High Himalayan Heavens :Part three

Day 5 and 6 -

Shabu got us a room at a guest house for the morning, we pulled out sleeping bags and slept like logs. Later we were given a total of three rooms, all of us settled in. The guest house was neat and cozy and had a charm to it. Apart from us,the remaining rooms were occupied by foreigners,Velu snatched the opportunity to flirt with some pretty Iranian girls in the morning. The guest house had the owners living in two small rooms in the ground floor and a small garden in the backside where there grew their vegetables and many flowering plants. We had our first view of Stok Kangari,the peak we were set to climb the next day. It looked sinister :)! We climbed to Shanthi Stupa that morning, a quite and peaceful place atop a small hill in Leh town. It was pleasantly sunny ,with cold wind blowing. In one of the prayer halls, I read the story of Buddha and was confounded to learn that Lord Buddha was born from the right side of Queen Maya's chest. We spend the rest of the day ambling around Leh in the warm sunshine. A huge percentage of tourists here were foreigners,huge! Needless to say, the boys had a great time ogling at the foreign chicks. Only Airtel and BSNL postpaid phones work in Leh ,so we “judiciously” used Vidya's cellphone :).

The next morning,after a cloying meal of pancakes with honey and porridge ,we set out in a vehicle to Stok village. A short drive of 45 minutes got us to Stok village,the starting point for the trek . Our guide was Bhasker (didn't catch his Leh name ,some tongue twisting name starting from ”T”). a young boy of 19,with immense energy! It was lovely weather to trek in,not sunny nor cold. As it was the first for me in this terrain of barren hills and flat stones by the stream side, I was enamored. The water was cold and immaculately clear . Amazing . Our milestone for the day was to reach Manokorma,our first camping spot at 14,000ft . We encountered a lot of foreign trekkers on the way, fully clothed , dark glasses and walking sticks, we also saw many mules carrying a lot of luggage hauling its way . We took approximately five hours to reach Manokorma, a sad performance as compared to the estimated time of 3 hours. We were all fatigued . We set up up 4 tents, three for us and one for the staff . Manokorma was slightly crowded with many others camped there, all of course,were foreigners. Vidya and I slept in one tent, cozy but slightly chilly since it didn't zip up completely and none of the boys seemed to be interested to help us with it. Some of us got a slight headache because of the comparatively thinner air. In campsites like these and further ahead,there is always present, a mess tent,or rather a white canvas tent wherein all the guides and local men stay and cook for everyone camping at that altitude. We had hot Maggi for the fourth time in two days.

High Himalayan Heavens :Part two

Day 3 and 4 -

We had a tentative plan of leaving by 3:30 am to Kaza ,the village which was the start point of the trek. It was disrupted due to heavy rains at Kalath, that morning. We started an hour late. Two Tata Sumos , one with nine of us jammed in and the other with the rucksacks tied overheard,and the remaining five of them. We had a lot of gridlocks on the way to Rohtang Pass, the weather was getting colder,all of us rejoiced, only initially. The longest we waited was for an hour, because the car stuck in the muck had a puncture. It was drizzling all through the journey,interspersed with heavy rains. Ganpath (a.k.a Gannu) looked like a cute fat baby with his manali woolen cap and woolen gloves. The first glimpse of snow capped peaks left us all in silence. The higher we climbed,the landscape opened up into phantasmal beauty. Rohtang Pass was brimming with snow,all of us were mad with enthusiasm! Mad is an understatement! We frolicked in the snow like ten-year olds and had our share of snow fights. The boys ogled at the parade of bullets.

We crossed Rohtang and stopped by a small chaiwala for a hot meal of paratas and maggi when the bad news struck.The vehicles coming from Kaza side,informed us that the road to Kaza was closed due to heavy rains,bad roads and landslides,which indirectly implied that the Spiti Trek was cancelled.All of us very upset about it, Spiti is a phenomenal place and we desperately wanted to trek the Spiti valley . Tarle quickly suggested that we carry on driving till Leh and climb another peak .Leh was 372kms from there. Weather is such a moody goddess ! But the same Goddess helped regain our jovial mood, and we were comically singing all the 90's hindi songs as we continued our journey. We passed the Pagal Nala , all of were astound at how cement-textured the water had become, because of a landslide. We halted that night at Padma Lodge,Jispa . We got a scenic,cozy dormitory with individual beds for all of us, and snow surrounded it. Wow! :) Words fail to explain the scenic beauty around. Our cooks conjured up a brilliant meal with lip smacking custard for desert . But for the boys,it was another night.:)

We woke up early the next day but got stuck at Darcha,because the road ahead to Leh was blocked. We decided to wait till out till the road clears and continue to Leh. We had 2 hours to kill, so we climbed up a small hill in Darcha,was a steep climb. On the way , we hiked through fields of sweet pea, ate them raw,was deliciously sweet! We hiked till the snowline of the small hill, and had serious snow fights !:) We could see the roads from Leh on the other mountain,and we noticed some vehicles on it. All of us elatedly ran down the hill, to the car. Leh! Finally,after all the waiting. On our journey,we passed through Baralacha La(means pass) at 16,500ft. Nothing I write here will do any justice to what we saw and felt as we drove past this pass. It was vast ice cone! There was so much snow,I give up, I don't feel like a seasoned writer to even try and put it in words. Spectacular!! Excuse me for the intensity,but now I can die with no regrets for I have witnessed one of natures marvels .

We were surrounded by brown mountains sprinkled with snow ! On more relatable terms, oreoes with vanilla cream sprinkled on the outside as well, light brown caramel cake with icing! We descend to enter the Ladakh valley,witnessing an entirely different landscape. A seemingly never-ending stretch of 48km, the place was beyond comprehension,we observed natural rock formation on the mountains,crafted by the nature gods. Barren hills with enigmatic raw charm.

We had a quick dinner at a make shift white tent(Mess tents) at Pang,that also offers beds for tired travelers. Our journey didn't halt after dinner,we decided to drive all the way to Leh. Gannnu was feeling a little uncomfortable , so we inaugurated a strip of diamox and made more space in the car for him . We traveled through the night ,Poops and I sat near the driver ,making petty conversation with him. The drivers took a precarious short cut down the hill, it set my adrenaline pumping as he took the monster down the 45 degree incline in the pitch darkness in first gear. Sheer talent! We reached Leh at 4 am the next morning .

High Himalayan Heavens :D

Day 1 and 2 -

Overly enthusiastic about my firstexpedition, I was awake and ready by 3:00 am. I was greatly impatientfor the cab to arrive ,it finally did by 3:30 am. Chandrakanth(a.ka.Bairy), Poops and I were at the airport by 4:30sharp,precisely one and half hours before the flight. I was on a different flight(Thanks to my late booking) . The other flight with the rest got delayed,so their estimated time of departure was 6:30am,half an hour before mine took off. We were greeted at Delhi by the soaring temperature at 9 am. Srikanth (a.k.a PV) decided to let us enjoy the Delhi heat by making us wait for a very pleasant half an hour for him(he had landed earlier in the morning from Dubai).BharathJB(a.ka. Pobu) and Bairy hailed a taxi and took all our luggage to Karol Bagh,thanks to Bharath Ashoka's (a.ka. Tarle) cogency while the rest of us took the DELHI METRO.The Airport link was DELIGHTFUL! But at a comparatively higher price of 80Rs. After Switching trains at New Delhi station we got off at Karol Bagh, the city metro links were a little more crowded,but nonetheless,all of us were convinced that DELHI METRO is a huge ACHIEVEMENT for INDIA. We spent the next couple of hours loitering Karol Bagh in the sweltering heat,all of us were getting groggy and irritable. We aimlessly went into all the air-conditioned shops, with no intention of buying anything. We unanimously decided that we need to go somewhere and get some sleep,some of the guys went to the UPSC guy's apartment(a small 2 bedroom,cramped place which had our luggage). Not convinced by the idea of nine of us having to sharespace in the cramped room, Poops, Vidya and I found a scarcely shady park nearby,and fell asleep on the benches. Later, at 5pm, we took a bus to Manali, Mukul Travels,an air-conditioned Volvo. Quite a pleasant journey, apart from a little nauseousness, I took an aveomine, and slept peacefully for the rest of the journey. Reached Mandi at 7 am, the road to Manali was closed in the morning. We had to take two buses , to Kullu and then Kalath (our destination).We were stuck on the way ,wasting two complete hours for the road to be cleared due to a landslide. Finally reached Kullu, and a quick loo relief! We reached Kalath at 12 noon. Our guide/travel agent/friend Hemanth (a.ka.Shabu) greeted us and treated us to Sidu (something like a momo butwith a chutney as a filling) at his house. Delicious. Following the meal, was the HOT SPRINGS. There are many public bath areas with natural hot springs in Kalath. That was an experience for many reasons, some best left unsaid. The water was boiling hot and therapeutic, it left us pampered and drowsy after the bath. We had a sumptuous dinner along with gold house apple wine. Our staff ,consisted of Hari bhai,shabu bhai ,Negi,guide for Spiti trek, and two strikingly good looking cooks,AmitRana and Neelu . Tarle, Pobu,Bairy and Poops slept on a high note! :)

Unfurling the honorable hues

This was a poem written for a INDEPENDENCE DAY  poetry competition -  

The sun shone splendid, an optimistic promise,

The blanched khadi of the great men who fought for justice.

Contrasted against the triumphant tricolor,

Stood amidst the masses, waving it in indulgent fervor.

The leaders swore dedication to work,

To make India invincible , and independent nation,

Principles that condemned material gains, to build a clean, transparent groundwork.

They decided on saffron, for the devotion, the passion.

To be guided by the divine dominating truth,

‘Dharma’ and ‘Satya’ ,to nourish the law-makers.

To spread its fundamentals, to young India, the youth.

White with the Ashoka chakra for the two main virtues it anchors.

There’s one GODESS far more powerful than the rest,

One GODESS above all religion, we must respect.

Mother Nature and her generosity , whose patience we must refrain to test.

Green for Mother nature , her benevolence, we need to perseveringly protect.

Salute the INDIAN FLAG,

Absorb the implications of the undertones.

We need to bring about the progression, and never let her lag.

Flaunt her, let her shine, she is a unpolished gemstone.

The sun sets for a new morning.

The dark stories and hidden thoughts were perceived well,

Are cherished,respected and protected by my spell.

Watching the sun set reminded me,

of how life has been blessed and why people enter your life,for reasons we cannot see.

Every chapter has an end,

with the pages highly valued ,my friend.

It's fulfilling to be back in love with those who seemed impossible,

and to accept apologies from those who are elatedly boastful.

Hate leads to untoward misery,

To be accepted by you,would mean a lot to me.

You are a delight to be with and always will be :)

The Lighthouse

Towering over the rocky shore,

mentoring the intractable,discordant waves.

Rigid and stubborn,over which the eagles soar

"They" come here for absolution,the murderers,the soothsayers,the knaves.

Tweleve kilometers away from the tower,she watched,

living in sweet sardonic solace,in an ancestral cottage.

how "they" climbed the crumbling earth,body and soul parched,

desperate to be purged,freed from guilt-driven bondage.

Ruminating over the storm swept silence,

she loathed man's dependence on belief.

Comatised, mentally enervated in its absence,

The belief commands discipline, our obedience.

Scrambling over the jagged rocks,

she climbed to the base of the dominating column,

A vulture sitting high above,looks down to mock.

the blinding circulating light,an eerie feeling she could not fathom.

Ascending the two hundred and forty eight iron spiral stairs,

as surreal force encompassed her, she instantly felt possessed, her mind awakened by last night's nightmare.

As she stood high above,adjacent to the vultures,

She acknowledged her mind grow vacous,empty , free.

There was something calming or demanding about this structure,

exterminating her inner thoughts and memories,reaching an orgasmic apogee.

The 'E' word

"How long do you think it will last ?"

He smiled,genuinely with a twinkle in his eye and said, "Eternity".

e·ter·ni·ty/iˈtərnitē/Noun

1. Infinite or unending time.

2. A state to which time has no application; timelessness.