Scenic View enroute to Rupin Pass (Picture Credits: Deepika)
A Note to the Reader
This piece of text has been written in fond recollection of the
experience of a trekking expedition to the Rupin Pass, that I was part of in
June 2013. The trek was organized by Indiahikes - a company that organizes
similar treks in various other Himalayan mountains.
A picture may speak a thousand words, but
sometimes I’d rather have the words.
Pictures may be verbose for a while, but we all know that with
time, they fall quiet. That is the reason why I painstakingly took up the task
of documenting in vivid detail an experience that all my trek mates would agree
is one-of-a-kind, and recommended for all the adventure enthusiasts out there.
I hope that you will be able to connect my experiences with your own and in the
process enjoy a mental journey back to the Himalayas - the land of great
mountains, sparkling streams and scenic beauty like no where else in the world.
I was one of the 17 people who participated in the expedition. The
team consisted of people from various walks of life, having different reasons
for choosing to trek the Rupin Pass. I must mention that there in an inherent
difficulty in threading together everyone’s experiences into a single essay
like this, both for want of space as well as due to the variety in the group.
So, I have written mostly on my own take of various details, while trying to be
faithful to the overall impression of the team on the trek. Finally, I’d like
to say that the pictures included have been clicked by me and my trek mates,
who have generously agreed to share them with me for the travelogue.
<<<<<OOO>>>>>
8th
June (Day 1)| And…
We set off!!!
From Dehra Dun To Dhaula
The pickup form Dehra Dun to
Dhaula was scheduled to leave at 6:30 AM. Due to a chain of unfortunate
incidents, I reached Dehra Dun pretty late – at 9 AM. Charan, the driver and
Soundar, another participant were waiting for me. All others had already left 2
hours ago. So, without further ado, we set off.
Pine Forest on the way to Dhaula (Picture Credits: Deepika)
The ride to Dhaula would take
about 9 – 10 hours the driver said. The route was familiar to me, as I had
traveled it when I was going on a trek to Kedarkanth in 2010. At breakfast we
were joined by 2 other participants - Arul and Ashish, who stayed back in order
to travel in a more spacious vehicle.
The driver was a cool guy. He’d
wave to lots of people along the way, and seemed to have a way with women as
well. But, soon we realized he was actually quite a hero. What happened was
this –
Along the narrow ghat roads, a
Sumo broke its front axle, blocking the route. Within minutes, cars and trucks
got stuck, being unable to maneuver by the broken vehicle. People were abusing
the driver, and suggesting all sorts of solutions but no one could budge the
vehicle an inch. Charan silently filled up a small pit on the hillside of the
road with boulders, and amidst all skeptic criticism, pulled our vehicle free!
I’ll leave it to you to imagine the look on everyone’s face at that point. We
were plain amazed!
On the route to Dhaula we came across the confluence of the blue waters of Rupin rivers and the murky waters of the Supin river
(Picture Credits: Harendra)
It Starts At Dhaula
The Dhaula campsite is situated
at a height of about 5,000 ft. on the banks of river Rupin. We reached the
campsite by about 7 PM. It was still bright, owing to the long summer days. I
distinctly remember my disappointment with the climate – it was as hot as it
was in Delhi. And a variety of insects from the forest greeted us with their
buzz. Before long, the team leader, Vikrant introduced himself to us, and
conducted the first briefing. He was a new recruit, and had some trekking
experience. He seemed to be a cool guy, and I was looking forward for the trek.
We had instructions to leave the camp by 6 AM the next morning, so we retired
to bed early.
9th
June 2013 (Day 2)| From
Dhaula to Sewa
The Trek Begins!
A shrill whistle woke us up at 5
AM. Breakfast was delicious. We had puris and chana sabzi. After mild
stretching and warm up exercises, we set off for the trek by about 6:30 AM. The
mules and some of the staff would start in about an hour or 2 and catch up on
the way. The trek was to be along a good 12 Km-long trail through the forest to
the small town of Sewa. If I remember anything about this trail, it is the fact
that it was an undulating path sometimes going up and otherwise going
down. We would go all the way down to
Rupin River, cross it, and then again climb up. One the way, we came came across numerous small waterfalls, that would all eventually end up in the gushing waters of Rupin River beneath. This happened several times,
till we finally reached the village of Sewa. We had hardly gained any altitude,
probably just around hundred feet.
The beautiful Rupin River, which we followed on a large portion of the trek
One of the many waterfalls we saw on the way to Sewa - the waters found their way to the Rupin River
(Picture credits: Kaustubh)
(Picture Credits: Kaustubh)
The Cricket Temple
If cricket can have a God it ought to have a temple too. I
think I found one at Sewa. While walking through the village, the team halted
next to a temple for lunch. The temple seemed to have been closed a long time
ago – its gates were locked, and presently seemed to function as a vertical
playground for geckos. But what caught my attention was how the temple was
ostentatiously decked with numerous trophies, which, I came to know were won by
the village in local cricket tournaments. I don’t know if it was intentional,
but here I beheld the testimony of Indian love for cricket, which has pervaded
even to the remote villages in the Himalayas.
Temple of cricket, trophies the shrines
Innocent outside, poison inside
The forests had a good deal of
poison ivy, also referred to as ‘Bicchu
Ki Kaat’. For those who don’t know about it, it is an innocent looking
shrub whose leaves sting if you come in contact with them. The sting leaves a
characteristic itch, which can be quite annoying. I and many other trek mates
were stung several times, as we inadvertently came in contact with these shrubs
during the walk. The skin grew all itchy, and so I tried and suggested some of
the traditional treatments like rubbing marijuana leaves, metallic objects etc.
just for some psychological relief, for I knew from previous experience, that
only time could heal the itch.
To people who took my advice too seriously, I
am no ‘jadi booti wale baba’. :)
Camp by the riverbanks
We reached the campsite by about
2.45 PM. It was located on the outskirts of the Sewa village, by the banks of
river Rupin. The weather was very sultry, and I felt hot and sticky so, I
decided to go and have a bath at the river.
Fresh waters of Rupin River at Sewa Camp
Sheer force - Couldn't even think of swimming here
(Picture Credits: Kaustubh)
The setting was almost like that
of a beach. There was fine sand on the bank with large smooth rocks where we
left our clothes and entered the clear river water. Not just clear, but also so
cold! We had competitions about how many seconds could one stay immersed in the
water (just for the record: I did 28 seconds). The currents were very strong
and there were large rocks along the river so we refrained from swimming. But
the fresh cool water restored all the energy we lost during the tiring trek
from Dhaula. For anyone camping at Sewa a visit to the riverside is a must-try.
It only gets prettier at dusk: The Rupin River
(Piture Credits: Kaustubh)
Ice Breaking at Dusk
Before we got to the real ice,
team leader Vikrant summoned a gathering to break the ‘social ice’. The team
consisted of an interesting mix of people who had a variety of interests in
outdoor activities, sports, travelling, music etc. among other things. We decided to keep
professional interests out of this, since the trip was in some sense an escape
from routine work-life. Among the interesting finds in the team were an amateur
horse rider, a cricket umpire, a lead guitarist, western singer, and an
economist. The trek promised to be loads of fun with these guys.
The session continued after
dinner when a campfire was lit, and everyone assembled around it. People were
still a little reticent, so there was awkwardness about what was to happen.
With some prodding from the junta, I started off with a song ‘Khilte Hain Gul Yahan’ and people
(thankfully) caught up and started a sequence of songs of their own choice. Of
particular notice were ‘Aladdin Song’ and ‘Kabhi Kabhi Mere Dil Mein’ that were
enjoyed by the audience, amongst several other songs that the group sang
together. Before long, everyone returned to his or her tent, with anticipation
for the next day, which was going to be one long, long day.
Good times by the campfire - At Sewa Camp
Fitness at the Outset
I believe to some extent that
only those who are conscious and concerned about leading an active and healthy
lifestyle participate in treks, probably because others are too lazy to plan
out a trip that drains out their energy so much, as a trek. Our team had a good
level of fitness too, however there was no dearth of injuries to the team
members. Many people had histories of ligament tears, fractures, and ankle
twists. I also twisted my right knee at the Sewa campsite, where I slipped over
some damp grass and fell down. But we did not let the injuries damp our
spirits.
The team and the staff showed
exemplary teamwork qualities by supporting the injured/unwell members, so as to
facilitate speedy recovery to fitness. Even I had my backpack carried by some
friends upon my knee injury, and I owe it to them in some ways that I managed
to complete the trek in good condition. It fills my heart with joy, as I write
these lines, thinking of the warmth of the mutual friendships forged during the
short span of the trek.
10th June 2013 (Day 3)| Jaaka Kab Ayega?
Taking Off From Sewa
The day started with a sharp pang of pain in my right knee - the sprained muscles had become stiff and sore at night. I somehow clambered out of the tent and freshened myself up. I could not imagine how i would be able to complete the trek with my disabled knee, and so was about to tell Vikrant that I wanted to quit the trek. But he came and told me that the pain would reduce if I kept exercising, and dressed my knee up with crepe bandage. Ashish and Arul offered to take turns to carry my backpack as one of them had offloaded his bag to the mules. had it not been for these guys, I might as well have been on my way back that day.
Initially I made slow progress along the trail, which moved through the forest on the hillsides. After a short walk we reached a motor-able road, which took us on a gradual ascent for a while. Apparently, the roads have to be closed for vehicular traffic from time to time due to landslides. Even now, the road had been closed, we were told that we would have to cross the landslides on foot.
Luckily, the sky was cloudy, and we did not have to face the scorching sun as we walked. The road tortuously took us around the hill.
The day started with a sharp pang of pain in my right knee - the sprained muscles had become stiff and sore at night. I somehow clambered out of the tent and freshened myself up. I could not imagine how i would be able to complete the trek with my disabled knee, and so was about to tell Vikrant that I wanted to quit the trek. But he came and told me that the pain would reduce if I kept exercising, and dressed my knee up with crepe bandage. Ashish and Arul offered to take turns to carry my backpack as one of them had offloaded his bag to the mules. had it not been for these guys, I might as well have been on my way back that day.
Initially I made slow progress along the trail, which moved through the forest on the hillsides. After a short walk we reached a motor-able road, which took us on a gradual ascent for a while. Apparently, the roads have to be closed for vehicular traffic from time to time due to landslides. Even now, the road had been closed, we were told that we would have to cross the landslides on foot.
Luckily, the sky was cloudy, and we did not have to face the scorching sun as we walked. The road tortuously took us around the hill.
Walking on the motorable road - luckily the weather was pleasant
(Picture Credits: Kaustubh)
Negotiating The Landslides
Presently, we came across a
landslide area. The soil was loose, and so were many large rocks around. They
suspiciously had jagged contours, which made me wonder if the landslides were
natural, or if they were caused by controlled explosions, used to chip away
mountainsides for construction purposes. We had to carefully step through these
parts, for any careless step could lead to slipping and falling off the steep
cliff. There were 3 such landslides, and Vikrant and Gajji motivated and even
helped us to cross certain difficult spots.
Carefully walking over the landslide areas
(Picture Credits: Harendra)
Where is this Jhaka?
The road ended again in a forest
trail, which would take us to the village of Jhaka, where our stay was
scheduled for the evening. The walk to Jhaka was, if anything very long. By the
afternoon, the sun was up and the heat was beginning to dehydrate me. My shirt
was completely damp due to perspiration.
My knee pain had miraculously
subsided (thank God!), and I now carried my own backpack. The trail revealed
more of itself at each bend, and this repeated again and again. It was rocky,
and strewn with mule dung – you can imagine it was not a very pleasant walking
experience.
After what seemed like ages, I
reached Jhaka, where I enquired about the Indiahikes guesthouse. Someone
pointed me to a flight of steps and told me it was just upstairs. I don’t know
what I would think about it now, but at that time, after walking about 14 Km,
each step looked like a hurdle to cross. I dragged myself up the steep steps, stopping
several times for a breather. Once I reached the guesthouse, I unloaded my
backpack and sat down with the group of people that had already reached. We
were served cool Tang (mango flavor), and it made me feel a little more energetic.
Hillside Cricket County
Even as I was recovering from the
long day’s trek, another event grabbed my attention – the inter village cricket
tournament finals, which was scheduled for that evening. And Tripan, who was
one of our guides, was playing on behalf of the village of Sankri in the
finals. All of us decided to go and cheer him in the match. We quickly finished
snacks (Maggi noodles!) and set off for the stadium. It may be more appropriate
to say, ‘trekked’ to the stadium, because that’s what you do when you have to
go from one place to another in Jhaka. We reached the stadium panting, to see
hundreds of men women, and children perched on the hillsides and rooftops
watching the gripping semi-final between Jhaka and Pandari.
Hillside Cricket - notice how the offside was a no man zone
View from the box - the leg side was no open area either. Fielders were positioned on the steep slopes on the left side
(Picture Credits: Harendra)
Fielder on the hill slope - these guys actually chased the ball and took catches on such terrain
(Picture Credits: Harendra)
I found some place among the
audience, and got involved with the match. There were runs only on the leg
side, and behind the stumps, since the offside of the ground had nothing but a
steep 20 feet fall. On the leg side, the fielders were positioned on the dangerously
steep hillsides, some parts of which were small cliffs, where careless footing
could lead to a fall and serious injury. The pitch was on a small piece of flat
land, on which there were the batsman, the bowler, 2 umpires, the wicket keeper
and a couple of fielders. But surely the kids of Jhaka were the unsung heroes
of the match – whenever the batsman hit the ball downhill on the offside (which
was very often) a troop of kids would trace it, run downhill and get the ball
back. The enthusiasm and energy level of the kids was impressive, for I would
have given up in no time (even if I were a kid) if asked to run downhill and
fetch the ball on every 3rd or 4th delivery.
Unsung heroes - the kids brought the ball back whenever it went downhill (Picture Credits: Deepika)
Jhaka’s game was spectacular.
There were no misfields, no missed catches. The bowlers found their line and
length, and the batsmen were in good form. Before long, Jhaka had dominated and
defeated Pandari in the semi finals. The final was now scheduled between Sankri
and Jhaka.
Motivating the Guide
After the semi final, Tripan came
around to the place where we were seated. You could read from his face that he
was a little worried, and with good reason – the Jhaka team was in great form.
Pankaj ji encouraged him with gusto, our team shouted “Tirpan! Tirpan!” to
raise the morale of the Sankri team.
Presently the teams lined up
against each other, and were wished good luck by the village sarpanch. Jhaka
had won the toss and they elected to bat. Sankri arranged the fielders on the
uneven hillside playground while the Jhaka players sat down to cheer their batsmen
next to where we were sitting.
The bowlers put up a dismal show,
to start off with – most of their deliveries were short pitched, and the Jhaka
batsmen spared no loose ball. They hit six after six, while the crowd erupted
into periodic bursts of “We want … Sixer!” and also “Shabba-Shabba!” which is
what it sounds when you say “shabaash shabaash” continuously. By the end of
their innings, they had set a target of 70 odd runs to be made in 8 overs by
Sankri.
It was now Sankri’s turn to bat.
The batsmen reeled under the fierce bowling attack from the Jhaka bowlers. I
remember one of them had a typical Malinga-style bowling - he forced the
batsmen to play defensively. Tirpan went to bat, but was sent back to pavilion
with just a few runs to his credit.
I was supporting Sankri, but
before long, I realized they were fighting a losing battle. Jhaka’s team put up
an impressive show. Each of the players was young, stud-like, with all sorts of
funky accessories like chains, headphones, spikes and what not. Their fitness
was enviable – they were all lean, extremely agile, and muscular. I pit them up
against an obese city lad of the same age, leading a sedentary life, and could
easily see how the absence of McDonalds, KFC, and Pizza Hut could make people
so healthy.
Posing with a Jhaka Cricket Player
Next Time, Better Luck
A roar from the crowd and the
Jhaka team told me Jhaka won the match. Tripan looked really disappointed. He
came over to me and told me that Jhaka had an undue home ground advantage –
“Wo toh bachpan se yehi ground me khel rahe hai!”
Jhaka did have home crowd support, after all!
(Picture Credits: Harendra)
Jhaka did have home crowd support, after all!
(Picture Credits: Harendra)
I knew how he was feeling, and
kind of patted his back at that. Meanwhile, some local folk songs began to play
on the loud speaker and the kids assembled on the ground to dance, while the
Jhaka players proudly roamed around, being congratulated by people. We
requested some Punjabi songs, and Tanmayi came over to the center and danced
while everyone watched. The graceful dancer that she is, she sure did receive
many compliments, especially from the guys.
We returned to our guesthouse chatting about the match and how it was
such a unique experience on the trek. I had an early dinner, put my batteries
to charge (electricity is available at Jhaka) and retired to my sleeping bag.
11th
June 2013 (Day 4)| Ahead
We March, To Saruwas Thach...
Belated Beginning
It rained all night in Jhaka, and so our departure was
delayed. It was not so much of a concern, since the scheduled walk for this day
was just about 8 Km long. As we waited for the rain to subside, I noticed 2
tawny mountain dogs, ambling playfully around the guesthouse. I played with
them for a while, till it was time to leave. We set off for Saruwas Thach at
about 8:30 AM.
One of the tawny mountain dogs - they were so playful and jovial!
(Picture Credits: Kaustubh)
First Encounters with Ice Patches
After about an hour, we reached the first ice patch. The ice
patch had broken at different points due to melting. It was not possible to
walk over the ice patch without risking further breaking, so the only course we
could take was to cross it from beneath. Gajji cleared up the route with his
ice axe and then we entered the cave-like underside of the ice patch. I can
only say - experience it to know how it feels!
Crossing the ice patch from beneath!
(Picture Credits: Harish)
Under the Ice Patch!
(Picture Credits: Harendra)
We crossed 2-3 other ice patches after this part and
progressed towards the campsite. The weather was beginning to close, so we
walked faster. We reached the campsite by about 2:30 PM. The campsite area had
a large number of rhododendron (buras) shrubs, with a bloom of white
rhododendrons. The first thing that crossed my mind was that the shrub cover
would provide good privacy for morning ablutions. Even as the tents were being
pitched, cold wind accompanied by rain started blowing. I pulled out my poncho
to escape the rain, and waited for the tents to be fixed so that I could occupy
one.
One of the several Ice patches on the way up
Misty surroundings of the Saruwas Thach Campsite
(Photo Credits: Kaustubh)
Rhododendron or Buras - The squash prepared from these flowers is healthy and tasty
(Picture Credits: Harendra)
Evening Pastimes
Even though it was raining, the weather was fine indeed –
people wanted to be outside, rather than inside their tents. Tripan pulled out
a smiley ball, and 4 of us started playing handball with it. Soon, more people
joined, and what started out to be a fun game turned into a serious game with
teams, score and matches. The ball would some times go downhill, so special
fielders were in place to stop the ball in case it was hit too hard. After a
while, we started playing 1-tup-1-hand cricket with the same ball, using a tree
branch as a bat. We had a lot of fun playing.
All the players were so engrossed with the game that no one
realized how cold the weather was. After the game was suspended, I suddenly
realized that I was shivering all over and that my fingers had gone all numb
due to the biting cold winds. I ran up to my tent, and put on my some warm
clothes, cap and gloves and sat there for a while, rubbing my hands together,
before I felt a little warm.
1 tup 1 hand cricket with a branch
(Picture Credits : Harish)
Meanwhile, a campfire was being readied, and people
assembled around it to keep warm and even to dry some of their wet clothes.
After a while everyone assembled around the campfire to play a cheerful game of
antakshari. Not just cheerful, but also sporty and spirited. Both teams
displayed good teamwork while shouting “bhendi – bhendi”, “gana phoda” etc.
(inspired by Pankaj ji) to each other, but while singing songs, sometimes, just
as low as a hum. Before long, it became evident who was winning, and the
whistle inviting us for dinner blew, the game was suspended for having dinner.
I had some Jeera Rice, and dal, and followed it up with delicious gulab jamuns,
as dessert. I’ve come to appreciate the efforts made by Indiahikes to maintain
quality as well as variety in the food they offer.
After dinner we continued the game of antakshari for a while
before getting back to our tents to retire for the day.
12th
June 2013 (Day 5)| Camp
That Seemed Not Too Far...
Get Set, Go!
Light rain hit our tent top, as the morning whistle sounded.
It is daunting to get out of the tent when it is raining outside – your body
just wont cooperate. Somehow I got out of the tent, washed my face freshened
up, when I heard the breakfast call. And what was for breakfast? Pasta and
Pancakes – now who would have expected that! We had a quick breakfast and set
off for the next camp – Upper Waterfall.
About 15-20 minutes into our walk, Tripan showed me the
upper waterfall, at a distance, and told me that is where we would be camping
for the night. At first sight, the Upper waterfall was a magnificent cascade of
what looked like pristine milk pouring down the auburn cliffs in the
background. I remember Kaustubh’s cryptic humor at this –
(Waterfall toh mil gaya) “Ab gai dhoondhni padegi”
One thing I remember vividly is,
that the waterfall looked quite close by. The small rock on the top where our
campsite was to be was also clearly visible. As if he read my mind, Tripan told
me,
“Dikhne me toh paas lagta hai, lekin yeh toh bohut door padega”
Indeed, the day’s scheduled trek
was over 10 Km long. It became even more evident after I noticed that the
undulating trail tortuously took us towards the destination ever so slowly.
At the first halt point, I came
to know that 2 of our teammates had opted out of the trek, as one of them was
unwell. They were a very friendly and energetic couple, and we missed their
company to the top. I hope they will be back one day to scale the summit.
The trek on this day was marked with a sudden change in the background setting – the forest line was replaced by a grassy and rocky riverside terrain. A variety of himalayan floral vegetation added tints of bright color to the otherwise dull green texture of the ground. The waters of the river were of a brilliant blue color – ‘Cerulean blue’, I remember telling one friend. We took a short break at this point, and filled up our bottles. I tried throwing stones into the river at a skew angle, so as to make them bounce on the surface of the water (my best was 4 bounces, throwing downstream).
The trek on this day was marked with a sudden change in the background setting – the forest line was replaced by a grassy and rocky riverside terrain. A variety of himalayan floral vegetation added tints of bright color to the otherwise dull green texture of the ground. The waters of the river were of a brilliant blue color – ‘Cerulean blue’, I remember telling one friend. We took a short break at this point, and filled up our bottles. I tried throwing stones into the river at a skew angle, so as to make them bounce on the surface of the water (my best was 4 bounces, throwing downstream).
Small shrubs now replaced the large trees as we walked ahead
(Picture Credits: Kaustubh)
"Cerulean Blue Waters"
(Pitcture Credits: Kaustubh)
The walk led us straight into the scenic Rupin Valley, a long U-shaped alley sealed by mountains on either side. The Rupin River flowed down the Rupin valley, as we walked up. On the far end, facing us squarely was the Upper Waterfall.
The scenic U-Shaped Rupin Valley
(Picture Credits: Kaustubh)
Ice Over
After about 2 hours walk, we
reached the first of the series of ice patches we were to cross for the day’s
trek. The ice patch, I noticed, had broken up, leading to a deep chasm, a fall
into which would mean cold, helpless death for man or beast. We actually saw an
unfortunate cow that met this fate, as it lay lifeless in the crevasse. It
warned us once again, that any careless step could lead to a fall, bringing the
curtain down, in a rather unpleasant manner.
The unfortunate cow, takes a little effort to spot it
Presently, we reached a vast ice
patch. It looked daunting, especially because it was so steep – I’d put it o be
over 60ยบ. We were given crampons and crash helmets for this part. The steep
climb lasted for a memorable 20 minutes. The reduction in oxygen levels due to
the altitude gain was evident now, as we ran out of breath every few steps. As
we struggled overt the ice cap, a ram joined us along and happily trotted up
the ice patch, as if it were just walking over flat land. “4 feet, better control”, I thought.
The crampons gave us very good
grip on the ice – all we had to do was to dig our feet right into the ice, and
they would stay secure. The leading members dug footholds, while the trailing
ones had to carefully walk over these, making sure they did not obliterate the
footholds while walking.
The ice patches along the trail
were interrupted by intermittent stretches of steep, rocky trails. Putting on
and removing crampons is a cumbersome task, so we would walk on the rocks with
the crampons on. I remember this being a little tricky – the steel teeth of the
crampons hardly gave any grip on the rocky turf.
Our 4 legged friend has no difficulty walking on ice
(Picture Credits: Kaustubh)
Our 2 legged friend also has no difficulty walking on ice: presenting - team leader Vikrant
(Picture Credits: Kaustubh)
By the Waterfalls
By about 1 PM in the afternoon we had reached the lower
waterfall. It was a spectacular sight. I saw how water vigorously rushed down
the steep hillsides and moved subcutaneously to the ice patch, eventually
finding its way to the main Rupin River, that we had been following. The
colossal Upper Waterfall stood right in front of us, with all its magnificence.
Much closer that we were to it, I was able to understand and appreciate its
dimensions, and why it looked so close from Saruwas Thach, and still took so
much time to reach.
The magnificent upper waterfall
Ashish and the Upper Waterfall
(Picture Credits: Kaustubh)
Upper Waterfall up close
(Picture Credits: Harendra)
We kept climbing, gaining altitude quickly, in this portion.
After about an hours climb, we reached the campsite. It was situated by the top
of the Upper Waterfall, on a flat area, with soft grass and spots having bright
purple, blue and yellow flowers. The DSLR guys pulled out their cameras, eager
to capture the scenic beauty abound. The background was studded with views of
steep rocky mountains sides covered with ice patches.
Nature’s Own Kaleidoscope
The title in a way signifies how the scenes at the Himalayas
keep changing from time to time, sometimes surprising and throwing the beholder
into awe, at how nature achieves these feats. You can’t help, but be
exhilarated by the entire sensory overload - the beautiful sceneries, the balmy
mountain breeze, the refreshing taste of flowing water from streams, and the
gush of the waters flowing that still rings in my ears.
Spotting a rainbow! (Picture credits: Deepika)
Sorry about the digression, but I thought it made sense
here. It was beginning to get a little cold there, so people decided to play
volleyball. The local camp guide took charge of the whistle and did some
pro-quality umpiring of the volleyball matches that ensued. The matches went on
till snacks time, when we were served Act – II popcorn. By this time, it had
started raining, and the sun shone bright ant clear on the western front.
Everyone searched the skies for a rainbow, and there it was – strung up across
the mountains in a vivid patch of colors.
At dusk, the rain had stopped. The setting sun's rays now caressed just the mountain tops, leaving the lower regions gradually growing darker. The mountains wore a glazed look due to the interplay of diffuse sunlight, ice cover and the mist. Some of these moments were captured in some brilliant shots by my friends.
After sundown, the Himalayas look different. Wont say more, I'll just show you.
At dusk, the rain had stopped. The setting sun's rays now caressed just the mountain tops, leaving the lower regions gradually growing darker. The mountains wore a glazed look due to the interplay of diffuse sunlight, ice cover and the mist. Some of these moments were captured in some brilliant shots by my friends.
Spectacular photo taken from the top of the upper waterfall
(Picture credits: Kaustubh)
Sun rays caressing the mountain tops at dusk
(Picture Credits: Kaustubh)
Dusk at Upper Waterfall
(Picture Credits: Kaustubh)
Reddish Sky after sundown
(Picture Credits: Kaustubh)
Star studded skies from Upper Waterfall Camp
(Picture credits: Kaustubh)
At Upper Waterfall camp, we were at a height of about 13,000
ft. The following day, we were scheduled to touch the summit (15,250 ft.) and
then race down to Ronti Gad, situated at a height of about 12,000 ft. After
sundown, I had a quick dinner, spent some time singing songs and retired for
the day.
13th June 2013 (Day 6)|Passing the Pass
Set to Summit
I got up to the sound of mild rain on the top of my tent. I
got up with anticipation, excitement and a little pain in my knee. Rain delayed
our departure by about an hour – started off from the camp at 7.30 PM.
Initially, the trail took us through grassy hillsides, and then lead us on to
the first ice patch for the day. We crossed it easily without crampons, as it
had a mild upward slope.
Rupin Pass – A Total Himalayan Blockbuster
We trekked for 2 more hours, before we reached left with the
last 3 patches of ice – The Rupin Pass. The pass was, if anything, a little
disappointment in the beginning for me. It was just a narrow tract of ice
between two brownish mountain cliffs. But that’s what passes are supposed to
be, anyway. So I put on my crampons, and started walking on the ice patch, like
all other ice patches I had done earlier. I had no idea of the surprises the
Rupin pass had in store for us.
As we slowly walked up the ice, a small rock rolled down
towards us from the cliffs. It did not hit anyone, but sent a wave of
apprehension through the junta. There were some shouts in warning, and the next
moment I noticed a number of rocks rolling towards us down the slope. Being
struck by any such rock could be fatal, due to sheer momentum the rocks had as
well as the fact that they could knock you off balance, sending you tumbling
hundreds of feet down into a fatal fall. People ducked and dodged the rocks,
but now there was an air of panic. Even the staff seemed worried about it.
Gajji ran up and secured a rope at a point with his ice axe to speed up the
progress of the people. The ice had started melting, making it slippery, and
difficult to walk. It was a particularly scary situation, where rocks could
launch themselves at you at any time, and your footing does not cooperate with
you for balance.
Climbing to the Rupin Pass - The rocks on the left cliff were could roll down on us any moment
(Picture Credits: Harendra)
And then, I saw Varun slip. He was about 6-8 meters ahead of
me. He skidded downwards, right towards Ankit and me. People around me were
shouting something but I had no idea what. My mind was filled with some sort of
buzz – I had to stop Varun. I turned myself on the spot, dug my pole as hard as
I could into the ice and stood squarely to his progress arms stretched to stop
him. In normal situations, turning around on the spot on a foothold in the ice
usually makes you skid downwards, but somehow none of that happened. Varun
collided right on to me and Ankit and we took impact with resilience. His
crampons hit my fingers, which started bleeding, but I was unaware. Gajji
rushed to the spot and helped Varun up. Varun was totally freaked out. Even I
was scared. We put each step cautiously, on each foothold. It was becoming more
and more important to reach quickly as more rocks began rolling down the
slopes.
The weather was now bitingly cold – anyone now walking could
feel the chill getting to his deep insides. We used the rope to reach a secure
spot on the ice patch and then scurried ahead into the pass. As we climbed
along the mountainsides, I noticed how the wet sand was unstable, and was
basically being eroded by the melting snow and winds, causing loose rocks to
tumble down the steep slope. Climbing over the slipping earth with crampons was
a different challenge altogether. I remember how I’d put my foot over a certain
rock, and it would immediately start skidding along the slope, leaving just a
couple of seconds for me to either pull my leg off or clamber over the flowing
earth.
Despite all the adversities, we made steady progress up the
acclivity, and after negotiating a couple of relatively smaller ice patches,
finally reached the top, which was marked by numerous stone columns, built by
people who visited the place.
On Top of the World
I ran up with some sort of wild energy at finally making it
up to the summit. 15,360 ft. – that was the altitude I was at. I left my
backpack on a rock and sat down, gasping for breath. After a few minutes, I
started observing my surroundings. Besides the din and cheering (“shabba
shabba”) at every person who made it to the summit, there wasn’t really much to
see here – a dense fog surrounded us on all fours, pretty much blocking our
view of all the surrounding scenery.
Introducing to you, our team at the summit! (Picture courtesy: Harish)
Front Row Left to Right: Pratyush (aka Gillete Man), Tanmayi, Puneeth (me!), Rajveer (newbie guide), Shashi (Local guide)
Second Row L to R: Gajji (covered up), Harish (aka Brand ambassador for Volini), Deepika, Raaj (aka gujju bhai), Harendra (aka repeater), Pankaj (aka Umpire sahab), Sourabh(aka most eligible bachelor), Ashish K, Tripan (aka 53), Soundar (aka Heart Break Kid)
Third row L to R: Arul (aka legal guy) , Siddharth (aka Iron Man), Varun (aka Gudsawaar), Ashish V, Kaustubh (aka Silent Killer)
The staff members broke a coconut and lit some incense
sticks at the summit as a form of prayer. Many photographs were clicked, and
before long, we were ready to ‘pass the pass’.
No Theme Park Got a Slide Like This
It was time to take a course down from the summit. We walked
a little on the snow with our crampons. Presently, we reached our first
glissading spot. Basically, you get down on your backside, and slide away to
glory on these steep icy slopes. Initially, I was a little skeptical because I
was worried that I would get my tracks wet and that I would feel cold, but
seeing others go for it, I decided to give it a shot.
So I sat down on the ice, and looked down steep slope. I
could not see where the track went, for it vanished into the dense mist that
covered the hillside. I was still thinking about all this when Vikrant
brusquely pushed me down the slope. I experienced sudden
thrilling acceleration down the icy track, which was far from being smooth and
frictionless like in physics problems. I had expected there to be a lot of pain
in the backside due to the rough ride, but in contrast, there was hardly any
pain. There was only numbness. I knew my back would take its own sweet revenge
for manhandling it, in due course of time. There was little I could do about it
at the moment.
No theme park got a slide like this!
(Picture Credits: Harendra)
The ride ended in a blazing 20 seconds, and I stood up and
dusted my tracks of the ice. It was fun, I must admit. I walked a few meters,
and then saw another steep slide. I was a little more ready this time. But the
ride was a little crazier this time – half way down, I noticed that I was
sliding towards a large rock jutting out along my way. I managed to evade it,
but in the process completely distorted my posture, and began sliding on my
side rather than bottom. I stopped about three quarters down the way, in a
rather awkward position. Even as I was straightening up, I noticed another
person emerging out of the fog sliding fast right towards me. His crampons
could rip my clothes, at the speed at which he was moving. I instinctively
lunged to one side, and the weight of my bag pulled me down further, and I
rolled further down the slope. Glissading is pure adrenaline rush!
Rapid Descent
After this, we were back on our feet and continued our
progress downhill. For once, I felt desperate to get back to the camp and relax
my tired body, but the trek for the day was far from getting over. We walked
down ice patch after ice patch, going around mountain after mountain. After
about an hour, the ice patches disappeared. I remember asking the staff how far
the camp is, and they’d say “just around the corner”. But every corner crossed
for about 2 hours was a disappointment. There was light rain, so I had my
poncho on, and walked as fast as my feet would carry me along the rocky trail.
Finally, after what felt like hours, finally the campsite
came into view. I ran again wildly for it, reached a tent, put my backpack
away, and sprawled into the tent. It was all over. I had successfully scaled
Rupin Pass.
Post Summit Siesta
Most people stayed in the confines of their tent. Some of my
friends had fallen asleep and I was in no mood to fall asleep so I loitered
around for a while and went into a nearby tent where people were discussing the
events of the day. We had a nice long conversation about the trek, the whole
experience and spirit(s). The weather was still quite cold, and by my memory
very foggy. I would like to cite Pratyush for his characteristic brand of humor
here:
‘Why is Ronti Gad so
‘Misterious’?”
After dinner I again got together with some friends and we
sang songs from a variety of genres ranging from melodramatic musical romances
like “didi tera dewar deewana” to Indie pop like “pari hoon main” to cheesy Anu
Malik numbers like “yeh kaali kaali aankhen” and also the choicest “GMD” and
“BC Sutta” on popular demand. I retired to my tent by about 10.30 PM.
14th June 2013 (Day 7)|Anti-Climaxing to Sangla
Journey back to Civilization
I got up a little late the following morning. We purchased
T-shirts as memorabilia for the trek. We set off for the day’s walk by about
8.30 AM.
The day’s walk had 3 distinct parts: one above tree line,
one through the forest, and last through the village of Sangla. As we walked
down the rocky trail, we came across numerous streams, which we had to cross.
At many points, the trail forked into 2 different routes and we used arrows on
the ground as indicators for the correct route. It was quite a task to ensure
people did not stray away from the trail in their enthusiasm to reach Sangla
soon.
It was a long monotonous walk. The stream crossings, the
long rocky trails, murky paths, and at times even the stray cows tested our
patience. Once we hit tree line, the trail changed into a forest path, which
took us on a course of rapid descent. The quick descent was strenuous to the
knees and toes, which throbbed in pain with every step.
As we approached Sangla, we saw more and more signs of
civilization – a pipeline, a JCB, and even a school. Some of the trees in this
region were huge, both height wise and girth wise. A quick estimation on a
particularly thick tree revealed the circumference of its trunk to be round 22
feet! That huge!
Rajveer joined me here, and handed me some wild berries,
which tasted sharp. Our reaching the village of Sangla was marked by crossing
the roaring waters of river Baspa, that flows through the village. I found from
Vikrant that the water was murky due to rains, and it is fit for consumption in
the months of November and December when the rains subside.
Back to civilization - Reaching the town of Sangla
The town of Sangla had all features of civilization –
plastic and litter all around, dust and noise due to construction work etc. The
day’s trek as one friend put it, brought us from heaven back to hell:
“Jannat se Jahannum
tak”
Once in Sangla, we had to climb from the River to the
guesthouse. We reached the guesthouse by 2.30 PM and got into well-furnished
rooms with pucca bathrooms. So much for my experience trekking Rupin Pass, with
Indiahikes!
Our team after the trek - Energy levels still going high!
(Picture Credits: Harish)
Retrospect
In retrospect, I feel that the trekking expedition at the
Himalayas is somewhat a humbling experience. The trek brings out nature’s vibrancy
and beauty in a different dimension all together. What we miss out in our daily
hustle and bustle at homes is probably priceless and can never be created or
purchased, whatever be the amount of progress in technology or economy. I
realized that with all my education, and qualification, I was may be a little
more than an illiterate in those mountain trails. The knowledge of the local
guides and the people living there and their intuitions about the weather and
other things were as accurate as precise scientific judgments.
What kind of textbooks have they studied? None! I guess
that’s nature’s own way of teaching her sons to sustain in this beautiful
creation.
I shall sign off here with a bow to Bholenath ji (lord
Shiva), for letting my teammates and me finish the trek successfully, without
any hassles and a note of congratulations to all my companions for making it to
the top.
