Tungnath and Chandrashila - Communion with the Gods

As the rising sun illuminates the clouds, on Chandrashila Top I definitely received far more than I sought, it was an ethereal trek, far transcending the corporeal  reality of just being there. I was destined to reach here, for I had no plans to climb this moderate Top, but  one thing led to another and here I was; as close to the edge of the world as I thought I would be.

To begin at the beginning...
Having come down from Ghangariya and the Valley of Flowers, I thought I would spend a day or two at Chopta nearby. Reaching Chopta at about 1500 hours, a local told me about Tungnath, one of the oldest Shiva Temples, which was about two hours climb away. So I hired a pony to take my baggage and began walking up the well laid out but zig-zag path.

On the way it rained... heavily
So I got out my poncho but quickly discovered that it would not keep me dry in a torrential downpour while climbing.  The rain water from the outside and sweat from the inside both serve to drench me.  In fact I realise that it is more important to keep warm when wet, and for that synthetic fabrics are the best.

Two hours and 4 km from Chopta I reached Tungnath Temple. I found a rudimentary place to stay (The place was Prerna Lodge being the most posh!!!)  I was now at 3680 metres. Most people make this a day trip, whereas I stayed the night, therefore  the aarti that evening had very few, about 15 people attending, making it a very tranquil and deep experience.

Dinner that night was by the side of the cooking fire,
it was very cold after dark and this was the only place where I had to clad with as many layers as I could.  Dinner was a basic but delicious thali of  daal, chapatti, vegetable and rice. Most of the cooking is on a wood fire as gas apparently does not develop the required pressure at this altitude and so takes very long. 

The walls of the eatery  had beautiful charcoal drawings of deities.  These had been lovingly done by the owners or by passing devotees. 

All my equipment was wet , including my bag on the pony, the clothes I had worn, the socks I wore to the temple ( I had to remove my shoes at the gate and walk across a wet courtyard.)  Rummaging through my bag I found clothes towards the centre relatively dry and wore them.

It was cold at 4 am, 0 degrees celsius,
the time I  start for Chandrashila Top so as to reach by sunrise at 5.30 am. It is a 1.5k m walk that takes about an hour and fifteen minutes and got me to 4030 metres.  The walk is in pitch darkness and I use my head-torch to find the faint trail.  Though it is marked, the track is not well defined and in the darkness I took the wrong path twice.

There is a small shrine at the Top,
Many people have been here as is evident from the small cairns and rock-piles.  There are religious flags waving in the strong wind. We are about 15 of us in various groups waiting for the sun to rise.  Signs of worship are fresh and seldom seldom do I feel so close to God.
  

A humbling panorama from the top
The sun rises and so do the clouds, both at the same pace, so there is no sunrise  in the conventional sense.  The view is awe-inspiring as a complete snow-capped range of mountains is arrayed in front of me.  No photograph can do justice to the ever-changing scene being played out.

This graffiti on a rock atop Chandrashila says it all.
As I found, it is not about the sunrise, it is about simply being there.  Truly a communion with the Gods.   

Hemkund Sahib Revisited

The Journey begins at Govindghat
which is a 9-10 hour bus ride from Rishikesh. There are many ways to do it, by  taxi (expensive), shared taxi, small bus; and  one can break the journey or do it at one go.  I  spent the night at Srinagar and so had a shorter journey to Govindghat the next day., here I spent the night so that I could start my walk early next morning.
I have been to this region before and both times have combined a pilgrimage to  Hemkund Sahib with hikes to the Valley of Flowers.  My blog to the Valley of Flowers this year is placed here.  For a blog of my previous hikes please see Valley of Flowers and Hemkund -a Trek to Paradise ;  the photographs I took are at Valley of Flowers  , and at The Flora Around Hemkund.  

From Govindghat to Ghangariya
is a journey that is now made easier by riding in a  shared taxi for 4.8 km until Pulna and walking 10 km from there to Ghangariya, which is to be my home for the next four nights. The walk is along an easy, well paved path with gradual steps and climbs.  At this time there are many pilgrims along this route, most walking, some riding and the very old or infirm being carried up in  dolies.

Great faith in people going up...
...this young mother  walking barefoot, carried her sleeping child, for almost the entire distance.  The child was blissfully unaware of the tiring steps of faith her mother had taken. For the unfit like me, baggage can be carried up by porters who are mainly itinerant workers from Nepal who lift loads of 30 kilograms or more  with ease.

From Govindghat to Hemkund there is plenty 
to eat and drink along the way.  Catering to the popular taste of the pilgrims, tandoori paratha, fruit, cold drinks and water are available at path-side eateries along the way. The lemon tea peculiar to this region is particularly refreshing and a must try.  I spend my next four nights at GMVN at Ghangariya.  GMVN has a comprehensive network of staying places (about 90 or so) all over Garhwal.  They are not very expensive, neat and clean.  On the other hand they have elaborate rules of booking in advance with full payment and a cumbersome cancellation policy.

Mules and Porters
line the end of the busy bazaar of Ghangariya. There are hundreds of mules, in fact, I believe there were more mules than pilgrims as at every stop the mule drivers were touting rides. People go up by mule, doli, pithoo, but the intrepid majority just walk.  Walking up is a true act of faith as it  is a 6 km steep climb (from 3000 metres to 4600 metres) from Ghangariya.
On my previous pilgrimage in August 2015, the monsoon had already set in and it got considerably overcast by mid-morning.  Since I wanted to take photographs I went by mule, (excuses, excuses), which is much faster. 

Hemkund Sahib Gurudwara
one of the places of Sikh  pilgrimage at high altitude, it is located at  4600 metres and is the place where Guru Gobind Singh is believed to have obtained Enlightenment.  I reach it after a long and arduous journey over two days by road, walking and a mule. One can not spend the night here and it is best to start down by 2 pm if one is to reach Ghangariya before dark as it is the nearest where one can stay the night. 

The view from the top
is spectacular. The Gurudwara Sahib is nestled in a hollow with a lake (sarovar or kund) by its side, both being surrounded by lofty peaks and the most breathtaking views. The mule I rode up heaved an audible sigh of relief at the top when I slid my rather heavy frame off its back, at last he could rest before the return journey.  From a riders perspective, going up is easy, its the descent which is a bit hairy as the mule nonchalantly goes to the edge of vertiginous cliffs and turns. 

Inside the Gurudwara Sahib
on this day there are many pilgrims, in various attitudes of worship, most are exhausted by their walk up.  There are raagis singing and later prayers are said.  This time I found far more pilgrims than the few last time hence the tranquility was less and the bustle more.  There are blankets everywhere for exhausted and cold pilgrims who have walked the 6 km up.

The devout by the lake side at Hemkund Sahib
the lake is clean,  clear and very cold, in fact there is snow and ice right up to its edges. At 4600 metres it is cold here, though the sun is very sharp, (very carelessly I got sunburned) the ice remains in shadowed areas.  I saw traces of ice along the entire way, right until Ghangariya, being residual ice, at most places it was dirty.  There is a path around the lake, but I was forbidden to go along it by one of the caretakers, I didn't argue.

A ritual bath
in the ice cold waters cleanses these pilgrims, who take it in turns to  dip in while the others give encouragement. There were many pilgrims on this day, possibly because it was a weekend and that the season had not yet started in VoF and so there was accommodation available.  The support infrastructure for pilgrims along the entire route is very well laid out in terms of stay and food at Gurudwaras and travel.

Ringing the bell
at the entrance arch to Lokpal Laxman Temple right next door. This temple and the Gurudwara are in total harmony in prayers, bells and timings. Most pilgrims visit both places as the the temple is nearby and situated on the edge of the  same lake.

The langar at Hemkund Sahib Gurudwara
is a simple but delicious fare of khichdi, almost every activity in the langar and elsewhere is done as sewa, voluntary work so essential to the Sikh faith. Cooking, serving and cleaning the utensils are all done voluntarily here and at every Gurudwara, where one can get a meal and a place to stay at no cost.

The rising clouds are a sign that I have to start back.
I had climbed another 100 metres up a hillside by the side of the Gurudwara.  On my last visit here I had seen the famous Brahma Kamal flower, this rare plant blooms in August for a short while only so I did not get to see it this time.  With a last wistful look at this wonderful scene, I begin my descent and journey back.

As the famous Russian mountain guide, Anatoli Boukreev so aptly said:
"Mountains are the cathedrals where I practise my religion"

Who Says There are No Flowers in the Valley of Flowers?

A sign at the Entrance to the Valley of Flowers (VoF) says it all
The passionate forest guard at the gate told me that he had been scolded by a senior officer that the VoF had no flowers, and that he, the forest guard, should put up a sign warning everyone so.   The experience I had was entirely different, I saw a myriad flowers blooming and a tranquil Valley.  And I thought to myself that: they are really blind those who will not see. These flowers were very different to to those I had seen on my earlier trip in August 2015, view my photographs of the earlier trip at the link here and my blog of that trip over here

Flowing water everywhere
A kilometer after buying a ticket at the forest check post, I cross the steel bridge across the Pushpawati River and begin the ascent into the VoF. The ticket is valid for three days of which I will visit on two.  The mountainsides are striated with waterfalls fed by the melting snow, which in turn feed streams, all flowing into the Pushpawati River.

A Glimpse of Snow
From the dark depths of the entrance across the bridge, I get a fleeting view of the snow clad mountains that rim the VoF.  The deeper ravines are initially dark, in the shadow of  the tall mountains around, but the sun suddenly illuminates the dark valleys, a spectacular natural light show accentuated by the sharp clear mountain air. 

Blue Poppies
Another forest guard walking by, told me that the rare Blue Poppy had begun to bloom along the way, and almost as soon as he said it this lovely plant came into view on a rocky hillside. Had he not told me, I could have easily missed this cluster as did many others walking by.

Fragile and Translucent petals
make the Blue Poppy a rare sight to behold. Blooming at only a few rocky places, one needs to know where they are to be able to enjoy their delicate beauty.  This flower is the signature plant of the area.

The Path to the Valley
When I had come to VoF in  August 2015, I was told that a major flood and landslide the previous year had caused the path to be realigned.  At that time the path had been mud which the August rains had turned to a glutinous morass. Now it is paved with meticulously laid rocks which allow the water to drain through easily.  It is an easy climb up to the Valley.

An Inquisitive Pika  
feeds on grass while watching me. There are many of  this large mouse looking animal living in the rocks along the way.  They are bold and as I stand still they come quite close.  The fur is brown and grey, with some of them having a distinct line where the colour changes, probably a thick winter coat changing to a lighter summer one.  I saw many birds, Blue Whistling Thrush, Variegated Laughing Thrush, Himalayan Bul Bul are some I could not identify.  There are the elusive Red Fox and bear in this area too.

Flowers Everywhere
Spring has come to the Valley and the flowers are blooming, predominantly blues and purples. I admire the view on a bright and sunny day over breakfast at Shepherds Rock, eating packed puris and sabzi that I am carrying from the GMVN guest house where I am staying.  This is possibly the neatest and most reasonably priced staying option in Ghangariya.

Small Flowers and Big Flowers
Ghangariya is the base from where I do my trips to VoF and Hemkund sahib.  It is at the base of two Valleys, each of which lead to either Hemkund sahib or VoF.  This year the tourist season seems less but remains crowded with pilgrims, tourists, mules, porters and many others.

Single and in Bunches 
There is an intermittent mobile signal here, mainly BSNL, but no data connectivity.  The market has many STD booths (I thought those were history!) from where one can call outwards.  The electricity can go off sometimes so make sure that your phone and camera batteries are charged at all times.  The weather has been delightful, bright and sunny every morning, with very light showers on two afternoons. A late lunch of parathas and sabzi  again at Shepherds Rock.

By the side of the path and ....
At one end of town the horses and porters line up and in the morning they waylay me.  I take a mule to Hemkund Sahib, but walk twice to VoF.  The mule I hire to take me to Hemkund eyes my rather portly frame with a resigned look, but takes me up and down rather uncomplainingly.  There are government rates for everything so one has to haggle only a little.

... on it, the stones along the path are interspersed with these little violets
There are fresh blooms and dried tall plants, presumably the relics of last year. The forest department hires people to continuously remove weeds from the Valley as these are said to threaten the indigenous flowering plants.

Who said there are no flowers?
The flowers bloom and whither in hours, days and at most two weeks. I did two hikes over 48 hours and saw Angelica buds the first time and blooms the second.  Other flowers had begun to grow, and some were slowly fading.  I don't know or remember the names of the flowers I saw, I simply reveled in their beauty. The typical 'season' is July-August, but  at this time too there are many flowers.  On my previous trip in August 2015, I saw many different flowers, clearly indicating that one must visit the Valley in different seasons.

Mount Ratavan in the distance
is at the head of the Valley, at the lower reaches of this mountain is the Tipra Glacier, and below that is the 'Tipra Khark', presumably the moraine. The entire Valley is about 8 kilometers long after entering and one can walk to the end, but that has to be a single minded purpose, as time does not permit one to smell the roses and walk to the end. From Ghangariya the total distance would be about 11 km each way. One can enter the VoF at 0700 and must be out by 1800 hours, overnight stays are not permitted.

Signboard on the way 
put up by the forest department indicates the bifurcation for 'Tipra Khark'  and Lady Joan Margaret  Legge's grave memorial  (Leggy as she is known here).  In 1939 Joan Margaret Legge was studying the flora of the Valley of Flowers  while traversing some rocky slopes she slipped and lost her life. Her sister created this memorial/tomb to her. The Valley is at an average height of about 3500 metres, this is high altitude and it is smart to be acclimatised, particularly if you are going up from sea level as I was.

The Path to the River
Though I could not walk to the 'Tipra Khark', on my second visit to the Valley I did some photography and then walked  to the river crossing. About 2 km short of the 'Tipra Khark'  the Pushpawati River crosses the Valley, over here the ground is more rocky and there are less flowers.  The entire path is paved with stones which have sharp edges and points, at the end of a 15 km round hike, the soles of my feet were sore.

Farewell to the Valley
as I recross the bridge to return to Ghangariya, I have to be out of the Park by 1800 hours and the gate is about a kilometer away. The water in the river has risen as the snow in the higher reaches has melted during the hot and sunny day, I stop for a few more photos before hurrying on my way...  At the gate I meet my friend the forest guard and he asks me "so, did you see any flowers?" I think the dreamy smile on my face tells him all.

Flowers don't worry about how they're going to bloom. They just open up and turn toward the light and that makes them beautiful.     

-Jim Carrey

Off the beaten track in Satpura

“We all have forests on our minds. Forests unexplored, unending. Each one of us gets lost in the forest, every night, alone.” 
― Ursula K. Le Guin, The Wind's Twelve Quarters

Alas, it is difficult to get lost in a forest in India, there are few unexplored forests left and it is difficult to be alone. However the Satpura Tiger Reserve is one such forest where the crowds are less and the resorts are sensibly made to merge into ambient nature. Our welcome by a leopard by the side of the road as we drove in at night was a wonderful precursor of the two days ahead.  The haughty animal, disdainfully looked at us and slowly walked away into the jungle.  Here is where we let go of  our  daily electronic cocoons and freed ourselves to the joys of  simply being at one with nature.

The bridge and a hut at Reni Pani Resort...
...is a perfect example of being one with nature. Local material is used on the outside  to give a natural ambience to the dwellings and community areas. The passion of the owners in keeping this large resort in harmony with the jungle yet providing comfortable and modern amenities is evident in the smallest detail.  The lighting is dim, the construction has a forest flavour; we put wifi and TV on hold in this jungle retreat and enjoyed being there.  The resort plans a 'Satpura under canvas' hike which promises to be very different. The relative inaccessibility  of the this resort and park ironically, is what preserves them from commercialisation.

Birds at Reni Pani
are attracted by the water in the pool and the Arjuna tree nearby.  By sitting still and  silent in a shaded spot by the poolside with binoculars and camera, we saw a spectacle of birds. These Jerdon's Leaf Bird,  Spotted doves, Asian Paradise Flycatcher in brown phase and White-throated Kingfisher  were among the many birds we saw.  This is one of the few game parks where one is allowed to walk in the forest.  One has to be properly escorted by trained guides during such walks.  Reni Pani Resort has a detailed training program for its naturalists which enable them to lead such walks.

A Gaur comes to drink
at a waterhole, the patriarch, he gets the first  drink before the herd steps in and muddies the water.  The animal is muscular and majestic, irreverent of us watching and photographing  the herd.  It is very hot, it can go to 45 C, but we thought it is one of the best times to visit this forest as the heat separates the ogling easy tourists from the naturalist.  Water is scarce, and the animals come down to drink at the few waterholes that are still wet, this coupled with the scant leaf cover of dry vegetation makes for great photographic opportunities. 

Cubs and chicks abound
as this is spring and many animals and birds have young. We saw a mother Sloth Bear with two cubs clinging to her back at dusk and this young guy hitching a ride on his mother by day. This night-jar sat calmly  with her chicks while we photographed her. Drives in this Park are very enjoyable as one gets to see many animals and birds undisturbed by the herds of  vehicles that prevail in many of the other parks.  The fact that the fauna is not stressed by frequent visitors is plainly evident.  This park allows a mere 13 vehicles inside at a time, whereas in other parks it could be as many as 70.

Birds at the waterhole...
water is life here, literally.  Sitting still with patience at a waterhole is rewarding and allowed us to see many birds which we wouldn't otherwise  get a chance to see or photograph.  Of course it is important to respect the stress area of  these species driven to drink, despite what they perceive to be a risk to their lives.  The wild boar just would not drink while we were there, so we immediately moved away.  The naturalist with us, Erwin, is passionate about the local flora and fauna, apart from explaining what we see, he is very mindful of ensuring that we stay out of the circle of stress of the animals or birds.  Not only does he guide and protect us, but ensures we do not harm the fauna.  Reni Pani currently has a team of six naturalists.

As the sunsets over a waterhole
it is time to say goodbye to these wonderful denizens of the jungle.  While moving away from the waterholes too we saw many wonderful sights.
As the legendary photographer Ansel Adams said
“I believe the world is incomprehensibly beautiful — an endless prospect of magic and wonder.”
this is one of those places where we truly felt that deep joy of just being there.

Another Time Another Place

As the lyrics of Another time, another place go...
"Bright morning lights
Wipe the sleep from another day's eye"
Walking at Matheran and at Bhuigaon, one a hill station and another a sea side village, I see the common thread of grace and dignity running each day through the lives of local people.  The work is physically hard, monotonous, the returns are meagre and sometimes non-existent.  They do as routine what we do as 'adventure',  but they are always pleasant, courteous and industrious.

Done the washing
It is morning on a beach at Bhuigaon, the sun is up and it is breeze-less hot,  these ladies have just washed clothes and utensils, they walk home, chatting as they go, but they are not complaining. Early morning bikers have criss-crossed the beach with trails before the tide comes in to wipe the slate clean before yet another day.

The lady from below
This lady has carried a heavy load up to Matheran from a village in the plains below. She has walked nearly two hours vertically uphill and she does this every single day in the tourist season. She carries fodder for the horses that take well fed tourists for a  ride (sometimes literally).  What is matter of daily fact for this tough lady is a herculean adventure  for a group of hikers nearby, congratulating themselves at the climb they had done in over three hours,.

Maruti the milk carrier
He comes up the hill to Matheran each day, a climb of over 600 metres altitude over four kilometers, balancing about 40 litres of milk (that's forty kilos) and not spilling a drop.  He doesn't cry over spilled milk, and the climb is only getting here, after that he has yet to walk to market and supply the milk to buyers. I was told that there are 19 ways to climb up to Matheran and villagers from below come up each day. 

Perfect Balance
These ladies are off  to work at dawn.  It promises to be a hot and humid day, so they carry a  plastic bottle with water for the day.  Chatting as they go, their elegance and poise is visible in the ease with which they carry their head loads. Small loads or large ones, men and women carry them easily, the natural poise and gait this develops would teach finishing schools a thing or two.

Aged beyond his years
this fisherman balances a load on his shoulder as he heads towards his boat. He had had a neat haircut, wore clean clothes and was well turned out.  Despite the early hour I found the men and women well groomed before the day's labour. The close-to-shore fisherfolk, and I saw many women in the boats, get  just a few kilograms of fish after hours out in the broiling sun.

Off to market
these folk climb a 600 metre hill in under two hours with a huge load, then pause for a few moments to rest.  I saw a group of women and children come up, they were strung out based on their ability to climb, there were old matrons, I am guessing in their 60's, and young kids not even in their teens.   As each reached the top, she waited for those behind, finally when all had gathered at the top, they headed off into town on their business to sell fodder, act as tourist guides, or work in the many holiday homes in the hill station.  The lady in this picture hid her  walking stick in the bushes by the track,  to be picked up on her way back.

At the end of a day
Most of the tourists have gone,  waiting for a stray tourist, this cobbler enjoys a pensive moment at the end of the day.   Did he earn, did he not, who knows. These people at different places begin the day before dawn, work hard till sunset and sleep only to awake to the bright lights of another day. The lyrics of this song says it beautifully...
"At the end of the day
Some you win, some you don't
So I am glad that I'm here
With some friends that I know
Always there with a smile
Saying you are not alone"