Day 7 – Lohagunj to Haridwar (6th Sept)

Woke up to a sunny morning at Lohagunj. Off I went to make my tresses beautiful. Ah, the refreshing touch of cold water on the scalp! I came out enervated. Ritu was not very happy about what I did and told me so. I assured her that I would be fine and merrily set off in the Qualis. Ah, the lovely early morning breeze and the warm sun!

Vikrant wanted to sit in the front seat because he was apprehensive of the long drive. So Srini had no choice but to adjust his huge frame in the middle seat. And Raghu happily sat at the back, all by himself.

We passed the three prayags - Karanprayag, Devprayag, and Rudraprayag.
Breakfast was at a dhaba en route. Yummy paranthas with chole. Stopped at Srinagar (the Himachal one!) for lunch.

Gliding down on the road to Rishikesh, I was reminded of my trip there 4 years back. How times had changed. Then UK [Uttarakhand ;-)] was 6-8 hrs away. Now I had to fly to Delhi and spend a fortune to see the same places!

Ritu took the ride in her stride. She was better than the first day. Srini managed to squirm in the middle seat with dignity. He even devised some dance steps to show his predicament with respect to the curvy ride and his own height. Vikrant sat quietly for most of the time until Raghu joined him in the front seat and rattled on about work. Work? I had left it far behind! I managed to doze off for a while, much to the envy of Ritu to my right and Srini to the left. One was seat-sick and the other motion-sick. :D

We followed the Ganges till Haridwar, listening to contemporary Hindi songs on the stereo. When the tracks (typical Himesh Reshammiya numbers) progressively jarred the nerves, we requested for a change and got local fare instead! En route, we were stuck for a while at a spot where a mini-bus had rammed off the road. As Raghu stepped out in his characteristic gait to check out the spot, the driver Manoj quipped that he looked/acted like a typical South-Indian hero! Raghu surely took it as a compliment. :-)

The route from Haridwar to Rishikesh was smooth and easy. We were slowly heading back to the urban jungle. On the road parallel to Har ki Paudi, we paused for a few minutes to wait for the third Qualis to join us. Those of us who wanted to see the beautiful evening aarthi (prayer) should have got off here and sent the baggage with the others. For some reason, we all ended up near the Haridwar station, checked into a hotel, and then ventured to Har kiPaudi. Predictably, the aarthi was over while we were hurrying across the market. We saw crowds spilling by the hundreds into the market and knew we were late. We continued anyway, thinking that a dip in the Ganges was all that we needed then. The cold Ganges was a balm to our over-frayed muscles and nerves. We could have spent more time there if not for the crowd and a train to catch at 10:30 PM. After taking some pics and buying Ganga jal (water), we headed back to the market road. Had lovely kulfi rabri faluda (a typical North Indian dessert). Bid adieu to Benny and Abhinav. They went to the bus station to catch a bus to Delhi and Roorkhee, respectively. We got back to the hotel in time to have a good shower and a nice South-Indian dinner and then catch the train back to Delhi.

Day 6 – Bedni-Wan-Lohagunj (5th Sept)

Woke up to a wet day yet again. This time our rain gear was in place from the camp itself. Narendra had to deaden his pace to guide us to the right path. Chatting with him, I found that his family was in Lohagunj and he had two kids. Their school was a little far to go by walk. They woud get rides occassinally otherwise, it was trudging all along. Life is not easy up there. Or you may say they are used to it and are stronger and healthier for the same reasons.

Once we crossed back the bugiyals, we again hit the same kind of moss and fern forests that took us from Didna to Bedni. The slush made it a difficult climb down. But the fact that we were heading back home gave impetus to the knees and toes and we skipped along. So much so that at one point Ananth skipped a good 20 steps. Abhinav, the one who proposed the shortcut, stood watching as Ananth went down as a ‘thara’zan! As he collected a lot of slush on his hands and clothes, he hunted for water to wash it away. He found a small stream where he unburdened the extra weight!

Once we came out of the forest, the view was fabulous. As I stood watching from a depression, the mountains looked fresh and green, the rain lent a beauty that surpassed any description. We crossed bridges above gushing streams. Yes, you can never have enough of Nature - it never fails to charm you. Even after seven days in the area, every moment had its share of the wow! factor.

As we hit the outskirts of Wan village, we saw beautiful rose-coloured flower beds. Bhupal who was with us then, told us that the seed was used as flour. Came across mountain folks facing just another cold and wet day. Reached the designated point for pickup in jeeps. The designated point was a general store, which stored everything! From maggi to shoes to books, you name it and it was there on the shelves. There was no power though. As we waited there, the phone calls were in full swing. It had been seven days since we last spoke to our folks. Hearing their voices was such a joy. They had been following the tweets and knew that I was unwell for some time. Then came the news that the CM had died in a chopper crash. Shock, disbelief, relief - all prevailed in the group. For me, the real world was very far away and I did not want to think about it yet.

The jeep ride was 8-9 km and we sat there, wet and heavy. On reaching Lohargunj, a jubilant Arjun welcomed us back. He was thrilled to bits that despite the odd weather conditions, we were all in one piece and that 13 of us managed to go up to Roopkund. He wanted to hear all the gory details and we spent the evening filling him out and then learning more about the indiahikes projects from him. The team intends to generate good revenue and sustainable employment for the locality. Good luck to the endeavor!

Much as we were in a disheveled state, we heeded Arjun’s advice not to exert or subject the body to any more cold. The immunity levels would be at the lowest and a little carelessness would cause trouble. So, I settled for a gentle face wash.

Dinner was followed by a thanksgiving session to the indiahikes team. Achin was at his loudest best as he thanked them all and explained in no unclear terms why he was so thankful!

As we settled for slumber, we could hear the trio and Achin in the room next to us. I dozed off immediately. It was only in the morning that we heard of the sleepless nites spent by Ananth and Srini with Abhinav and Achin. The video/recollection of that nite will always keep us in splits. And Ritu was also sleepless, half from fatigue, half from back pain. And also perhaps from looking forward to the 8-hr cab ride next day to Haridwar! ;-)

Day 5 – Bugwabasa – Roopkund – Bagwabasa – Pachar Lauchani - Bedni (4th Sept)

I heard the others leave at 5:40 and tried to catch some sleep. At 8 I got up, got breakfast and joined Deepika and others in their tent. Seems they were not aware that I did not go up to the lake. Theirs was a foregone decision not to go. We sat for some time, watching a movie on Subbu’s mobile. Then we heard a voice outside – it was Ramesh, back from the summit!! He was ecstatic and wet. Then came Sridevi, Vikrant, and Raghu, followed by others. They told us it was awfully cold and steep up there. The porters had to hold and guide them thorugh a major part! The videos that we saw on Rohit’s cam were fabulous. Wish I could describe more about the lake but that lot is not mine right now and in all probability, I will outsource that bit to one of the guys who went up there. :-)

The joysome and ecstatic lot that came down from the lake was required to quickly come back to terra firma, have lunch, and prepare for the long descent.

After lunch, Narendra had to wrench us out of the tents to start the descent. It was a good decision to start as soon as possible, because it took us around 8 hours to reach back to Bedni. The rain was incessant but thankfully, not heavy. The descent to Kaluvinayak was made difficult by strong wind and rain. After this point, it was easy to walk along, what with the air thickening with every step.The sun shone out for a while, giving us a glimpse of a beautiful sunset. The birds chirping by, the fresh green meadows, the gushing water, made for a wonderful descent. As we spotted the Bedni kund, we assumed that we would hit the campsite soon. But the curvy meadows made us trudge for close to an hour to reach the camp. Narendra took us on a shortcut, which meant we had to quickly descend through a steep route instead of walking for a couple of hours on a lesser incline. On our way down, we saw a huge flock of sheep heading from Bedni to our direction. When we crossed path, it was an awesome sight to behold. Never before had I heard such bleating and seen the beauty of a live flock of a thousand sheep. Blessed is the Master Shepherd  who made all this.

After a while, I gained pace and set out ahead of others, knowing that the camp was pretty close. It was pitch dark and the path was wet and slushy. I walked on, humming tunes to keep myself alert. When I reached the camp, it was silent as everyone cozied up in the tents. It was still very windy and the tents would occassionally blow as if they would come apart. The mats in the tent had to be weighed down to keep them grounded. Before dinner, as we lay in the tent, Ritu and I sang out, to keep our cheer. Next to our tent, Chunnu/Munnu aka Abhinav/Srini and Ananth, busy in their own chatting sessions, would shout whenever there was a major pause from us. Dinner was again served in the tent. Poor guys, drenching in the rain again for us.


Over to Wan next day.

Day 4 – Pachhar Lauchani to Bugwabasa (3rd Sept)

This was the brightest morning of all. The sharp sun rejuvenated our tired souls and lifted the gloom around. Like Srini said, when the Sun showed up, we showed him our wet shoes and clothes in return! Bhupal and team provided us warm water to wash, drink, and carry for the day’s trek. We were warned of how the air would be thinner, the winds stronger, and the terrain rocky, up on the route to Bugwabasa. So off we set, prepared for a very difficult climb. It was difficult alrite, but with the usual water and choc breaks, small and steady steps, we made it to Kaluvinayak without any hurdles. The bugiyals had made way for a rocky terrain, peppered with tufts of grass, shrubs, and flowers, especially the Brahma Kamals.

Ramesh, Sridevi, Vikrant, gained pace and reached ahead of us all – remember very well how one could spot Ramesh standing high and further up, trying to wait for us slower souls. Then off he would hop again. Same with Benny, except that he would stop for a fag. These two are awesome trekkers!

Kaluvinayak was mesmerising. Up at 14,000 ft, it is a small rock temple dedicated to Lord Ganesha. That Lord Ganesha gives us strength to carry projects is true. But in the middle of the heights, the sight of the idol, the flowers strewn around the idol, esp one Bramha kamal, and the other marks of worship like bells, inifused a lot of strength in me. No wonder that you need signs of belief and worship to sustain you through the ordeals of mountaineerinig.

As forewarned, the winds got stronger and chillier, it drizzled a little - we had to make sure we made it to the campsite by the estimated time. With a quick prayer and snack, we set off for Bugwabasa. The rest of the trek was easy. Only glitch, it was raining and we were getting highly irritable. At this point, most of us were conscious of being photographed. We looked so dishevelled! En route, we met a Bengali group camping on a rocky terrain, 15 minutes from our campsite. We had company up there!

The Bugwabasa campsite was incredible. Flanked by snow-capped mountains at the eye level, with beds of rocks and Brahma Kamals around, it was an awesome place to camp at. As the team trickled (pun intended) into the camp, one after the other, the rain too poured continuously. There was hail too. We were worried about Deepika and team as they were the last lot. They came in drenched. Once we all settled in the tents, the porters scuttled in the rain to serve us lunch. We would shiver at the thought of opening the tent covers, and there they were standing outside in the rain to serve us! What pampering! God bless them all.

Post-lunch, the camp was quiet. After the gruelling climb to Kaluvinayak and the wet trek to Bugwabasa, not a single voice could be heard. For a while, the porters sang local songs in their tent. We had strict instructions not to sleep after a trek or anytime in the day. So to fend off sleep, Ritu and I talked along. Just when we were comfortably snuggled in our sleeping bags and would have allowed Morpheus to overpower us, we heard Raghu outside our tent, waiting to come in.  He was bored he said and had no one to talk to, his tent mate was resting. And as Deepika was in another tent, we had some place in our tent (and heart too, Ritu would say). The next couple of hours were spent hearing Raghu’s dilemmas in life and getting to know him better. Another matter though that I would have appreciated if he let me listen quietly and gather my strength. I felt that talking also took away energy just like any movement, like opening the tent, or moving the trek bag around in the tent, made one gasp for breath. Abhinav, Mothay, Ananth were uncharacteristically quiet in a neighbouring tent.

In the evening, came out of the tent for a while. The view was splendid to say the least. The sky had cleared up a little and we could see patches of dark clouds bid the sun down. Gazing at the mountains from close quarters increased the awe. They spoke of how some things stand in eternity while others pass by.  

Grabbed some chai and headed back into the tent. At dinner, the plan was reiterated. We had to leave the camp at 5 AM the next day and head for the Roopkund lake. And come back in 4-5 hours because we had a long descent to Bedni the same day. In total, it would be a trek of 10-12 hours. Start early, come back early, and start the descent eartly. If in the middle of the Roopkund trail, one felt sick or not upto it, one would immediately come down. People who did not want to attempt Roopkund at all could stay back at Bugwabasa.

By late nite, the temperature dropped to almost 0 degree celsius. To keep us from freezing, we were handed inner woollen covers for the sleeping bags. Out came the thermals too. The only trouble was in heading out from the tent to the loo tent. How the tent madly lashed in the wind! Before sleeping, Ritu and I spoke about what all was discussed during dinner. We had come so far and we could do it. And if we felt otherwise, we would come down. My tummy still gave me trouble and I was hoping I that if I slept well, I could make it to the summit. Well, that did not happen. 

Day 3 – Bedni to Pachhar Lauchani (2nd Sept)

This was an easy 3-hour trek and was devised to acclimatise us to the 12,000 ft at Bugwabasa - most trekkers go to Bugwabasa directly from Bedni. Thankfully for me, the short trek would help recover from the previous night’s trauma. Little did we know that the short trek could also be tough, as it started raining steadily. In the 3 hours, our motto was simple, keep walking to keep the body warm, apart from the usual drink and eat mantra. 

Ramesh saw that many people were stopping too often to get rest. He advocated small steps and constant movement to reach the camp successfully. Guess I was wobbling a bit coz of my sleeplessness; Abhinav noticed this and hand-held me for a while to steady my steps. Mustering all my strength, I walked on, with water dripping from my head cap, my nose freezing dead, hands in gloves - cold and numb, shoes squishy and cold, only my spirit warm and sailing. 

After trekking like this for a few kilometres, when I spied the campsite, I was so overjoyed that I could not subdue tears of relief. With my strength revived, I walked into the camp, into the big tent where others were huddled, busy making themselves dry and warm. I realized then that I was not as wet as others, who had worn ponchos and coats. My raincoat did its job well. 

Rajesh showed us the next day’s trail. It did look steep and formidable. Leaving all apprehension about AMS, enjoyed the lunch.  

After a while, when the skies cleared a little, lying in the tent, I could hear loud sqeals of joy. The Trishul and Nanda Gunti peaks were visible! I came out, took the sight in, and went back into the tent, nursing as I was a buddy tummy. The others carried out a photo-session and I could hear all the fun and visualize it. Ritu got busy drying her poncho and our shoes in the kitchen.

After lunch, we had the whole day to rest. Again as it was raining, we were confined to our tents. That afternoon, when Abhinav, Ritu, Mothay, and I sat in our tent, was the most hilarious time spent in the trek. It was the after-effects of that banter that Ritu was christened Rajmata and I Lux (though they had coined other names too, this was by far the most decent one). The laughter and camraderie did all of us good. Meanwhile in the next tent, one could hear grave discussions/sermons, guess they were all aimed at one person (Raghu). He did come around to our tent and grumble about the sermons but we left it at that, not wanting to add more gravity to his already grave air.

So ended day 3. Over to Bugwabasa the next day.