 |
| 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 ?
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.
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.
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 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.
 |
| 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.
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.
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
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 |
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
