-- T.S. Eliot
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| The Pindari Glacier |
The natural landscape around us provides an endless arena
for exploration, exhilaration and expedition. The mountains, in particular, provide
a terrain where traveling is commonly associated to achievement. Trekking to such lands isn’t just an Action activity;
it’s one of my many definitions of fun. The sweat, the wind, the rock and the
limbs all add up to a journey so wonderful that there is hardly a match to it.
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| Dr. Atul and me at Farukabad |
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| Bhimtal |
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| Lokarkhet |
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| The Trek |
A fraction of this mesmerizing experience was contained in my CAS activity: Trekking to the Pindari Glacier in Uttarakhand (North India). Mr. Rahul Deshmukh, an established architect and a friend of mine, is also an impressive trekker, albeit he does it to quench his thirst of adventure and to nurture his passion for mountains. He has traveled to many such places and has been doing it for years. I always wanted to undertake an adventurous errand with him. Fortunately, this time he asked me if I was interested in accompanying him, which I undoubtedly was! He was a 3 time Pindari trekker and had a remarkable experience of other treks as well; I had no trouble anticipating the fun which awaited me under his supervision. I consulted my CAS coordinator Ms. Vijayalaxmi for consent and on her approval, planned out our journey with Mr. Rahul. I met him and Dr. Atul Tajpuriya – Mr. Rahul’s friend who was also accompanying us – at his place and chalked our 14 day schedule. However, as it turned out we completed the journey in 10 days. We also discussed things like expenses, equipment and attire and food supplies.
We started our journey on 22 May 2014 and travelled by car
(it was an SUV so car is an understatement) for two days to reach Lokarkhet –
the outset of our trek. The road to it
went through Uttar Pradesh, a region full tradition and cultural diversity. The
rural regions provide a promising agricultural landscape on one hand, and terrifying
civilisation in its very early form on the other. The houses – rather huts –
still smear dung on them and mud is the only floor. The surrounding atmosphere
and lifestyle are so alien to the modern eyes, that one may fancy travelling
back in time. Leaving U.P. we made our way to Bageshwar via the beautiful hill
stations of Nainital and Bhimtal. After
an overnight stay at Bageshwar, we reached Loharkhet the next morning and
commenced our trek.
Day 1__24 May
2014__Lokarkhet to Khati
We started our trek from Loharkhet at about 9 a.m. Initially
it’s just another rocky trek into the hills. But as you elevate to higher
grounds things start changing. The view starts becoming ever more interesting
and literally breathtaking. It is very
difficult to explain what one feels walking in the lap of mountains; one of the
most enthralling experiences I surmise. The trekking path to Pindari was
discovered and made during the British Raj and remained quite the same until
last year when the region faced terrible landslides. The original trekking path
which was considered very pleasant and easy has now become very difficult. Nevertheless, those who enjoy adventure and adore the beauty of mountains find nothing
impossible. The same is true for me and Mr. Rahul. It was really amazing to
walk for hours into the uncivilized and yet most civilized nature in its most
beautiful form. We reached the Dhakuri
top around noon. The scenery which now embraced us was just the beginning of
what was waiting. The Himalayas welcomed us from all directions and the birds
flapped at our feet. So spellbinding was this experience that I wondered if it
was an illusion.
“It
isn’t the mountain ahead that wears you out; it’s the grain of sand in your
shoe.”
-- Robert
W. Service
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| Dhakuri Guest House |
We descended from the top towards the guest house of Dhakuri,
where we lunched, and from there to Khati the place where we stayed that night.
In doing so I realised how difficult life in mountains was. The people there
lead a very challenging life and faced hardships on a daily basis. It made me more aware of the world which
surrounds us. It is commendable how these people thrive to survive with their
lives on stakes, and all this with utmost ease and valiance.
On reaching Khati the beauty of what encircled us multiplied
1000 times and we nestled in a private guest house against what may be entitled
one of the most scenic villages in the world. The village of Khati was the last
inhabited village on this trek and found itself right in the lap of the snow
covered giants. Suddenly, one experiences the urge of leaving the cities and
finding a permanent adobe in these earthy heavens. The most astonishing was the
night; the collection of stars which I there beheld was so immense that I could
hardly isolate my favourite constellations. Apart from Ursa Minor – my most
beloved constellation—all the others were lost is the colossal sea of stars. In
last 10 years of star gazing, never before did I see so many stars with naked
eyes, and if I ain’t erred the Milky Way itself! The majestic appearance of the
heavens not only bewildered me but also, I was drawn towards the global issue of pollution. Be it light,
sound, water or air, the pollution in the modern day world has not only created
disastrous situations for the mankind but also has robbed us the opportunity to see
the universe as I then witnessed. So fortunate were the people of Khati, I
thought, they could lie in the lap of mountains and stare at the sky so full of
stars, that one may doubt sighting an empty piece of sky! If only we weren’t so entangled in the
polluted lands!
Today we travelled 17
kilometers and it only made me more excited for the next ‘episode’.
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| Dhakuri Top |
Day 2__ 25 May 2014__
Khati to Dwali
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| Mr. Rahul and me at River Pindari |
Today’s trek was the most difficult part of the entire
journey. The landslides had caused most damage in this region and the original
track was mutilated at several places. Owing to that, we had to leave the
track, descend down the mountains and trek along the river Pindar many times.
To add to the fun (or to the dread, whichever way one may see it) it started
raining at noon. We had the risk of our luggage getting wet so we took shelter
under a cliff – a pretty dangerous one – for a while. However, the rains
refrained to stop and settled on getting reduced to drizzles. Since we needed
to reach Dwali before evening we couldn’t waste out time waiting for the rains
to stop and thus, we resumed our trek. It was a really adventurous
experience. The rain, made the rocks slippery and the mud tracks were puddled.
It became increasingly difficult to climb and descend the mountains. Anand
Singh, one of our porter and professionally a guide, taught me some stepping
techniques which facilitated travelling in mountains. This is what made the
natives so skillful at traveling. I soon
developed this skill too and it helped me a lot throughout the rest of my
trek. Mr. Rahul suggested that keeping the body straight instead of leaning on
to the rocks helps maintain body balance, thus avoiding slips. It was a very
vital piece of advice as I soon realised how it improved my performance. I got
to learn many other things from Mr. Rahul, his experience and expertise at
trekking proved valuable to me since it was my first time.
“It’s
not the mountain we conquer, but ourselves.”
--Sir
Edmund Hillary
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| Dwali KMVN Guest House Kitchen |
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| The bridge to Dwali |
To reach Dwali we needed to cross the river at one point and
I was surprised to see the puny bridge made of wooden logs which we were to
use. It was an amazing feeling. Every part of this journey had adventure
written on it and I ensured I read it everywhere. It was a true Action activity,
one that demands your physical input to the maximum! The KMVN (Kumaon Mandal Vikas Nigam Ltd.)
guest house where we stayed that night was really basic. I am sure many of my
friends would have found it difficult to stay at such a place, especially when it comes to using the
lavatory! But for me, it was really fun! I enjoy living life in a very generic
manner and don’t mind even if it resembles that of a hermit.
The freshly formed clouds made their way right through us
and sometimes we were above the gigantic clouds. The godly feeling one
experiences isn’t just fascinating, it also tells us how clouds still are a
symbol of superiority for us.
The day ended with a tired body and a pleasurable sense of achievement.
The day ended with a tired body and a pleasurable sense of achievement.
Day 3__ 26 May 2014__
Dwali to Pindari
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| Swamy Dharmanand |
Today’s ‘episode’ of the Pindari trek began with beautiful
landscapes. Relatively, this part of the trek was least affected by the
landslides. Nevertheless, it was the most challenging of all! The views were breathtaking
and ‘breath-giving’ at the same time. The liveliness one experiences is
unequalled! No words or pictures can adequately describe what it is to be there
and what one feels. The Himalayas – rather the snowy heartthrobs – are the
mountains which stand tall and tough and yet greet you with softness which has
a tranquilizing effect. At many places
on this path we had to cross frozen streams and ice covered regions which was
fun but risky. As my walked over them and on to the rocky path again I could
recall some episodes from the famous TV show ‘Man vs. Wild’ hosted by Bear
Grylles, one of my idols. I applied the things I watched back then and was
surprised to see how I could accomplish
tasks which otherwise seemed too risky. I became more aware of my abilities and felt stronger than ever. The flora and fauna diminished drastically as
we elevated 3000 m above sea level and by the time we reached Phurkiya, we were
only left with some shrubs and flowering plants as small as the common grass.
Our eyes now felt closer to the mountains but by this time I had got a good
grasp on the three rules of
mountaineering:
"It's
always further than it looks.
It's
always taller than it looks.
And it's
always harder than it looks."
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| My guide Pushkar and me |
As we went higher, although the trek wasn’t steep the altitude caused
breathing inefficiency. That’s what made it more challenging. But like
all this time and always I was ready to
take up this challenge. I used another trick I learned on TV to manipulate
my breathing pattern. Although it wasn’t something fabulous I would say it
helped me. Towards the end of this trek we finally reached the Pindari
glacier’s base. There at the base, there is a stone cottage of Swamy Dharmanand.
The guy is a genius with functional knowledge of Physics, Biology and Economics
and not to mention Spirituality. He leads an isolated life there and
facilitates the tourists my serving/helping them. He is also a sort of
social worker and is an active philanthropist in the local education system
despite the fact that his only asset is the money from the donations made by
the tourists and his friends. A noble man I would say, and very witty. I was impressed to see the way he optimized
all his resources and strongly advocated recycling. It was commendable how he
spreads awareness about issues of global significance like pollution, disaster
management, black-marketing, resource management, sustainable development, fraudulent
etc. I was pleased to meet him. He
assured me that there are people like him who are spreading awareness in areas
as remote as Pindari.
After meeting him we camped near his cottage for night stay. Living
is the tent is my favourite part of an adventure trip. The feeling of living in
a small polyester dome place in a remote region surrounded by mountains on all
sides gives me eternal joy and has always fascinated me. It was very cold no
doubt, the temperature that night was -3 degrees Celsius, but to me, it only
made it more enjoyable.
Day 4__27
May 2014__ Pindari
The next morning, the dew drops on the grass and the sun rays
descending the snowy mount left me in awe-struck perplexity. The scene was
captivating in every manner. Leaving our
camps behind, today we completed our ascend by trekking beyond Zero point. Zero
point is technically the end of this trek and the nearest one is recommended to
go. The region beyond this has no track and it relatively difficult to travel
in. It is suitable for mountaineers as
one must literally climb mountains to travel there. We even went beyond the Mt.
Nanda Devi base camp in order to get closest to the glacier. It was a wonderful
feeling to get as high as 3915 m above
sea level, and still see the snow giants dominating you. On our way back we
travelled through a lot of snowy region. It was the most enjoyable part of the
trip. When on a higher elevation one can find a straight slope, crouch and
slide down on the frosty rides. No amusement
park stands anywhere near the fun of snow slides. It’s remarkably awesome! We came down by noon, to Mr. Dharmanand’s
cottage. He made us some really delicious food and we talked about his
livelihood and adventures. It was a memorable experience. It was one of those
times when I felt that going to school/college or in other words leading a
conventional life doesn’t necessarily make you wise. Like him, having the
thirst of knowledge can make you more knowledgeable even when living a
reclusive life. I was constantly thinking about this ethical problem of our education system, especially the Indian.
Crushing the dogma, this man was more knowledgeable than an engineer holding masters degree, and certainly more aware than most of the Indian politicians. Is it moral or even sensible, I asked
myself, to latch on a system which leaves you with a huge degree and relatively
less knowledge and awareness? The world will always have some geniuses, but why
not adapt to a system which brings out the genius in every being? It was very thought provoking. Especially
after meeting Mr. Dharmanand, I was reassured that with a little more effort,
substantial answers to the above posed questions can be found, all you need is
to investigate.
Day 5__ 28
May 2014__ Pindari to Dwali
After two days of camping at the feet of Pindari we began our return trip this morning. It was a really horrible feeling, as if I was leaving my home. I was familiar with today’s trek so it was relatively easy and the experiences were more or less the same except of course, the views were unique and empowering.
Day 6__29
May 2014__ Dwali to Loharkhet.
"Getting
to the top is optional. Getting down is mandatory."
-- Ed
Viesturs
This part of the journey was the real test. The trek was mostly
down the mountains which made it uncomfortable for the feet, since there was a
high chance of injury by the jerks experienced while descending in excitement.
In addition, I had walked so much all these days that my legs now demanded rest.
I continued with my journey anyway, and stood
committed to the task. Although, I could have taken frequent breaks, I
decided not to stop and keep up the trekking spirit. I had a nice opportunity to show my perseverance to myself and I
did not wish to waste it.
By the end of the trek, I was happy to have completed the
wonderful journey in time. All the things I had learned in these six days of
trekking, enhanced my understanding of the world and added another very glorious
chapter to my life. No doubt, I will have more of such experiences but the
importance and significance of the first is well known to everyone. I realised on my way back that this wasn’t
just a CAS activity of 10 hours but an act which unveiled the fascinating world
of mountaineering to me, albeit a small bit of it. It exposed me to so many
realities which I might not come across otherwise. To say, I just walked on the
rocky grounds of a beautiful mountain range but to extrapolate a deeper sense I
would say, I learned what life is. Isn’t it a rocky climb in the mountains? To close this reflection I quote myself:
"Of
all the things the mountains have to teach you, the most important is to see
every boulder in your way as a stepping stone."
