I really must finish these trek posts. We've arrived in Dharamsala
(Bhagsu to be more specific), and I'm still blogging about a week-old
trek (and haven't said a thing about Rishikesh yet!). So here goes - day 5-8:
Day 5 (May 10th): Morning tea arrived in our tent at 6:30am; went out for a very cold morning pee in the snow; sleep was so-so. I was looking forward to the day ahead of us: no trekking! We were going to spend the whole day relaxing in Tapovan - the most beautiful place on the trek - and sleep there again that night. The sky was blue and sunny, the snow on the ground was melting. I thought giddily about laying out in the sun on a rock and just reading and meditating all day. Well, it was a nice thought while it lasted. Turns out two people from the Indian group had acute mountain sickness last night and headed back down around 4am (as the lower altitude usually cures AMS quite quickly). This, combined with the concern about possible bad weather that night - making the steep descent the next day more dangerous than it already was - led Negi, the main trek guide, to decide on packing up camp that very morning and heading back down. Papa and I were quite disappointed. It was a stunning spot and we both were really looking forward to staying there and relaxing for the day, giving our legs a much-deserved rest. We tried a few negotiations, but only got a couple extra hours. The Indian group would leave right after breakfast, but us two, plus Rohit and one porter, would head down around noon. Papa wanted to explore the area a bit more and go see more glaciers. I walked with him and Rohit a little ways up some rocks, but wasn't motivated to hike much before the long descent, so when we arrived at the top of the rocky hills, I found myself a nice spot to sit, listen to yoga music, and meditate. As I got comfortable, took a deep breath, and looked around, it became very clear why I persisted through cold, pain and fear - it was for this moment, for this view. Words can't quite describe it, nor will the photos. I was surrounded 360 degrees by stunning snowy peaks, rocky Himalayan mountains, and a vast blue sky dotted with bright white clouds. The view, the location and the soothing music made for a moment of perfection. Alas, the time came to leave, and awaiting me was: descending the terrifying gully. I had dedicated part of my meditation to gathering enough courage for a peaceful descent, then protected myself with the Reiki power symbol, and to my own astonishment, was down in a matter of 10 minutes, without so much as a moment's hesitation. I was convinced we had taken a different route to come up, but Papa and Rohit were convinced I had simply overcome my fear. By 5:30pm we had reached our campsite for that night. Knees and ankles were a bit sore, but big toes were severely aching from the pressure of hiking down. Haven't regained complete sensation in them since. Papa and I both had pretty ridiculous sunburns in pretty ridiculous places by the end of the long afternoon hike in strong alpine sun. Sunscreen and hats apparently weren't enough protection. Early dinner in our tent, then early sleep.
Day 6 (May 11th): Up around 6am after a typically so-so sleep. Last day of trekking today. Variable path conditions and variable weather on the way. When the sun was out and the wind was calm, we were perspiring; but when the clouds blocked the rays and the wind picked up, we shivered. Trekked from 9-3, our longest break being a 20-minute lunch stop. The day started beautifully, but the sky was grey by mid-aft. We did the last half hour under a drizzle that turned to heavy rain. Celebratory high-five as we crossed the park gates and headed towards the guesthouse we had stayed in before setting off. Delicious and warming chai was delivered to our room moments after arrival. Couple hours of rest followed by a much needed wash with the bucket of steaming hot water we requested. Good dinner in the minuscule guesthouse resto then 20 minute walk around town. Back to room for some creaming and oiling of our burns, then pre-bed pee in an actual bathroom - no freezing, snowy walk and squat tonight! A little self-Reiki session and a great sleep.
Day 7 (May 12th): Morning chai room delivery followed by delicious pumpkin puree and chapati for breakfast. Went for a 2 hour walk around town, then packed and headed to the van. We were off by 11:30, but didn't get very far. There was an insane traffic jam at the exit of town. And endless stream of cars and buses wanted to enter and exit the village all at once, but the narrow road made circulation flow impossible. Hundreds of Indian pilgrims and tourists visit this holy site every day at this time of year. After hardly moving for an hour, we finally made some progress, only to be stuck at more jams along the way. Weather was gorgeous that morning, but turned grey and rainy in the afternoon. The already bad mountain roads got even worse: water flowed across the road at many parts, we drove through mud and rocks, saw tumbling rocks that we were lucky did not hit our vehicle, saw roadwork machinery that fell over the edge, and simply had to have a lot of faith in our driver. Thankfully, he got us safely to Monal, our lovely guesthouse up in the hills of Uttarakasi. It was quiet and peaceful with fabulous local scenery. Above our room was a great rooftop area which we used for reading, meditation, and my first session of Qigong. Papa has been taking courses for about a year, and was happy to give me a class. I enjoyed it very much and look forward to further exploring this Chinese art of cultivating and balancing our life energy. Delicious dinner at Monal resto (mattar paneer my favorite dish at the moment), then wonderful sleep in comfy bed.
Day 8 (May 13th): Breakfast, pack, and on the road by 9. Stopped at the Uttarakasi market for a bit, and then it was several several hours of hot, bumpy driving. Quick stop for lunch at a roadside stall, then more heat and bumps. Stopped to share chai and sweets with Rohit and his father late aft, and then it was the last stretch towards Rishikesh. Thanked and said good-bye to our kind and helpful guide and driver when they dropped us in RamJhula, and with that, the trek posts are done - finally!
Day 5 (May 10th): Morning tea arrived in our tent at 6:30am; went out for a very cold morning pee in the snow; sleep was so-so. I was looking forward to the day ahead of us: no trekking! We were going to spend the whole day relaxing in Tapovan - the most beautiful place on the trek - and sleep there again that night. The sky was blue and sunny, the snow on the ground was melting. I thought giddily about laying out in the sun on a rock and just reading and meditating all day. Well, it was a nice thought while it lasted. Turns out two people from the Indian group had acute mountain sickness last night and headed back down around 4am (as the lower altitude usually cures AMS quite quickly). This, combined with the concern about possible bad weather that night - making the steep descent the next day more dangerous than it already was - led Negi, the main trek guide, to decide on packing up camp that very morning and heading back down. Papa and I were quite disappointed. It was a stunning spot and we both were really looking forward to staying there and relaxing for the day, giving our legs a much-deserved rest. We tried a few negotiations, but only got a couple extra hours. The Indian group would leave right after breakfast, but us two, plus Rohit and one porter, would head down around noon. Papa wanted to explore the area a bit more and go see more glaciers. I walked with him and Rohit a little ways up some rocks, but wasn't motivated to hike much before the long descent, so when we arrived at the top of the rocky hills, I found myself a nice spot to sit, listen to yoga music, and meditate. As I got comfortable, took a deep breath, and looked around, it became very clear why I persisted through cold, pain and fear - it was for this moment, for this view. Words can't quite describe it, nor will the photos. I was surrounded 360 degrees by stunning snowy peaks, rocky Himalayan mountains, and a vast blue sky dotted with bright white clouds. The view, the location and the soothing music made for a moment of perfection. Alas, the time came to leave, and awaiting me was: descending the terrifying gully. I had dedicated part of my meditation to gathering enough courage for a peaceful descent, then protected myself with the Reiki power symbol, and to my own astonishment, was down in a matter of 10 minutes, without so much as a moment's hesitation. I was convinced we had taken a different route to come up, but Papa and Rohit were convinced I had simply overcome my fear. By 5:30pm we had reached our campsite for that night. Knees and ankles were a bit sore, but big toes were severely aching from the pressure of hiking down. Haven't regained complete sensation in them since. Papa and I both had pretty ridiculous sunburns in pretty ridiculous places by the end of the long afternoon hike in strong alpine sun. Sunscreen and hats apparently weren't enough protection. Early dinner in our tent, then early sleep.
Day 6 (May 11th): Up around 6am after a typically so-so sleep. Last day of trekking today. Variable path conditions and variable weather on the way. When the sun was out and the wind was calm, we were perspiring; but when the clouds blocked the rays and the wind picked up, we shivered. Trekked from 9-3, our longest break being a 20-minute lunch stop. The day started beautifully, but the sky was grey by mid-aft. We did the last half hour under a drizzle that turned to heavy rain. Celebratory high-five as we crossed the park gates and headed towards the guesthouse we had stayed in before setting off. Delicious and warming chai was delivered to our room moments after arrival. Couple hours of rest followed by a much needed wash with the bucket of steaming hot water we requested. Good dinner in the minuscule guesthouse resto then 20 minute walk around town. Back to room for some creaming and oiling of our burns, then pre-bed pee in an actual bathroom - no freezing, snowy walk and squat tonight! A little self-Reiki session and a great sleep.
Day 7 (May 12th): Morning chai room delivery followed by delicious pumpkin puree and chapati for breakfast. Went for a 2 hour walk around town, then packed and headed to the van. We were off by 11:30, but didn't get very far. There was an insane traffic jam at the exit of town. And endless stream of cars and buses wanted to enter and exit the village all at once, but the narrow road made circulation flow impossible. Hundreds of Indian pilgrims and tourists visit this holy site every day at this time of year. After hardly moving for an hour, we finally made some progress, only to be stuck at more jams along the way. Weather was gorgeous that morning, but turned grey and rainy in the afternoon. The already bad mountain roads got even worse: water flowed across the road at many parts, we drove through mud and rocks, saw tumbling rocks that we were lucky did not hit our vehicle, saw roadwork machinery that fell over the edge, and simply had to have a lot of faith in our driver. Thankfully, he got us safely to Monal, our lovely guesthouse up in the hills of Uttarakasi. It was quiet and peaceful with fabulous local scenery. Above our room was a great rooftop area which we used for reading, meditation, and my first session of Qigong. Papa has been taking courses for about a year, and was happy to give me a class. I enjoyed it very much and look forward to further exploring this Chinese art of cultivating and balancing our life energy. Delicious dinner at Monal resto (mattar paneer my favorite dish at the moment), then wonderful sleep in comfy bed.
Day 8 (May 13th): Breakfast, pack, and on the road by 9. Stopped at the Uttarakasi market for a bit, and then it was several several hours of hot, bumpy driving. Quick stop for lunch at a roadside stall, then more heat and bumps. Stopped to share chai and sweets with Rohit and his father late aft, and then it was the last stretch towards Rishikesh. Thanked and said good-bye to our kind and helpful guide and driver when they dropped us in RamJhula, and with that, the trek posts are done - finally!
wow! thats insane!!
ReplyDeletesounds crazy, beautiful, extreme, rewarding...
i had trouble ready about your gully climb - glad I had talked to you after the trek and that you were back safely!
cant wait to see the pics - although, as you mentionned, they probably wont do justice!