অন্য ঊড়িষ্যা

মনীষার কাছে প্রথম বেলপাহাড়ের নাম কবে শুনেছিলাম মনে নেই। হয়তো আলাপের প্রথম দিনেই। ঊড়িষ্যার এই প্রত্যন্ত জায়গাটার প্রতি ওর টান বোঝাই যেত ( ঝাড়গ্রামের কাছে যেটার নাম আপনি শুনেছেন সেটা বেলপাহাড়ি। সেটা অন্য। ) ওখানে ও মানুষ হয়েছে। ওর বাবা Tata Refractories এর প্রায় প্রথম কর্মচারী বলা যায়। সরকারি খাতায় উনিই প্রথম ওই কোম্পানির নাম তুলিয়েছিলেন, নিজে হাতে রেজিস্ট্রেশন করিয়ে। তখন নাম ছিল Belpahar Refractories. তারপর পরিবার নিয়ে চলে যাওয়া, টাটা স্টীল জামশেদপুর  থেকে বদলি হয়ে। ৮৭-তে কার্ত্তিক বাবু অবসর নেওয়ার পর আর ওদের কারোরই যাওয়া হয় নি। জায়গাটার প্রতি দেখতাম টান ওদের সবারই।

আমি তাই অনেকবারই ভেবেছি ওখানে একবার ছুটি কাটাতে গেলে হয়। কিন্তু আমার ধারণা ছিল ওদিকে হয়তো মাওবাদী ঝামেলা আছে। তাই বিশেষ ভাবিনি বিষয়টা নিয়ে। বস্তুত জায়গাটা ঠিক কোথায় আমার সেটাও আন্দাজ ছিল না।

এ বছর পুজোয় কোথায় যাওয়া যায় ভাবতে ভাবতে হটাৎ মনে হলো "বেলপাহাড় গেলে কেমন হয়"? গুগল ম্যাপ খুলে রাস্তা নিয়ে একটু গবেষণা করলাম কয়েকদিন। এদিক ওদিক বিভিন্ন লোকের সঙ্গে কথা বার্ত্তা বলে শেষমেষ যেটা ঠিক করলাম তা হলো প্রথম দিন পানিকোলি হয়ে কেওঁঝাড় (এটাই সঠিক স্থানীয় উচ্চারণ - কেওনঝাড় নয়) যাবো। সেখানে পরের দিনটা থাকবো, কারণ দেখলাম ওখানে দেখার অনেক কিছু আছে - ঝর্ণা বা প্রাচীন মন্দির। তারপর চলে যাবো সম্বলপুর হয়ে ঝাড়সুগুদা। বেলপাহাড় তার পাশেই। আরেকটা জিনিস ঠিক করলাম। যদি দেখি রাস্তা ভালো, তাহলে বেলপাহাড় থেকে একদিন টুক করে সুন্দরগড়-টা ঘুরে আসবো। আমার জেঠামশাই এখানে থাকতেন ষাটের দশকে। More importantly, আমার বাবা মা'র বিয়ে হয়েছিল এখানে - ১৯৬০ সালে। সারাজীবন শুনেইছি শুধু, যাইনি কখনো।

ফেরার জন্য ঠিক হলো ভুবনেশ্বর নয়, তার একটু আগে ঢেঙ্কানল এ আসবো। ওখানে সিং দেওদের প্যালেস শুনলাম আজকাল ভাড়া দেয়া হচ্ছে। ওনারা ওখানকার রাজা। সেখানেই থাকবো ঠিক করলাম। এই খবরটি দেবার জন্য মনীষা ও আমি facebook friend দীপ ব্যানার্জীর কাছে কৃতজ্ঞ।

পুরো রাস্তা সাকুল্যে দুহাজার কিলোমিটার-এর কম। কিন্তু প্রায় কিছুই জানি না রাস্তা সম্বন্ধে। এই রুট টা লিখতে লাগলো দু প্যারা। ঠিক করতে লেগেছিলো দু সপ্তাহের বেশি। বেরোনোর আগে প্রতিবার সম্পূর্ণ নতুন কোথাও গেলে যে হালকা ভয়টা লাগে সেটা লাগছিল। সব ঠিক ঠাক হবে তো? গাড়ীতে মেয়ে বৌ থাকবে তাই চিন্তা টা একটু বেশি। তবে মনীষা ফ্লুয়েন্ট উড়িয়া বলতে পারে, সেটা একটা নিশ্চিন্তি দেয়। কিন্তু চিন্তা ছিল না সেটা বলতে পারি না। তবে সত্যি বলতে কি, হাল্কা টেনশন না থাকলে কি তেমন জমতো?

কেওঁঝাড় যাবার সাধারণ রাস্তা হলো পুরোনো জামশোলা হয়ে Bombay Road দিয়ে। সেটা নোব কি নোব না ঠিক করতেই অনেক সময় লাগলো। পরে দেখলাম না নিয়ে ভালোই করেছি। ১০০ কিলোমিটার কম হলেও আসতে লাগে বারো ঘন্টা। রাস্তায় কাজ হচ্ছে এবং জঘন্য খারাপ রাস্তা। পানিকোলি দিয়ে আমার লাগলো ৭ ঘন্টা। মাখনের মতো রাস্তা - প্রায় পুরোটাই।

পানিকোলি হলো ভদ্রকের পরে একটা ছোট্ট জায়গা। সেখান থেকে ডানদিকে ঘুরতে হয়। একটা flyover আছে, সেটার ঠিক আগে বাঁ দিকে নেবে flyover এর তলা দিয়ে ডান দিকে ঘুরতে হবে। এখন থেকে কেওঁঝাড় ১২০ কিলোমিটার। প্রায় পুরোটাই চার লেনের রাস্তা। ফাঁকা রাস্তা। জায়গায় জায়গায় জঙ্গল। অপূর্ব সুন্দর লাগছিল এমন রাস্তায় গাড়ি চালাতে। রাস্তায় পড়লো ঘাটগাঁও। হাইওয়ে থেকে ১ কিমি ভেতরে জাগ্রত তারিণী মন্দির। ঢুকলাম সেখানে। দুপুরবেলা মায়ের ঘুমোনোর সময়। মন্দিরের দরজা বন্ধ। আমরা আবার ফিরে চললাম আমাদের গন্তব্যের দিকে। তারিণী মন্দিরের কাছেই একটা সুন্দর হোটেল ও আছে। কেউ চাইলে এখানেও এক রাত কাটাতে পারেন। জায়গাটা গভীর জঙ্গলের ভেতর। কিন্তু পরিষ্কার রাস্তা।

কেওঁঝাড় শহরটা ছোট্ট। থাকার যোগ্য নয়। কিন্তু ওখানকার OTDC পান্থনিবাস-টা খুব সুন্দর জায়গায়। শহর থেকে একটু বাইরে। জঙ্গলের কোলে। পেছনে অপূর্ব সবুজ পাহাড়। এই জায়গাটার পরেই জুডিয়া ঘাট শুরু হয়। সামনের রাস্তা দিয়েই আমরা সম্বলপুর যাবো।

পান্থনিবাস জায়গাটা সুন্দর, তার কাজের ছেলেপিলেরাও খুব ভালো। হাসিমুখে কাজ করে। কিন্তু facilities দারুন কিছু নয়। AC টা কাজ করে, তো গিসার-টা করে না। এরকম। খাবার সাদামাটা। ইংরিজিতে যাকে বলে "nothing to write home about " - বা "বাড়ীতে লিখে পাঠাবার মতো কিছু নয়"।

সেদিন পৌঁছতে প্রায় বিকেল হয়ে গেছিলো। সারাদিনের গাড়ি চালানোর ধকল। তাই এদিক ওদিক যাবার প্রশ্নই নেই। শুয়ে শুয়ে গল্প করলাম নিজেদের মধ্যে। পেছনের সবুজ পাহাড় দেখলাম। জায়গাটা আদিবাসী-দের। এবং যা হয় - প্রত্যেকে হত দরিদ্র। পেছনের একটা ছোট জঙ্গলের রাস্তা দিয়ে মাথায় কাটা গাছের ডাল নিয়ে সবাই ফিরছে বাড়ী। প্রচণ্ড ওজন হয় ওগুলোর। ওই রোগা জীর্ণ শরীরে কি করে পারে জানি না। বেশীর ভাগই মহিলা। একজনকে দেখে মনে হলো বেশ অসুস্থ। শরীরটা বোধ হয় দিচ্ছিলো না। মাথার বোঝা নাবিয়ে জিরোচ্ছিলো একটু। সেটাকে যখন মাথায় তুললো তখন বুঝলাম ওটা প্রচণ্ড ওজনের একটা বোঝা। এমনিতে ওদের হাঁটা দেখলে মনে হয় কোনো ব্যাপারই নয়। আদতে একদমই তা নয়।

এই অঞ্চলের ব্যাপারে সাধারণ শহুরে বাঙালির দুটো ভীতি আছে - এক মশা, দুই মাওবাদী। মশা নিয়ে ভয়টা অমূলক নয়। কিন্তু খোদ কলকাতায় যখন রোজ লোকে ডেঙ্গি বা ম্যালেরিয়ায় মারা যাচ্ছে, তখন তো আমরা শহর ছেড়ে পালাচ্ছি না। তাহলে কেওঁঝাড়ের নাম শুনে অত ভয় পাওয়া কেন রে বাপু? আমি কি Europe এ থাকি?

মাওবাদী-র ভয়টা অমূলক কিনা জানি না। কিন্তু আমার কখনোই রাস্তায় ভয় করে নি। আমি জগদলপুর ঘুরে এসেছি নিজের গাড়িতে। কোথাও মাওবাদীর ভয় করে নি। সেখানে তাও প্রচুর বন্দুক ধারী কম্যান্ডো দেখেছিলাম। এখানেতো তাও নেই। যাই হোক। ভয় পাওয়া বাঙালীর স্বভাব। সাহসী কাজ করাও বাঙালীর স্বভাব। আমি ওই দ্বিতীয় সারিতেই থাকতে চাই। যদিও আমি নিজে মনে করি না উড়িষ্যার জঙ্গলের রাস্তায় - তাও আবার highway - গাড়ি চালিয়ে আমি সাংঘাতিক সাহসী কিছু কাজ করেছি। যাই হোক।

পরের দিন আমরা দুটো ঝর্ণা দেখতে গেলাম প্রথমে। কাছেই সানাঘাগ্রা আর একটু দূরে বড়াঘাগ্রা। সানা যাওয়াটা কোনো ব্যাপার নয়। রাস্তার পাশেই। বড়া টা রাস্তা থেকে অনেক ভেতরে। এবং এই রাস্তায় কোথাও কিছু লেখা নেই। রাস্তায় কোনো লোক ও নেই। খানিক পরে ডান হাতে একটা বিশাল ড্যাম দেখলাম। সেখান থেকেও অনেক ভেতর অবধি গেলাম। কোত্থাও কিছু ঝর্ণা দেখলাম না। দু একজন স্থানীয় কে দেখলাম কিন্তু কেউ-ই ঠিক বলতে পারলো না। যাইহোক আমরা ওই ড্যাম দেখেই ফিরে এলাম। রাস্তার প্রাকৃতিক সৌন্দর্য্য কিন্তু দারুন। আমাদের কখনোই মনে হয় নি ভুল করলাম এদিকে এসে।

রাস্তায় একটা ধাবায় আমরা দুপুরের খাবার খেলাম। Again "বাড়ীতে লিখে পাঠাবার মতো কিছু নয়"। ওখানকার ম্যানেজার আমাদের বললেন আপনারা গোনাসিকা যান। ওটা নাকি দারুন জায়গা। গরুর নাক দিয়ে বৈতরণী নদীর উৎস। দেখার মতো জিনিস। বেশ। চলো যাওয়া যাক। সম্বলপুরের দিকের হাইওয়ে দিয়ে বেশ খানিকটা গিয়ে বাঁদিকে ঢোকা। তারপর আবার অনেকটা। এই বাঁদিকে ঢোকার মুখে একটা সাইনবোর্ড লাগানো আছে। তারপর একটু intuition ব্যবহার করে যেতে হবে। এও একেবারেই ফাঁকা রাস্তা। জায়গাটা সুন্দর। পাহাড়ের ওপর। পাথর কাটা একটি গো নাসিকা - তার দুই নাক দিয়ে জল গড়াচ্ছে। সেটা কোথা থেকে আসছে নাকি বোঝা যায় না। এর ওপরে একটা মন্দির করা আছে। সেখানে একটি গঙ্গা মূর্তি বসানো আছে। একটা পাকানো মতো গাছ আছে, যেটা শিবের জটা। গঙ্গাকে ধারণ করেছেন। ছবি তুলতে দিলো না ওখানকার পুরোহিত। একটি জন-মানুষ নেই কোথাও। নির্জনতার শেষ কথা।

খানিক সময় কাটিয়ে ফিরে এলাম। একই রাস্তা ধরে।

কেওঁঝাড়ে আমার আরো কয়েকটা জায়গা দেখার ইচ্ছে ছিল। কিন্তু সেগুলো অনেক দূরে দূরে। এক হলো কিচকেশ্বরী-র মন্দির। এ ছাড়া রাবণ ছায়া বা সীতাভিনজি গুহা চিত্র। আরো দুটো ঝর্ণা আছে - খন্ডধারা ও ভীমকুন্ড। আমার মনে হয় আরেকবার হাতে সময় নিয়ে আস্তে হবে। পান্থ নিবাসে কিন্তু প্রচুর বাঙালি ট্যুরিস্ট ছিলেন। সবাই জাজপুর অবধি ট্রেন-এ এসে বাকিটা গাড়িতে এসেছেন। এক ভদ্রলোক পুরোনো রাস্তা দিয়ে নিজের গাড়িতে বারো ঘন্টায় এসেছেন। ওনার সঙ্গে কথা বলে মনে হলো জীবনে কোনোদিন গুগল ম্যাপ কাকে বলে শোনেন নি। আমার ধারণা ওনার হয়তো ড্রাইভার ছিল। ওরকম খাজা একটি লোক নিজে গাড়ি নিয়ে বেরোবেন মনে হয় না।

Off-beat Orissa

We came back from our Orissa trip this afternoon at around 2.45 pm. This morning I drove in from Chandipur near Balasore. That's why we were so early. In the afternoon hours Satragachhi was quite empty. It was a bliss. We could have tried to come yesterday itself but then it being the day of Muharram I chose not to drive through Muslim majority Howrah. I have terrible memories of being held up on the road for hours during one particular Muharram. 

Now on with the travelogue. 

The Route 

Calcutta to Keonjhar - We went from Calcutta to Keonjhar on day one where we spent two nights. We went via Panikoli next to Bhadrak. From there we took a right turn towards Keonjhar. This Panikoli to Keonjhar is a 4-lane national highway which is almost 80 per cent complete. There are sections where you need to drive on only one side of the road. But since this road itself is very desolate there is hardly any traffic. One can easily hit speeds of 120 kmph. There was just one section where one has to drive through a village for about 10 kms. Even this was not too bad. 

Keonjhar to Belpahar - From Keonjhar there is only one route to go to Sambalpur and we had to take it. It's a terrible 220 kms to Sambalpur along the old highway. Craters within craters. On the ghat section there are trucks that have toppled over. It's really sad. One would think NHAI has forgotten about the existence of this road. 

From Sambalpur there is a fantastic 4 laned state highway to Jharsuguda (SH 10) from where we turned left towards Belpahar where we stayed for two nights. 

Sundargarh Day Trip - On our second day in Belpahar we decided to go to Sundargarh. We drove to Jharsuguda to the State Highway and turned left towards Rourkela. Sundargarh is on this road. About 30 kms from Jharsuguda. 

Belpahar to Dhenkanal - From Belpahar we drove to Dhenkanal. 

Off-beat Orissa - Unvisited

This Puja we are planning to go to Orissa. But this is not the usual Orissa that Bengalis go to. Not Puri or Bhubaneswar or Chilika. Starting next Monday, 25th September, we are going to the Keonjhar-Sambalpur region of Orissa. Our travel plan is like this. Day one will be to Keonjhar. We will stay there for the next day also, going to the various ancient temples and cave painting sites. Next we drive to Belpahar via Sambalpur and Jharsuguda. After spending two nights there we come back to Dhenkanal where the royal palace of the Singh Deos has been converted into a tourist resort. We spend two nights there and then come back to Calcutta via Bhubaneswar. 

Initially we thought of going to Vizag. Then realised decent hotels there were too expensive and you have to book them way in advance. This year we have had to spend a little too much already on our individual travels. Mampu went to Germany and Dehradun, I went on three different trips - DNP, Roopkund and Amsterdam. Each of these cost us quite a lot of money. So we didn't want to spend a lot of money on Puja travels.

But staying in the madness of Calcutta during the pujas (Maha Saptami is on Wednesday 27th September) is not an option. So I thought let's go and see Belpahar in Orissa - about which I have been hearing from Monisha for the last 23 years and Mampu for all of her 14 years. Monisha was born and brought up in this small town in Orissa. There is a refractory maker there, then called Tata Refractories (it has a new name now) where Monisha's father was the first employee. On the way would be Keonjhar while going and Dhenkanal while coming back. If possible we will dash for a day trip to Sundargarh from Belpaharh where my parents got married in 1960. It's only about 50 kms one way.

While we have booked the Keonjhar OTDC and spoken to the Dhenkanal palace manager, we have done nothing about Belpahar. Monisha has spoken to her teacher, one Mr Patel, who has told her that there is a lodge in the township area where we can stay. We are told there are a few hotels in the town as well. The factory has a guest house of its own. But since Monisha does not know any one any more there, it is doubtful that they will accommodate us. She is going to write to them. But I doubt we will get a response.

The more we read about Keonjhar the more interested we got. There are a few ancient temples there. Maa Kichakeswari temple is beautiful. There is one more whose name I forget but it's between Panikholi and Keonjhar. The Sitabhanji rock shelter is also near this temple where there are ancient frescos on the rocks. There are a few other beautiful water falls. 

So we will stay here to do all the sight seeing. Our route will be via Panikholi. We believe though it is 100 km more this is a much better road. The other route via Bahragora we are told is in terrible shape, particularly after monsoon. Repair work is on resulting in further delays. In comparison, the Panikholi route is entirely 4-laned. Mr Jitendra Kumar, our colleague who goes to Keonjhar every now and then by road told me a couple of weeks ago that he went via Bahragora but the road was so bad he came back via Panikholi. The Panikholi-Keonjhar road has been recently converted into a 4-lane highway. Let's check that out.

I know nothing much about the condition of the Keonjhar to Belpahar route, except that we should go via Sambalpur. According to Google there is a bifurcation before Sambalpur and the suggested route is through the other one that does not go via Sambalpur. It goes via a town called Kolabira. I was told that that route is pot-holed. Problem with Google suggested routes is that you never know which one is dependable and which one is not. 

We will be returning via Dhenkanal. This is an option suggested by Deep Banerjee. He said that the Singh Deos have converted their palace into a resort and are renting it out. We checked the photographs on their website. Monisha quite liked the idea and immediately spoke to them. Their manager, one Mr Samal told us rooms will not be a problem but the per day tariff including everything will be Rs 6000. Let's see if we can squeeze some more discount from him. But we will definitely stay there. Perhaps for 2 nights. 

The pre-trip planning stage is always the most interesting. You are never too sure about the route. You have one hundred questions. There is no ready answer. You are a little tense. You start with a trepidation and then when the trip is over it looks all so simple. Like our Jagdalpur trip. I was pretty tense about the second day, that is from Bhubaneswar to Chitrakote. Will there be Maoists before Sunabeda? How is the ghat section? Youtubing all the time. Trying to gather scraps of information. 

The vehicle has to be checked out for tyre puncture. I will get the alignment and balancing done also, not to speak of tyre rotation. All this was last done during the Jagdalpur trip two years and 10,000 kms ago. There are definitely small secret leaks in the front left tyre. 

I will then get the battery also checked from the Entally workshop. It's been more than 3 years that I bought the car and the new battery is still going strong. I hope it is going strong. 

 Thursday 21st September, 2017

Monisha shot off the mail to Belpahar yesterday. We got the email id from the internet and I drafted the mail for her. And guess what? Within a few hours their production head wrote back saying yes they would be happy to host us in their guest house and also sent instructions to the person in-charge of the guest house who has also responded saying that a room would be reserved for us on the proposed dates. What joy !!! We didn't think they would even read the mail :-) Not only did they read it, they responded positively within a few minutes. This is Tata culture. Rather factory culture, anywhere in India. They always feel happy when outsiders come visiting them. I have seen this even with our factory management in the remoter places.

Tyre Alignment and Balancing

Got the tyres aligned, balanced and rotated, not to speak of the puncture repair. The meter read 29310 km. The next alignment/balancing and rotation will be done at 40K. I went for a cross swap of the tyres. That is front left with the rear right. Next time it will be front to back.

Saturday 23rd September, 2017

Yesterday I got the battery checked by a Bat Mobile guy. His Metronics analytical tool said "replace the battery". I informed our regional service head, Subrata Das, about it and sought his opinion. He said going on a long tour with such a battery would be taking a risk. It can stop even in the middle of the road. "I shall organise a field trial battery from the Alpha factory and get it fitted", Subrata said. Today the boy came and fitted it to my vehicle. What a relief. The OE battery lasted for more than 3 years under the bonnet without a problem. I am impressed by its performance.

A special word of appreciation for the boy. One Sanjay Saha. Very nice spoken. Dignified. Gentle voice. I have never come across a mechanic with this type of sophistication. He could easily have been an officer in any large office. Unfortunately he is a Bat Mobile service mechanic whose job is to roam the city streets with his scooter and attend to car owners in distress. Very unfortunate.

Learnt a new thing about the car. The moment the new battery was fitted, the Media Nav in my car refused to start without some code. The screen had a huge display asking me to key in some authentication code. I thought since the new battery has still not been commercially launched, the Media Nav is perhaps not recognising it. I was mentally wondering whether I should go to the workshop or call up the helpline etc and cursing myself for not having completed all these a week ahead of departure.

Asked the WB TDI whatsapp group as a first step. A guy told me the Media Nav is asking for the Radio Frequency Code which should be found hand written on the first page of the owner's manual. I checked and he was absolutely correct. There was a simple numeric code, which I promptly keyed in. And bingo the Media Nav was back in action. It had nothing to do with whether the battery was commercially launched or not. It will do this every time a new battery is connected.

The Netherlands With Office

Zanse Schans near Amsterdam. A touristy spot for windmills.

In August 2017 I visited The Netherlands for three days on an office junket. Two days in Amsterdam and a day in The Hague. This trip, though extremely short, is special to me because this was my first visit to Europe. I have been to Australia and the United States but never to Europe. 

I am calling this a junket, a word borrowed from the world of journalism, to describe a trip where all expenses are paid for by a company and though there is an alibi of some official work, the real purpose of such trips is pleasure and holiday. Here the official reason was a dealer conference which was held at The Hague. More than 1500 dealers went and we were a 200-strong contingent of office colleagues. I have no clue why I was nominated. I guess it was the magnanimity of my MD & CEO who possibly nominated me. 

From Calcutta we flew first to Dubai by an Emirates flight. Although I was one of the first to reach the check in area, I ended up being one of the last at the counter because I had reached too early and didn't know where to stand. Inevitably I stood at the wrong place and when the line actually started I became one of the last. :-) Anyway, I reasoned that no matter who checks in first and who checks in last, we are all going to fly together at the same time. 

I got an aisle side seat. Next was my visit to the immigration counter. These days you don't need to fill up any forms any more. You put your finger on a machine, look at another machine with your spects off and the immigration officer puts a stamp on your passport. 

Next stop was security check and they have thankfully discontinued the custom of stamping your tag on the hand baggage. I had the Deuter 26 as my hand bag with my camera in it and the Dell laptop in its bag. I switched off the data on my mobile right after take off. In the plane one does get access to free internet, which I used. It's for two hours and ten MB data that you can use - whichever comes first. After that one has to pay for staying connected. 

At Dubai we didn't have too much time at our disposal. Had to go through a brief security screening and boarded the connecting flight to Dusseldorf. Yes, we were going to enter Amsterdam through Dusseldorf in Germany, which is about 3/4 hours by road. The Dusseldorf airport is a small one but with very strong free internet. Spoke to Monisha in India and Sophie/Sujoy in Germany. Completed the immigration process quickly. The lady didn't ask anything. It took a long time for my luggage to arrive, perhaps one of the last ones. 

Two buses were waiting outside the airport for us. Large luxury buses. Though it was late in the evening local time, like 10 pm or so, there was enough light in the sky. In Calcutta that would be like 6 pm light on a summer day. The buses took us to the centre of Dusseldorf city to a small Indian restaurant called Mayur. There was hardly any traffic or pedestrian on the roads. It was totally empty. Dusseldorf is really a small city. And it felt like we were in a dead city with not a soul in sight anywhere.

At Mayur we had a typical Indian dinner with rice, chicken masala curry and daal etc. It is run by an Indian family. Two guys and a woman. Possibly Punjabis. Food wasn't so bad. I heard one of the dealers later saying, "while away from home we must taste the local cuisine. One can get bhat-dal-chicken at home every day." I quite agreed with him mentally. 

In the bus, as in the plane also, Surajit, Jawhar Sengupta and I were together. After dinner the long drive to Amsterdam started. The long day was gradually coming to an end. But the prospect of some eighty people checking in together in the dead of night was daunting. We finally reached hotel Movenpick and I got the room key after some struggle. Key means a card. My room was on the 19th floor.

I entered the room to a stunningly beautiful night view of the city. The hotel is right on the bank of a wide canal down which ships and other marine vessels ply. To the left of the canal is the sprawling city. All dazzling at night. Despite being so tired from a nearly 24 hour journey, I couldn't help marvel at the sight. I have never slept on 19th floor of any building.

I was under the impression that the room would be on a twin sharing basis. And waited to see who might turn up. But after about half an hour realised that no one was possibly coming. It made me very happy. Checked out the bathroom. It had a bathtub. And a very nice concave shaving mirror.

Went promptly to sleep.

Next morning I woke up to the telephone call of Surajit (on whatsapp of course) who in his enthusiasm went for a morning walk and asked me if I would be interested to join. I thanked him for the offer and went back to sleep :-)

When I finally woke up and went down for breakfast I wasn't too late. The buffet breakfast spread was pretty large. I chose grilled tomatoes, giant mushrooms, eggs, bacon etc. Some bread and butter too. There were lots of other things, including Indian puri-bhaji. I strictly avoided the Indian stuff.

After the sumptuous breakfast it was time to go out. Boarded our bus to go to Zaanse Schans. This is a very very touristy place (meaning a place meant only for tourists) a little outside the main city of Amsterdam. There are several windmills here that actually work, in the sense the arms go round and round with wind. The Netherlands is otherwise dotted with lots of windmills but they are possibly defunct now. There are cheese shops and souvenir shops. You could go to the observation decks of some of the windmills. There is even a workshop that makes wooden boots for tourists. We saw a demo of how the shoes are made.

Roopkund Visited

Trishul (Trident) from Bedni Bugyal

Sunday, June 11, 2017

Last evening I came back from my Roopkund trek. Let me jot down the main points first (before I forget). Will add the finer details later. 

The intention behind writing this blog is not to create anything of lasting literary value. It is principally meant for me to read later and relive the memories of my trek. A tool for my reminiscences for old age. If it ever helps someone to go to Roopkund in terms of planning it's a bonus for me.

I did this trek with India Hikes - currently one of India's largest trekking agencies. After the accident in Chadar last year where I broke my wrist, I got very nervous about trekking in the Himalayas. Initially I was very apprehensive whether I would be able to complete this trek at all.

For 45 days before the trek I struggled with a bad plantar fascitis injury on my left foot, possibly caused by a sudden burst of exercise for the legs. The pain was in the Achilles but the injury was actually on the plantar. This made me even more paranoid. I couldn't do any aerobic exercise during this period. I did mostly stretches for a month and a half. I was scared that running might aggravate the injury. Not only aerobic, I did not do any exercise whatsoever. I knew this was bad and I needed more strength in my quads. But I did not risk further injury to the plantar. (To be honest the plantar is still bad after almost a month of coming back from the trek).

Having completed the trek and having recovered in virtually no time from the muscular trauma of a 24 km, ten hour downhill walk on the last day (Bhogwa Basa to Wan), I realised that I still had some juice left in my 53-year-old bones and muscles. This trek boosted my confidence quite a lot. I am sure I can do more such treks in future, if I keep exercising. Frankly, I felt the Pindari glacier trek, which is supposed to be an easy trek, was a lot more taxing for me. I did that in 1999 with Monisha. Almost 20 years ago. But I suppose I had taken the trek for granted and did not exercise at all. I was also a hard core smoker at that time.

My other trek mates in Roopkund were mostly more than half my age and I was in fact the oldest member in the group to have completed the trek. There were two other gentlemen who were older than me but unfortunately they had to back out from Pathar Nachauni. So I became the official uncle of the group !! But I am proud that I did better than many of the "half my age" members, particularly on the up hill walks, like the one from Neel Ganga to Ghaeroli Patal or from Pathar Nachauni to Kalu Vinayak.

I realised that the body's memory of a physical struggle is very important in such situations. My body and brain knows what it is to struggle against all odds. How it feels to huff and puff. Whenever I was going out of breath on those steep inclines an image was flashing through my mind and it kept me inspired. The image is this - I am running through the semi-dark road of Dhakuria Lake in the evening. It is humid. I am sweating like a pig from head to toe. I am breathing in and out so hard that other walkers are turning their heads at me in surprise. And I am running alone. I know I cannot afford to stop.

The memories of this struggle kept me positive, inspired and going. Any day, running 5 kms in humid Calcutta in June or July is more difficult than walking from Neel Ganga to Bedni. Of course my past experience of walking in the Himalayas also helped. In the mountains I know two things - when you are walking up hill, DO NOT try to look at the ultimate destination that is visible to you. First of all it is not the destination. Once you reach there you will find the trail has gone further up from there. Secondly, you feel very disheartened to see such a long upward climb. With your head down, keep looking at your feet and look only at where to put your next step. Keep moving up slowly. You hit a barrier in the first few minutes. Overcome it with your mental strength and keep going. Don't stop unless you are absolutely dog tired. Be the proverbial tortoise.

And always remember, there are other bigger fools who have done this stretch before you. You are not the first one.

The brain is wired to seek comfort all the time. You have to train the brain to learn that comfort will come much later.

Ali Bugyal. I Loved It. 

While coming back, which is an entirely downhill walk, I got a little slower. This is because my quads and thighs weren't as strong as I would have liked them to be. As I said earlier, I could not do much exercise for a month and a half before the trek. Also, I was trying to step very cautiously on the downward journey (I was taking each step very consciously) and putting brakes with my legs all the time. This slows you down and strains the muscles all the more.

I think one should go for trail running to get used to stepping on rough terrain without necessarily looking at the trail. Unfortunately there aren't too many trails outside Calcutta worth exploring.

The youngsters did much better than me here because their natural body balance and muscle strength is perhaps better than mine.

Now on with the travel details.

Day one (Calcutta to Delhi to Overnight Train On Way To Kathgodam) - Left Calcutta by an afternoon flight to Delhi. From the Delhi airport took a prepaid taxi to old Delhi station, which is a hell hole, to say the least. It's a huge station but with people all over the place and generally looking very chaotic. 

My luggage meant the large North Face ruck sack (which I would off load on the trek), the 26-lit Deuter for me to carry my camera gear and some of the other basic stuff like spare clothes, medicines and food on the trail and a red cloth bag which was my hand bag during the air travel. I would leave this bag behind at the base camp with the worn clothes of the plane journey and a set of new clothes for the return journey home. So essentially I had three items of luggage with me, which is difficult for a lone traveller to manage.

The official locker room operated by the railways does not allow you to leave anything that cannot be locked. So I had to move around with all my three items of luggage. After much investigation found the McDonald's outlet on the first platform. Had to kill quite a few hours sitting in there to catch the Ranikhet Express late at night. The McDonald's outlet also has a thali kind of canteen which sells tea, coffee etc too. Not a bad place to kill a couple of hours in air-conditioned comfort.

The train (Ranikhet Express) came at 10.15 pm (originates in Jaisalmer). In old Delhi station the same side of the platform can have two numbers. This is very confusing and made even more confusing by the fact that the platform number may or may not be written anywhere. 

Train ride was uneventful except that someone was snoring extremely loudly somewhere close by. Couldn't sleep well. There is no pantry in the train. So one should get his own food and water. I got the side upper berth, which is the worst berth to get and it is always given to a lone male traveller. Couldn't sleep at all. Decided never to take any overnight train again in life. This decision was eventually modified during the return journey when I decided that I would travel overnight by train only if there is an AC 1st Class berth available. AC 1st Class is super luxurious. I went AC 2 tier and came back 1st Class. If you get the side berth - 2 or 3 tier does not matter. It's the same. 

Day Two (Kathgodam to Lohajung) - Reached Kathgodam (terminal station) at around 6.30 am. Got into the Tempo Traveller parked outside the station for us. Raju Shah, the taxi operator had SMSed me the vehicle numbers. Met some of the fellow trekkers. Got the window seat just behind the driver. We were eleven of us in the TT. There were two other Sumos. I waited for Kinjal to come. But he took his own sweet time to wake up in his hotel in Haldwani and possibly arrived after we had left. We met up at lunch near Kausani.

Kinjal is another Calcuttan (I have talked about him later) but he came to Haldwani the previous night taking the Sampark Kranti from Delhi.

Had breakfast at some arbitrary place. Lunch was after Kausani. Reached Lohajung after 5 pm. The total fare of Rs 9500 was shared among us eleven passengers, each paying Rs 865. 

Among the passengers was the Sovani family from Pune. Mr and Mrs Ajit Sovani. Their daughter Neeraja and her friend Madhuli and their 14-year old son. Neeraja is a second year student. Both the children are very quiet. I loved this idea of trekking with the whole family. Mr Sovani and his son eventually had to pull out of the trek. But that's a different story.

At Lohajung IH has its own guest house, which is quite large. Got to share the room with Mr Sovani and his son. Had a briefing session. BMI was measured. So was BP which was 140/90. Was a little surprised by the high reading, particularly the lower one. I am used to 12/70. I think they also measured oxygen saturation. Bought the poncho. Hired the trek pole. 

The trek leader was a girl from Bangalore called Nada. She has recently left her IBM job to do this. This is going to be her third trek to Roopkund this season as a team leader. The other local trek leader is Devender Singh. Smart young boy. Apart from being the local resource, he would later tell us all the mythological stories about the trek. He was easily identifiable by his yellow cap. 

The other trek leader is the quiet Dhan Singh Pancholi. He would be the sweeper at the back of the group who would ensure that no one is left behind. His quietly confident look gives a lot of faith in his abilities. 

The afternoon before the final push to Roopkund (which is done in the wee hours of the morning), I told Dhan Singh - "Brother I cannot locate my spare batteries for the headlight. I wonder what will happen if the light goes out". He said, "I will be your flashlight sir. Don't worry". It is difficult to explain what weight these simple words carry in those rough terrains, where death lurks in every corner of the path. Incidentally the spare batteries were finally located in the packet containing my spare briefs.

Meanwhile, at the Lohajung briefing session all the other trek mates were introduced to one another. Mostly boys and girls less than half my age and almost all of them first time trekkers. There was one Mr Mohan from Bombay who was senior to me. He is 62 and has done a lot of treks in life. Last year he tried EBC but had to cut it short due to AMS. Eventually he would pull out due to early signs of AMS. I felt bad for him because in his parting speech he said he would probably never try to do any 10K plus trek any more.

The crowd was predominantly from Bangalore and Maharashtra (Pune and Bombay). There were three boys from Delhi (who also eventually pulled out) and we were three Bengalis - Kinjal, Sayak and me. There was another Bengali boy Basu in the team but he is a Delhi-ite who lives in Bangalore. 

I got a room with Mr Sovani and his young son on the first night. Mr Sovani was found to be snoring extremely loudly. First went out in search of another place in the middle of the night. Found Kinjal and Shayak (the other two Bengalis) were in the room with another serious snorer, Mr Mohan. 

Had to wake up Mr Sovani who was very embarrassed. I felt bad for him. But my situation was also pretty sad. Somehow managed to catch some sleep.

From the next day Kinjal, Sayak and I shared the tent for the rest of the trek. I had met Kinjal in Calcutta and got to know him in advance. He works as the legal head in the Calcutta office of SEBI. He and I share similar schooling. He is a product of St Xavier's school, albeit 20 years junior to me but has had teachers like Fr Foshow or Fr Boris. So becoming friends with him took a few minutes really.

Sayak Roy Chowdhury is doing his PhD from IISc Bangalore in artificial intelligence. I don't know what image this sentence creates in your mind but Sayak is an extremely simple boy with an obvious semi-urban upbringing. His parents are both school teachers in Habra. His favourite one liner each day before going to sleep was: "kalke kintu chaap achhe" - tomorrow is going to be a tough day. 

We pulled his legs left right and center and he did not mind much.

Nanda Ghunti

Day Three (Lohajung to Wan to Ghaeroli Patal) - At Lohajung I started the Diamox regime - one tablet in the morning and another in the evening. This continued till the end of the trek.

We took a Sumo to Wan after breakfast. This is organised by India Hikes and part of the deal. About 45 minutes' drive. Wan is a very big village now with its own GMVN hostel and taxi stand etc. Unbelievable some 35 years ago, when we came here. 

Started walking from under the Latu Devta temple. Wasn't allowed to go up to the temple (probably due to time constraint). But we were told the story about him being the brother of Nanda Devi and how the temple stays shut throughout the year except on the full moon night of Baisakh month when only the priest can enter it, that too wrapped in his dhoti. He is not supposed to look at the idol because it is supposed to be very powerful and can damage his eyes in seconds. I later learnt that this priesthood is a hereditary position held by a village family and the family is not a Brahmin one (I specifically asked this question).

I thought I would see the temple from close on the way back. But unfortunately while coming back we didn't come down exactly the same way and instead went straight to the taxi stand of Wan. So there will have to be a next time when I go up and see the mysterious temple for myself. Of course there are lots of images on the net. But I want to see it too.

Latu Devta is the reigning deity of the area. Every day we used to start our trek with a "jaykara" shouted by Devender Singh. It went like this "Bolo Latu Devta ki? JAI. Bolo Raj Rajeswari ki? JAI. Har Har !! MAHADEV. Ganpati Bappa !! MORIYA. Mangal Murthi !! MORIYA" The all caps is our shout out in unison.

The Ganpati Bappa Moriya chant might sound a little out of place here in the Himalayas. It is typically associated with Bombay where Ganpati festival is celebrated in a very big way. In fact Moriya is a Marathi term meaning "ours". The reason why it is chanted here is that there is a very small Kalu Vinayak temple before Bhogwa Basa at the highest point of the trek before Roopkund. There is a black Ganpati idol there done in pure black granite. He is therefore revered here. The Bombay chant is perhaps due to the many Bombay-ites who come here these days.

After a couple of days I asked Devender, "please don't mind my asking this and these are holy matters that should not be questioned but how come you are not taking the name of Nanda Devi !!" I thought Nanda Devi is THE supreme God of Gharwal and Kumaon region. Devender was aghast by the question; "no no sir. Who do you think Raj Rajeswari (supreme queen of the king) is?"  I realised my mistake and laughed at the silliness of the question. But from the next day Devender also modified his jaykara slightly saying "Ma Nanda Devi", instead of "Raj Rajeswari".

Incidentally I become very God fearing in the mountains. Somehow I feel very small in front of the raw force and immediate presence of nature. I see these reigning deities as the representatives of this natural force and feel it best to show my obeisance to them rather than challenge them and further prove my silliness. Who am I to rubbish the beliefs that have endured the test of time for thousands of years ?

The trek started in right earnest after the jaykara. A short up trail and then down to Neel Ganga. After this is a continuous climb to Ghaeorali Patal. The entire trail is through a deep forest. There were two small tea stalls on the way. The one at Ran-ka-Dhar is a permanent one. On the riverside there is a small shop as well. 

The 26 member gang was walking almost together. I felt crowded out and also thought that the party was stopping too frequently. My plantar was fine. There was no pain. I realised that most of the youngsters are just not used to panting. They were lagging behind, despite being more than half my age. 

Ghaeroli Patal is in the middle of the forest in a clearing. If I was trekking on my own, I would probably go up to Ali Bugyal on this day. But being with IH one has to accept their schedule.

Day Four (Ghaeroli Patal to Ali Bugyal To Bedni Bugyal) - Walked from Ghaeroli Patal to Ali Bugyal at first. A short hike up at first and then easy level trail. But this part of the trail is not man made like the rest of the way. The main Raj Jat trail goes straight to Bedni from Ghaeroli. It's steep. We took the detour to Ali, principally to see Ali and also to make the trail easy. Ghaeroli to Ali is a footpath in the old traditional style.

After some time, the forest gave way to a beautiful alpine meadow. This is above the tree line. That is, one does not find trees any more above this. This is locally known as "bugyal". First came Ali Bugyal.

Ali Bugyal is beautiful. We got a fantastic panoramic view of an entire mountain range with Chaukhamba being the most prominent in the middle. Neel Kanth to the right was also visible. But this was a very distant view. We were lucky to see such distant mountains. Normally they remain hidden behind clouds. But it was a clear mid-day.

Here is a panoramic shot of the mountain range with the names of the peaks given by veteran mountaineer Anindya Mukherjee. 

View from Ali Bugyal

There were hundreds of sheep and several mules grazing all around. It was a beautiful sight. Peace reigned supreme all around. No one was in any hurry.

If one goes up the Ali top way a little (the highest point in Ali Bugyal), one gets to see Maiktoli and Mrigathuni too. The party went up all the way to the Ali Top. I chose to stay back and chat with the old owner of the lone dhaba there. It's a small hut  made with plastic sheet and bamboos. He sells tea, omelette, Maggi, bottled water etc. Pan Singh gave me his contact address for any future treks in the region. His son works for Trek The Himalayas (IH's main competitor) - or TTH as it is locally known. At Ali, in front of Pan Singh's shop I saw three boys who were trekking without a porter or guide. They had pitched a tent there the previous night. I love this style of hiking. That is the true spirit of a hike. 

From Ali we walked our way to Bedni Bugyal and rested for the night. The views of Trishul were glorious, to say the least.

Mrigathuni and Maiktoli from Ali Bugyal

Day Five (Rest At Bedni Bugyal) 

We took a rest day today at Bedni. But rest is not really rest. We trekked upto the top of Bedni Bugyal. About an hour's uphill walk. Today the weather isn't as clear as yesterday. No peak is visible at all.  Lucky that I had taken the photographs of Trishul yesterday. At one point of time it seemed it might rain. We came down after a while.

Day Six (Bedni to Pathar Nachauni) 

From the camp site of Bedni one has to hike up to the main trail for about half an hour which is a little back breaking. After this the trail is level almost. Pathar looked very gloomy with clouds all around. It was very windy too. It rained in Pathar a lot and we spent quality group time in the dining tent singing songs.

Day Seven (Pathar to Bhogwa Basa) The next morning we were told that six of us would be going back. The three boys from Delhi. Mr Mohan because his pressure wasn't coming down from 160 and he could feel the early signs of AMS like loss of appetite. Mr Sovani also wanted to go back because his son was finding it too cold there. Mr Sovani was struggling a bit from day one. Of course his shoes gave way on day one itself with the sole coming off. It happens when you don't wear a pair of shoes for a very long time. The gum comes off.

He managed to get another pair sent from Lohajung. India Hikes is great for this sort of support. It was a Chinese sports shoe but something is better than nothing.

The back breaking trail from Pathar to Kalu Vinayak. Pic Neeraja Sovani

The trail from Pathar to Kalu Vinayak is really hard. It's an uphill climb throughout. Kalu Vinayak is a small temple with an idol of Ganpati in cobalt. I do not know who put it there but the local belief is that the famous incident of Ganpati moving around his parents seven times happened here.

I rang the bell of the temple and said a small prayer mentally. Temple means some stones arranged on top of each other. This is the same technique by which shepherds make their summer homes in the alpine pastures. There is no cement or anything used here.

As usual, there is a small tea shop also. But the fellow refused to make sugar free tea for me. He also had various other packaged food like biscuits and maggi etc. But being close to the temple, he does not sell eggs.

If one really wants to come completely alone and not cook or even carry cooking utensils one can just depend on these tea stalls and complete the trek. I am more than certain that in ten years or less these tea stalls will become small lodges catering to independent trekkers.

From Kalu to Bhogwa Basa the trail is more or less level but the greenery of the bugyals vanished here. It was brown all around. I think this area was under snow even a few weeks ago. We were told that after monsoon this stretch becomes full of Brahma Kamals of various varieties. As of now there is some stray snow on either side of the trail. Ushnik had to go back from here due to the effects of Hud Hud when he found the area covered in deep snow. That was in early November 2014.

As I said, on the way to Bhogwa we saw patches of snow on either side of the trail. In one such place we saw a fresh pug mark of some animal. Dhan Singh said this was a leopard that probably crossed our trail last night or early morning. I felt pretty thrilled to see it. In fact Bhogwa Basa means the tiger's den. Apparently that's the last point where leopards are sighted. The region after that largely remains snow clad almost throughout the year except monsoon.

The Bhogwa Basa camp site looks very basic and rough. No sign of any greenery anywhere. Rocks all around. We were given technical briefing by the technical support team. They told us how to wear the microspikes and gaiters. How to stamp your foot while climbing up or down. It was raining pretty heavily. But towards the night it all stopped.

Day Eight (Bhogwa to Rookund and Back) Kinjal set the alarm at 2 am. I had some chana for breakfast at around 3.30 am. I was wearing the Teko woolen socks, Columbia inner thermal behind the Marmot pants. On top I had the fleece, HD Lee, the Marmot down and Precip rainwear. Had the striped cap on the head. I didn't feel cold. I had the Petzl on and the spare batteries were indeed found in the last moment.

We put the microspikes and gaiters on right from the start, though there wasn't any snow for the next more than a kilometer. I had my own microspikes but not the gaiters.

The final push started in right earnest at 4 am. We walked in a single file. All with the headlights on. This was quite an eerie sight. A line of moving lights through the dark of the night. There were other groups both in front of and behind us.

We took adequate breaks on the way and at some point took off the headlamps. The snowy part started after this. We had to walk very carefully. The path was only a couple of feet wide. You couldn't stand with the two legs side by side (the "stand at ease" position).

The technical support team boys were all standing on the slope below us like slip fielders ready to catch if anyone rolled down. Most of them had ice axe in hand (which is used not only to make steps but also to self arrest any fall). They instilled a lot of confidence in that hostile terrain.

We reached the top of Roopkund lake amid moderate snowfall. It was quite crowded up there. We took a customary group pic with the IH flex in the middle. There was no question of going down the slope to the pond. Within about 15 minutes we turned back and started the descent.

At Roopkund (the kund is visible behind) with Kinjal. Pic Tushar Gadkari

Descending was more tricky. You are supposed to stamp with your heel first and then the toes. Being told to do something and actually doing it up there is quite different. Somehow we all managed to come down in one team without any accident. The technical support team instilled a lot of confidence. They would often hold me by the hand and pull me down fast to close the gap. I was a little slow.

When we reached the Bhogwa Basa camp it was around 10 am. It had rained the entire way. I was wearing the Precip on top and was bone dry inside. The Deuter didn't have the rain cover and it got quite soaked. The trousers got wet but dried out very fast. I would prefer to go for a pair of Precip pants now to complete my rainwear arsenal.

Our original plan was to walk down till Pathar after eating our lunch at Bhogwa. However, we were told that we wouldn't do that. We would stay put in Bhogwa for the day and walk straight up to Wan tomorrow.

The weather cleared up later in the day to give glorious views of Trishul and Nanda Ghunti. Later in the afternoon the full moon rose from behind one of the mountains in front.

In the middle of the night I saw the beautiful sight of Nanda Ghunti and Trishul being bathed in white moonlight against a clear bluish dark sky. It is impossible to describe the beauty of this sight. I have seen similar sights in the past. But each time I see it I realise why I love the mountains so much. The stillness of the night. The complete absence of signs of any life anywhere. The quiet of the mountains standing proud for centuries. All these do something to your mind that words cannot describe. If I had a stand I would probably try to take a photograph of it. But I doubt if a photograph can quite capture the mood that I experienced.

The temperature was sub zero and most of the water had turned into ice .

Day Nine (Bhogwa Basa to Wan) Next morning we started the walk for Wan. It was a slow, torturous walk down the trail. I was stepping cautiously which made my progress very slow. The youngsters did much better than me on this section. Due to my plantar injury I could not do any exercise of the quads and other leg muscles. However, even after the 10 hour walk my knee area did not pain much. I was feeling weak in the knees but no pain as such.

On the way back, we didn't go to Ali Bugyal but walked straight down to Bedni from Pathar. This is a shorter route. We had our lunch at Ghaeroli Patal. I didn't eat anything there as I had a hearty meal of two omlettes and a bun etc at the dhaba of Bedni.

There was some rainfall towards the end after we crossed the Neel Ganga. I pulled out the IH poncho. It turned out to be completely useless. I got totally wet inside out in no time. At Wan, when the rain had stopped, one of the first things I did was to give it away to Devender. I wonder why IH is selling such useless junk.

From Wan we rode the Sumo to Lohajung.

Day Ten (Lohajung to Kathgodam to Overnight Train to Delhi) - Rest of the journey was totally uneventful. Lohajung to Kathgodam took us ten hours, as expected. At Kathgodam we waited for a few hours for the night train. The loo was very clean with a working flush. The train was very nice. I had booked the AC 1st Class ticket which is a super luxurious way to travel.

Day Eleven (Delhi to Calcutta) - Reached Old Delhi station at 4 am. Took an auto to T3. Autos are not allowed to the main departure area of the airport. The fellow dropped me off near the airport bus station from where a free bus service runs. At the airport I had to wait for some 6/7 hours to be allowed to go for check in. The Air India Dreamliner had movies. Came watching Roman Holiday and in no time the plane was readying to land in Calcutta.

From the airport took a prepaid home.

End of the story.

Full Moon at Bhogwa Basa

Few Important Phone Numbers For Future

Raju Shah - Taxi Operator based in Dewal - 8979321600/ 9410723404
Devender Singh Danu - Trek Leader - 7088828346 
Dhan Singh Pancholi - Trek Leader (sweeper back) - 8954399087
Pan Singh Bimoli (shop keeper of Ali Bugyal) - 8941876836


The Costs Of The Trek

My costs were incurred on the following items and as is my wont, I have quite forgotten the details

Cost of trek paid to India Hikes -
Cost of renting trek pole from IH -
Cost of buying poncho from IH -
Transportation costs -
1. Calcutta to Delhi and back airfare
2. Delhi to Kathgodam and back train fare
3. Kathgodam to Lohajung and back rented vehicle - Rs 865x2
4. Taxi fares in the two cities. Back and forth. While going got an office car. While coming back shared the auto cost with Kinjal.
5. Cost of basic snacks taken for the trek -
6. Cost of medicines/medical kit for the trek -
7. Incidental expenditure during travel like food and water etc - This was substantial because the shops at the airports are very expensive.
8. Tips to one of the trek leaders (Dhan Singh Pancholi) - Rs 1000 (basically for him to get a better pair of shoes)

I do not think the grand total cost exceeded Rs 30,000.

Medical Issues and Pre-emptive Steps

I took all the emergency medicines that India Hikes had prescribed. Nothing was needed, I am glad. As a preemptive exercise I went on a Diamox course from Lohajung. One tablet twice daily at 12-hour gap.

While on the road, I always take a Pan 40 every morning. I followed it here as well. I had no health issues whatsoever.

My blood pressure was found to be 140/90 at Lohajung. It went up to 156/90 the next morning. It came down in Bedni to 130. I was quite surprised by this spike.

My oxygen saturation level went down to 87 at Bhogwa Basa on arrival which was the worst reading during the trip but it improved to 89 later. Pulse rate was 123. At Bedni my pulse rate was very low.

Apart from these I continued to take all my diabetic medicines regularly except one evening when I could not locate the medicine box.

Upon returning to Lohajung where I got wet to the bone due to a pathetic poncho sold by India Hikes, I took a paracetamol. I never caught any fever or didn't cough at all.

Only once during the trek (I think at Pathar Nachauni) I thought I might have acquired some stomach problem. I stopped eating the luncheon meat and the stomach cured itself in half a day. I didn't face any problem. Never went to the loo more than once a day ever. In fact didn't go to the loo at Ghaeroli Patal at all :-)

The India Hikes Experience

The walk with India Hikes is a mixed bag sort of experience. There were many good things and there were many not so desirable things. First the good things.

1. Thorough professionals, transparent and very systematic from day one. Their website has all the information necessary for the trek (it is another matter that many do not bother to read them. Three Delhi boys, for example, thought they could do the trek in their sandals and bought canvas type shoes from Lohajung and eventually went back from Pathar without completing the trek. Another group mostly did not bring any Diamox at all). For any clarification the ground coordinator is always there.

2. The rates are absolutely competitive and I do not think they overcharge by even a rupee. It is a very good value for money deal.

3. The medical monitoring and support on the trail is fantastic. They check the oxygen saturation level twice a day and pressure once a day for those whose pressure on day one is found to be above 140. I am told all their camps are equipped with oxygen should the need ever arise (thank God no one in our group needed it).

4. The trek leaders are fantastic people. There is one city-bred leader (in our case a girl from Bangalore called Nada). There is a local trek leader who brings in the local knowledge. He was a very nice guy too. Tough and stern when needed but very friendly when not needed. There was another local trek leader who was the sweeper at the back, ensuring none of the trekkers was left behind.

Cooperation on the trail from the trek leaders is also very good. For example, Mr Sovani's shoes came off after a couple of hours walk on the very first day. He managed the rest of the way with a string that kept the sole held to the upper. The trek leaders spoke to someone in Lohajung and he was given a new pair of sports shoes bought from Lohajung at the end of the day next day. Of course it was a shoddy Chinese product but something is at least better than nothing.

5. Top class equipment like tents, sleeping bags (I didn't use their sleeping bags, as I had my own but I was told by my tent mates that they didn't feel cold at night at all) or microspikes. The tents used were Hillmans, the microspikes were Kahtoola. I think the sleeping bags were Hillman too. The zip in our tent in Bhogwa Basa was found to malfunction. It was immediately repaired when we told them about it.

I have never heard the name Hillman before and going by the price they seem like a value for money kind of brand in the West. But they held up fine against torrential rain at nearly 15,000 feet.

6. The technical support team on the final day was of very high standards. They instilled a lot of confidence on those icy and snowy slopes.

7. Food was decent. Basic, given the rough terrain, but adequate. Within all the constraints, the food was very well cooked. In Bedni they even made a cake for two guys who were celebrating their birthdays on that date !!!! The cake was delicious.

8. The toilet tents were very well kept and well managed. Neat and clean.

The Negatives

1. The trek mates were all way junior to me. Mostly first timers. Loud on the trail and louder at the camp sites. Not really my ideal trek mates. The boys and girls weren't personally bad at all on a one to one basis. But their idea of a trek and my idea of a trek is very different. Their idea of "fun" and my idea of "fun" are totally different.

2. The whole group was being forced to walk together. This is not what I like, especially when they are so talkative. And the topic of their discussion was generally things like how much Bahubali grossed in China or how Pakistan lost to India etc.

3. There were actually two groups trekking together under India Hikes on the same day. We were 26 and there was another group of 30+ people from Nagpur who were trekking a little ahead of us. Which means close to some 60 people were walking almost together. This is disgusting, to say the least.

4. India Hikes puts 3 people in a tent. Most find it difficult to deal with. I had no problem with this. Space inside the tent is a little compromised but I am fine with it, as long as no one snores next to me. I am told Trek The Himalaya puts 2 people per tent.

The Conclusion 

I shall trek with IH only to those places where it is impossible for me to go on my own without a recce. For example Rupin Pass or Goechala or Pin Parvati etc. Otherwise I will avoid IH unless at least three close friends were doing it together.

Things I Carried 

Electronics 

1. Petzl Tikkina with a set of spare batteries. The Petzl perhaps needs retirement. It is not ideal for walking in the dark, given that it has a narrow beam. Light is also adequate just for using inside the tent or for going to the toilet or dining tent etc. Not for anything else. I don't think it is water proof.

The alternatives are as follows - Petzl Actic Headlight or Black Diamond Revolt or Storm. The Revolt is 20 euro more but it can be recharged through USB and has many other advanced feature like a lock. It cannot take rechargeable batteries though.

2. Canon 7D with 400 mm F5.6 and the 450D's kit lens 17-55 mm. All the general shots were taken with the later. Though Partha had given me his 24-105 I did not take it finally to reduce weight of my personal backpack.

3. Three batteries for the 7D. One in the camera and two spares. They were not needed though, as I took very few shots.

4. Garmin eTrex 10 with a set of spare batteries.

5. The Timex watch. Trusted old friend of more than ten years now ;-)

Clothes

1. Three Max T-shirts. Ultra light. Dries fast.
2. HD Lee as base layer for the higher camps.
3. Bobby's Kirkland black base layer for lower camps.
3. Quechua fleece as second layer.
4. Marmot down jacket.
5. Marmot Precip rainwear (very very good. Keeps you bone dry).
6. Marmot Ascent convertible pants (dries very fast. Walked in the rain with it. Dried out in 20 minutes in damp, cloudy weather on the body)
7. Red Kappa track pants (wore it only on the return journey from Lohajung to Calcutta)
8. Striped black and grey cap for higher camps
9. HSBC bird race cotton cap for lower camps
10. Briefs
11. Socks - 3 pairs of turkish cotton sports socks (they remain sweaty for a long time - never to be taken again). One pair of American "climate proof"socks (very good evaporative quality that keeps it dry) given by Bobby. Teko Merino thick woollen socks for the Bhogwa to Roopkund and back stretch.

I think I should get for myself a pair of Marmot Precip rainwear bottom which will complete my arsenal against rain. I should also get a dry bag for the camera gear. Perhaps a Sea To Summit 20 litre bag.

The big item in the North Face was my Ice Breaker down sleeping bag.  On hindsight, I should have taken the second Quechua fleece that I had just in case I got wet, which I did on the last day due to a pathetic poncho that was sold by IH in Lohajung. If it happened on the up journey on day one with no sunshine later to dry it out, I would have been in trouble.

A Wish List

After this trek, now that I know that I can do a lot of treks I have drawn up a wish list of sorts for equipment that are necessary for treks in Himalaya. I shall be going to Amsterdam in August. Might buy a few of them from there. Rest I will get from the US when Guria comes home in December.

1. On top of the wish list is a pair of good hiking boots. I have zeroed in on Scarpa R-Evolution Pro GTX. They are not available in India. Among the better boots available here are Salomon Quest 4 and Lowa. These Scarpa boots are B1 type.

My Quechua is not too bad. Walked in them to Sandakphu and now Roopkund. Fit and grip aren't bad. But I think the soles are synthetic. I would prefer a rubber one. Also, on a critical trek I can keep the Quechua as a spare pair. I think my Timberlands are also good as spare. I could easily have worn them to Roopkund.

Cost - €270

2. Walking in the Himalaya is always fraught with the danger of rain. You need good good rainwear here. The Marmot Precip is very good. But I have only the upper. The lower will complete the suit. It is not available with Bever. I will possibly ask Guria to get it for me from the US.

Cost - $80

3. I will most definitely get two Sea to Summit dry bags. One for the camera and another for everything else. Perhaps a 20 and a 13 litre bag will do for me.

Cost - €27 + €22 = €49

4. A good headlamp is necessary, particularly if I have to go to Stok Kangri. The Petzl I have is not enough for walking in the night. It's great for in-tent application. But not for walking. The Black Diamond Revolt has caught my fancy. I will do more research on it.

Storm - €55

5. A pair of decent trek poles. Mine broke in Chadar when I fell. I took a rented one in Roopkund (it's terrible). I will possibly go for either Leki or Black Diamond.

BD Back Walking Trail - €65

6. A pair of climate proof socks. Bobby says he has a couple at home here in Salt Lake. Will wait for him.

€ 12

7. A pair of gaiters if I have the money to spare. Black Diamond Front Point

€ 55

8. Platypus 3 litre Hoser. This bag is available in Amazon at Rs 3.7 k but costs only 30 euro at Bever, which is half the price.

€ 30

Sandakphu - Version I

The year was 1990. Perhaps January. Certainly not beyond February. I cannot remember clearly. I had just come back from Bhutan for my winter vacation, which used to be from mid-December to end March. I was desperate to go out on a trek. With no friend available to go with me I decided to go out alone.

I am sure I would have taken the bus to Siliguri and from there a shared jeep to Ghum. For all you know, I might have even come from Darjeeling to Ghum also. I have quite forgotten and it doesn’t really matter any more. But I do remember that from Ghum I took another shared jeep to Sukhia Pokhari. Sukhia at that time was a small hamlet with just a few shops and a jeep stand. It’s a full-fledged bustling, noisy town now.

From Sukhia I got into another shared Land Rover to Maneybhanjang. I remember the Land Rover driver got rid of us in the middle of the way, saying a nut had fallen off one of his wheels and it would be dangerous to be travelling with so many people !!! I guess I walked the rest of the way or perhaps hitched another ride in another jeep. Once again I cannot remember clearly and it doesn't really matter.

I do remember starting from Maneybhanjang in the middle of the day and in all likelihood after a hearty lunch. The sun was up and it was pretty hot. I asked someone which way to Sandakphu in crisp Nepali and they showed me the way.

Even Manaybhanjang, which is a big town now, was a small hamlet with only a few shops around the main road. In fact Maney was still a small sleepy village when we next visited it in 2000. It's only recently that it has grown into such a large town.

Another thing I remember clearly about this trip is that I had a thick, brown leather jacket on (I had just bought it from the Lexpo in Calcutta) and a pair of Wrangler jeans. I was wearing a pair of Power Joggers. The rucksack was an old external framed sack and it had a very high quality down sleeping bag inside it, which we had bought from Kathmandu a few years ago during our Langtang trek.  

So, around mid-day I set off for Sandakphu. It was warm. I was alone. I was doing Sandakphu in the classic solo Alpine style J

My enthusiasm soon took a hit. It was hot. I was wearing a super warm leather jacket. I had a load on my back and my whole back was aching. I was thirsty. I had exhausted the bottle of water within half an hour. By 45 minutes I knew I could not carry on any more. I was thoroughly exhausted.

To make matters worse I could not see a single human being anywhere in the vicinity. In fact, since starting from Maney I had not seen anyone. I was desperately looking for a human being or a house. After some time, I saw a cow shed kind of thing. A hut with tiled roof and a few huge cows tethered to pegs on the ground – a very familiar sight for me. I went to the door of the house and parked myself on a slab of stone meant for sitting (like a bench outside our tea stalls here). There was no one around. I kept knocking on the open door. No one around.

So I kept waiting. Finally a young girl came along. She is a Tibetan in her teens. Not a Nepali. I asked her if her parents were around. She asked me why. I said I needed to spend the night here. She was totally flabbergasted. She said no way could they let someone sleep in their house. And insisted that I walk just a little bit more to a place called Meghma. I said nothing doing. If you do not let me sleep inside the house I will sleep outside. There is no way I would go any further.

After this her old father came. He was also equally flabbergasted to know that a stranger wants to sleep in their house. He said tomorrow is our Losar (Tibetan New Year, which is a very big festival among Tibetans all over the world) and our son is going to come from Darjeeling tonight. How can I let you stay here? There is no space. I was quite serious about spending the night outside their room. Finally they took sympathy on me and let me spend the night in their drawing room on a divan.

The son came along. Quite an educated guy who works in Darjeeling in some government department. We hit it off pretty well and had a wonderful evening chatting together.  We spoke about my experience in Bhutan and he explained the finer points of Tibetan Buddhism to me. I do not remember the dinner we had. But next morning I left after just a tea, thanking them profusely.

Before going out I asked them what the name of the village was and they said it was called Chitre. Just one house village and it has a name of its own. I felt pretty tickled. Chitre, thankfully, has remained more or less the same. But I guess that hut is now a full fledged guest house. More importantly, most trekkers now know it by its name. I guess I have the distinction of being the first trekker guest of Chitre, albeit unsolicited.

Meghma, I soon realized was certainly not round the corner as the “bainee” (sister in Nepali) told me it was. But Meghma lived up to its name. There were clouds all around. I realised I wasn't feeling as tired as I was feeling the day before. That first day's trek warmed me up and frankly right up to Sandkphug, over the next couple of days I did not ever feel tired.

I entered the first house that comes when you reach Meghma. It is a Lama’s house and they had a huge kitchen. I feel very comfortable in such settings. I soon put my sack down. Sat near the large oven and ordered for Momos and noodles. Dried Tibetan cheese sticks were hanging all over the huge kitchen. I thoroughly enjoyed the company of the two young girls in their late teens, their fat old mother and the old, ever smiling Lama. After some time, much against my wishes I took their leave and set out for Jaubari. 

While the trail from Chitre to Meghma is an uphill climb, it flattens out after Meghma. Within minutes I came across a bamboo check post in the middle of nowhere. This is Nepal border, I am told. The check post is nothing but a long bamboo pole kept blocking the trail. But it's an international check post nevertheless !!! I called out blindly (the Nepali equivalent of "is there anyone out there?") in the hope that someone would be around. Soon a lady came from nowhere and I realised that she actually had a small arrangement to make tea in that middle of nowhere. She made tea for me and we had some chit chat about this and that. She refused to accept any money for the tea from someone who could speak Nepali !!! I learnt this place is called Tumling.

Tumling now has quite a few guest houses and in fact many going to Sandakphug stop here to spend the first night. A status that Meghma enjoyed in the 80s and early 90s. Meghma, meanwhile, has become a mini-bustling town now with its own little monastery.

From Tumling to Jaubari is a non-descript walk which was completed in a short time. Jaubari had a nice system to accomodate guests. They had two guest houses there. One, as you entered the village. It was called Teacher's Lodge. I guess it was owned by a teacher. The other at the end of the village called Indira Lodge. I believe, while Teacher's Lodge has folded up Indira Lodge is still going strong. Now, the system back then was Teacher's and Indira hosted the guests every alternate night. The night I was there, it was Indira's turn. I unloaded my stuff there and then went to roam around in the little village.

I soon found my way to Teacher's Lodge where only the two daughters of the owner were there. The three of us had a wonderful evening chatting in Nepali. God only remembers what all we chatted about. The only thing I remember is they had huge copper pitchers and they really loved my leather jacket and wanted to buy it from me. If memory serves me right, I had tongba with them at Teacher's.

I remember eating pasta at Indira Lodge for dinner. The pasta was produced out of a small hand operated machine in the kitchen itself. I found this rather unique.

I must mention that I found I was the only tourist in that region. Next morning I left for Kalipokhari. On the way was Gairibas. I do not remember anything about Gairibas except that there was some army check post. On the way I saw a few Israeli tourists. One of the guys was feeling rather sick and wanted to call it off. I felt sad for him.

I remember entering Kalipokhari in the afternoon when it was very cloudy. There is a very small pond in Kalipokhari. It was covered under thick cloud. I remember nothing about where I stayed in Kalipokhari but there were a couple of places there to stay.

Next day I went to Sandakphu. The hike was quite a long one and I felt very very tired trudging my way up to the top. Towards the end some huge dogs started barking around me. As it is I was feeling very cold and tired and then these dogs were surrounding me. I picked up some stones from the trail and the dogs knew what it meant. They soon ran away but kept barking at me. I was indeed a little scared at this stage.

Finally I reached Sandakphug.

If I remember correctly, there was just one shack in Sandakphug back then where I spent a couple of nights. If I am not mistaken that has now morphed into the super luxury hotel of Sherpa Chalet. There was another Japanese tourist there in Sandakphug. As usual we hit it off pretty well. He is the first guy who ever told me about Karakoram Highway. We had corresponded for a few years after this. But as things happen he is lost somewhere in this big bad  world.

I remember just two things about Sandakphug - there was just one hut in the hill top where I stayed. That hut had a bitch that was sitting with its litter and I stepped on her. She bit me as I stepped on her while going out for a pee in the night. The Japanese guy told me not to worry as it was a natural reaction and the dog was probably not rabid. He even gave me some ointment to apply. Although it had bitten me over the jeans, I bled a little.

I also remember the thick snow behind the hut. I was super thrilled to see so much snow. The weather was glorious. I wished it would snow. But it didn't.

Aftter two nights in Sandakphug, I went down towards Rimbik. One walked down up to Bikaybhanjang, which is the common trail towards Kalipokhari. From here the trail bifurcated. I went walking towards Rimbik. This is a narrow trail going through a dense rhododendron forest. There were places where the trail was snow covered and one needed to take steps rather cautiously. I quite did all that without batting an eyelid. I once lost the trail and got distracted a bit. But soon enough I realised that I was off the trail and came back to the main trail.

Towards the end of the day I met a group of porters who had just about started from Rimbik and walking towards Sandakphug. They said they would reach way before sunset. I was quite amazed by this claim.

Finally my solo trek to Sandakphug ended when I descended on Rimbik - the road head. I remember there was a Rod Stewart poster in the room where I stayed. The lodge owner gave me a guest book to write my comments on. One of the comments left by a previous guest was: What's Rod Stewart doing in my room? 

I had taken a lot of photographs during this trip with my Olympus OM10 camera. I do not know where they are.

Roopkund Plans

Friday March 10, 2017

• Spoke verbally to Mr Chatterjee about leave towards end of May and beginning of June. He said okay.
• Paid online to IndiaHikes for Roopkund trek - June 1 to 9, 2017
• Booked Ranikhet Express both ways DLI (Old Delhi station) to Kathgodam
• Applied for leave from 31st May to 9th June. Nine days' leave but effectively getting 12 days or so.

Thoughts in mind 

• How to improve balance
• How easy or difficult is it to walk down to the final lake
• How to fight fatigue after the long journey to the starting point of Lohajung/Wan 

Saturday March 11, 2017

Did some basic packing of hiking clothes. Put them inside the suitcase.

• Marmot hiking pants 
• Red Kappa
• Columbia lower thermal - black
• Columbia lower fleece
• Columbia upper thermal - blue
• Bobby's black upper
• Woolen balaclava
• Socks - 1 pair Merino, 2 pair pure Indian wool, 1 pair Bobby's American, 1 pair old long warm
• Balaclava - Indian woolen
• Quechua hand gloves
• Knee cap
• Marmot Precip
• Black HD Lee
• Wildcraft sun hat
• Maroon Adidas
• Striped cap

To be taken 

• More socks
• Sleeping bag
• Marmot 700

Tuesday 14th March, 2017

Took out the Forclaz 500 and went for a 6 km walk. Basically needed to go to Gariahat for my haircut. Decided to convert it into a dry run for the shoes. Haven't worn them in quite some time. The leg muscles need some stretching perhaps. Particularly the calves and inner thighs.

Monisha has meanwhile booked my Calcutta Delhi ticket. Jet Airways 9w946 (PNR YGEDZM and e-ticket number 5891252065478). Takes off at 1.40 pm. Tried to reserve the seat but looks like all the Jet seats are to be booked by paying Rs 500 extra. No way. 

Monisha had booked the return journey too but it was a 2.30 am ticket. She cancelled it after realising the error and is going to book again once the credit comes into her card account.

Prathima Chhabria from IH had written a welcome mail yesterday. She had corresponded with me during my Rupin Pass planning stage also. Regrettably that did not happen due to my wrist injury. I had hoped that the wrist would heal but as things stand now - they are yet to be healed completely.

She also made me a member of the IH Facebook group. I posted there asking if there was anyone from the Roopkund group of 1st June. No reply yet. 

Pending Work 

• Book and pay for the walking pole and poncho, to be collected from Lohajung
• Get the 7D sensor cleaned
• Spread the sleeping bag and the Marmot in sun for an afternoon
• Weigh the sack after stuffing everything
• Ponder over what general purpose lens to carry. 24-70 is too heavy.

March 17, 2017

Leave Sanctioned

My official leave has been officially sanctioned by the MD&CEO. From 31st May to 9th June, which is a Friday. So I will be joining back at work on Monday the 12th of June, with a weekend to recover. Mr Chatterjee is a very sweet gentleman. Of course I had told him about it earlier and he had said yes. But getting the actual leave application form approved and signed by the boss feels good. One gets a similar kind of feeling upon reaching the airport or railway station on D-day.

The Various Costs

India Hikes Trek Fee: Rs 12051

Kolkata to Delhi Flight: Rs 3361

Delhi to Kathgodam Train: Rs 695

Kathgodam to Delhi Train: Rs 1160

Delhi to Calcutta Flight:

Total: Rs 17267

March 22, 2017

Yesterday I spoke to Sophie about the Kahtoola microspikes and after some discussion it was decided that she would buy it online and bring them over with her on her 1st April trip to Calcutta. If however, they don't arrive before she comes, she will give it to Mampu when she goes and then she can bring them over. 

Although the trek organisers are supposed to give them, I think it is best to have your own good pair of microspikes. After the Chadar accident I have become a little apprehensive about snow/ice. I have no idea how heavy they are. I guess 350 gm. Details are available here on their website . 

Clothes For The Trek

Following are my preliminary list of clothing items to take for the trek. 

• Socks - two pairs of Indian woolen socks for the walk. Bobby's pair as spare. Merino for sleeping. Two pair of Indian thin Puma for transport sector. 
• Underwear - 5 Fruit of the Loom. One to go, one to come back. Three for the trek
• Thermals - Columbia upper and lower
• Trousers - Marmot to wear and Kappa as spare
• Upper - 2 Max round neck for transport sector. Bobby's black upper and HD Lee for the hike.
• Green Quecha Fleece
• Marmot Precip rainwear
• Marmot Down 
• Timberland/black-grey cap
• Gloves - nylon inner Quechua and leather outer
• Wildcraft hat
• Thin towel
• Slippers
• Sleeping bag
• Kahtoola microspikes
• Medical and hygiene kit. 

Hygiene Kit

• Toilet paper
• Comb
• Nailcutter
• Vaseline

All in North Face. 

What I will NOT take are these - Columbia fleece trousers, inner vests, maroon Adidas, technical wool socks. 

If the sac weighs less than 7 kg I will take the Gorillapod for night photography. 

Electronics and Optics For The Trek

• Canon 7D 
• Canon 400 f5.6
• Canon 24-105
• 3 batteries
• All cards 
• Cleaning kit - blower, brush, cloth
• Nikon Monarch - 8x40
• Petzl Tikkina
• Garmin eTrex 10
• Two spare AA batteries

All in LowePro. I have to check how much they weigh after loading them in the bag. 

25th March, 2017

Thoughts In Mind

The main thought that is occupying my mind right now is how to pack my things in two bags. Let me explain the root of the problem. I have decided to offload my main rucksack to the organisers' mule and walk only with the camera and other small essentials. But the problem is they do not accept more than 9 kg loads. 

So I have to ensure that the main sac does not exceed 9 kg. That might be difficult because the sac itself weighs some 3 kg. It's a North Face Badlands. It's huge. 

Now comes my own day pack. I thought I would take the Lowepro that I have. But the items I need to carry in that might be a little too much for the small sac which is purpose built to carry only cameras and lenses. Apart from the 7D with 400 I will be carrying a 24-105, my Nikon Monarch, the Marmot jacket, my raincoat/poncho, some food and water. If the main sac exceeds 9 kg I will have to off load some of its items onto my sac. That is when things will go out of hand. The Lowepro is not large enough. 

I will do a dry run tonight. Load up the sac with all my items and then weigh them. If I find the Lowepro is not large enough I will have to organise a larger sac for myself. Initially I thought I would go for the Wildcraft Kailash 50 litres (or 55?). That would make me lighter by 6K. 

Mampu suggested why not go for a rented sac. That's not a bad idea. If I rent a sac then I can take my stuff in the North Face and give the rented one to the mule. 

Will check it all out tonight.

The Bag Distribution Plan

I loaded up all the items in my sac and weighed it. Stood at 9 kg almost. And then there will be more items to stuff in because all of the electronics plus essential food and a jacket cannot fit inside the Lowepro.

After various thoughts the final plan is like this. I will load everything inside a hired sac up to 9 kg and give it to the porter/mule. The additional items including electronics will go inside my Badlands which I will carry.

Hand luggage for the flight will be a plastic carry bag in which I will take my camera. In the same bag I will leave the used clothes at Lohajung to be collected back on the way down.

I think in my Badlands all I will carry are the electronics, some basic food, water, medicines, the poncho and two light jackets - Precip and Marmot down.

May 3, 2017 - A Fortnight's Inaction

My preparations took a major hit in the middle of April due to a minor injury in my leg. I was suffering from first stage of what I thought was Achilles Tendonitis. There was considerable pain in the tendon. Later I realised that possibly the pain was a result of plantar fascitis. Whatever be the cause, the result was zero aerobic activity for more than two weeks.

I am not sure what caused the pain. There was no swelling. I am assuming it happened due to over exercise. While I ran every other evening, I had started a leg strengthening regime at home on the intervening days meaning there was no rest. And that strengthening exercise itself was fairly a heavy schedule without my understanding.

So I came down with the pain. I think these are the things that went wrong -

1. Over exercise without rest and proper stretching
2. Rehab stretches were initially perhaps too heavy
3. It may not be the cause but it is worth mentioning that I was on a high calcium dose (alongwith Vitamin D supplement due to a recently discovered deficiency)
4. I am also a long term user of Storvas, a side effect of which is musculo-skeletal pain.
5. I also had severe pain on the left deltoid and lattisimus.

The pain has subsided substantially in the last couple of days.

I did speed walks on two consecutive days - yesterday and day before. In fact I ran 1 km on 1st May but the pain did not come back. I will rest today and then go for a speed walk and some run/walk again tomorrow.

If all goes well then I should be back running by next Sunday.

The things that happened in the very recent past, which may or may not have had a bearing on the lessening of the pain (I am still not hundred percent pain free) are as follows

1. On Mousumi's advice I started doing a few very mild stretches of the plantar early morning immediately after waking up and before taking the first step. This I was doing with a canvas belt.
2. The two Shelcals a day regime stopped from 1st May. I am on one Shelcal a day now
3. I engaged in very mild stretches for the Achilles
4. Two nights ago I did some serious isometric exercises for the lattis, deltoid etc and the shoulder pain subsided substantially. I believe this pain could also have played a role in the leg injury.