Dedicated to you @...
Part-2
LAMKHAGA?
For sometime on the bus it was carried around in whispers, but by the time we arrived in the hotel in Uttarkashi it had become clear-we were not going to Lamkhaga. Long story short, DS had been trying to get the permit for a month and it still hadn't seen the light in the District Magistrate's office. How quickly we process things in our Govt. offices! After much swearing and debating on what was left in this trip(where nothing had gone to plan), it was announced that we would be going to Gangotri instead and make our way up from there. The news was that this was an easier trek and all of us felt let down. This was not what we had taken DS's morning p.t for and not what we had dreamed of. But Kaanta made it clear that this would be a proper trek and though it would not be that difficult it would be worth it. We went to sleep at Uttarkashi on that.
Day-1(Gangotri-Chidwasa,9kms,max alt-3500 odd m.)
We took another bus in the early hours at Uttarkashi to reach Gangotri. On the way Jhansi and c.o entertained the group with their hilarious accounts and also held an informal get-to-know session with the juniors. Trekker and Bob shared their life-stories. I think Bob did really have a life-size story 'cos I could hear him for so long. After a quick lunch at Gangotri we set off at approx. 2.30 p.m., and that was when I got the first lick of what was to come. On a full stomach with 7.9kilos in rations alone(rucksack totally might have been 17odd atleast), climbing up from Gangotri felt like pulling a cement-truck up the incline. But not to be outdone and swaggering like a veteran I chatted with Chachan as we climbed up the hill-side towards-Chidwasa we were told. I couldn't guess where we were going. Names like Chidwasa,Bhojwasa,Nandanvan,Tapovan kept floating and from what sense I could make of it the first stop was Chidwasa, so Chidwasa it was. After about 15-20min. we reached the check-post and rested for a bit. I grounded my imaginary cement-mixer and panted like my neighbour's lab-remember him? Chocolates(mango-bites) were passed around(mango-bites? where were the glucose-drips and a protein shot too while you were at it?). I took a healthy swig from my water-bottle remembering that too much would add to my 'cement-mixer', and ate the mango-bite in silence.
"C'mon,move forward guys!!" it was Kaanta who reappeared from the check-post.
And move forward we did, me walking just ahead of Chachan. As we walked we started noticing the terrain. There were sal/pine trees all around and the path was littered with stones. The soil was loose and it was sandy most of the time. The path climbed quickly and we soon had the Ganga roaring furiously far below. Taking care not to trip on the stones I walked bent forward as I pulled my 'cement-mixer' forward. Words were scarce and were just passing references between Chachan and me as both took notice of the heavy loads they were carrying. The terrain was beautiful, littered with sal trees on the hill-side and the Ganga flowing turbidly below, that it was a shame that we had to deal with the weight also. Very soon we made aquaintance with a new member-the wind, it blows down the valley at speeds ranging from a breeze to a small gale. The local people regard it as a life-force but I in my present condition could hardly figure out how that made sense. It was chilly and bit into you and also carried the loose sand of the valley along with it. As I moved forward, it pushed into my lungs and the sand stung my nostrils. I looked around at the others. Except me and Chachan most had the new rucksacks, a bit heavier, but in better condition. But maybe that hardly made a difference as some were struggling while others pushed stubbornly forward. We walked forward for what seemed like an hour or two, I don't know-I was scared to look at the watch, just wanted it to be as long as it could be. On the way we met a group of lawyers on a trip to these parts. These lucky guys had given most of their luggage to porters.
"Hello where are you guys from?" I asked the nearest one.
"We are from Chennai and you?"
"We are from Kanpur. What do you do?"
"We are all lawyers. Me and my friends are on a trek to Goumukh. What do you guys do?"
"We are from IIT Kanpur"
"Oh so you are engineers? That's great"
"Aama engineers than. Aana ipo eruma-maadu mari sumandhittu irukkirom..(Yes engineers, but right now we are carrying loads like cattle) I said laughing.
"Oh Tamil theriyuma? Where are you guys from? And is this trek voluntary or a course?"
"We are from Kerala"I said pointing to Chachan"And ya Tamil konjam theriyum(I know a bit of Tamil) and no this trek is voluntary."
"Appo pinne then you have to carry. Did you have training for this?" (then you have to carry) he said laughing.
"yeah..haha..We did 1 month conditioning for this."
"Oh..that's good..c'mon then you can do it"
"Thanks..yeah I will"
In a short span of a few dialogues exchanged we became friends with these people and we would later meet them at Chidwasa and on the road to Bhujwasa as well. We had until sunset to reach Chidwasa and since we started out at 2.30 that was give or take 4-5 hours in these parts. The walking was always in a fast pace then and my breathing laboured. With the cold wind to aid, my nose started dripping like a leaky tap. I just kept wiping it with the back of my hand and it soon became sore-who cares, I just thought about moving forward as that was all I could think of. We passed several people on the way, most old pilgrims, many families, most of them on mules, others walking, carrying a stick. Tottering along would be the proper word for these people didn't walk, they just waddled forward ever so slowly. I felt sorry for these poor people-so much to gain moksha. Most at an age when they should be sitting in their backyards watching the sun set over their guava trees, here they were trying to gain that extra bit of moksha huffing and puffing the lives out of them. There were foreigners too, walking along with sticks that ought to be of use to serious climbers, but now looking comical being used on dry sand at far less an altitude. There were couples along the way and they were probably the only ones who lent a bit of colour to the scene apart from the rich canvas spread out by nature herself. We passed over two streams with logs across them serving as bridges. It was fun to walk balanced across these logs(max. 3) with the stream rushing furiously down the hill-side. Somewhere in between a rhythm had bulit up and we walked mechanically-some like Trekker were filled with enthusiasm and kept overtaking people. Very soon the heavy-rucksack-to-personal-weight ratio started taking its toll on me, and my old worn-out rucksack didn't help the cause. Me and Chachan were careful even in shifting the load from shoulder to shoulder-there were already rips in the rucksacks and we didn't want it to split open by a sudden jerk. So it was that with around two hours of walking, I found us towards the back of the queue, Chachan there because I had begged for him to be there for moral support(folks remember I had shown-off back at SAC for having had 7.9 kilos in rations alone? I repented with my whole heart for the act, and wished many times that it had not been the case.) In such bad condition was my rucksack that the band which is supposed to be around the waist and take some load off the shoulders was flapping around just above my knees, and I was staggering forward. Chachan noticing the poor state I was in would proceed to lift my bag for me from the back many-a-time so that I could have some respite-bless him!! I still don't know how I could have made it that first day without him back there for moral and physical support many times. We trudged forward for what seemed like hours, the gang eager to make it before night-fall. After many episodes of physical support from Chachan, Kaanta who was at the back of the queue took notice of the situation. He rushed forward and tightened the stuck bands of my rucksack so that it was bearable. It was 6.30p.m when we stood over Chidwasa-our first camping spot.We descended to the banks of the Ganga to the sheltered spot of Chidwasa.
"Hello where are you guys from?" I asked the nearest one.
"We are from Chennai and you?"
"We are from Kanpur. What do you do?"
"We are all lawyers. Me and my friends are on a trek to Goumukh. What do you guys do?"
"We are from IIT Kanpur"
"Oh so you are engineers? That's great"
"Aama engineers than. Aana ipo eruma-maadu mari sumandhittu irukkirom..(Yes engineers, but right now we are carrying loads like cattle) I said laughing.
"Oh Tamil theriyuma? Where are you guys from? And is this trek voluntary or a course?"
"We are from Kerala"I said pointing to Chachan"And ya Tamil konjam theriyum(I know a bit of Tamil) and no this trek is voluntary."
"Appo pinne then you have to carry. Did you have training for this?" (then you have to carry) he said laughing.
"yeah..haha..We did 1 month conditioning for this."
"Oh..that's good..c'mon then you can do it"
"Thanks..yeah I will"
In a short span of a few dialogues exchanged we became friends with these people and we would later meet them at Chidwasa and on the road to Bhujwasa as well. We had until sunset to reach Chidwasa and since we started out at 2.30 that was give or take 4-5 hours in these parts. The walking was always in a fast pace then and my breathing laboured. With the cold wind to aid, my nose started dripping like a leaky tap. I just kept wiping it with the back of my hand and it soon became sore-who cares, I just thought about moving forward as that was all I could think of. We passed several people on the way, most old pilgrims, many families, most of them on mules, others walking, carrying a stick. Tottering along would be the proper word for these people didn't walk, they just waddled forward ever so slowly. I felt sorry for these poor people-so much to gain moksha. Most at an age when they should be sitting in their backyards watching the sun set over their guava trees, here they were trying to gain that extra bit of moksha huffing and puffing the lives out of them. There were foreigners too, walking along with sticks that ought to be of use to serious climbers, but now looking comical being used on dry sand at far less an altitude. There were couples along the way and they were probably the only ones who lent a bit of colour to the scene apart from the rich canvas spread out by nature herself. We passed over two streams with logs across them serving as bridges. It was fun to walk balanced across these logs(max. 3) with the stream rushing furiously down the hill-side. Somewhere in between a rhythm had bulit up and we walked mechanically-some like Trekker were filled with enthusiasm and kept overtaking people. Very soon the heavy-rucksack-to-personal-weight ratio started taking its toll on me, and my old worn-out rucksack didn't help the cause. Me and Chachan were careful even in shifting the load from shoulder to shoulder-there were already rips in the rucksacks and we didn't want it to split open by a sudden jerk. So it was that with around two hours of walking, I found us towards the back of the queue, Chachan there because I had begged for him to be there for moral support(folks remember I had shown-off back at SAC for having had 7.9 kilos in rations alone? I repented with my whole heart for the act, and wished many times that it had not been the case.) In such bad condition was my rucksack that the band which is supposed to be around the waist and take some load off the shoulders was flapping around just above my knees, and I was staggering forward. Chachan noticing the poor state I was in would proceed to lift my bag for me from the back many-a-time so that I could have some respite-bless him!! I still don't know how I could have made it that first day without him back there for moral and physical support many times. We trudged forward for what seemed like hours, the gang eager to make it before night-fall. After many episodes of physical support from Chachan, Kaanta who was at the back of the queue took notice of the situation. He rushed forward and tightened the stuck bands of my rucksack so that it was bearable. It was 6.30p.m when we stood over Chidwasa-our first camping spot.We descended to the banks of the Ganga to the sheltered spot of Chidwasa.
It was a relief to set up camp surrounded by trees and on the banks of a younger Ganga. We walked on to the pebbled banks and drank in the beauty of the dusk falling fast. It was fun that night to rub our sore-shoulders and thighs and sit in the middle of the camp-site and relate stories in the darkness while the cook got stuff cooking-the kerosene flame lighting up the kitchen area. It was during this story-session that Kaanta told the others how I was walking in 'flash-back' and how the nick-name stuck(@-I owe that to you,who else). Jhansi,Brainy and Remo had cool stories to add of treks they had and Kaanta too joined in with witty old details. We had dinner of rice and dal where I lost a few odd kilos from my rucksack. Everyone was conscious of weight reducing from their rucksacks-every 100 gram gone was met with delight. We went to sleep in our tents with DK Bose sticking his elbows into me and Chachan shivering on the other side.
I woke up early and went on a recce to the river. It was a wonderful scene, sunlight just breaking out on the farther slopes and the river flowing busily on in the virgin dawn. I sat for a few minutes drinking in the view. Then I hurried back to find a spot to take a nature's call. Its fun to shit out in the open-really, the view is so magnificient compared to the graffiti we have back in the hostel "flush you @#$%"- you get the idea..it was probably the best spot I had of ever taking a dump-surrounded by bushes with red,yellow flowers, leaves..it was a hue I can't forget..and ohh..the view ahead-the mountains standing majestically ahead, the sunlight still not having reached them. Its just that each time you wash your hands on the mountains you feel like they will sever off and fall-the water is so frigid, it feels like you are gonna get frost-bite. We had coffee on the banks of the river, me having found the 'mermaid-stone', lying on it in a mer-man pose. Brainy and c.o going bare-chested in a photo-session.
Day 2: Chidwasa-Bhojwasa(distance-5kms,max alt-3700 odd m.)
We had breakfast of dhaliya and maggi(someone's rucksack was lighter and Shuttle sneaked out a Glucose too-so his was lighter too). Immediately after breakfast(note that), we packed our tents and set off for Bhujwasa. This one was easy and we had plenty of time to make it compared to the 9kms in 4hrs. that we did the previous day. We again trekked up a steep incline from the campsite that took our breaths away and having got back on track walked to Bhujwasa. DS was leading and from what I heard Shuttle and his crony Bob tried to match his pace, but even though Shuttle had spent hours telling us how he had won the x-country when Kaanta was in it, he was no match for DS on the mountains. So after a while Shuttle took his place behind DS and stuck to it-DS had gone on a terrific pace. The terrain changed as we walked-the trees gave away to bushes on both sides and the wind was a constant companion. So was the leaky nose. The load was probably lighter by a kilo-and-something but since Kaanta had tightened it, it felt better. The stones on the road also changed, they were no longer rounded-off by passing feet but sharper. There were fewer passers-by here. It must have been an hour into walking and we were passing through boulder-strewn area that it happened-the left strap on my rucksack finally broke. Remo rushed to my side and helped tying up the strap to my waist-band so that I was in a sort-of harness. But it made it easier to carry so I couldn't care less. We passed over another small bridge and climbed over boulders and rocks in valleys. It must have taken 2-3 hrs. to reach Bhujwasa. This was an open camping spot, open to the wind with the river nearby. We descended to Bhujwasa.
We set up camp and the guys started roaming around and finally got playing volleyball. Me and Chachan went exploring and found a sheltered cove under a huge rock,by the river, sheltered from the wind. There was crystal-clear water in the cove fed by branches flowing into the river and this would become our watering-hole. After a dinner of rotis and dal I guess we fell asleep in prior fashion(DKB digging his elbows and Chachan shivering away). Sleep is a scarce commodity on the mountains-you barely get 3-4 hours of decent sleep. The rest is troubled,twisting,turning,waiting for dawn to break, the cold seeping in through the cracks in the tent-opening. In our case to poor Chachan's discomfort the zipper on the lower part of the tent-flap broke off leaving a gaping hole for the cold to flow through. That was also the night when DKB kept us all awake with a series of tales through the night. He tells a lot of stories that kid, but DKB I fear I was the only one listening in the end. And yaawn..I trust myself to have heard the last of em. We don't know what did it, but we dreamt a lot in the mountains and it was in that night that I probably first dreamt of you-@. Nothing that I remembered later-that would come later. In the morning, again I was an early bird and this time I made a bee-line for the cove and to the first sheltered place, 'cos here at Bhujwasa hiding places to take a dump were scarce. Again I found a spot that offered a majestic view of the mountains, but I also had to keep a look-out 'cos I knew it was quite near to where a baba who prayed at the nearby, small temple lived. You can't be too careful about these babas waking up early you know. I finished my chores just as baba came out for brushing, and after a friendly wave with the bottle as I walked by, I walked down to the river-side for some introspection. I found that Chinky had already beat me to it and was introspecting in earnest-so I joined him from a farther stone. Some time later Chachan also joined me and after enjoying the dawn breaking over the valley we had a photo-session with Shuttle.
TO BE CONTINUED...
I woke up early and went on a recce to the river. It was a wonderful scene, sunlight just breaking out on the farther slopes and the river flowing busily on in the virgin dawn. I sat for a few minutes drinking in the view. Then I hurried back to find a spot to take a nature's call. Its fun to shit out in the open-really, the view is so magnificient compared to the graffiti we have back in the hostel "flush you @#$%"- you get the idea..it was probably the best spot I had of ever taking a dump-surrounded by bushes with red,yellow flowers, leaves..it was a hue I can't forget..and ohh..the view ahead-the mountains standing majestically ahead, the sunlight still not having reached them. Its just that each time you wash your hands on the mountains you feel like they will sever off and fall-the water is so frigid, it feels like you are gonna get frost-bite. We had coffee on the banks of the river, me having found the 'mermaid-stone', lying on it in a mer-man pose. Brainy and c.o going bare-chested in a photo-session.
Day 2: Chidwasa-Bhojwasa(distance-5kms,max alt-3700 odd m.)
We had breakfast of dhaliya and maggi(someone's rucksack was lighter and Shuttle sneaked out a Glucose too-so his was lighter too). Immediately after breakfast(note that), we packed our tents and set off for Bhujwasa. This one was easy and we had plenty of time to make it compared to the 9kms in 4hrs. that we did the previous day. We again trekked up a steep incline from the campsite that took our breaths away and having got back on track walked to Bhujwasa. DS was leading and from what I heard Shuttle and his crony Bob tried to match his pace, but even though Shuttle had spent hours telling us how he had won the x-country when Kaanta was in it, he was no match for DS on the mountains. So after a while Shuttle took his place behind DS and stuck to it-DS had gone on a terrific pace. The terrain changed as we walked-the trees gave away to bushes on both sides and the wind was a constant companion. So was the leaky nose. The load was probably lighter by a kilo-and-something but since Kaanta had tightened it, it felt better. The stones on the road also changed, they were no longer rounded-off by passing feet but sharper. There were fewer passers-by here. It must have been an hour into walking and we were passing through boulder-strewn area that it happened-the left strap on my rucksack finally broke. Remo rushed to my side and helped tying up the strap to my waist-band so that I was in a sort-of harness. But it made it easier to carry so I couldn't care less. We passed over another small bridge and climbed over boulders and rocks in valleys. It must have taken 2-3 hrs. to reach Bhujwasa. This was an open camping spot, open to the wind with the river nearby. We descended to Bhujwasa.
We set up camp and the guys started roaming around and finally got playing volleyball. Me and Chachan went exploring and found a sheltered cove under a huge rock,by the river, sheltered from the wind. There was crystal-clear water in the cove fed by branches flowing into the river and this would become our watering-hole. After a dinner of rotis and dal I guess we fell asleep in prior fashion(DKB digging his elbows and Chachan shivering away). Sleep is a scarce commodity on the mountains-you barely get 3-4 hours of decent sleep. The rest is troubled,twisting,turning,waiting for dawn to break, the cold seeping in through the cracks in the tent-opening. In our case to poor Chachan's discomfort the zipper on the lower part of the tent-flap broke off leaving a gaping hole for the cold to flow through. That was also the night when DKB kept us all awake with a series of tales through the night. He tells a lot of stories that kid, but DKB I fear I was the only one listening in the end. And yaawn..I trust myself to have heard the last of em. We don't know what did it, but we dreamt a lot in the mountains and it was in that night that I probably first dreamt of you-@. Nothing that I remembered later-that would come later. In the morning, again I was an early bird and this time I made a bee-line for the cove and to the first sheltered place, 'cos here at Bhujwasa hiding places to take a dump were scarce. Again I found a spot that offered a majestic view of the mountains, but I also had to keep a look-out 'cos I knew it was quite near to where a baba who prayed at the nearby, small temple lived. You can't be too careful about these babas waking up early you know. I finished my chores just as baba came out for brushing, and after a friendly wave with the bottle as I walked by, I walked down to the river-side for some introspection. I found that Chinky had already beat me to it and was introspecting in earnest-so I joined him from a farther stone. Some time later Chachan also joined me and after enjoying the dawn breaking over the valley we had a photo-session with Shuttle.
TO BE CONTINUED...
hahaha!!!!introspecting in earnest!!!if i wasnt worried about falling off the bed id be rolling around and laughing!!
ReplyDelete@pratik..lol..u get the idea then..he was there for quite a long time..i had to say this :)
ReplyDeletehoo..u really have given me something to add to my "to do" list...!!!!
ReplyDeleteI wish I could do it someday :D
ReplyDelete