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.

Day 2 - Didna to Bedni (11,500 ft), 1st Sept

Woke up to a fine morning. The cold water of the stream was thoroughly refreshing. After a piping hot breakfast, we set off for the trek to Bedni. The briefing was that it was a bit of a steep climb till we hit the bugiyals (or meadows), and almost flat from there. As always, we took off in two ropes. The climb was through a dense moss- and fern-laden forest. The foliage was wet and slippery – sticks were necessary to gauge the depth of the step. Slowly but steadily, we climbed the incline. Very frequent breaks for water and nutrition kept us going strong. We could see a lot of rare flowers – the blue poppin being one. 

En route was Tolpani village, where we paused for a break. The inhabitants were spread across 5-6 houses, and the rest of the village was made of shocking-light-green fields, interspersed with dark brown wood. Filled the view in our eyes and cameras, then filled our water bottles from a thin trickle in the middle of the village. Restarted the ascent through the rest of the forest.

Pic - Tolpani village - Benny


When we hit the bugiyals, the landscape was a sheer treat to the eye. The brown and green wet foliage and oak trees now gave way to endless patches of meandering light-green curved slopes. What a sight to behold! Then just like the previous day, it started to pour. Out came the raincoats and ponchos. Without losing time, we set off on the next leg. The clouds did obstruct our view of the entire range of bugiyals but whatever we could see was spellbinding. The knowledge that we were around 10,000 ft above sea level and were gaining more height steadily, and the clouds overtaking us at our level, coupled with the scenery unfolding in front of us - gave one a heady feeling - as if on top of the world. :-) We walked in the rain, saw flocks of sheep dotted on the meadows, and noticed that more flowers popped up than before. 

We halted for a snack break at Bedini bugiyal. Had yummy stuffed paranthas with pickle, apple, and chocolates. That is when the Sun came out for a brief while. At that height, it did hurt and prick. Off came the sweaters and raincoats, out came the sunscreen lotions and sunglasses. But just as it had appeared, the Sun disappeared quickly and left behind a 
drizzle. This was the time when Ritu and I rued not carrying a sweater in the day bag. The raincoat did do its work but the cold and wind got to us. Made a mental note to not depend on the morning’s forecast but lug a sweater anyway.
Pic - Bugiyal - Benny

After a while, the terrain was almost flat, only the rain and wind to battle with. At this point, Raghu realized that he could not see Vikrant at the front or rear of the rope. Frantic shouts from him resulted in no response. We figured he must have gained distance and kept going to beat the rain. And so it turned out to be, as we later found out.

After walking on flat terrain for a long while, we hit a 65-degree incline. At this point, Srini announced that he needed help to climb the incline. I wondered why and thought that probably the umbrella in his hand was hampering his climb. Then it was revealed why – he suffered from acrophobia and had chanced to look down on the valley below. Till then I was happily gaining elevation. Then I too glanced down to my left and suddenly realized we were doing a pretty steep incline. :-)

When we hit flat terrain again, we could see Lammergeiers, the birds that Arjun had talked about. They are large predatory birds of the vulture family, and breed on crags in high mountains.

Just before we reached Bedni, a worried Rajesh asked Abhinav to accompany Subbu, who was not feeling too well after a vomit. He also had a severe headache. Abhinav, the samaritaran that he is, hand-held Subbu till he reached the camp.

Bedni Bugiyal houses the Bedni Kund or lake at the centre and is also famous for a stone temple. We were told that on a clear day, one could see Nanda Ghunti and Trishul peaks to the north, and the Chaukhamba and Neelkanth peaks to the East. For now, we could see the valley down and beyond, and hear water gushing down in full force. 

As we reached the camp, we could see the group 1 guys sipping soup, sitting at the edge of a mound overlooking the valley below. The divine hot soup followed by lunch instantly revived our tired systems.

By the time group 1 had reached Bedni, the tents were being put up. They got wet in the rain. By the time we in group 2 reached the camp, all was set. Then there was the question of where to dry our shoes and stuff. Ritu resourcefully left our shoes to dry at the kitchen stove. Rest of the wet stuff had to be managed some other way.

Post-lunch, most of us huddled in one tent and reveled in jokes, leg pulling, and tomfoolery. Ananth narrated how he and Thara were almost attacked by a cow. Initially, it chased Thara and when Ananth shouted across, it happily went over to him. Guessing that it was possibly the stick or the yellow jacket that provoked the cow, Thara shouted to Ananth to throw away the stick. He did and because of that or for other reasons, the cow finally relented and left them in peace. Ananth reminisced about what he felt at that moment  - whether it is ever a sane decision to bring one’s family along on a trek. You do not want to throw them into danger or worse still, stand on helplessly when they are in danger. The fun part was that while narrating Ananth would use his arms to animate the narration. Now, sitting in a 8 x 12 ft tent, you cannot possibly do this without hitting the others. Thara cribbed that she always had to watch out her space at home because she would never know when she would be hit!

This time I shared the tent with Ritu and Deepika. It was a surprising revelation from Deepika that she had not carried her trek bag even once since her journey began. What pampering!

There was a phone around and some of the trekkers went to try their luck before we would be totally cut off from civilization.

As always, 5 ‘o clock tea was followed by an early dinner and then early bed. Unfortunately for me, the egg that I had did not digest and I ended up puking in the middle of the night. Thanks to my polybag-savviness - I had kept aside a few empty ones, knowing they would be handy next morning – we were all spared a big mess. But I had to step out of the sleeping tent to the loo tent anyway, in the freezing cold. Oh, what fortitude you need to wriggle out of the sleeping bag, don more woolens, and venture out. But when I did step out, it was a beautiful sight. With just the light from my torch, there was nothingness around me. I could sense the clouds above, enveloping everything around, and I could hear the silent mountains. And all the campers sleeping (or tossing) in their tents. What solitude! I came back in a better mood but the loose motions had drained my energy and made me toss and turn sleeplessly. Prayed hard that it was not AMS. 
Next day, we were destined to Pachar Lauchani.

Day 1 – Lohargunj to Didna (8600 ft), 31st Aug

Day one, we woke up to a cold morning! As we prepared for the trek to Didna village, we were aware that for the next 6 days, we could not possibly have a good wash, forget a bath. While I was waiting for my turn at the washroom, I was amused to hear Deepika shout out to Sridevi to ask if her facial makeup looked alrite. Sridevi, who was standing at a good 50 ft, answered back that it was perfect and resumed shooting from her video cam. Well, for the next 6 days, it would not matter how we looked. 


We handed our medical certificates & declarations and got our trekking passes.
Then packed our trek bags - these would be transported to the day's camp by mules - which was a luxury. Took out our day bags, filled them with the essentials – water, chocolates, sun glasses, sun screen lotion, and a sweater and left behind all the things that we would not need on the trek, esp. mobile phones! I had passed on the twitter link to my family and asked them to follow it and not expect me to call till I came back. Being completely cut off from the known world is such a welcome change!


Arjun had briefed us that the first day’s trek would be the most difficult trek of all. Our route for the day was through a 5 km flat road to Kuling Village, then 4 km downhill, across Wan river - first by foot and then by a bridge - and finally 5 km up on the next hill to Didna village. With a quick group picture at the camp, the first rope set off with Sridevi, our rope leader setting the pace. Rope 2 set out after 20 minutes, with Rajesh tailing all. The rest of the indiahikes team was made up of Narendra, Sardar, Bhisht, Dhano, Bhupal, and a few others who followed with our luggage and equipment on mules. Mothay and Abhinav kept the group spirit alive in our rope. The path was full of lovely Rhododendrons and tiny & medium waterfalls. The slightly slushy path was still motorable and we could see jeeps zipping past us. Though the locals zipped away while we trudged along, the thrill of bipedal exploring did give me a sense of perceived superiority. 

We stopped frequently for bio breaks, chocolate breaks but few photo breaks - unlike rope 2, which we discovered later, stopped very frequently for photo sessions. As we approached Kuling village, Sardar handed us nice and strong wooden sticks. Though we could manage the first leg well without the sticks, it was only during the downhill descent after Kuling that we realized that we had got the walking aids on time. The steep climb down, strewn with small stones and pebbles, coupled with water trickling down the path in many places, made it difficult to maintain the body balance on our own. 

Pic - En route Didna - Srini
At Kuling, we rested for a few minutes. There we saw huge bails of raw wool being dried out in the Sun. A few minutes later, when rope 2 reached Kuling, we set off for the next leg. After a quick descent, we braced ourselves for the climb to Didna. It was not as difficult as expected but because of the sun, we were exhausted. Not to forget the pain points in the toes after the constant pressure in the downhill trek. It is interesting that muscles and nerves that you would never know existed, come alive on a trek and make their presence felt and how! Is this a way to connect to your physical being as well? In that sense, isn’t a trek the perfect prescription to connect to one’s body, soul, heart, and mind! 

As we ascended up, we could see colorful flowerbeds dotting the scenery. Much as one wanted to laze around the scene, one had to move up and keep the pace of the climb steady. As we reached Didna, we remembered Arjun’s instructions to skirt the core village and keep to the outer path. Our camp was a little above the village, on a picturesque mound overlooking the Wan valley, right next to a clean stream. On reaching the campsite, it was a sight to see the ones who reached before us, lying there on mats, oblivious to all else. I followed suite and so did all others who came after us. As we all lay down there, there was no chitchat, no small talk, just a comfortable silence, building kinship among all the trekkers. We were perhaps silently absorbing the nature of the trek, and learning to respect the terrain, our purpose/objective, and the spirit of the indiahikes team.  Pic - Camp at Didna - Sri

We got up to collect our trek bags and check the tents that were put up for us. Ritu, Sridevi, and I settled in a tent. After a quick wash, which would be a luxury later, we prepared to enjoy the rest of the day. Had a delicious lunch and were all set to explore the area, when all of a sudden, rain set in. Later learnt that this was a common phenomenon - sunny bright mornings followed by rainy afternoons. The view from the tent as the clouds gathered and spilled out was fabulous. The rain made it difficult for us to interact with the rest of the group, except in the form of occasional shouts across the tents.

Towards early evening, it was fine to step out and enjoy the air and the view. It was then that we heard a loud thud: a huge tree had collapsed at the outer periphery of the campsite. We were fortunate that no one was roaming around at that point. On the lighter side, the tree provided  good cover to people who did not want to venture too far for a leak.

It was an absolute pleasure to watch the valley from the camp. I just sat and stared at the mountains, enjoying the enormous presence of the elements around.

Rajesh had earlier told us that we could have a bonfire if it did not rain in the evening. We had a great bonfire. It warranted some music. As we belted out numbers one after the other, the porters poured kerosene every few minutes to keep the fire alive. With the touch of the fuel, the fire would flare up to a huge ball before dwindling into ambers in a few minutes.

By then the makeshift loo tent was put up for the ladies. It saved us the trouble of scouting for a secure place. At this point, one guy said that they were told that out of two tents, the right tent would be for the men. The reply he got was, what was now ‘left’ out there was the right one! ;-)

Tea at 5 followed by an early dinner at 7:30, and we were ready to tuck in for the day. Next day, we were headed - through a dense Oak forest first and then meadow lands - to Bedni. Listening to the mellifluous music of the bells tied around the mules, I dozed off.