Sharing with you the memories from my first trek in the north.
Summer of 2007 .. Me along with my friend, were planning to join the youth hostel trek to the Valley of Flowers and Hemkund. All details had been chalked out, and we were all set. The only catch was to go to the YH office and register. Well, that proved to be the biggest road block for us.. A bit of laziness came in the way, and we missed the opportunity to visit the VOF.
Another opportunity lost.. we had to make up for that lost chance, we just had to trek up north, in the Himalaya.
Around September 07, the winter trek schedules were put up on the site, and this time we decided to throw away our laziness, and register for one of the treks.
Dalhousie, supposed to be one of the easiest treks offered by YH. That was to be our first Himalayan trek! Once the trekking destination was selected, we had to go register ourselves for the trek. This time, it was a bit easier as there was an option for online registration! Ah, good news for lazy people like me :)
The registration process was a piece of cake. Alright then, registrations done, we now had to worry about how we'd reach the base camp, Dalhousie. That too wasn't much of a hassle, as the website had mentioned different routes by which we could reach Dalhousie.
The next logical step, after the registrations, was booking train tickets. Initially, we had planned to take a direct train to Chakki Bank, which is the nearest railway station, and had already looked up trains that would take us from Mumbai to Chakki Bank. Our travel plan took a slight deviation, and we reached Chakki Bank in two stages. First we travelled from Mumbai to Delhi, and then Delhi to Chakki Bank.
By mid October, every thing trek related was done.. we had registered for the trek, booked our tickets, and had started trawling the net for information. Every one was just waiting for December. Oh, by the way, this is a 6 day trek, of which we had 3 days of trekking, one for acclimitization. Once all the details were in place, all we had to do was wait eagerly for December.
24 December 2007, the D day! The day of our journey to Delhi. A friend and me, travelled to Delhi, by Rajdhani. The journey was uneventful, except for a snoring co-passenger. Reached Delhi on Christmas morning, 25 December 07. Another friend, who is based in Delhi, was supposed to join us for the trek. Our next stage of the journey, Delhi to Chakki Bank, was a night train. So,we decided to do some sight seeing in Delhi.. that is, the usual stuff. India Gate, which I wanted to see, Qutab Minar, Akshardham temple, etc. After a short sight seeing drive, we rested for some time at our friends place. Soon it was time for us to leave for the railway station, for our train to Chakki Bank. The train was about 2 hours late, not surprising, as it was winter, and 99.99% of the north bound trains are late, owing to fog.
The journey from Delhi to Chakki Bank wasn't as uneventful as the one from Mumbai to Delhi. Here, we had a couple and their brat for company. The kid kept wailing all night. Well, can't complain about that, it takes all sorts!
No sweat! There are plenty of tum-tums (atleast that's what they are called here in Maharashtra), outside the station. These 6 seater vehicles charge about Rs. 10 per person for the short trip. Well, the 6 seater was converted to a 12 seater, and we were off. At the bus terminal, we found that a bus to Dalhousie was just about to leave in 10 minutes, and the next one would be after an hour. Without any further time pass, we decided to board the first bus. On the way to Dalhousie, we got the first glimpse of snow. I was super excited, as this was the first time I was seeing it "live"!! An hour and half later, we were in Dalhousie.. Our destination, the base camp for the trek! We were finally there. 2 months of dreaming, and there we were. In Dalhousie.
Youth hostel Dalhousie is a short walk from Dalhousie bus stand. We inquired about the place at a shop at the bus stand, and were directed to the hostel.
The first thing that struck me here was the time table. A white board was displayed at the entrance of the hostel, which showed the things we were supposed to do over the next 6 days! The very idea of time tables freaks me out. But here, on a trek, it was the most sensible thing to do. It's always better to be paranoid and disciplined, in unfamiliar territory, atleast.
Trek Schedule
After completing the reporting formalities, and lunch, we decided to rest for a while. Shortly, we were joined by a big group of around 10-12 people, from Mumbai. While filling up the reporting forms, we realised that we hadn't got the two most important things required for this trek, Plate and a mug! After a brief rest, we walked up to the market to buy the stuff.
There was a short introduction session in the evening, where we were told about the trek, and the things to do, or rather the things not to do. They emphasised more on the do-not list. There had been accidents in the previous batches, where some over enthusiastic trekkers had slipped over the ice, and had suffered fractures. During this introduction/information session, we were asked to nominate a trek leader and an environment leader from amongst us. An environment leader is some one who would take care not to leave behind any garbage, or plastic bags etc. In short, some one
who would ensure this would be a pollution free, eco friendly trek. Introductions over, it was time for camp fire. This wasn't a proper campfire, with bonfires etc. YH discourages burning of fire wood, so our campfire was a candle, lit by a senior member of the group. A short session of singing, and jokes, and it was time for lights off. We had a long day ahead.
Acclimitization : 27 December 2007, Since this place is at a height of 6411 ft above sea level, it is very important to get acclimitized to the high altitude, and rarefied air before starting any trek. We were up at 5 in the morning, and were taken for a jog. We jogged through the streets of Dalhousie, and reached a chowk. Here we did some basic exercises, like stretching. After exercises, we all were feeling a bit breathless. We stopped at the chowk for some time, to watch the sunrise. It was one of the most beautiful sights. I had not taken my camera with me, so couldn't capture the beautiful moment. Back to the hostel for breakfast. After breakfast, we had to take our rucksacks, with two 1 litre bottles filled with water, and a blanket, and go for a acclimitization walk.
We walked around Dalhousie, stopping plenty of times for photos, or just to admire the scenery. We saw some interesting places like, Sat Dhara (the place where Netaji Subash Chandra Bose stayed), and the samadhi of Shaheed Ajit Singh.
Shaheed Ajit Singh
Day 2 also ended with the campfire.
The Trek Days,
Dalhousie to Kalatop : 28 December 2007, The actual trek started on Day 3. We gathered on the youth hostel ground, after breakfast. We were told about the do's and dont's again. After a short send off speech, we were off. We were given a proper YH style send off, which is two short claps, followed by 3 claps. Each participant was given a packet, containing biscuits, and chocolates. We were also supposed to take packed lunch for the day from the base camp.
The route we were to follow was like this,
Dalhousie -> Kalatop -> Khajjiar -> Chamba -> Dalhousie.
This is one of the easiest YH treks.. actually, all treks are organised in such a way that anyone with a moderate level of fitness can take part.
So, we started from Dalhousie on the morning of 28th December. It was cold, but by now every one had got used to the cold weather. The sun was up, when we started, but there was a chill in the air. After trekking for some time, we reached Lakkarmandi, where we took a much needed break for tea, and snacks.
The real high point of the trek started from this point... Snow. It had snowed at night probably. We could see snow on the road, on the mountains, every where. There was snow as far as the eyes could see. From here to the place where we had lunch, Ahla, we trudged through the snow, slipping and falling many times. It didn't matter for most of the group,including me, because this was our first snow experience.
Snow all around...
After a short break for lunch, we started again. We had to reach Kalatop before sunset, and sunset in these parts during winter means 5:30 pm. It gets pitch dark by 6:00.
At Kalatop too, we followed the same routine that we had followed on the previous two days at Dalhousie. That is, snacks and tea in the evening, followed by soup and dinner. A small campfire, and end the day with a 'milo'.
Kalatop to Khajjiar : 29 December 2007, We woke up at 5:00 in the morning, for tea. Late comers do not get tea. Todays trek to Khajjiar was the longest in terms of distance covered, and the trail passed through a forest. After breakfast, we collected our lunch for the day, we started Trek day 2 to Khajjiar. The trail takes us through a scenic forest. The first part of the trail was relatively easy as it involved going downhill. The next part was a bit tough, as it involved a bit of a steep climb. We took a short break to recharge ourselves. Some locals had put up food stalls along the trek route, and they served hot tea, omlettes and maggi to the trekkers. I must mention here that I never enjoyed eating maggi at home, but here, in the freezing cold, it was the best thing I've ever eaten!
After a long tiring trek we finally reached Khajjiar. The temperature here wasn't as low as at Kalatop. There is a huge, or rather enormous open ground at Khajjiar, where tourists can enjoy horse rides, zorbing, etc. Basically, its a very "touristy" place, somewhat commercialised.
Khajjiar to Chamba : 30 December 2007, Last day of the trek. This was a slightly boring day, it didn't involve any climbing, or walking through forest trails, and there wasn't any chance of getting snow on the way. The trail moved through beautiful villages, before we reached Chamba town. The last one hour was walking on proper tar road!
Finally we reached Chamba sometime in the afternoon. That was the official end of the trek. We had to go back to the base camp at Dalhousie to collect our participant certificates and also to collect our bags. We had taken only the essential things with us, and kept most of our belongings at the base camp. Since we had the entire evening free, we decided to visit Chamba town, and its main attractions, namely, Chamunda Temple and the museum.
Chamunda TempleBack to Dalhousie : 31 December 2007, We were transported back to the base camp at Dalhousie. It is a short bus ride, about an hour. On the way we did stop for some photographs. At the base camp, we collected our belongings, and our certificates. And soon it was time to say good bye.
In the past 5 days, the group had gone from being total strangers to good friends. After exchanging phone numbers, and email id's, we set off to our respective destinations. We took a bus from Dalhousie to Pathankot, and then the group dispersed. Since it was new years eve, some decided to stay back. Others visited the Wagah border. Every one had their own plans for welcoming the new year. Mine was spent in the train. I dozed off the moment I settled in my seat. So, I missed the midnight madness!
I had to rush back to Mumbai, back to reality, to pollution, and crowd. We reached Delhi at about 4:00 in the morning on January 1st. Rested for some time at a friends place. After a good 2 hours of sleep, and a delicious breakfast, we started for the airport, only to realise the flights were delayed due to fog.
Reached Mumbai in the evening, with memories that will last a lifetime. It's been more than a year since the trek, but I could remember the details like it happened just a few months ago.
A few pointers, some observations from the trek:
Travel :
From Mumbai, you can opt for a direct train to Chakki Bank, or travel in 2 stages like we did. Swaraj express has a halt at Chakki Bank.
From Chakki Bank, you would need to go to the Bus terminal at Pathankot. There are plenty of tum-tums available outside Chakki Bank railway station.
If possible try to get a window seat, for the wonderful views.
Other things:
Though this isn't a tough trek, taking precautions and some basic common sense helps. Since the walking is at a high altitude, people do feel breathless, and tire out easily. It helps to walk at a slower pace, and also take frequent breaks. This isn't a race, walk at an easy pace, enjoy the scenery.
It is useful to keep lozenges, chocolates handy. Have plenty of water, even if its cold, you tend to get dehydrated. Camphor too helps in easing breathlessness. Keep a piece of camphor in your pocket or somewhere in your backpack, where you can reach out and get it easily.
Do not treat the mountain like a dust bin. Keep chocolate wrappers, plastic bags etc with you and dispose off at the next camp.
Respect nature, and nature will leave you alone!
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