Roopkund Trek,Uttarakhand. Descent and Day 5 (Pathal Nachni to Wan)

After the very tiring and mighty exciting ascent to the top we started our decent at 1 30pm.The return journey was equally tiring but one difference was that wherever it was possible we slid across the slope of the mountain.Durga would go ahead and gauge the slope and how safe it was.Then he would slide across and reach the bottom and wait for us.He was helped in this by the porters.This way we made many slides across the mountain.This made our return journey exciting and also sped it up.The sliding was not without its share of risks though.During sliding it is completely up to you to control the speed with your legs.If you don't occasionally slow yourself down you can pick up a lot of speed.An alarming speed If I may say so.At this speed it is very difficult for the catchers at the end of the slope to catch you.If they miss you and you slide away,there is every possibility of you going all the way and smashing on the rocks below.Durga assured me that in case he misses he will coming running after us and catch us.He said he could run faster than our slide over the slope.We saw this in action when durga and one of the porters missed bhanu when he slid down.Bhanu was sliding away at a very high speed.Durga sprung into action as soon as he missed bhanu and started running after him.Sure enough the way he ran he covered the distance very fast.As soon as he reached near bhanu he grabbed him with his left hand and when both were sliding together now he struck his ice axe into the ice with his right hand.This bought both of them to a halt.We were mighty relieved.My heartbeat went up when they first failed to catch bhanu and came down only when durga stopped bhanu some several metres down the slope.There were no more scares during the rest of the journey.
       We reached Bhagubasa at around 3 30pm if my memory serves me right.We stopped for a very short break.By this time my nose and lips were a mess.My nose was sunburned and my lips were broken in many places.I got talking to a fellow trekker who was eating maggie there about his experience at the top. At the end he pointed at me and told his friend ''look this guy is wearing lipstick''. We all laughed.I took a pic of my face then just to check it out later. On top of all this I was wearing two spectacles.One was for my eyesight problem the other was common sunglasses.And they were both at two levels.So to complete the picture I had broken lips,a sunburned nose and two pairs of spectacles.I was looking mighty funny and I knew it.I didn't care though.Nobody did actually.Nobody was there to look pretty.
      In bhagubasa we learned that the other three members of our trek group satya,angkan and nitesh already departed for pathalnachi in the afternoon.So after that short break we moved on eager to reach pathalnachni before dusk.From bhagubasa to pathalnachni we trudged on mighty tired without much talk.We finally reached our destination at 6pm.I was the first to reach and as soon as I reached the camp I slopped down on the ground.We had some snacks and an early dinner.All four of us who reached the top slept very early.We still had some trek left for the next day so we slept early.

      Next morning after a hurried breakfast we started our trek to the village of wan from where we would be getting our vehicle to Haldwani.This was now a race against time as we were running behind schedule and had flights and trains to catch.The return journey always poses a different challenge from the onwards one.Since we were going down we had to take care not to quicken our steps and restrain ourselves.Also a lot of stress goes onto the knees.Bhanu already had a bit of a knee problem going on for the duration of the trek and now he was under a lot of pain.He had a bandage which he wrapped around his knee and carried on.We finally reached the village of wan in the afternoon.It was stunning to say the least.The quaint houses nestled along the hills presented a very beautiful and romantic sight.Satya who was feeling a bit dizzy vomited in one of the streets.A kind passerby offered us some water which satya gladly accepted and drank.

At the centre of the village our vehicle was waiting for us and as soon as we boarded it we took off.We went to our original point of start the village of Lohajung. Here we took our belongings and had a bath.This was after 5 days of no bathing.Refreshed and rejuvenated we got ready for departure.We bid goodbye to Durga,aman,rahul and other members of the GIO team and thanked them for the wonderful service they provided us.They shaped a memory for us that will remain with us for our lifetime.
  PS-From Lohajung we reached Haldwani at 1pm in the night from where we took a taxi to take us to Delhi.We reached Delhi in the morning from where we split to catch our respective trains or flights.Bhanu,abhishek,arun and angkan all missed their flights and had to make alternate plans.Only satya and myself boarded our train as planned.

                                      

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.

Roopkund Trek,Uttarakhand. Day 2 (Didana to Bedni Bugyal)

Day 2

In Brief
Distance to be covered today- (~12km)
Change in Elevation-from Didana(2600MSL) to Bedni Bugyal(3354MSL)
Scenery-Through Oak forests and later through grasslands
Duration- Around 4-6 hours depending on your speed
Difficulty- more difficult than the first day

In Detail

Today was to be the day we would be seeing the famed Bugyals. Mr Durga upped the excitement by claiming that we would forget everything when we will lay our eyes on the bugyals.This declaration speeded up our preparation in the cold morning and we started off by 8am.Today we were to gain a height of around 750MSL.The path was steep right form the beginning.We walked among tall trees surrounding us from all sides.Today angkan was leading the group behind Mr Durga as he had no bag to carry with him.Abhishek and arun were also much more relaxed and sprightly today as they too had given their bags to be carried by the donkeys.Only nitesh,satya,bhanu and myself were carrying our bags.The path was steep for a while and eased out gradually.

      We reached a place called Tol Pani after an hour.It was a quaint village glowing in the morning sunshine.There were a few villages scattered around a beautiful field.This was to the last water source for the day till we reach bedni bugyal.That means a total of around 4 hours without water.We passed by this place and from here another steep ascent started.
      After another stretch of walking through the oak forests we reached tol top after an hour.Here the whole group sat down.Today all of us were walking with not much distance between us.As some of us were without bags we all could keep pace with each other.This stretch was very exhausting for us who were carrying bags.We had some chocolates here and took ample rest.The trees above offered us nice shade from the bright sun above.Here and there the leaves parted to create spectacular images of the Tyndall effect.
    We started after everyone had rested to their heart's content.The trail passed through the forests for a while then slowly the forest spread began to recede and grasslands started.To our right were the forests and we were walking on the grass.We walked on this pleasing spread of grass for sometime and then took a break again.We took some pics here meanwhile Mr Durga and satya went in search of some water.They came back with bottles of brownish water citing this was the best they could do as filling water from the water source was very tricky as well as risky.

   After another stretch of walking we found ourselves amidst the Ali Bugyal.The sight which lay before me was one of the most stunning landscapes I ever saw in my life.An exquisite carpet of green grass was spread all over the place.There were gentle hills sloping up and down.The snow clad peaks in the background completed the whole picture.I was speechless for a while.This is what drives me on treks.This is why I trek.The happiness that I got there on seeing the beauty of nature in front of me was unmatched.I just wanted to lay down there on that welcoming grass,close my eyes and think of nothing.But that was not possible.Not with the group that there was with me.Not without some wisecrack coming my way.I thought better not risk it and moved on.

     Once again we sat down amidst this wallpaper perfect place.To me this reminded me of Windows XP default wallpaper.After we had our fill of the place's beauty we started off for Bedni Bugyal.It was hard, not the walk,but leaving Ali bugyal.I wanted to camp there itself.But there was no water for miles around this place and camping here would be foolish. Bedni bugyal was not far away.The walk till there produced some more stunning views.We could see the path zig zag on the hills before us.All this while we could see Mt Trishul towering over us.As the time passed I grew more and more tired.A slight headache began to start.Over time it grew and by the time we reached Bedni Bugyal I had a raging headache.It could have been because of the Altitude or it could have been my Migraine acting up.

       At around 2 pm I saw a faint greenish colour ahead of us on a edge of a hill sloping down.This was our second campsite Bedni Bugyal.I was relieved beyond words.Somehow this view reminded me of the Tintin books that I used to read during my childhood.The location of the campsite was,once again excellent.We had superb views all round us.On reaching the campsite we threw our bags on the ground and dashed to the dining tent where hot soup was served to us.After the soup I had only one thing in mind.I went to my tent,took a paracetamol tablet(Dolo 650) and tried to catch some sleep.Wind started blowing outside and it was very cold.I had already changed into 4 layers of clothing.This kept me warm.With the sound of the wind,the shaking of the tent and the voices of the group drifting in and out in the background I slept very uneasily.Now and then I woke up with a start when a particular sound increased.Somehow by 8 pm I was sound asleep when a voice calling out my name woke me up.It was Mr Durga inquiring about my health.He told me to getup and get some dinner in the kitchen area.I woke up with foggy eyes but surprisingly my headache had subsided.I ambled towards the kitchen where I was given some hot soup.I told Mr Durga that I was Ok and maybe it was the altitude that caused the headache,He agreed and as a precaution gave me lasoon(garlic) to eat.The guides and the locals believe that lasoon is the best remedy for any altitude related problem.I had the soup and a little bit of rice and dal. That was enough for me and I declined to eat any more.I wandered off to the kitchen area where everyone else were having their dinner.As my headache had subsided I was back in form and joined in the banter that usually accompanies a dinner.

          After dinner we all strode to abhishek's tent and crammed ourselves inside.Yes thats 7 people inside a 3 man tent. Abhishek took out a bottle from his bag which he had dearly carried right from delhi.It was a bottle of Jack Daniels.As satya and myself were the only teetotalers we had a pack of frooti with us. Abhishek poured everyone a small glass of the famed whiskey and everyone drank it heartily.It was very limited as alcohol tends to amplify the sickness associated with Altitude. After this session was over we all withdrew to our tents to tucked in for the night.There was to be no bonfire that night as a cold wind was blowing and we were in no mood to spend any time out in the open.During the whole night the wind howled and shrieked.It shook our tent now and then.The ground was also uneven and I had a quite restless sleep.

Roopkund Trek,Uttarakhand. Day 1 (from Lohajung to Didana)

In Brief
Distance to be covered today- (~10km)
Change in Elevation-from Lohajung(2530MSL) to Didana(2600MSL)
Scenery-Through Rhododendron forests
Duration- Around 4-6 hours depending on your speed

A picturesque village

The agency
We trekked with GIO Adventures with Mr Durga and Mr Aman as our guides.There were four other people who doubled up as cooks and porters.There were also three donkeys.

The Team
Our team comprised of a total of 7 trekkers. Bhanu,Abhishek and Satya were my childhood friends.Then there was bhanu's friend Angkan.Abhisek's friend Arun and  Nitesh who had signed up independently. Only bhanu,nitesh and myself had any previous trekking experience.

Detailed account
                I woke up in the morning all excited for the day ahead.As I stepped outside of the room leaving the warm and cozy blankets, a sense of excitement grew in me as I saw the exquisite view in front of the hotel.I stood there,in the fresh morning mountain breeze and mulled about the days ahead.The thought of being in the midst of those mountains lying in front of me filled me with joy and eagerness.Whatever tiredness and sleep that I had vanished at those thoughts.I went back inside my room and got ready.Slowly one by one everyone came out of their rooms and by 8 am we all were ready.We were full of enthusiasm for the day ahead and couldn't wait to start for the trek.By 8:30 am we finished our breakfast and started off with Mr Durga in the lead.
                Today's trek was to be relatively easy compared to the days ahead.We would be covering a distance of roughly 10 km and would be gaining a height of only 70MSL. I was carrying my trusty Quechua 60L rucksack with me.I had packed it,with a lot of deliberations spanning over a period of 2 months.I had originally bought the bag 2 years back keeping in mind the Roopkund trek and used it in my Nag Tibba trek too.It was quite heavy and like it happened on my first trek( Nag tibba) I was feeling breathless after only 30 mins.We uttered a cry of relief when Mr Durga called a halt near a small stream and we sat down to calm our hearts which were working overtime.After everyone was satisfied we started off and soon we found a rhythm which was with us for the rest of the day.
                We walked among rhododendron forests and there were no views of any peaks today as we were surrounded by tall trees.As we trudged through the trail our feet made a squishing sound as we stepped on the leaves littered all over the path.Soon the sun was making its presence felt.Perspiration began to form on my face and it snaked on my skin making its journey downwards passing on my neck and onto my torso.Whenever a cool breeze blew it bought both relief and uneasiness as the sweat was evaporating making the skin cool.After an hour's walk we came across a beautiful stream.There was a bridge built across it.The water,as it fell and jumped over the boulders made a sweet sound.The kind of sound that lulls you to sleep or for the artistic kind inspire them to create a masterpiece.We stopped here for a while,took a few pics.This place was called Raun bagad Bridge.Here another group of trekkers were already taking rest when we reached.They were from 'Trek the Himalayas' agency.We had a few conversations with them.We kept running into them for the next three days.

               As bhanu,abhishek and satya were my childhood fiends I was all comfortable with them and initially talked mostly with them.But as the day wore off,I became comfortable with angkan, arun and nitesh.Angkan was also a fellow blogger and we found out we had quite a few things in common chief  among them being our love for travel and supernatural stories. Arun was of the quiet kind and didn't talk much.Once in a while he would say something funny in his distinctive style of Hindi and we all would have a hearty laugh. Nitesh was the oldest in the group but did not look the part.We all gauged his age around 10 years less than his actual age.He had done 2 treks before and looked like a 'North face' fan as everything from the cap on his head to his shoes were of  'North Face' brand.He gave us some insights about his previous treks.We had a nice variety to our group as well.Two worked in Power Plants,two in coal mining and the rest were in IT.We had good topics to talk about and this kept the trek interesting.

A small village we came across

                In the initial part of the trek we descended and after Raun bagad bridge we started our ascent.Basically we had descended to come to the foot of one hill and then climbed the second hill reaching almost the same height from where started.Now and then the forests cleared and offered some views of the adjoining hills.As the day wore on the group got divided into two parts.The front end comprised of satya,nitesh,bhanu and myself.The rear end comprised of angkan,arun and abhishek.As time passed the gap between the two grew.By 1pm the front end saw the first dwelling of the Didana village.We stopped by a small shop were we bought a few chocolates(munch) and sat down to rest.

                The rear end arrived a full 30minutes later.To our surprise they were not carrying their rucksacks.On inquiry they said that they were so tired they gave it to the porters who loaded them on the donkeys.After all were assembled here we started walking again.The camping site was still 30 minutes away after we spotted the first dwelling.When we reached the campsite we forgot all our tiredness.The location was breathtaking.Our camps were being set up at the edge of the hill with the hill gently sloping away.We went over to the site,threw our rucksacks on the ground and sat down.Some of us took off our shoes and sat barefoot on the ground.After we took rest to our hearts content we started exploring the site.Mr Durga and Mr Aman gave us a brief demonstration on how to set up a tent.One was set up by them and the other three we set up by ourselves with some help from them.We then had some delicious lunch prepared by the wonderful cook of the group. The rest of the day was spent in visiting a stream nearby and talking.In the night after a heavy downpour we had our dinner in the dining tent after which a bonfire was setup where angkan told some scary stories.The rest of the group lost interest after sometime and some retired for the night.But angkan and myself kept going for a long time.We shared some stories and by 10pm we decided to turn in for the night.Little did we know that this was to be the last comfortable night out we would have.

The view from my tent

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.

River Rafting in River Ganga.Rishikesh,India.

This is a part of my Adventure Trip to Uttarakhand in May 2014

Having taken a refreshing night's rest in Rishikesh we were,in the sunny morning,much excited about the River rafting trip that lay ahead of us.Since my engineering days I had a intense desire to do rafting.My original plan was to do rafting in Dandeli in Karnataka but that didn't materialise and fate bought me to River Ganga for the adrenaline pumping activity.

            We had already booked our slot with Red Chilly Adventures and off we went to their Assembly point.After brief formalities and being introduced to the other members of our group we were taken,some 30kms from the city,to our starting point on the river.Here we met our instructor and after detailed instructions about safety and what to do and what not to do,were given our life jackets and helmets.I was jumping with excitement and could barely contain my enthusiasm.With much restlessness I listened to everything but I did pay attention as ignoring the instructions would be very risk.With the formalities over we sat inside the raft.I wanted to take the front part but the seats were allotted by the instructor and we had to comply.Soon we were into the calm and placid water of the Ganga and were gliding over it.On guide then gave a shout to start rowing.He just shouted 'start' and we started rowing.Then a shout of 'stop' made us stop.This we practised for a sometime correcting whatever mistakes there were in our holding the paddles,our sitting posture,our rowing motion etc. After a few tries our guide got a bit disappointed and declared that he found a lack of enthusiasm from the group.He then ordered everyone to jump out of the raft.We looked at each other with surprise,some with alarm.But I was already turning over and looked at him for confirmation and with his yes I jumped. The water was very cold and it sucked the wind out of my lungs.

Slowly everyone jumped out and we all were floating around the raft holding it.It was fun.right ahead lay some gentle rapids and our guide told us to go through it still floating.I was a bit nervous now but as we passed them all my nervousness vanished.The rapids were gentle and we enjoyed it.After floating or body surfing as it is called we climbed back into the raft and prepared for higher grade rapids.
          We passed though many rapids each better than the last and more thrilling.The raft collided with the waves,wildly swinging us in our places.We held on somehow. The water splashed on our faces and bodies.We were swayed,rattled,shocked,alarmed and at times downright scared but we held on and completed the whole ride of around 20kms.It was the most thrilling fun I ever had until the afternoon when I went for a even more thrilling activity!

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.

Trek to Nag Tibba,Day 2

The morning air was cold and refreshing.We had a breakfast of bread and jam.Then we all did some stretching exercises as the pain in our legs from the previous days effort had not subsided yet.In between I heard Mr chand mentioning that we wont be going to the nag tibba summit as the weather was unpredictable and Mr Vinay and family were not willing to take any chances.I was disappointed. I badly wanted to go.Bhanu suggested that we divide the group into two groups and whoever wishes can go for the summit and the rest can stay back.Mr chand approved and soon Ishani,Raja and Shreya joined in.Mr Vinay and family stayed back and later it was decided that they would start their return journey back to the base village immediately.

The five of us with Mr chand started off for the summit at around 10am.We hiked through some beautiful surroundings.In between tall trees,on a steep gradient,we went on for two hours and finally reached the peak.My first Himalayan peak.I was very excited and happy and so was everyone.The views from the top were exquisite.There was green grass everywhere and far into the horizon a number of other peaks could be seen.Because of the bad weather we were not able to see some famous snow peaks which are usually visible from here.We sat around the Jhandi there which marks the peak and took in the atmosphere.

At the peak

The Jhandi

Only on Mr Chand's repeated urging that we started for the return.He kept telling us that we still had lots of distance to cover and the sooner we start the better it will be.In the initial plan we were supposed to move to our second campsite but due to the weather Mr chand advised we go directly to the last point of our trek,a village.We started off and within 2 hours reached our first basecamp. From here we collected our backpacks and after a brief rest started off for the village.An hour into our descent it began to rain.At first it was slow and gentle but slowly it picked up speed and lashed onto us.I thought we will be stopping but Mr chand strongly advised that it would be foolish to stop.It was important for us to reach the safety of a camp in a village.It was risky for us to get stranded in the forest with the rain and the darkness.All of us took out our rain gear and went on with the trek.It was the second best experience of the whole trek. Atleast for me.I thoroughly enjoyed walking in the mountains in the rain.To experience rain in the mountains is a very different feeling altogether.

But it did pose quite a few problems there.The trail became muddy and there was heavy chance of slipping and falling down.This further impeded our progress.Another problem was water.We had no drinking water with us.I tried to gather some water in my water bottle.I walked for 15 minutes with my water bottle with its cap open.But water didn't accumulate in that.So I abandoned the idea.I kept thinking about Bear Grylls. What he would do.I haven't watched his shows much but even then from whatever little I saw I tried hard to recollect.Nothing came to mind.After sometime Raja and myself drank water which had accumulated on a stone surface.We took breaks and sat there on the muddy trail itself whenever we got tired.We were so tired that we no longer cared about our clothes or where we sat or what we drank.We had only one thing in mind.Reach the village.We walked on on what appeared to be an endless trail.At around 5pm in the evening we finally reached the scenic village.By the time we reached everyone was drenched to the skin.Except me.My jacket served me well.Also I was the only one apart from the guide who didnt fall even once.In our camp Hot pakoras were waiting for us.It tasted heavenly.We all sat in the master tent and narrated our adventure to Mr Vinay and family.That ended our second day.For the description of the awesome campfire we had wait for the next post.
                                   

                                  
                                  

Trek to Nag Tibba,Night 1

As we were waiting it began to drizzle.The drops landed on my face and i could feel the cold,rejuvenating drops as they flowed down on my face.I was there high in the mountains,in the middle of nowhere,with the huge forests all around and then the trance like rain.Everything seemed so magical.I was enchanted by it all.I was woken up from this trance like state by bhanu urging me to get into the tent as the intensity of the rain slowly began to increase.We clambered into our tents.It was getting dark slowly and we had to take out our torches.

            We were longing for the maggi now as pangs of hunger grew bigger.While talking my head was touching the roof of the tent.Suddenly something big hit me on the head through the roof.I winced in pain and immediately withdrew my head.Even as I was checking for any cut a sudden sound of pattering rose up.It looked as if stones were being thrown at the roof of our tent.immediately Bhanu unzipped the first layer of the tent and lifted the outer flap.We could see nothing and then I shone my torch over the area.To our amazement we saw a layer of white sparkling ice all over the area.It was a hailstorm.We were mighty excited now.It was ice and huge balls of it were falling all around.I immediately took out my camera and started filming the whole thing. Bhanu gave a running commentary.Like I said in my previous post,I love imagining.different scenarios started in my head.I imagined myself to be in a remote Antarctic research station and was caught up in a huge storm.

                With these thoughts in my mind we were wondering what our next plan would be for the night when we heard a low whisper in the sound of hail.I looked at Bhanu to confirm if he too had heard it.He returned my look, nodding.We strained our ears to hear.Another whisper now, more of a shout.It was louder than the previous one.We lifted up the flap and saw a figure coming towards our tent.It was Mr chand and he seemed a big agitated.He told us to vacate the tent and come out.We understood immediately.The ice was piling up the on the roof of the tent and we weren't sure of the tent would hold up the weight.I took out my jacket,stuffed my camera in a side pocket and off we went.It was still raining thought the hail reduced considerably.Sounds of thunder came from far off.With flashes of thunder the entire landscape was lit up and the hills looked majestic in those momentary flashes.
            The three of us clung to each other as we walked over white ice and slippery stones.The only means of lighting out our way was the torch we had.We walked on slowly and reached the forest rest house.As we entered in we found the others already there sitting in the front room.The porters did a commendable job of setting up a fire in the fireplace and setting up the cooking equipment.The others were taking in the warm,comfortable heat radiating from the fireside.I could see the looks of worry on their faces.Mr and Mrs Vinay had every reason to worry.They had little kids with him and this was not a good situation to be in with kids.Raja,Ishani and Shreya sat glumly on the floor trying to get some circulation back into their numb feet. Bhanu and myself were the only ones who were enjoying this unexpected development.But we kept out excitement in check.I didn't want to upset the others.As we waited there I began to think about our plans for the night.I asked Mr Chand about our sleeping arrangement.He said that we have to spend the night there in that dilapidated rest house itself.I was disappointed for a minute.I always wanted to spend a night in a tent and sadly it wasn't going to happen that night.On the bright side I was getting to stay in a forest rest house.I didn't do that before either.So Bhanu and myself began to do a small Recce of the building.We opened the from room door and made our way in.All we had now as Bhanu's power bank with us which showed us the way.One of the porters took my torch to bring back other stuff from the main camp.As we started exploring I began to think of one of my favourite horror movies 'Blair witch project' The famous last scene of the movie involves a similar house in the woods as the one we were in.Our Rest House had a simple layout. There was a small hall which separated the front room from another room at the back.After our little exploration was done the porters cleaned up the place and the kids were immediately sent to sleep in the back room.It was decided that the ladies and the kids would sleep in the back room.Meanwhile we went back to our tent to bring back our rucksacks.All along the way I filmed the whole thing.I covered my camera with a polythene bag and somehow managed to take the video.We got back with our rucksacks and began to prepare for the night.We changed clothes and with Mr Chand's help set up out sleeping bags. Bhanu and Myself took the worst place to sleep.It was right on the path leading from front room to the back room and on top of it there was a toilet room on my left.I could do nothing but close the door and hope for the best.Meanwhile in the middle of all these activities going on we were given excellent hot soup and rice with dal prepared by our jovial cook Mr Yashpal.Both were delicious and this lifted everyone's mood a little bit.Mr Chand told us that in his ten years as a guide he experienced this kind of situation only twice before.After dinner we had nothing to do but sleep.With the rain still drizzling out side, one by one everyone tucked in for the night.

Trek to Nag Tibba,Day 1

(This was the second day of my Adventure trip to Uttarakhand.This trek journey started off from Dehradun.)

Part 1-
5am.I woke up excited thinking the big day has finally come.I got ready with thoughts of trek swirling in my mind.I was expecting bhanu around 6am.Time for departure for the trek was at 7am.Meanwhile I met Raja,fellow trekker who had arrived just then.He came from delhi after a hair raising journey by bus.As he couldn't catch a moments sleep in the bus he wanted to take some rest.We chatted for a while and then I went out to guide bhanu to the guest house.Soon bhanu arrived and got ready.We found out that the vehicle which was to take us to Pantwari was late and we had some extra time with us.Raja and bhanu took the news happily as they could get some more sleep.After they had their sleep there was an ice breaker session, though it didn't break much ice.Our guide introduced himself first.His name was Sreechand and he had been in the business for the past 10 years.That was reassuring for all of us who were,which I later found out,first timers.There were a total of 9 people with 1 guide and 1 cook.We all introduced ourselves though I didn't remember anyone's name.After this little session we started off in our vehicle tempo traveller.Our vehicle was late and this time gap affected our trek later in the day. Anyway we had an uneventful journey to pantwari.We took the herbertpur route.The journey was picturesque and I was getting all excited for the trek.We reached Pantwari at around 12pm.

Part 2- Start of the Trek
The trek started off in real earnest.There was a small trail leading away from the village up the hill.Initially there were a number of steps leading up along a temple dedicated to Nag Devta.We passed along this temple and up the steps.After about 5 minutes my breath started heaving.I looked around and sure enough everyone was out of breath.I was surprised with myself now.I was wondered if took the trek too lightly as,in spite of my thorough and careful planning,I paid no attention to the physical demands of the trek.Then I thought maybe it was the initial stress one feels when one is suddenly thrust into doing hard physical work.Sure enough slowly the rhythm got into us and we were feeling better.Meanwhile little conversations began to start with us and the rest of the group.Out of the nine,four were a family,Mr and Mrs Vinay and their kids,gautam and siddharth.The kids were all excited and racing ahead of everyone.They had to be regularly kept in check by their parents.But I liked how discipled the kids were.One command to stop and they did.No fussing no whining.Also both were adorable.Then sometime later I got to know about Ishani and Shreya.Both were studying law in Nalsar in Hyderabad.This Hyderabad part served the fuel for the initial conversation and slowly the group was getting along nicely.

After a walk of about half an hour we gained some height and we could see the village down below to our right.It was a beautiful sight.From here the pics session began.After a brief halt we resumed.
Mr Chand told me to tighten the straps around my shoulders and chest.He told me to keep in mind one basic thing about rucksacks.The whole weight of the pack shouldn't be taken up by the shoulders.It should be divided between the shoulders,the chest and the stomach.After he adjusted the straps of my rucksack,I could feel the difference.I could move better now.As every martial arts movie says 'the weapon and the person holding it should feel as one',I felt one with my bag.It felt as it were a part of me.With these funny thoughts I moved on. Inspite of Mr chand's repeated advice to not drink more water we all did anyway and soon our bottles were running low on water.Luckily we reached a water stream which to the dismay of some of us was nothing like a stream.It was flowing out of a tap and this destroyed the mental romantic notion we had had of a mountain stream.However,We were to find more natural and beautiful streams the next day.

Along with us trekkers and Mr Chand, we also had porters with donkeys with us.They carried our tents and food supplies.With their superior speed they moved ahead of us.Watching them go I couldn't help but think of Dr Livingstone and his various expeditions.Also the novel King Solomon's Mines,where the lead character goes on an expedition into the interiors of Africa.They all had porters and donkeys with them.I imagined myself to be on such an expedition.That pumped in energy into me.I have this habit of imagining.I believe they make the trip,any trip more thrilling and enjoyable.For example when I was going on a safari in the jungles of Achanakmar in Chhattisgarh I imagined myself to be a famous hunter in the likes of Jim Corbett or the time when I went to the very underrated Bijapur in karnataka, I imagined myself to be some 18th century explorer searching for lost cities. Irrespective of what people tell me I enjoy imagining.I do it all the time.Coming back to the trek.The rocky terrain was disappointing us.For different reasons.reasons. Bhanu for example was complaining that this doesn't seem like a proper trek.He wanted a barely recognisable trail with dense forest all around.For shreya,the path was making it more difficult(than for others) for her to walk on.

Stopping,chatting and taking in the views We trekked away in the afternoon sun.Slowly sweat began to form on my face.Beads of perspiration trickled down from my face onto my shirt and The weight of the rucksack was pulling me down with every step.It was getting more and more tiring and we were getting quite restless to reach the base camp.We kept asking Mr Sreechand the same question again and again,when will we reach? And irrespective of the distance we covered or the distance left,his answer was always the same 'thodi der me'(soon).In her frustration Ishani jokingly threatened Mr Chand and he just laughed it off.

We walked along flower beds,besides dropping slopes,on rocks,among herds of goats grazing,in dense forest cover before finally arriving out into a clearing with some smooth stones.Mr chand gave out a stop command and declared that it was time for lunch.Relieved and happy,we took out our packed lunches which had been given to us at the start of the trek.The lunch consisted of a boiled egg,a banana,a mashed potato,two parathas and a tetra pack of frooti.Hungry and tired we gorged down on the food.After the much needed lunch break we again set out.We were in a hurry to reach the base camp before dusk.Shreya's problems compounded when she tripped and her leg got cramps.Mr chand showed her some exercises which eased the pain a bit.She nodded her agreement but I oculd clearly see the pain in her face.But we had to move on and slowly we did.Ishani was the photography enthusiast amongst us and she kept taking pictures of the scenery and of us.She took a number of awesome pics.The views on offer were amazing.The hills stretched away into the horizon.The sound our feet made as we stepped on the leaves coupled with the forest and the hills around was mesmerizing.I had always dreamed of going on a proper trek and here I was out in the hills with a fine group of people.I was happy and content.

We passed by many beautiful places.There was a small,quaint abandoned hut right beside a steep drop.I wondered how a person could live there.Sometime later shreya tripped again and wincing in pain she sat down declaring she wouldn't be able to move for some time.Raja helpfully offered to do some accupressure massage and that eased her pain for the time being.With Mr Vinay and family racing ahead and Shreya limping behind we made progress as fast as we possibly could.We passed by beautiful fields, carpets of flowers,abandoned huts,some beautiful birds we couldn't identify,fallen trees and small water streams.Sometime in the afternoon when bhanu and myself got a bit behind the group,bhanu suggested we take a short cut and we did.We bypassed everyone and got to the front of the group.When the kids caught up they started calling us 'buffalo cheater'! I was perplexed as to what exactly a buffalo cheater meant? That still remains in my own Unsolved mysteries list.With these little bits of humour and fun we kept on walking.As evening approached Mr chand suggested we quicken our pace as we wouldn't want to be left on the trail when it got dark.We were very tired by now and nothing could induce us to go faster and we plodded on at our own pace.Soon we reached a gentle hill behind which Mr chand told us,lay our camp.

Finally as soon as we crossed that gentle hill,I could see specks of red and blue in the distance.To my delight it was our base camp.The location couldn't have been better.A small trail ran along the gentle hill towards the tents.In front of the tents away some distance was a drop,with lots of trees.Behind the tents the hill sloped up with forest cover starting after some distance.The tents lay in the middle of a clearing.We had five tents with a master tent which served as a kitchen and also as dining hall.We reached,just threw our bags and sat down on the cool grass to relax.We were given hot tea and that refreshed us.Hot maggi was being prepared for us when suddenly something unexpected happened that just threw our schedule for the night in disarray.More about it in my next post.