had a number of stories with me.And I kept narrating one after the other.The reaction I got with the end of each story was priceless.The nooos!,the shits!,the f*** really pushed me on.I never had so much fun since the horror sessions I used to have back in my school days.I racked my brain for every horror novel or short story I had read (and I have read many) that I could remember,Ambrose Bierce,Algernon Blackwood,Conan Doyle,Edgar Allan Poe,HP Lovecraft, and others.
          Soon my stock was running out and to keep things interesting I thought up an idea.I suggested we start imagining things or run scenarios of our own.But nobody wanted to do it.Shreya especially was getting scared and requested everyone to stop.Heeding her request we started talking about other things.These were equally interesting.We discussed stuff about time travel,existence of aliens,possibilities of MH370,science fiction novels and movies and many other interesting topics.
At around 12,the fire was dying out and as we couldn't find any more dry sticks to continue it,we decided to end the discussion and tucked in for the night.

          The next day we woke up leisurely and and went for a visit to the lovely village.The village had many quaint dwellings and a beautiful temple which reminded bhanu of the watchtowers of the computer game -Age of Empires.After this visit ended it was time for our departure.We packed our stuff and departed in our tempo traveller.We reached our guest house at around 4pm and after a good conversation to keep in touch we parted ways.Bhanu and myself were headed towards Rishikesh next.

PS-We had an excellent time with GIO Adventures and the way they handled the emergency on the night of the first day when the hailstorm stuck was very good.I wont think twice which agency to choose the next time I plan to trek again.