"Choordhaar conquered .."

I can simply not resist tapping any opportunity taking me close to mother nature. This time it was to explore the beautiful place named Choordhaar.  A trek beginning from Nauradhaar, Sirmaur (HP).

I had a four days window available in mid November. The hectic schedule, long studying hours and the constant worrying a normal CA student eventually becomes habitual of, had all taken a toll on me. So, I just wished to be able to make the most of whatever little time I had.

 Usually when I make such plans I prefer not to discuss it with my lovely parents for they start worrying unnecessarily. However, I took them in confidence this time around. I was pretty sure that dad wasn’t going to allow me to ride and that mum would altogether say no. To my surprise and amazement, I was proven completely wrong. Not only did they allow me to ride on my bike and gave me the required funds, dad got a room booked at Nauradhaar(place where the trek begins). There couldn't be anything else I could have possibly asked them for. I was particularly excited because this was going to be a solo trip(All of us, the good friends, have gotten into different fields and usually our schedules clash).

Hoping to quench the long outstanding thirst for riding and trekking, I began my trip. With me was, of course, the most faithful and dear friend of mine- my beautiful and ever so comfortable bike. Together we marched through the mesmeric valleys of my state, Himachal Pradesh. I was paying my first visit to this part of the state which in itself was really exciting. The occasional cold breeze, the always smiling native villagers, the long traffic free stretches and of course the pitiable road condition(ha-ha) simply made it altogether an experience worth having.

By late noon I made it to Nauradhaar. A beautiful and well kept room was awaiting me. After taking a long hot and soapy shower, all my tiredness vanished. Refreshed and energized, I went for an evening walk. I wanted to acquaint myself with the new place. It was beautiful and had some kind of uniqueness about it. I happened to have conversation with some locals here. As soon as I told them that I was going solo on the trek the next morning, all of them without any exception were surprised. With the best of intentions they suggested me not to go alone, some even asked me to cancel it altogether for they feared I might get lost in the woods. Perhaps, they thought of me as a fancy city lad with no experience. However, by that time I had conquered many such treks solo so it didn’t bother me much. In the end I thanked all of them for their advice and moved on.  Since it was situated at a higher altitude, the sun set early and by half past seven the place was completely deserted. By 8 pm I was done having dinner at a local restaurant and surprisingly it was one of the best dinners I have had in a long time. The place was so quiet that I couldn’t really sleep for now I have become habitual of the usual hustle and bustle of city life. I placed a chair in my room’s balcony and enjoyed the silence for a good couple of hours before finally going off to bed. What followed was one of the most peaceful and unperturbed sleeps I have ever had.

With every necessary thing in my backpack and a revitalizing breakfast, I began my trek. I had plans to spend the night at top and return the next day. As such, I was moving at a slow pace capturing photographs and enjoying every little detail. By God’s grace the weather was immensely good with no trace of a single cloud. I was having a really good time. Every native villager I met gave a warm smile and wished me good luck. Going further I reached the point from where a thick cover of forest began with no sign of habitation. I can’t put it in words as to how much fulfilling and satisfying experience was it to have walked through that patch. Some guys may call it crazy but I guess the best way to interact with nature is to do it all alone. I strode through enjoying every little aspect of nature.

After a few minutes I reached an open area and found certain natives resting. Having approached and talked to them, I found out that they were headed to the same destination. As always, these humble guys offered food and tea. And once again I encountered a moment that trademarked that when it comes to hospitality, we HIMACHALIS are second to none. Within a few minutes I made good friends with these guys and started trekking with them. Every now and then I was given a piece of information about the local vegetation, delicacies, the do’s and don’ts. In return, I shared about the experiences about the city life and even counseled my young pals about their upcoming career options. All this while, we came across mesmeric sceneries.

It was 1:00pm and we were at the top. Earlier I had a plan to stay the night here but figuring out the possibility that I could very well make it back to the place I started, I decided to head back. Besides, I had company, too. We paid our gratitude and obeisance to the Almighty. Personally, I thanked the Almighty for having given me this opportunity and making it a success.

 By 2:30pm we began our descent. There was no stopping us this time around. We were literally running on our way back and trust me it was fun. On our occasional stops, we shared some light moments and at the same time regained our lost energy.

By 6:00pm we were at Nauradhaar. Charged up, for no apparent reason, I decided to ride my way back to Solan the very same evening.  At this point it became really difficult for me to convince my newly made pals to allow me to leave. They wanted me to stay with them for the night. After a lot of pleading they agreed but on one condition- it being me having dinner with them. Seeing the enthusiasm and particularly the warmth with which they invited me, I could not say no. It moved me so much to see that I was asked to take bath first. I mean, we all were equally exhausted. Words can’t describe the kind of hearts these people possess. Dinner was delectable and I relished each and every bit of it. Promising to be their exclusive guest next year, I bade farewell to all of them. By 7:45pm I had started riding back to Solan. And boy, it was one hell of a ride. The chilling winds, unacquainted roads and day long tiredness made it a nightmare. At this point I wished I had listened to my pals and parents. However, I had already taken a decision and had to stand by it. And well, I did. No surprise that it shivered every single nerve in my body but then again it was one experience I’d never forget.

All in all, I would say that I had an unbelievably nice trip. God willing, there are going to be innumerable trips I will be having in coming times.        

Srikhand Mahadev- 2014

It was the morning of July 12, 2014. As usual, I was sleeping like a baby. It was going to be a boring day for I had no plans whatsoever- studying or otherwise. It was already 9:00 am and since I had slept early the previous night, I had to get up sooner or later for even my body wasn't going to entertain any more sleep. The second I got up, I did what majority of us do-checked my cellphone. I had missed a call from my dad. (Dad was scheduled to leave for Srikhand Mahadev the very next day)

'Good morning, papa.'

'Good morning, son. How are you?' he asked.

'Very well. You called?' I enquired.

'Yeah. Is my trekking bag lying with you? I need it.' he said.

And that was it. I found the excuse I had been long looking for(my studies were going to suffer and this was holding me for a long time but not anymore). Dad needed the bag and I desperately wanted to go to the trek with him. Suddenly, the boring-to-be day turned exciting. As soon as I was done convincing dad, I started packing my stuff. By 1:00 pm, I was on my way to Shimla. I stayed the night at my maternal uncle's place.

Next morning, at sharp 5:55 am, I boarded the bus for my next stop, Rampur. While in the bus, I made friends with a 7 year old girl. I was so busy chatting with her-knowing all about her village, the school she went to, who her best friend was etc etc- that I hardly realised how the journey passed. Finally, at Rampur, I bade farewell to her. As against the MET department's forecast, the weather was pleasant till now(Oh boy! I wish I had known what awaited us for the coming five days).

 Over the next half an hour I waited for my dad at a restaurant. Soon he, along with a couple of his pals, arrived and we began our journey towards Jaun(a tiny village in district Kullu from where our trek was to start).

The clock struck 5:00 pm and we were at Jaun. Here we reunited with our friends from the last year's trek. Seeing all those faces after an year's time gave me a sense of relief and joy. High in spirits, we marched on. We reached Singhad(base camp we were to stay the night) by 7:45 pm. We were given a warm welcome. Soon, forgetting the day long gruelling journey, every single one of us was singing and dancing. It was electrifying. From a lady in her late seventies to a young lad, everyone made merry. It was an occasion of great festivity. Ultimately, we fell asleep amid the chants of BHAM BHAM BHOLE.

At around 2:30 am it suddenly started raining cats and dogs. It was so loud that majority of us were left wide awake. I didn't sleep for a minute post this abrupt change in weather. At 5:00 am we left for our next stop. Since it was raining heavily we removed our shoes and wore slippers instead(the last thing you want on the first day of any trek is to get your shoes soaking wet). With each passing minute, the weather turned more inclement. There was no sign of respite from rain. However, for no apparent reason, I was enjoying every second of it. Within minutes everything was wet and slippery.

It was 12:00 noon and we reached Thachdoo(another facility set up by generous beings where one can have food and relax). We took a halt for almost 2 hours before proceeding further.  Since I was all wet and it had stopped raining, I decided to change clothes. While packing my bag after changing, I forgot to put in the carry bag containing both dad's and my own shoes(it was going to change the entire mood within the coming few hours). At 2:15 pm we left.

Clueless of the blunder I had just committed, I was clicking photographs. The following picture potrays me as a 'poor clueless guy' whose smile was going to vanish in a couple of hours.

 We were just 10 minutes into our next strech and it started drizzling. It appeared we had upset Rain God and He was in no mood to spare us. With hours of continuous downpour, the path became all muddy. Now it was getting difficult to walk. We managed to move at a decent speed and reached the mesmeric spot named Kaali Ghaati at 4:30 pm(we were running behind schedule and rain was the lone factor to be blamed).

                      

  Ahead of us was a steep descent. Here,dad advised me to put on my shoes. I told him to continue ahead and that I'd catch up with him soon. As soon as I opened my bag, my world fell apart(At first I thought of going back to get the shoes. But it wasn't a feasible option. I went blank and didn't know how to disclose it to dad. I feared him killing me with his bare hands). Somehow, I summoned all the courage I had and moved ahead. After 15 minutes I was finally able to find him. I told him everything. To my surprise, his reaction was one I didn't expect at all. He was calm and his words were comforting. He was telling me the do's and don'ts for the rest of 'shoe less' journey(actually he didn't realize that not only had I forgotten to pick up my shoes but his too). About half an hour later, he suddenly turned back and asked,

'You have brought my shoes, right?'

And there it was. BOOM! His expressions were thunderous. We moved without talking for, at least, the next half an hour. Knowing that we had to complete the rest of journey without shoes certainly brought a major dip in our motivational levels. However, one needs to hope for the best but at the same time, prepare for the worst in adventurous treks like these. Soon we forgot about it for we had no other choice. Finally at 8:45 pm we were at Bhim Dwar, the place we were to stay the night. We were dead tired. All we wanted was some nutritious food and a comforting stay. Fortunately, we had everything we desired.

Next morning marked the beginning of the penultimate day(the most crucial and challenging of all).We left the tent at 4:30am. We had a slow start as it was chillingly cold and our bodies were getting warmed up. I talked to dad every now and then. After sometime we came across the first gigantic glacier. With visibility at its rock bottom, it was going to be a difficult task to cross it. However, we did it quite smoothly and without any hiccup. Slowly and gradually we progressed towards the next camp. At 7:30am we were at Parvati Bagh-undoubtedly one of the most beautiful highlights of the entire trek. We sat down in a private tent and had breakfast. Besides, we bought power bars, biscuits, water, chewing gums and other necessary stuff(there were going to be no more tents after this spot and we were going to be on our own). 

Looking ahead, we could figure out that it was going to be a real test since the path ahead had ample snow and slippery glaciers.

 What was a real disappointment here? The return of our little lost friend-rain. But at this point one is so energetic with the will to reach the ultimate destination that such things hardly seem to bother. Together we marched ahead. Every step we were climbing meant higher altitude which, in turn, meant a continuous dip in oxygen level. That coupled with icy winds, since we were walking on glaciers and snow, is surely a deadly combination. Defying all odds we marched ahead for we had only one goal, to reach the top. After an arduous trek of almost 5 hours, we finally were at the top. As against last time, the weather opened up, though for a little while. We accomplished our goal and were on cloud nine. We paid our obeisance and performed religious ceremony known as Yagya at 18000ft. We thanked the almighty for making this trek a successful one for us and began descending.

At last, it was really a nice feeling for having been congratulated by those in the trekking business for making it through(apparently, it was the toughest trek in the last 24 years).

PS: We were the lucky few who could complete the trek this year. As it turned out, the trek was formally closed due to inclement weather a day after we reached the base camp. It was heart shattering to find out that many lost their lives. May all of them R.I.P