[gmhossain]

It was around quarter past five in the afternoon. I was walking alone in the trail like a robot with only few percentage charge left in the battery. The water bottle in my hand still had few sips of water. I had pulled out the bottle from the side pocket of my backpack while walking. However, I didn’t have enough strength to put it back. So I was carrying it in my hand.

Little later, I saw a gentleman walking towards me along the trail. When he came closer, I asked, “Would you mind to put this water bottle in the side pocket of my backpack?”. He complied with a smile by asking me where was I coming from? "I am coming down after reaching Kuari Pass", I answered in a fatigued voice. His face brightened up and then he congratulated me on summiting the Kuari top. During the brief chat, I mentioned to him that we had began our day around six thirty in the morning. He appeared even more impressed to know that I had been walking for last eleven hours on that day. He then continued his walk along the trail. Being congratulated by a complete stranger, I felt momentarily rejuvenated but the effect didn’t last long.

I don’t quite recall the way I managed to trek for next half-an-hour to reach our next camp at Khullara through a stretch that was descending almost vertically. Each step required some concentrated effort for execution. A severe shoulder ache from the improper carriage of the backpack in last two days made the walk even more harder. Finally when I reached the camp, other two stupids, third one being yours truly, were just finishing their ‘hot lunch’ while the Sun was setting in!

Khullara camp



Light and shadow in the forest



Tali lake



Gorson Bugiyal



Mt. Dronagiri



Our camp in a forest near Tali



The Other Two - Koushik and Sayan



The Third One - Yours Truly



Nanda Devi Range



Road from Joshimath



Ganga at Rishikesh

[gmhossain]

I was thinking of naming this travelogue as either “Bees Saal Baad” or “Aabaar Bochhor Kuri Pore” (`Again after two decades’ in Hindi or in Bengali). Somehow, I desisted myself by thinking about the risk of copyright infringement! It so happened that in the middle of 1997 these 3 stupids (I was even thinking of using the phrase “3 Idiots” here!) met each other for the first time at Jadavpur University, Kolkata. It so happened that they were crazy enough to pursue `finding mysteries of the nature’ as a career. As the luck would have it, after graduation they moved out in different directions and continued to hop in different parts of the world in the search of their own dreams.


We Three...



In the middle of 2017, I got a phone call from Koushik. I was in a train and returning home after visiting my parents at Malda. He told me, “I am taking my parents to Varanasi, Lucknow and few more places during the Durga Puja break. On the night of Navami, I will put them on a train back to Kolkata. From there I will catch another train to reach Haridwar on the day of Dussehra”. He continued, “Just a while ago I have booked for a week-long trek to Kuari Pass, Uttarakhand that starts on the same day from Haridwar. I have also spoken to Sayan. If you are interested then book it as soon as possible.”. “I have already mailed you the link.”, he mentioned during the brief conversation.

I was in strong dilemma. I had never been to a multi-day trek earlier and I wasn’t sure whether I would be able to cope up with it. On the other hand, given our age and declining fitness level, I knew it’s now or never. I spoke to my better half who was travelling with me in the train. After looking at my face for sometime, she relented!

By the time we reached home, Sayan too had made the booking for the trek. In his email, Sayan had mentioned that his travel plan from Guwahati to Haridwar was still open. The possibility of having our own “Aabaar Bochhor Kuri Pore” moments lasting for few days when we would be completely cut-off from the rest of the world. The temptation was too great and I fell for it!


A tempting road for a BHPian ... between Joshimath and Karnaprayag



The call of mountains



Snowy peaks ...





I had about 3 months in hand and I needed to get just about 3 things to be done. I needed to get myself fit enough for the trek. I needed to buy the trekking gears as I had none. Finally, I needed to make the travel arrangement so that I could reach Haridwar on the day of Dussehra.

Although these did not sound to be difficult to begin with but getting them done on time was a feat in itself. Specially if you are at the age when your mind constantly wonders to ask you whether you are on the right track. When a routine setback sends your mercury level souring. When a simple failure often sends your minds to crumble under its own weight then you know what I am taking about.

When I had agreed for the trek, my blood pressure was hovering around 130/95 mm of mercury and our doctor in the past had suggested me to go for the medicine. However, like in the past, I knew that I could bring them under control if I resume my morning walk. So after three months of rather sincere efforts, my blood pressure was just hanging around 110/80 and I could complete a 10 km walk under 90 minutes!

New Trekking Shoes



A 10 km run ...



Trekking gears to be packed ...



The packed backpack

[gmhossain]

Day 1 (Sep 29: Kolkata - Patna - New Delhi - Haridwar):

It was overcast morning. The biggest autumn festival of Bengal was on the full swing. However, the mood was somehow gloomy. It rained rather heavily on the night before. The taxi driver who was taking me to the airport, was telling me how last night’s rain had dampened the mood of the Pandal hoppers. Besides, I too was feeling gloomy to leave behind my better half and our daughter at home. Since our daughter was born, they have always accompanied me on all the leisure trips that I had. This was an exception!

Our first destination of the day was Patna! Surely, we had a weird itinerary for reaching Haridwar. It was the peak travel season to or from Kolkata due to Durga Puja. The waiting lists for the train tickets were running in hundreds even two and half months before the journey. The direct airfare was reaching the sky! The cheapest and somehow reasonable flight that I could book was via Patna to New Delhi. Sayan too had booked the same flight.

At the airport I met Sayan who had arrived from Guwahati couple of days ago to spend some time with his parents at Kolkata during the festival. Although we had a bit esoteric itinerary but being able to spend the time with a college buddy made more than one could have asked for.

Apart from an hour delay at Patna ariport, we had a more or less smooth flight to Delhi. From there we took the metro to reach New Delhi railway station. We got into an overnight train from New Delhi which was scheduled to reach Haridwar at around 4 am. We hoped to meet Koushik at Haridwar station whose train was supposed to reach there by 5 am.


The day before ... it rained a lot



I met Sayan at the Kolkata airport



Airport metro to reach New Delhi station



At the platform of New Delhi railway station



Day 2 (Haridwar - Joshimath):


The second day of the trip began with a loud scream of my mobile phone. It was little after 3 am and the alarm in the mobile phone had gone off. The train was moving slowly amidst the pitch dark surrounding. The occasional faint lights from the street lamps however made it clear that we were approaching a big human settlement. After getting down from the train, we grabbed couple of seats in the waiting room. It was still dark outside so we thought it’s better to wait inside until the dawn. Our pickup vehicle was supposed to leave from the Haridwar station at around 6:30 am. The plan was to reach our base camp at Joshimath before the sunset.


An early morning at the Haridwar station



It was already 7 am and there was no sign of the train in which Koushik was travelling. The last message from him was “There is no charging point in the compartment in which I am travelling. My mobile would go off anytime!”. The first four vehicles left the station with other trekkers who were eager to reach the base camp early. Fortunately (or unfortunately?), another train in which there were two more trekkers, was also running late.

The driver of our pickup vehicle was getting a bit impatient. So little before 8 am we decided to have breakfast at Haridwar itself so that we don’t have to stop for the same in between. Just before 8:30 am, the other train had arrived. We then met our fellow trekkers Nitin, a banker from Bangalore and his 9 years old son, Agastya! I told Nitin about the situation regarding Koushik and suggested him to have their breakfast there itself. They were happy to agree with the suggestion. We felt relieved as we could hold on a bit longer there. However, the driver was getting worried about the last leg of the hill drive. It would surely be in the complete darkness!

Me and sayan were discussing about other possible plans in case the train got delayed further. If we stayed back at Haridwar then we would have our get-together but we would surely miss the trek. On the other hand, if we left for Joshimath then we would have the trek but surely miss Koushik’s company!

Finally, we could hear the announcement for the arrival of Doon Express at Haridwar. By then, Nitin and his son Agastya had returned and we had packed breakfast for Koushik. Our pickup vehicle, a tata sumo, drove off from Haridwar station just before half past nine, a solid 3 hours behind the schedule. The long drive to Joshimath from Haridwar was expected to take around 10 - 11 hours.

Our driver who hailed from Joshimath, however had different ideas in his mind. By the time we stopped at a hotel named Vijayraj near Rudraprayag, our fellow trekkers who had started earlier in the morning had just completed their lunch! During the drive of last few hours, I had silently consoled myself that in case the vehicle went down into a gorge then there was no chance that we would land up in the hospital beds. Instead, we would go directly up in the sky!


A long wait at the Haridwar station



Along the bank of Alakananda



At the lunch break ... with Nitin and Agastya



Road to Joshimath



It was fully dark when we reached at our lodge cum base camp at Joshimath. Given we were the last few to reach there we had no choice but to occupy a room with 4 beds and an empty bed in a separate double bedded room. It was a tricky situation! Either we had to part a father-son duo or the trio of college buddies. Koushik then executed a brilliant move. He went to the double occupancy room. He then requested the occupant to move to the bigger room with us so that the father-son could be accommodated there! The occupant of the room, Rohit, was a mariner from Singapore. By the time he had fully settled in his bed. Surely, the request was bit outrageous. However, he agreed to move to our room! Later on, Rohit mentioned to us that initially he got really pissed off by Koushik's request!

Finally, at the base camp

[gmhossain]

Day 3 (Joshimath - Auli - Padiyar campsite):


It had been mere fifteen or twenty minutes since we started our first day of the trek. I was already grasping for the breath. It was a moderate ascent starting from the base of the famous ropeway of Auli. I stood standstill for a while to allow my racing heart to slow down a bit. After a while, I resumed my walk. However, my mind had been already doubting whether I would be able to complete the trek for next four days. At home I was pretty serious in reaching the prescribed fitness goal for the trek. However, it appeared to me that those preparations were not good enough!

Surely, it was a strange feeling! We were walking through a breathtaking surrounding while literally grasping for the breath. The weather had been a perfect one since the morning. The towering Mt Nanda Devi peak was clearly visible from the ridge through which we were walking. The beautiful Auli with its ski tracks and artificial lake was looking even more prettier from the ridge higher up.

In the last one hour and half we had seen rather dramatic changes of landscape. We started our day from the Joshimath which was at the height of around 6000 ft. Then a set of SUVs dropped us at Auli which was at the height of 8000 ft. From the crowded streets of Joshimath to the beautiful ski resort of Auli itself was a gain of 2000 ft in height. I could feel the thin air at Auli as my heart was beating faster. From Auli, we had been climbing up for an hour or so through the meadows or the Bugiyal of Auli. Occasionally, we were giving pass to the mules that were carrying mostly tourists along the trail going up to the Padiyar temple.

Little later, we were asked to take a small break for resting. During this period, I asked our trek leader, Pawan, about the problem of grasping so early in the trek. He then mentioned that actually we were trekking too fast given the ascent, mainly due to our inexperience. We should allow our body to find the sweet pace and not to rush into the trek. He then assured me that in a short while everyone would realize the same!

The Dawn at Joshimath



About to leave for Auli



Beautiful Auli





Ropeway of Auli



Yours truly with Koushik



It was just about the lunch time when we reached our camp for the day. It was not very far from the Padiyar temple. We occupied a tent with three of us. Our trek leader then advised all of us take rest for a while. Given we had gained a lot of height since morning, our body would need to get bit easy for faster acclimatization.

After a while we were called to have our lunch. The menu was very simple: rice, lentil mixed with some vegetables, papad and pickles. However, the taste of the food was amazing. I think I ate bit more than I should have. I realized it little later when I found my stomach was struggling to digest the food given the low oxygen level at the high altitude.


A wild flower along the trail



First view of the Mt. Nanda Devi



An artificial lake at Auli



Through the Oak forest


The Sky



Padiyar Temple along the trail





The delicious lunch


Padiyar camp



The campsite was situated at a picturesque location. A large open area was surrounded by Oak trees from all sides. On the hill side there was a small opening in the treeline. The mules were grazing near the tree lines, occasionally invading into our camp area.

In the afternoon, we went for an acclimatization hike in the hill near the camp. This in turns allowed us to enjoy one of the most dramatic sunset that I had ever seen. The fading light from the Sun was making the snow peaks of the Nanda Devi range to glow with a mesmerizing warmth. As the evening set in, we started to climb down amidst the twilight. We were greeted with hot cup of coffee at the camp. It was a short hike but it was rather steep. I could feel that my body was struggling to keep pace with the others. However, while climbing down I realized that be it ascent or descent one should always follow a zig-zag path to maintain a moderate gradient for the body to maintain a rhythm.


Grazing Mules



Peaks of Nanda Devi range in the afternoon








After a tasty dinner which had firnee as a dessert and a team game in which we had to remember the names of the fellow trekkers, we went inside our sleeping bags in the tent. It was the night of Ekadashi and the moon was already shining brightly in the sky. It was beyond the capability of the mortals like me to describe the beauty of the moonlit jungle that surrounded us.

Koushik was the first to go into the sleep. He had started snoring lightly. Given his hectic schedule of last few days, he must have been dead tired by then. After a while I could feel that even Sayan had fallen asleep. However, for some strange reason I was unable to get into the sleep. I could feel that my heart was beating faster than usual.

It was sometime past midnight and I was having the urge to go for the nature’s call. We were advised earlier not to go outside alone in the night and rather ask a tent-mate for a company. So I woke up Sayan saying that I needed to go to the toilet tent. We put up our head lamps before we went out of the tent. After a while both of us returned to our tent and got inside our sleeping bags. Within this few minutes we were shivering as it was freezing cold outside.

It may have been an hour or so. My eyes were still waiting for the sleep to arrive. Then I could hear a mysterious sound of slowly ringing bell. The source of the sound appeared to be slowly moving towards our tent. After a while it appeared to be just outside our tent. I pinched myself to see whether I was dreaming. No way, I was fully awake! In the middle of a jungle, miles away from the nearest habitat, where was this sound of ringing bell coming from? My sleep deprived mind was about to freak out! Luckily, the source of the sound started to move away from our tent in a while and eventually it faded away. I kept wondering about the source of the sound until darkness started receding.

[gmhossain]

Day 4 (Padiyar - Gorson Bugiyal - Tali - Chitrakantha):

The morning turned out to be an eventful one! Although it was chilli outside but our trek leader Pawan was not so. Of course, he had valid reasons to be angry. We were more than an hour late to begin the trek for the day as some of us were not packed up by the scheduled time. His message nevertheless was loud and clear. In the mountain it is extremely important that we follow the schedule as advised. Otherwise, we risk being late in reaching our next camp. If so, then we would be forced to walk through the treacherous terrain after the sunset. It would require just a wrong step to twist one’s ankle or even to fall off from the cliff!

While having our breakfast, I was chatting with Rohit and I mentioned to him about the mysterious sound in the last night. He too mentioned about hearing the sound of ringing bell and was unable to sleep well! By the time we began our trek for the second day, we had resolved the origin of the sound.


Rohit and the mules ... source of the mysterious sound



It had been an hour or so since we started our trek for the day. By then we were trekking above the tree lines on the mountain. Our trail had started passing through the vast and expansive Gorson Bugiyal, one of the largest meadows in the Garhwal Himalayas. The unobstructed views of the snow peaks of the Nanda Devi range was simply magical. The day was bright and sunny. The sunscreen lotion on our faces and the large caps on the heads were trying their best to save us from getting sunburned!


Beautiful Gorson Bugiyal



The herd in the grassland





Find the cow ...



Snow covered peaks of Nanda Devi range from Gorson Bugiyal





However, not everything was going well with me. My left shoulder had started paining rather intensely. In order to reduce the pain, I had loosen up the left strap of my backpack so that right shoulder would take most of the weight. In the morning itself, I had felt the pain but it was dull and mild. Besides, a light headache was also adding to the misery! Of course, I didn’t have a good sleep last night so mild headache was not something unexpected.

I don’t recall the exact time but it was sometime past noon. We reached near the end of Gorson Bugiyal. We stopped there to take a break. For next an hour or so we would be crossing over a difficult stretch through a overhanging cliff. During the short break, we sat on the ground and ate some dry fruits to gain some energy.


Resting for a while ... Rohit and Rene


The lead guide for our trek was Pradip who was a very experienced trekker. He had been to Kuari Pass several dozen times. There he asked the trekkers who were prone to acrophobia, to be immediately behind him while crossing this overhanging stretch. We formed a long queue. The trail there could accommodate only one person at a time. In fact, one had to wait near a slightly wider portion in order to allow a person coming from the opposite direction to pass. The youngest trekker of our group, Agastya was walking in front along with the lead guide. However, Agastya did not have any acrophobia at all. In fact, he had been one of the most agile trekkers of the pack. After a slow but careful trekking for little more than an hour, we finally crossed over the overhanging cliff without any untoward incident.

Beginning of the difficult stretch


Nitin ... on the narrow trail


A portion of trail through the cliff



After crossing over the stretch, we kept descending to a lower altitude. We reached to a place which had a bit flat area near the edge. We took lunch break there. Unlike the day before, we were carrying our lunch this time with us. We were supposed to reach our next camp in the late afternoon.

My shoulder pain had become worse by then. I could eat only a little portion of the lunch that I was carrying. There I told Koushik about the severe pain that I was having. He then quickly opened his backpack to take out a can of Move. He sprayed it over the entire shoulder of mine. Within few minutes I felt considerably relieved. Koushik then almost scolded me that I didn’t tell him about it earlier. Nevertheless, I was happy to have found a way to contain the pain. For next couple of days, I was using the spray every couple of hours during the trek to keep the pain at a tolerable level.

Mountain goats at a steep slope!



When we reached to our next camp, the Sun was loosing its shine. The camp was located deep inside the forest of Chitrakantha. On the way we had crossed the beautiful Tali lake whose deep blue water was reflecting the clear blue sky. The trail in this stretch was quite different geographically from the one that we had been passing since morning. Specially, one could find plenty of large rocks that were littered around the trail.

At the camp we had the warm-down exercises which was quite relaxing. During the evening briefing we were told to be packed up by 6 am on the next day. The next day was also our summit day i.e. we would reach the Kuari pass and then we would descend to our next camp at Khullara.

The large rocks ... along the way to Chitrakantha forest



Moonlit sky from the camp

[gmhossain]

Day 5 (Chitrakantha - Jhandi - Kuari Pass - Khullara) :

It was summit day. Unlike the previous occasion, every trekkers were packed up and were ready to begin the trek by the scheduled time. It appeared the vocal doses from our trek leader Pawan had worked well as intended. We completed breakfast at the camp before leaving. We were also given a bowl of snacks to carry. Further, we were promised that a hot lunch would be served when we reach our next camp at Khullara.

It was supposed to be the longest trekking day and by half past six in the morning we were on the trail. Within a short while, the trail started ascending often at a steep gradient. We were forced to take frequent breaks as we were grasping for breath. Nevertheless, we were rapidly gaining heights. Soon we moved above the tree lines once more. Usually, the campsites are chosen to be at a lower altitude than the average trail itself. It helps the trekkers to acclimatize faster as one would get higher oxygen level at a lower altitudes.


At the beginning of the trek for the day



A steep climb along the trail



Sayan at a difficult step



The little trekking star of the group ... Agastya



I was enjoying the trek since morning with sublime views of the surrounding nature. The shoulder pain was under control with frequent applications of the Move spray! However, taking photographs with my camera was turning out to be a difficult task. The camera pouch was hanging from a hook on the straps of my backpack. To a take photo, every time I had to open the camera pouch followed by the lens cap. After the photo was taken then I had to reverse the steps. Each time I was losing couple of minutes in repeating these steps. It also meant that I was walking together with our sweeping guide Yash, i.e. I was the last trekker of the group. There was one advantage of trekking with the sweeping guide Yash. I could hear a lot about the local culture from him whose ever smiling face was a quite rejuvenating in the difficult terrain. However, it meant I was moving slowly than the average.

After a while, I heard a commanding voice. ``Golam, you stop taking photos now, at once!'', shouted Koushik from trail ahead of me. ``Otherwise, we will not be able to reach Kuari Pass today'', he continued. Being an experienced trekker, Koushik then explained to me that frequent stops means our body would need to warm up frequently to gain the rhythm again. That would be very tiring on a long trek. I understood his point and the camera was packed into the pouch until the next official break!

Subsequently, I started using the camera of my mobile phone. It turned out to be much easier to operate during the trek rather than the regular camera. Along the trail, we reached Jhandi top from where one could have the mesmerizing views of the majestic Garhwal Himalayas in complete three sixty degrees angle! After a short break, we resumed our trek from there to reach the famous Lord Curzon's trail.


The trekkers during a break



Our trek leader Pawan with Agastya



The Hati Ghora Parvat ... behind the trees



Another snow peak



A stunning view of the peaks





A panoramic view of Garhwal Himalayas from Jhandi top

[gmhossain]

To the summit of Kuari Pass:

It was around noon when we crossed over the water stream near the broken bridge along the Curzon’s trail. I was feeling tired by then. We had already trekked for around six hours since morning. Out trek leader told us that we were trekking within expected time and we should be able to reach the Kuari pass in about an hour and half from there.

We were consistently gaining height since morning. I could feel that my heart was beating much faster even while resting. The low oxygen level meant that our body mechanism was working slowly. Our trekking pace had been reduced considerably. I don’t recall well but it was sometime well past noon when we reached at the base of the Kuari top. The distance to the top was around a few hundred meters from there. However, the moment I looked up towards the top, a feeling of panic arose within my tired body and mind. ``Golam, no way you could trek up there anymore. You better take rest here and wait for others to come back!'', my afraid-self proclaimed to me.

At that time both Koushik and Sayan were considerably ahead of me. A severe battle was going on in my fatigued mind. At one point of time I felt that why the hell did I choose to come for the trekking? Then the next moment, my other self asserted that precisely this notion of self-contradiction had been the cause of the suffering in me. I had been worrying by looking at the Kuari top which was still far away. Instead, I should execute my next step along the trail without worrying about my destination. That was the moment of revelation for me in the trek. From there onward until I reached our next camp at Khullara, the only thing that I did, was to execute just ``the next step''!

Koushik and Sayan ... near Jhandi Top



The point where our trail merged with the Curzon's trail



Rohit ... along the trail to Kuari Pass



Kuari Pass ... at a distance



I managed to reach the Kuari top in a slow but steady manner. Sayan and Koushik were waiting there. After taking a short break, we proceeded towards our final destination, the Kuari Pass, a narrow pathway that connects to the next mountain range without going down to the valley. It took around half an hour to reach the Kuari Pass from the Kuari top.

I sat at the slope of the ridge to take some rest. There Koushik and Sayan went for a photo session near the cliff that was going down vertically for few hundred meters at once. After their photo session, we ate the snacks and dry fruits that we were carrying in our backpacks. We waited there for some more time so that other trekkers of the group could reach there.

Subsequently, we retraced our path until the point where we merged with Curzon's trail while coming. From there we started descending towards our next camp at Khullara. It was late afternoon and the Sun had started fading. The progress had become extremely slow as the the body was fully exhausted. The promised "hot lunch" was waiting for us at the Khullara campsite!


After reaching the Kuari Pass



A snow peak touched upon by the cloud



Hati Ghora Peaks from Khullara



The last rays of the day falling on the snow peak



Sayan with the Moon in his hand



Inside the tent at the Khullara camp

[gmhossain]

Day 6 (Khullara - Dhak - Joshimath):


In the last night, I slept well after having two nights of rather bad sleep. Maybe I was too tired or maybe we had better acclimatization. However, my shoulder pain had shown no sign of improvement and I had to rely on the regular spray of Move every few hours. Nevertheless, I was mentally cheered up.

We went out of the tent to see the sunrise. The Khullara campsite looked like a dreamland. In the last evening while I was approaching the campsite, the full Moon was already in the sky with its fully glory. The last few rays from the Sun was painting the snow capped Mt. Dronagari in a bright yellow colour. So the want of witnessing a breathtaking sunrise was irresistible. In the twilight, the Khullara campsite appeared like a grand theater. Its three side was surrounded by the mountain. The front side was wide open with stunning view of the Mt. Dronagari and other snow-capped peaks of the Nanda Devi range. The moment when the first rays from the Sun kissed the peaks, was a visual delight. Slowly, all the peaks were touched upon by the lights of the dawn.

The morning view



Inside the tent



The beautiful snow peaks





Koushik ... in a deep thought



The light rays from the Sun



We had our breakfast at the camp. A bowl of rice which was mixed with vegetables and a spoon of pickle were packed in our lunch boxes to be eaten on our way to the base camp at Joshimath. Afterward we had a group photo session. The ever helpful members of the support team who were handling the kitchen and the other camp materials, were introduced to us. Subsequently, the tents and other gears were packed and loaded onto the mules. We began our decent towards the village of Dhak.

In sometime past noon, slowly we began to see the sign of human settlements. I met an old lady who was collecting woods along the trail. With amazing simplicity she asked me where I was coming from. I told her about the route we had taken in last few days. We stopped for the lunch near the bridge over a water stream just before the village of Dhak. We took a long rest there as some of the trekkers had fallen far behind. Some of the slopes in this stretch were very steep. Sometime in the late afternoon our trail finally merged with the metalled road where a set of SUVs were waiting to take us back to Joshimath.

In the evening, we had a debriefing session where every trekkers were asked to share their experiences of last few days as well as their motivations for coming to the trek. The session turned out to be a very emotional one. I believe this session will continue to linger in our minds for a very long time to come.


Our trekking gears - the backpacks, the poles ...



The members of our support team



The trekkers in the group



Trekking along the trail



Sayan ... on the descent



The flowers



The flora





The towering mountain in the background

[gmhossain]

Day 7 (Joshimath - Rishikesh):


It was around six thirty in the morning when we began our road journey from Joshimath. I was sitting in the front seat of the Tata Sumo besides the driver. Agastya was sitting in the middle row. Koushik, Sayan, Rohit and Nitin were rotating their seats between the middle row and the rear seat which were sideways. This time the vehicle was being driven by a middle-aged driver. However, the ride wasn't very comfortable. I was given an exemption from the seat rotation considering my shoulder pain which actually was getting much worse without any load of the backpack!

Having eaten vegetarian foods for last one week, there was an urge among us to try out some non-vegetarian dishes along the way. Nitin requested our driver to stop for lunch at a hotel where one could get non-vegetarian foods. The driver stopped for lunch at a roadside eatery after crossing the town of Devaprayag. Unfortunately, the hotel did not have any non-vegetarian item on the menu on that day. We were really hungry by then so we relented with the available dishes!

A town on the hill - Gopeshwar



The power transmission lines



A few beautiful stretches of national highway between Rishikesh and Joshimath







In the afternoon, the vehicle dropped us at GMVN Ganga resort at Rishikesh. We had planned this day as a buffer day and booked our stay there. Nitin and Agastya were supposed to catch New Delhi bound Dehradoon Shatabdi Expresss from Haridwar. Rohit had planned to stay at Haridwar for a night. So we bade farewell to them as they drove off towards Haridwar.

GMVN Ganga resort was located just at the river bank. After freshening up and taking a bit of rest, we walked towards the ghat. We spent the evening by seating at the stairs of the ghat. At a distance, the evening Aarti was being performed. The devotees were taking dips in the ice cold water of Ganga in search for their emancipation. The earthen lamps with fluttering lights were moving away along with the fast river current.

We returned back to our room and got ready to go out for the dinner. This time we were ready for a long haul in search for non-vegetarian foods. With the help of a Tuk Tuk driver, we reached at Natraj Chowk and our search for non-vegetarian dishes at Rishikesh ended with a positive note. Finally, we were able to enjoy Kadai Chicken with butter Naan at the Hotel Tip Top!


A stunning view of Ganga little before Shivpuri



We three at the bank of Ganga



Kadai Chicken with Butter Naan

[gmhossain]

Day 8 (Rishikesh - New Delhi):


We had a confirmed reservation in a train bound for New Delhi. The train was supposed to depart from Haridwar in the late morning. However, we decided to cancel the ticket. Instead we booked a cab through an online portal to reach New Delhi from Rishikesh. It was the feeling like a true BHPian. The road trips are far more enjoyable than the train journey! This last moment change of plan also gave us few additional hours to be spent at Rishikesh.

A long walk through the colourful streets, the ghats and the hanging bridge of Rishikesh took us to the other side of the river. We enjoyed a delicious vegetarian lunch at the Chotiwala. After returning to our resort we got our backpacks on the lobby. The cab had already arrived at the resort by then.

At the breakfast table at GMVN



Rishikesh GMVN Ganga Resort



The view of the river from the resort



The streets of Rishikesh



River rafting at Rishikesh



We drove through the chaotic traffic of Rishikesh and then little later even more chaotic traffic at Haridwar. After a while our driver asked us, where would we want to be dropped at New Delhi. We still had around six hours of drive ahead of us. However, our answer was unanimous - the legendary restaurant, the Karim's near Jama Masjid.

We had thought that we might reach there bit earlier. However, the Delhi traffic ensured that we reached at the Karim's just in time for the dinner. We savoured Mutton biriyani together with few more delicious non-vegetarian dishes. It was around half past nine when we headed towards Chandni Chowk metro station in an e-rickshaw after having a memorable dinner. Sayan and me had our flights departing from the terminal 1D. So we bade farewell to Koushik at Aerocity metro station. Koushik had a flight from the terminal 3. While we were getting down from the metro, Koushik handed me over the can of Move spray for the rest of my journey!

After getting inside the terminal building, we grabbed couple of seats in the waiting area. Sayan's flight to Guwahati had the departure time of 5 am whereas mine was at 5.05 am to Kolkata. So we had about six hours to spend there. Given almost non-stop physical activity of last few days, I could feel that my body was no longer responding to my command. I was quite sure that given the situation I would have slept off even on the street. Luckily, I had the luxury of the comfortable seats in the airport! After a brief but somehow satisfying nap, we headed to the checking counters at around 3 am.


The road to Delhi



Kanpur Dwar



At the famous Karim's restaurant

[gmhossain]

Day 9 (Oct 7):


It was still quite dark when my flight took off from New Delhi. I was trying to catch up some sleep in the flight but was unable to do so. Incidentally, I was seating beside a window. I could see the horizon on the east which was slowly getting brighter. The western horizon was still dark. I took a snap to capture this wonderful vista of the nature that was unfolding in front of my eyes. I looked at it again and I was pleasantly surprised to see the peaks of the majestic Himalayas in the dark silhouette amidst the soothing lights from the dawn. The snap was quite symbolic. We had set out to find the utopia in the far and arduous terrains of Himalayas. At the end, we ended up looking for the utopia within ourselves.


Find the Himalayas within ...



Epilogue:

We had booked the trek through IndiaHikes. I must say that I was extremely satisfied with their ground support. Despite it being my first trek, I never felt out of the wood. The personal warmth shown by our trek leader Pawan, the lead guide Pradip, the sweeping guide Yash and the other support staffs, had far exceeded my own expectations. They were more like friends to us.

[ampere]

Thread moved out from the Assembly Line. Thanks for sharing!

A Fresh Monday morning and what a way to start!

[AdiSolEn]

Fantastic travelogue Sir! I had done the same trek in may of 2011. We were a group of trekkers from Pune. I still vividly remember the beautiful views of the Nanda Devi range! The beautiful view of the Neelkanth peak has stayed with me since. I long for the day when I can visit this beautiful part of our country again. My next goal is to do the valley of flowers and Hemkund Sahib trek in the monsoon!

Also, we were lucky enough to spot a Himalayan Griffon and a Pica on our Kuari Pass trek!And I hope your shoulder stopped giving you trouble afterwards.Attaching a few pictures from our trek here:

The beautiful Neelkanth!


Amazing views in this trek!


The Pica!


The Himalayan Griffon!

[PapaBravo]

Wow. Fantastic way to start the day. The vistas are amazing Golam Sa'ab. Went on a trek with you to Kuari pass without physically being there. Good to see old friends meeting up & going for such a trek. Ending the trip with Karims was epic.

Wish you many more such travels !!

Regards,

Pawan

[megazoid]

Enjoyed the writing. Brought memories back and you made us feel part of the trek. Keep the health in good shape to do more such wonderful hikes.