Breakfast is ready, and has already been eaten. But there is lots left for us. Nobody started at 6am though. And we started even later. Around 9 IIRC.
Our nice hotel
The white elephant
The other SUV team had to head back because a member got ill. Its the flu
"Kahan ho bhai???" An amused Tilak on the other side of the phone asks. Obviously he has never travelled with us lazy bums.
"We have started", and I am sure I heard a sigh of relief.
They are about 20 minutes ahead of us.
But they are on bikes, and the going is going to get tougher.
Around 11:30 we catch up.
The ice has begin
The snow gods have truly been generous, and I swap lenses
Time for the telephoto
The Himalayan Griffon vulture.
Snow everywhere
Its not truly sunny. Will it snow? Maybe not. Weather usually turns in these parts. Afternoon brings clouds, with go away by late night
We are near a place called Sukhi top, a high hill on the way to Harsil. Harsil is at a slightly lower altitude. And in this shot you see the road. Nice black top eh? Do not let it fool you, its treacherous black ice
At sukhi top there is a dhaba. And at dhaba a decision has to be made. The bikes cannot make it. I am surprised that the eeco is making it!
The road is icy, its so slippery that bikes are slipping. Going forward is dangerous. Temperature is sub zero, and this means later in the day there will be even more ice as we cross harsil.
So bikes are parked, and we try to fit in as many eagles as possible in the white elephant.
Rest fit in eeco, and many will walk till harsil(downhill), and then they can be picked up again, since the destination(Dharali) is just few kms from Harsil
Its almost 2 and we are hat Harsil.
As you can see the road is ice. Pure 6 inch thick layer of hard ice, which makes even walking tough
Thanksfully, snow chain laden army trucks have ribbed the ice, and we have some traction
This is a small rivulet. It has frozen solid
the Harsil city gates.
At Harsil, we part. The "Eagles" will stay at Dharali, and we had plans of staying in GMVN Harsil if its open. So as we take the road downwards, we come across a small rivulet running on the road.
In my fear for the intercooler, I am too slow, and I realize that the wheels are spinning, but we are going neither forward nor backward.
Ice is not a nice traction medium. I see a rare site. All 4 wheels spinning. Usually its one forward and one backward wheel without traction.
As I walk towards the army camp on the roadside, I realize this ice is not even walkable.
Luckily no falls.
The Army guys ask what we need. Well I say... snow chains. Well they come with shovels, and try to crack the ice.
And it does not crack.
I repeat, I need snow chains.
"Well we have one for the trucks, with those almost 2 meter dia wheels"
"Will do".
With snow chains in hand, well, I hold half the chain, it weight 40kg! The Army guys chip in, and I throw them under the wheels.
Reverse gear, and we are out.
Now this springs a doubt in the mind. Do we go to the valley to a hotel which may or may not be open, or we join the eagles in the Dharali village.
We sure love solitude, but this incident with ice has shaken us. Its nothing like I have seen anywhere. Kunzum, Rohtang, Changla, all that ice was powdery offering traction. This thing is a solid lump, like an ice skating rink.
Its time to head forward.
We move forward, and I see tilak with his eeco coming from the opposite direction. Well he is not moving. There is a upslope and eeco wheels are just spinning.
We wave him by and reach the "hotel" or "guest house" or whatever.
The trekkers have their thermometers out, and its -5 degrees, at 4 in the evening.
Soon Tilak is also with us. The eeco cannot climb.
So we decide to head back, and get the walkers in batches.
Two rounds, and we all are at Dharali
The snow dogs
Its 5pm or whereabouts, and we are settled in. Well mostly. The room was desinged for pleasant summer season. So its cold. Very very cold. Wind howls, and even 4 quilts cannot warm us. WE both have fever too. So its time to pop combiflam and head to the comfort and warmth of the white elephant.
Why not go for a drive... A good idea?