A few days ago, I started a story of the Himalayas about a trek to Nag Tibba. It’s time we continue that tale because I am really missing the mountains tonight. Something is just not right and I am longing for the fresh air of the mountains to clear up my thoughts. I am hopeful of an answer, because travel, on many levels clears up my utterly confused head.
So we began an upward journey from the village of Pantwari to the base camp which was set up in the meadows of Kathiyan. It was a steep 6 km trek to the camp. The journey began as we crossed many a mud-huts to finally venture into pathways that were criss-crossed with terrace farms. A light drizzle kept us entertained as well as cautious as the paths were all wet by now. The farms looked happy, with the breeze making plants sway, creating perfect melody. The winds, the drizzle, the sounds of birds chirping far away and a few footsteps trying to make their way through the rocky mountain paths – it was perfect. The fragrance of water mixing with earth, making love added to the charm and I knew I was in a happy place.
Soon, it was time for a stopover for lunch. GIO Staff had been carrying food for all of us, as there isn’t really any other option once you start the ascent. We spotted an abandoned hut, and decided that it’ll make an amazing ambience for our picnic-lunch. It was surprisingly clean from inside and we enjoyed a hearty meal. While we were engrossed in our lunch, the drizzle gave way to heavy rain. Waiting for it to stop was a bad idea because we had around 4km to cover and only a few hours of daylight. So, with our raincoats on and cameras inside waterproof bags, we decided to start walking. We had done only a couple of bends of the mountain when rain converted into a bad hail-storm. Stopping wasn’t an option, so we continued walking, but our pace was now quite slow. Huge balls of ice hit us and made it very difficult to walk on the rocky and now very slippery mountain pathways. It continued for a couple of hours and by now I had a feeling that it was a wrong decision to venture into this all by myself. Surviving a hailstorm that lasted more than an hour wasn’t easy, but we somehow managed, taking baby steps towards our destination for the day.
Everything that could go wrong, went wrong. My waterproof shoes were not waterproof anymore, and were kind of soaking completely in a mixture of mud and water by now. It was cold, and difficult to walk in those shoes with the constant worry that I didn’t have an extra pair for the trek next day. The rain finally stopped after creating problems, but the sun was nowhere to be seen. The farms were way past behind us and we were walking through a thick rhododendron forest that was already blooming with shades of red. The pathways were lined with foliage and we made crackling sounds as we moved past. Our guide was a talkative one and his stories of trekking to various peaks of India kept us inspired to keep moving forward. The forest was a beautiful one and the fact that it had just rained made it look even more pristine.
Walking further up, we reached a beautiful green meadow and the fragrance of mint leaves was quite noticeable. Our camp was set up here, with huge snow clad peaks overlooking us from all sides. With tea already brewing in the kitchen tent, we had a warm welcome to the basecamp. It seemed so serene, it hardly felt any real. A beautiful sunset later, it got very cold in no time.
Stars came up to warm our hearts, but the body needed some warmth as well. It had rained all day, so it was very difficult to light up a fire with wet woods, but we somehow managed to start a small one and keep it going for a couple of hours. We all left our shoes near it, with the hope of being able to wear dry shoes the next day. Weather forecast for the next day was again rain and hailstorms. We discussed the possibilities of snow over a warm heartwarming meal and retired to our tents for the night after that. It was the first time in a sleeping-bag for me and even though it was warm, I barely managed to sleep that night. Maybe it takes a little bit of getting used to.
Chaicy
Picturesque indeed! Glad you had all the fun trekking here.
– C – Style.. A Pastiche!
akankshaa.dureja@gmail.com
Thanks! It was an amazing trek!
Rahul
Lovely write up and pics.
Rahul recently shared …Walk the Talk
akankshaa.dureja@gmail.com
Thank you! Glad you liked 🙂