Step out for the unknown………….alone
Abhijit Sinha: Step out for the unknown-a solitary traveler’s diary wrote by him. He is working in an engineering college in Kolkata as technical expert in computer science. He writes a number of poems. He loves to travel India to connect himself with others, feels their realization about life. Solitary traveler’s diary is solely made for his self-realization and connecting with nature.
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It is 5.15 in the morning. It’s not too cold but a light woolen is comfortable in this airy very early morning of October. Sun is still asleep and he will take around 30 minutes to break out. I am waiting at the Haridwar bus stop for my pre booked government transport to Jyoshimath, Uttarakhand. The schedule of departure is 5.30 am, it was told.
Ohh…sorry, I have forgotten to introduce myself, I am a lonely traveller this time and I have travelled 1500km to seek for some adventure and experience in this part of the India. In those previous years I have visited few many places of my country either with my friends or family and that’s why this year I just started alone to explore the unknown without having any prior plan and so you may say this is kind of Unplanned. I just decided to go for a trek in this part of Himalaya, Garhwal Himalayan belt. I had a wish to check out Kuwari Pass or Harkidoon, but it was not any way arranged when I started from Kolkata.
After reaching Haridwar, first think what I did, had collected information regarding trek clubs of Krishikes. I came to know that no trek club was arranging those treks which I wish to. You know, it is always economical to trek in a team and it is also helpful in many sense. When I found, there is no way to go with any team, I decided to go to Jyoshimath from where I may arrange something for Kuwari Pass. This is the reason why I am waiting for my bus in this early morning here at Haridwar bus stop. It’s 5.55 but there is no sign of my bus and not only that no person of the counter say anything meaning full except “Ayega ayega..edhar e bus ayega”. In the mean time I meet with a 22 years old Dutch guy, Jimmy, he is also waiting for same bus to reach Jyosimath. At the bus stop the regular local crowd is going high and I found that only me and the Dutch guy is tourist among them.
But it’s too late, around 6 O’clock but where is our bus!! This time not to counter, we approached to the transport office inside the terminus and then I come to know that that bus is already postponed as the Chief Minister of the state declared a Chardham Yatra program for old age people. It is terrible thing and some hot talks take place in between me and that person when I claimed for my booking refund. It is told that I will have to wait for 10-11 am for this refund, when there is no transport available after 8 as in hilly road, it is nearly 285 km. I just need to take one option, either stay there for the refund or just take any private transport to Jyoshimath without any delay.
We take a private bus to Jyoshimath from outside the terminus at roughly 6.15. When we took the bus, was about to depart and we have got last seat. Here in the bus we meet Arvind, has come from Mumbai with wish to worship at Badrinath temple. So we three are heading towards Jyoshimath with local people and garoali folk songs (probably).
After over 11 hours of journey, we three reach at Jyoshimath. Me and Jimmy decided to take dorms at GMVN hotel but Arvind told us to stay with him if we don’t have any problems. He has decided to take super deluxe type room as his company will reimburse the cost of this trip. This is the masti of free movers that they can take their decision without any delay. There at GMVN hotel, I have talked with a trek club owner, Mr Dinesh, nice smart man with clear words.
There is no trek team is going for Kuwari Pass within 10 days. If I am planning to go to this trek then I will have to go alone bearing good amount of cost for this. It’s already 8.30 P.M. Lastly Dinesh told me that if I really plan for moving next morning, he must be informed within 9 at max. Jimmy has a plan to go for different route, Arvind will stay here for next day and then he will be going for Badrinath. I just come to know that Jimmy will have to spend a day here at Jyosimath if he wants to go for his route. Finally he has decided that he will be going with me and I make it confirm to Dinesh about the next morning move. Kuwari Pass trek has two different routes, one is 6 days trek and another is 4 days trek round trip.
As 4 days trek costs more which is little hard to afford for me, I have decided to make this 4 days trek in 3 days round trip. Even not only that it is not possible for us to hire any pony or porter for this trek and that’s why we will be provided with very basic food and utensils so that we can just manage for those days. Jimmy has his own tent, slipping bag and all accessories required but I have to hire all those. It is asked by Dinesh to assemble in front of his office around 9.00 O’clock in the next morning. We have taken room service and three of us are enjoying very much needed meal at dinner after 11 hours of bus journey.
Well, after having a good heavy breakfast, we are ready to start from Jyoshimath. A car will drop us at Auli, base of our trekking, 17 Km from Jyoshimath. We are three, Me, Jimmy and guide Dharmendra. Now we are taking rest and it’s a halt for lunch. I can’t explain the mesmerizing beauty of nature where we are sitting now on a ridge. The second highest peak great Nanda Devi, gives blessing to all trekkers whenever they are trekking through this route. We have already completed trek almost for three hours. The trek passes through forests of oak and conifer, bamboo and birch, teeming with a variety of birds life. A trekker might even be lucky enough to come across leopard pugmarks or a Himalayan black bear on this trail. You get truly spectacular views of the Himalayas – Trishul (23,496 ft/7,120 m), Nilkanth (21,767 ft/6,596 m), the square-topped summits of Gori Parbat and Hathi Parbat, the icy crest of Dunagiri, Rishikot, Changabang (22,651 ft/6,864 m) in this trek. We had started from Auli base roughly at 10.30 AM.
Today is the first day and trek path is more or less gradual inclined till now. It is not easy for me to hiking up with nearly 7 kg at back and initially for the first hour my breath was caught several times. Last village we left just after Auli and then we saw last shepherds hurts few hours ago. This part is just untouched nature. We have crossed small vegetation and ridge and after this lunch we will be entering thick wood jungle. But I must admit that whenever I look at the great snow clipped mountain Mt. Nanda Devi beside me along with many mountain peaks, my tiredness is magically vanished and my mind and soul overdrive the physical tiredness to take more challenges.
After 14 km trekking, nearly at 5 o’clock, we reached first day camp site, Tali. Old sun rays was playing with newborn cloud over the mountain range. As day light was not for long, our guide told us to collect some dry woods from the downhill forest. He went to collect some fresh water for cooking and drinking for the night. He told us… “come out from the jungle before it’s dark”. Me and Jimmy went to downhill creating our own path through the throne bush and loose mud. Then we decided to collect wood from different part of the jungle without going into deep.
This is the first time in my life when I was alone collecting woods in that type of untouched nature and I must say it was really thrilling. I had finished and it was time to climb up the hill to my camp site but “in which way, jungle and the top line ridge are all same from the down .”
Now I could remember that I had forgotten to mark the path in the jungle. I came out of the jungle and shouted many times taking their names but no reply had come. There was no network, no village, no human being except us and the big problem was that the day light would be hardly for 15 mins. Icy chill air was freezing every cell of my body and soul and I was only with little warm cloths. My rucksack and everything were at my camp site. Now it was a survival situation because any way I had to take any shelter for that night before it was complete dark. I sat on big rock and decided what should I do!!
If I stayed in the jungle then there was threat of leopard and Himalayan black beer as well as chilling cold and so it could not be wise decision. I decided to go up the hill and would take shelter behind a big rock against the air and if I would able to survive the freezing night, then next day could be managed something. I was moving fast and suddenly I heard a low voice from my left top hill meadow over 400 feet. It was Jimmy.
He was looking for me and I can’t explain by the words happiness what I had felt that moment. It is 9 pm and we have finished our dinner with very simple food “khichri” by the camp fire. Suddenly I look at the sky……..woh no, I can bet with any city guy, they have never even imagined what a night sky could be. Looking at the starling Milky-way galaxy band over my head, I am just speechless. I wish… I could have skill to narrate this never forgettable beauty of that night by the words. Temperature is falling near to freezing point and it’s time to take some rest.
With a nice cup of coffee I am enjoying the surrounding beauty of second day camp site, Khulaara. 360 degree view of open stretched snowcapped mountain range is at back side of my tent. We had started early after breakfast and it is a approx. 9 km trek we had done so far to reach the camp site. Today we have trek mostly through the thick wood jungle. After the lunch, we will start for Kwuari Pass, approx. 3 km trek, mostly inclined upward the hill from Khulara camp site and will have to return back to camp before it is dark .
I will not forget today’s journey to the Kuwari Pass. Trek was through rocky jungle, broken game path, loose mud as it was not long after the monsoon. Even I found a broken bridge on the bank of the river. We crossed that thin line river. Last half kilometer was very inclined and it was really challenging to me to take every step. Finally…The point I had a wish to stand, Kwuari Pass, second point (4264 meter). You would find a big deep channel created by mountain range. It seemed to me like God of wind, Pavan Dev, blowing us with His seven horses. Here at Kwuari Pass first point, I met Neels and Charlie, a couple came from Belgium.
They had set up their tent over there. A nice late afternoon was spent with hot coffee and Belgium cookies offered by them. At the time of return we walked down fast as light was insufficient. 5 hours was taken to complete the round trip from Khulara to Kwuari Pass. After a good camp fire and dinner with Jimmy and english man Mr. Yen who also has set his tent here , it’s time to go inside my slipping bag.
It is almost 3 pm and I am waiting for any shared transport to Rudraprayag. After a heavy breakfast in the early morning we started from camp site. It was 14 km downhill trekking. Our guide Dharmendra, told us that if we take a unconventional trail then we would save some time.
We decided to unconventional trail through the lush green jungle of neem, eucalyptus, golden paper tree and many vegetation. The breeze was everywhere in the jungle. First part of the trek, there was literally no trail and we made it through the loose soil and few small streams. It was really thrilling when we saw leopard’s fresh pug mark. Even we saw deep cut marks by the bear’s claw on a tree.
This part of the trekking was really nice. After this few kilometre trekking this unconventional trail was connected with traditional path through the village. From this onward that path was too bad because of the broken stone and loose soil till we reached motorable road where we had finished the trek.
From that point we arranged a car which dropped us at Jyoshimath. I have to reach Rudraprayag today and I will start for Haridwar early in the next morning.
I have poured my bottle with fresh cold water from streams and have used dry wood for making fire which helped us to cook food during this 3 days trek. I love to see new places and meet with new peoples. These are the memories which always give me inspiration to step out for the unknown.
One of my close friend, Mr. Parichay Chakrabarti had requested me to share my experience through this writing. I am not the person of good writing or storytelling and this is the first time when I have tried to share my experience with written words.
I hope readers will consider me if any unintentional mistake is found……..