Ranthan Kharak - Yoga, Kharak, Birds & Babaji ! - Trek Day 2

Namik to Bajimanian Kharak : ~5 KM, ~6 Hours

The day started with lots of sun and a lavish breakfast. I am always in awe of the kitchen team who cook these delicious food right on time, everyday, without fail, irrespective of anything!

My stiff neck from before the trek had gotten a bit stiffer after the previous night’s sleep. Mohit, a helpful chap, helped ease the knot a bit as we got ready for the day.

Yogic Start to the Day - At Namik Campsite

A Yogic Start :

Suddenly, we saw Rohan dragging some of the mats out of the kitchen tent. He didn’t call anyone but simply assumed a Yoga position. We all lined up like obedient school kids. In no time, we were posing cats and dogs and warriors and breathing through one nostril at a time!

9AM. Our Legs At Work.

7..8..9 had been the disciplinary mantra of the trek. 7 - we wake up. 8 - we have our breakfast. 9 - we start hiking. And so we did. Right at 9, under the bright sunny Sun, we started marching across the valley towards the upward slope.

Faking Candids On The Way... :D

Kharak near Parava Thor:

This day saw us walking through a lovely forest of ancient Oaks and pines, intermittently opening up to two Kharak-s on the way. The green undulating grasslands of the Kharak were full of wriggly, bendy trunks of trees and awe-inspiring patterns of mushrooms.

A Mushroom Colony!

The air was filled with a chorus of curious birds. We spotted a variety of them, the most dominant being - Himalayan finch (my all time favourite), oriental turtle doves (I think, could be wrong), vibrant woodpeckers and the high flying Himalayan griffons. Piyush had a binocular for bird-watching. But every time I tried using his binoculars to zoom into a birdie that I might have spotted with my naked eyes, I invariably lost track of it. Eventually, I gave up and relied on my gearless eyes only!

A beautiful Kharak...so hard to capture the essence!

Sagar asked me to compare this valley trek with the treks I have done in Nepal. It’s so hard right? Like comparing apples and oranges? Are snowy peaks more thrilling than rolling valleys? Yes. But do the snow peaks have the loveliness of such an infinite greenness? No. Do I love one more than the other? Definitely not. I love the sweet gentle valleys as much as I love the majestic lofty peaks. If one humbles me, the other comforts me to no end. I can never choose. I don’t want to. And I am glad that I don’t have to.

Love the ground grazing roots of Rhodos!

At Bajimanian Kharak :

We reached our destination for the day i.e. our second campsite at Bajimanian Kharak around 2 in the afternoon. It was a cosy space on the curves of the valley, almost a bit on the slope you could say. A tiny stream cut right across the valley. This was the main source of drinking water. I admired the Indiahikes-team’s effort to spread awareness to keep the water sources clean.

Just Posing !

Bajimanian campsite offered two very unique things -

1) Lovely Peaks : the first bright view of a few snow peaks in this trek. Dang Thyal was the most dominant one; We got a little peek of Nanda Kot too behind a mystic layer of cloud; And also a photographic view of the very curvy and snowy Maiktoli.

Nanda Kot...playing with the fluffy clouds!

2) A Resident Baba! So this Sadhu apparently lives here since Covid. We chatted with him a bit whilst he made some tea. He said he had encountered a bear and he wasn’t afraid to live alone in such a remote place. I found him quite amusing. He sounded so much like us and yet so unlike. A baby owl sat right outside his door. It still had its baby furs and looked very lost. It kept blinking big black eyes but I think it didn’t have vision yet.

The Baby Owl

Nature Walk...

MD, Manish, Mohit (lots of Ms!) and I spent the afternoon idling in the kitchen tent talking rubbish. After a while, Rohan took us for a walk in the forest. This was very refreshing. I got to know about the lichens, mosses, mycilian network, the micro eco system, different kinds of poo (veg and non veg apparently!), the funny holes in the big trunks and so much more! Bonus - I saw two woodpeckers kissing. How sweet is that!

View of Dang Thyal from Bajimanian Campsite

So Many Stories To Tell !

As the afternoon rolled into darkness, we finished our dinner and a sudden story-telling atmosphere got created. Ghosts are always a popular choice in such gatherings. I was asked to tell stories (by now people got to know about the books I have written, courtesy - MD!). I wish I could speak half as much as I can write! Anyway, I declared my incompetence. Manpreet, Sumit and Manish each shared some stories. Finally, Piyush took over. His story telling skill was at a whole other level. He told us stories about his childhood village, a jin (a type of Ghost!) and also strange stories related to his college friend.

One more glimpse of the beautiful Bajimanian Kharak

The night could continue forever. The stories certainly got us in a certain mood for that. However, Rohan kept nudging us to get a good sleep. The next night was about to be a  sleepless one. So in preparation for that, we had to retire to our tents. We put a pause to the stories with a promise to resume the next day.

To Next Day...

Ranthan Kharak - From Strangers to Buddies & the Night Stars ! - Trek Day 1

Gogina to Namik : ~6.5 KM, ~6 Hours

This five days’ trek of Ranthan Kharak kicked off with a 6.5 KM walk from the village of Gogina to the next quaint Himalayan village called Namik. The trail started with a tempting lagoon and a gurgling river. This river goes by the name - Ramganga. It kept us company for a while.

After A Refreshing 1^st Day. At Namik Campsite.

From Strangers to Buddies :

Right before the trail went into the canopy of the mountains, Rohan made us pick our walking buddies from amongst strangers! I have travelled with MD. I just want to walk with her. My unsocial crooked self protested in silence.

Manpreet picked Manish - the one who just did 25 pushups before the start and had forced us to have Almora sweets the day before. Well he was funny, you got to give him that. MD and I paired up with the two other timidest guys from the same group - Sharnav and Akshay. And this turned out to be the perfect ice breaker! Within just a short distance of a kilometer and a half down to the river side, the whole group started talking to each other. The “rowdy” group didn’t seem that rowdy anymore. If anything, they turned out to be a sensitive sweet bunch of creative artists from various fields!

With Your Own Thoughts...At Ramganga River.

We spent some time by the river, watching, munching, and just being in the moment. We had just made new friends and the excitement of that was visible amongst all the chitter chatter. As we resumed the hike next, the trail suddenly got steeper and prettier.

At the Second Rest Point

A second rest point came by when we arrived at a little bridge over the river. It’s funny how streams bring out the child in us. Without anyone deciding or declaring, we automatically throw our bags away and start some splishy splashy activities.

Walking into the Namik Village...

Camping at Namik :

The rest of the trail continued through gradual climbs amidst a canopy of trees and a soft cosy landscape. It finally opened up to a wide green meadow. This was a bugyal…and not a kharak. I am now well conversed with the difference between a bugyal and a kharak. Whilst bugyal is more of a meadow, a kharak is a wide clearing surrounded by big trees. This bugyal served as our first campsite - Namik.

At Namik Campsite ! ^_^

On our way to the campsite, we crossed the village and got to know about its history, culture, even a few smiling sweet people and their ways of survival. The locals of the village looked very amused as they asked us about ourselves, where we had come from and where we intended to go. They watched us as we watched them, both parties adoring each others’ way of life.

An Old Stone House in the Namik Village

Some of the old houses in this village had beautiful wood carvings on the door and window panels. Blue seemed to be the popular choice of colour.

Wood Carving on the Window Panel At Namik Village.

Rohan found a strange fruit, the seeds of which are apparently being used to make water-proof colour. I saw Sneha (one of the lawyers in the group. We had quite a few!) paint her nails with that seed. I followed suit. That nail colour turned out to be pretty stubborn. The citric juice of a funny looking lemony fruit could finally take it off my nails.

purple seeds making purple nail polish !

Namik was the most beautiful campsite in this whole trek. The wide wavy meadow, open view, big walled mountains at the backdrop and the playfully peeking snowy Dang Thyal peak from behind the clouds every now and then - Ah, perfection!

Another Glimpse of this beautiful Campsite, Namik

In the afternoon, the valley doubled up as our frisbee playing field. Well, I was pretty incompetent in this game. Couldn’t get a proper throw across. It was fun, nonetheless. Rohan and Bhagat bhaiya (one of Indiahikes’ primary support team members) were superb players. So we just made sure we had the right people in our team to win!

There was Cricket too. In action with the local kids.

Whilst having some snacks and tea, we had a introductory session where we had to introduce our 'trek buddy' from the morning to the whole group. Piyush did the most dramatic and captivating introduction for his buddy, Sukrut who had a tremendous weight loss journey to share. The collective talent and quality of the group turned out to be amazing. We had people ranging from creative experts to lawyers to adventure junkies...very diverse.

He had his introduction too. Meet Tyson !

Stargazing :

Good times fly fast! Suddenly, the mountains turned dark. The Sun set. And the same valley turned out to be our portal to the world of stars! Someone dragged the mats out on the open field. We laid flat on our back and traced our fingers against the velvety night sky, along the twinkling light bulbs from years ago. There was the tail of the Scorpion and the arm of the Milky Way and the vain queen, Cassiopeia. However, we also found Orion and Betelgeuse only to realise they weren't really visible. We then went on to find our own constellations of elephants and fish tails and what not! I think it was Piyush, the creative photographer in the group who opened our eyes to these latter ones!

With starry eyes and dreamy smiles, we hit the sleeping bags. The nights weren’t that cold. It was a summer trek after all. I heard a bushy dog bark and the jingling bells tied around the mules’ necks before I dozed off to oblivion.

Until the Next Day...

Ranthan Kharak - We Set Off - Trek Day 0

There is something about the mountains.

Life is such a paradox, right? You want greens, you have to bear the rain. You want those peaks at the summit, you have to forget about sleep and poo. And yet! Yet, every time, Nature wins. The allure of the mountains is so maddening that you forget about sore calves and rain-soaked socks. You keep going through those winding trails and by those gurgling streams...just to lose a lot of yourself and then find some of yourself back.

Life is a paradox. Maybe that’s what keeps us grounded.

Delhi to Kathgodam to Gogina :

My point being - the morning of our pickup at Kathgodam, we woke up to find heavy rain. After a lot of ifs and buts, MD, Manpreet and I had set off on our trek to Ranthan Kharak with Indiahikes. This trek falls in the Pithoragarh district of Uttarakhand state in India. From Delhi, we had taken a train to Kathgodam and had been waiting for a pickup from Indiahikes to take us to the start of the trail.

Kanchi Baba Ashram on the way...

Rain even before we could start was definitely not welcome! Especially, at 5 in the morning, every little hurdle hurts twice as much. With groggy eyes and much annoyance, we boarded the bus. Some of us, particularly Indrani (back then, just a stranger with a huge trolley bag) boarded the pickup bus completely wet. To make matters worse, half of the bus was filled with a group of seemingly rowdy Delhi boys. Bad omens from all sides - I squinted my snobbish nose.

When we stopped for Lunch...

On our 14hours long and delayed journey (courtesy - Kanchi baba and a landslide!), we all remained strangers with a courteous smile or two. Though, the almora sweets (Singori and Bal Mithai) offered by one of the Delhi guys who sported multiple ear piercings (I think MD found it cool even! I definitely did not!) did make a segway to friendship.

Bal Mithai, Almora

The weather got better in due time. And as the bus went deeper and deeper into the mountains, my mood automatically perked up. I am home. Again.

Gogina :

Gogina was our base for this trek. It is a very simple little village with a handful of houses. We met our trek leader, Rohan as soon as we got off the bus. We were to stay the night in a homestay called - the Namik homestay. Namik being the next village, there was this obvious question - Why would you name a homestay in Gogina after the name of the next village? Of course we laughed only to find out later that it’s basically named after the Namik glacier and not the village.

In all fairness, it did say, Namik Glacier Homestay!

After a quick briefing and a hungry dinner, we retired into our rooms for a well needed sleep. MD, Manpreet and I shared the room with Indrani, Prasanna and Tanmei and a lot of flies! The mixtape of Tanmei’s loud snoring and the flies’ low wheezing formed the background score for the entire night scene.

Gogina village - simple & pretty

The next morning when MD and I walked out of our room, our first peak of the trip glistened from the corner of the sky! It really just takes that much to get us excited! I think it was a glimpse of the Dang Thyal peak that stayed with us all along pretty much for the rest of the trip.

The First Morning from Gogina...

The homestay had an expected buzz and clatter of baggages and boxes and mugs and walking poles. We had our breakfast and got our vitals checked. Rohan gathered everyone in a circle for a summary of the day followed by a warm up. The rule was - the last one to turn up for the briefing would be punished. Two guys from the earlier group in the bus were the victims. They had to do 25 pushups each, which they did too! And that’s why I am never late!

After a few rounds of smiles, some quick sets of stretches and a few selfies here and there, we set off with rusty feet. The magic show is about to start now.

Let's Go!

Vintage Varanasi

A crowd like I have never seen before had grappled the city of Varanasi when I landed there just before the New Year’s Eve. It was a terrible timing if you were looking for peace, quiet or even salvation! Thousands of pilgrims and devotees had flocked to the city, seeking blessings as the year ended. I do not know how the Gods managed to offer timely and efficient salvation to such a maddening swarm of people!

One of the many ghats in Varanasi

Anyhow, narrow alley crammed up with people is one thing. But when you add a horde of honking scooters and bikes and cars and rickshaws, you have the just perfect recipe of chaos. Everyone seemed to be driving in their own whimsical directions. The traffic police and volunteers looked utterly lost. Then, just in the middle of this huge touristy rush, some groups decided to march on several rallies! I was going crazy. I guess, everyone was. At one point, when I took shelter in one of the refuge medians at the centre of a crossing, a traffic cop shouted at me for standing there! Apparently, I was causing a traffic jam! Imagine my power!

At the Railway Station, before diving in the ocean of people

The constant spitting of gutkha and other bodily fluids along with the heap of general waste products adorning the streets provided additional challenges in trying to squeeze through the mayhem. It was hard work deciding where to put your foot next!

I was so confused the entire time that I even forgot to click a picture of this mad spectacle!

Most of the people seemed outright deranged too! I can’t blame them. Sanity seemed like a bizarre concept there! The receptionist couldn’t care less when we checked in late at night and needed food. The food delivery guy sent the wrong parcel over and didn't look apologetic at all. Every other person we met on the road seemed to be hatching some kind of money-fleecing plot. The priests, the hawkers, the vendors, the drivers – every single one of them had a strange intention of claiming exuberantly high prices and misleading us with half baked information; one of the auto drivers even dropped us 2kms off the actual dropping point! Maybe it was just the rush of the tourists doing their heads in, who knows!

Inside the campus of Shri Kashi Viswanath Temple

Amidst all this, we finally reached the temple which seemed to be in a way better shape than the rest of the city. The campus was nice, orderly and even clean! The temple shined through its golden top. And the monkeys walked around like the masters of the place. Once out of the temple, the same chaotic streets awaited us. Battling through the menace, we somehow got to the ghats. The most famous ghats – Dashashwamedh and Manikarnika were jam packed with people. But what was intolerably annoying was the constant heckling by the vendors coercing us to go for a boat ride or have some food.

Ratneswar Mahadev Temple near Manikarnika Ghat

Seeking salvation, we swiftly made an escape and walked along the river towards the lesser known ghats. Finally, a smart move! We found some peace and quiet and a few clean patches too!

Such beautiful feat of architecture! Yet, no maintenance!

In the evening, we went to the Dashashwamedh ghat to witness the famous Ganga Aarti. This was worth it. Especially, the Shiva stuti always brings out an electrifying energy in the audience! (Though my personal favourite still remains to be the Aarti by the Pokhara Lake. Way smaller in scale than this but feels cosier.)

The famous Ganga Aarti

The next day, we went to Sarnath. And what a contrast! It’s a short drive, about 30-40 minutes, from the centre of the city. Whilst the centre and the riverside are outright chaotic, Sarnath is an epitome of peace, true to its Buddhist nature.

Dhamek Stupa, Sarnath

This is where Lord Buddha gave his first sermon. Now it is an archaeological site where the colossal ruin of the stupa lies along with an impressive line of smaller stupas, temples, inscriptions etc. that have been excavated. Had I known better, I would have spent a lot more time here.

A glimpse of the ruins excavated at Sarnath

Varanasi is a city of marvellous architecture. Its sweeping stretches of lovely ghats and palaces and forts of bold aesthetics along the Ganges are one of its kind. I doubt if there is anything like the Varanasi ghats anywhere else in the world! Besides the splendid architecture, this place has attained a cultural feat in terms of its music, composition, and literature. Not to forget, it’s a centre of spiritualism that’s unique and intriguing.

Another riverside Ghat 

Yet, this city makes me sad.

Varanasi, also called Kashi, the name derived from the Sanskrit words, meaning – ‘to shine’, appears doleful. The charm of the past is evident in the expansion of its ghats and in its every narrow alley but can only be glimpsed through the cracks of one’s looking glass. The buildings are in a dire state of maintenance, the riverside and the city streets are screaming for cleanliness. It’s a city of grandeur that’s ruined by us humans. The lack of common sense, ethics and basic hygiene amongst us is simply shocking.

An ancient root tearing through the walls. Is that symbolic?

It makes me sad that apart from making sure that I do not litter the streets, there was no other contribution I could make. So, with a glimpse of the grand past through today's cracked looking glass, I bid goodbye to Varanasi. I hope, one day, the city takes a turn and makes justice to its rich heritage.

P.S - Loved the Benarasi Kachori-s and guavas. No complaints there!

Mardi Himal 7 : Low Camp to Sidhing – Trek Day 5

Low Camp to Sidhing : ~12 KM; ~ 3 Hours

I am extremely grumpy this morning. I did not get any sleep last night. The cold dinner, the stinking duvet and the echoing snores coming from other sides of the teahouse kept me up all night long. It was also a very long day yesterday – that with no sleep added to a lot of exhaustion. My stomach doesn’t like it either. The morning business decides to take a break. Plus, it's cloudy this morning. So, no sunrise! Everything seems to add to my grumpiness. I put on a puffy face with lips pulling out and walk around the foggy grey campsite with a proper sulk.

Icicles...

My friend is being cautious and shows me a bunch of roots covered in solid ice. It’s like icicles around the roots and grass. This makes me a little happy. The view of Machhapuchhre is completely cut off today by the fog. Maniram points it out to me. ‘A broken Machhapuchhre’, I say. This seems to set him off and he keeps laughing about it the whole day.

Fishtail has disappeared in the grey cloud !

We start our hike. It’s all the way down today. We walk through forests and fog. En route, we get to a teahouse which does a lot of farming. There are raya saag, radish, tree tomatoes and cauliflower  exactly the vegetables we have been having every night so far.

Near Shiding...

A much shorter day today as we climb down. Downward trail is always a relief to the lungs, but the brain works harder to focus. To me, it often feels like a form of meditation. Within a few hours, we reach a place called Shiding. And this marks the end of the trek.

We wait here for a while and then get a shared taxi from here, all the way down to Pokhara. 

End of The Mardi Himal Trek (1700m)

Mardi Himal Trek will always have a special place in my heart. In the daily mist of chaos and uncertainty with the heart-wrenching longing for the touch of the mountains, this trek happened. Annapurna is such a blessing, and I am just ever so grateful for the same. Every time the mountains touch, I feel like a better person. You can’t beat that…

And I say bye for now...

Mardi Himal 6 : Upper Viewpoint – Trek Day 4

High Camp to Upper Viewpoint, back to High Camp & then down to Low Camp – Trek Day 4 : ~13 KM; ~ 7 Hours

To the 'rush of the rarest red'; To the tsunami in the breathwork; To the restless thrill in every conscious cell of the body; And yet, to the calm in the nerves...To the roar of my lion dreams and the quivering of my chicken heart, I count my blessings.

Ah! To Life!

Robert Frost says, ‘You can’t get too much winter in the winter’. This line has always given me a fuzzy feeling of warm boots and mugs full of hot chocolate. But at 4 o'clock in the morning in the High Camp, when I put on my freaking cold t-shirt and it sends a chilling shock to my skin, I feel this is a tad too much winter for me!

I have no words !

I got about seven layers of clothes on me, two pairs of trousers, two pairs of hats. My toes feel bitterly stiff as I start the trek on the cold winter night.

And we climb up...

Mardi Viewpoint (4200m)

The trail starts off with a gradual ascent, winding its way around two mountains and then it climbs up through a series of stony steps. There are no tall trees here, just valley grass and short stubs going down the slopes. The exposure to the elements is real. The current lack of wind as we walk along is a blessing.

Leaving behind the teahouses at High Camp...

As we get halfway through the climb, the darkness seems to fade off. As the dawn peels through dim lights, the mountain folds get more prominent. Suddenly, a sharp orange light tears through the dark horizon and sets the sky on fire!

Gosh ! How do I put this feeling in words !

I take a turn from behind the mountain wall, a big boulder possibly; my head down, focussed on the troubled footsteps. I breathe hard. I look up to gauge the gradient of the slope ahead. And like a flick of a magic, a golden dome shines brightly at me! The massive white majestic peak of the Annapurna South appears out of the cold darkness. An orangish golden radiance of the rising Sun floods the valley. The peak shines like the queen it is! My heart skips a beat; a foolish smile rests on my lips as I climb up the steps to bask in the mountain glow.

Mama Nature does her Magic and I am all smiles !

You know the feeling when the heart bursts into a thousand pieces because it fails to contain the myriads of emotions! Well…my lion dreams roar and my chicken heart quivers. I am in love with Annapurna…all of them!

Such amazing contrasts !

I continue the climb through the rough steps and its many deceiving turns. As it gets nearer to the top, the climb gets harder. And the harder it gets, the more alluring it becomes. It softly announces the proximity of the summit and the possibility of something magical. Maniram suddenly looks excited as he spots a Himalayan Monal on the climb. It’s a very shy bird and rarely spotted. and my first time ever seeing this bird outside of television! Its gorgeous! Its feathers are a celebration of colours.

Himalayan Monal ^.^

We trudge along. Every steep climb seems to be the last climb before the viewpoint, only to find further steps in front. My legs and glutes ache, my breathing gets harder. But I do not feel tired. There is a magical energy around. Slowly and steadily, we get to the top in due time.

At the Viewpoint !

Words fail me now!

All the majestic peaks that have been our companions all along for the last three days, suddenly launch themselves into a surreal scale of grandeur! They appear so much bigger, so much bolder, so much more beautiful and so very close! Hiunchuli, which appeared to be smaller than Annapurna South all this way, is suddenly so huge! You can see the glaciers in their folds too.

Hiunchuli looks so much bigger now !

Machhapuchhre has never seemed more taller and prouder. And in between Hiunchuli and Machhapuchhare, from behind a set of brown hilly wrinkles, shines the pristine Annapurna massif. The wide-spread milky snowy top of Annapurna I brings a wave of nostalgia from my days of ABC trek.

Annapurna I !

A series of other peaks like Gangapurna, Annapurna III, Gandharba Chull and of course, Mardi Himal have also unfolded themselves, making the picture complete.

We started late so we experienced the sunrise halfway up. I can only imagine what it must have been like to experience the same up top! Nonetheless, it's mind blowing.

Machhapuchhre or Fishtail !

The lovely blue sky, the white snowclad queens, the earthy mountain creases, the plunging yellow-mossy valleys and I stand amidst them, completely soaked in the over-pouring beauty of the Annapurna range. You know that physical touch of emotions? an overwhelming gush of gratitude and love? Somehow, it's all there. Unexplainable. And I know I repeat myself when I say, its Magic. It is Magic.

With The Queens...

We fuel ourselves with a handful of dry fruits, apples, protein bars, chocolates and a very costly mug of black tea. We spend a good amount of time there taking pictures, marveling at the splendor and just sitting in silence. After an hour or so, we slowly start the descent. We come back to the High Camp just before midday and help ourselves with another little meal of omelette and fries.

An Apple On the D-Day!

We rest for a bit and then start to climb down to Low Camp – our destination for the day. We expected Low Camp to feel warmer after the freezing cold conditions in the High Camp, but the Sun decides otherwise. It gets a lot cloudy on the way down. And it feels equally cold, if not more at Low Camp today.

Back at the High Camp in the afternoon.

Low Camp (3050m)

We are at a different teahouse at Low Camp this time. The owner is very old and seems to be fumbling. He offers us Wi-Fi at a cost. When we say, we are okay without Wi-Fi, he offers it to us for free! He says he is too old to ask for money anyway. A sweet generosity coming from this lonely man at the top of the mountain.

On the way to Low Camp; Leaving the peaks behind...

We do our usual routine of changing to warmer clothes, pottering around the campsite, drinking some hot ginger lemon tea and finally settling in front of the burning stove. We get served a cold dinner today, courtesy of the struggling old host. You can’t really blame him though. He is just old. Whilst having dinner, we meet another couple from Bangladesh today. They will be on their way up to the High Camp the next day. We chat for a bit, then I wish them luck and call it a night.

That first glimpse of the golden Annapurna lingers as I shut my eyes...