Going back to base-hut from our day hike we meet one of our crew members walking towards us with a flask of tea and a casserole of pasta. Well, we are just too overjoyed. Without wasting another breath, we settle on the nearest rock and decide to go through the contents of the flask and keep the pasta for the hut. And what luck, one of my favourite peaks, Trishul, joins us for tea. I love you Trishul :)
The heaven opens up and sends a sackful of soft snow just as we are about to reach our destination. It seemed like our crew expected this and kept ready hot tea, for they knew we were under-dressed and unprepared for this welcome.
The preparations for tonight’s feast is so excitedly underway. We are happy to just observe. But the villagers being such great hosts offer us, the guests, warm glasses of tea. And smile shyly.
45 minutes of inspection of the immediate surroundings led us to this little balcony, where we settled for tea and books.
Devi Darshan lodge at Auli, from we left for our trek and returned to. Where we made endless cups of tea and talked endlessly, only to be interrupted by “oye! the clouds are back on nanda devi” or “oye! the clouds are gone”.
I usually never bother with the view till we are past the last prayag, but at times, some random things tend to come together to form a pretty picture.
If there is one thing I will never forget about this stay in Lohanjung, it is that sunny afternoon we spent on this lawn doing nothing, surrounded by flowers, bees, butterflies and talks of “snow on roopkund”.
A forced cup of sickly sweet tea on a tiny little ledge which seemed to have been made specifically for resting your cup.
my.perfect.place.
Its very hard to describe how waking up to sub-zero temperatures, with frozen water all around, trishul peeking from the right and being alone with a cup of tea on your birthday feels like.
All I can say is that it felt great then and looking at this image and thinking back to those hours waiting for the sun to arrive, I can also say that it was one of my best birthdays ever.
After 20 kms and 8 hours of walking, any ordinary flat camping ground would have sufficed. But we got something incredibly nicer. A pretty little FRH, with a lush green lawn and just the perfect wooden gate to complete the picture.
And yes, not to mention a hot bath and a solid bed after 5 days,
Starting from Delhi early in the morning we reached Barsu at 8 in the night, from where our trek was to start the very next morning.
I was still in my cotton pajamas that I had considered suitable when I was in Delhi. We had ascended to more than 2000 meters, and the pajamas only just reached up to my mid calves. It was pitch dark, and I could only see the silhouette of a tent, and high mountains on all sides. I was shivering, and all I could think of was some warm clothes.
Our staff introduced us to our tent, which had beds and a proper loo. I was happy enough with our home for the night, when they called us for tea in the light of a little battery-run-led-lamp.
The first day of our trek, and the clouds have taken over the views.
After a night of snowfall, we woke up to white fields and clear mountains views of the Bandarpooch and Gangotri Ranges.
Second day of walking ended up being all through snow. Sometimes even knee deep. Towards the end I almost sprinted to the camping area knowing it was the end of snow, for good. It wasn’t.
