HIMALAYAN TREKKING EXPEDITION

(June 21 ‑ July 7, 1989)

Members: D Prem Kumar, SK Rout (Group Leaders), B Ravi (author)
D Nagesh Kumar, B Sreehari Kumar, K Prakash, R Tandava Murthy,
TR Krishna, P Vikas, Frank Lobo, G Vidyamurthy, BD Thatte,
KV kumar, Raja, H Daman, K Padma, SG Bhargavi, V Lalitha,
K Rajeshwari, R Roopa, Leela Janaki, D Sadhana.

For Nature Lovers, a break from the research work or studies at the Indian Institute of Science usually meant a short weekend trek in, the Western Ghats or rock‑climbing in the outskirts of Bangalore. There was talk about a serious‑ trekking expedition in the Himalayas for a long time. Several slide shows and lectures were arranged. The Western Himalayas Mountaineering Institute, Manali (under the Directorate of Mountaineering and Allied Sports) was contacted, and they agreed for a week long trekking expedition inclusive of boarding and lodging arrangements for just 310 Rupees per head., That galvanised us into action: booking train reservations, buying clothes and equipment, and physical training.

Until the last day, there was uncertainty regarding the team members; it was only at the station that we got together for the first time to exchange introductions to each other. The girls had taken, over the Food Department, getting it prepared and packed in the B mess. These packets were transported by the Institute van, thoughtfully arranged by the Nature Club, to the station. The Karnataka Express started, on time, and, we were hailed off by our colleagues/ parents.

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The forty hour long train journey to, New Delhi didn't seem to he that long at all! We spent the time singing, playing cards, and relishing the varieties' of food affectionately served by the girls. The train reached Delhi at noon, we had a late lunch and then caught the, 4 PM bus to Manali.

Girls maintained a steady stream of Hindi and English songs to the accompaniment of guitar by Vidyamurthy. The bus driver, overly inspired, overtook every other vehicle on the double laned national highway. We passed through Karnal, Kurukshetra and had dinner at Ambala.

By early morning we were in the Kulu Valley. The moon, casting its reflections in the Beas river rushing in deep gorges presented a surrealistic view. The bus snaked its way on the road, turning hair pin bends every few seconds. The wind became colder and colder. The maiden rays of the sun brought the first glimpses of the glistening snow capped peaks and they cast their magic spell immediately. There was silence except for the roaring waters of the Beas and the humming of the bus engine.

We got down at Manali and made our way to the Mountaineering institute, taking in the ozonated air and the picturesque surroundings. The Institute is set in a beautiful spot at a height of over 6000 ft above sea level and presents a breathtaking panorama of snow capped Himalayas on all sides. The Friendship Peak and the Patalsu peak, which we are to attempt, are visible when not covered with clouds. Towards West, about a hundred feet below, flows the Beas river. There was already a big team of girls selected from all over the country doing their Basic Mountaineering Course, and a dozen boys from Delhi for the Advanced Course. Accommodation is however no problem, thanks to 'Mamaji' in charge of the Hostels, and we were given three rooms with nine bunkers each. We dumped our luggage and set out to survey the town. Lunch is taken in a dhaba.

In the evening we had our first dinner at the Institute Mess, after which the Principal gave us a stiff but pleasant lecture on the do's and don'ts during the stay. One of the most important things is that non‑degradable items, particularly plastic, should not be thrown anywhere, but in a pit and to be burnt later. And of course, discipline on the lines of Military has to be adhered to.

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Our camp life began on Sunday the 25th June. The watchman blew his whistle at 5 in the morning. There is bed tea at 530 for those who want, only one has to get out of bed to get it from the mess. The water is biting cold and a bath is out of question. We go out for a morning walk towards the East. The fast flowing Alleo brook meets the Beas river here. The water is channeled to run rice and oil mills and they run automatically: the grain slowly enters the crusher and the powder is collected in a heap. To stop the mill all one has to do is to place a wooden block in the channel. It is amazing to see these primitive but wonderful devices.

Myself, Prakash, Frank and Tandava climbed up the steep slope flanking the Alleo nallah. At the top is a terrace cultivated plateau with recently sown paddy. We were in time to view the golden rays of the sun striking the mountain peaks, the effect is impossible to describe in words.

Back at the Institute, we are acquainted with the different kinds of equipment for trekking and climbing on ground, snow and ice as well as camping equipment both old and modern. After this Shri Negi took us on a local trek of Manali, as part of the acclimatisation programme. First we went to the Sivali Mahadev Temple and then to the Buddhist Lama Temples. Here we saw the huge statue of Buddha in meditation, and the Lamas turning the prayer wheel. Then we climbed up a 'small' hill to visit the Hadimba Temple set in a glen surrounded by deodar trees. Constructed in 1533, the huge footprints of Mate Hadimba in the temple can still be made out. Here Padma, Bhargavi, Rajeshwari, KV Kumar, Krishna and myself had a go at the local Kulu dress, and posed for photographs.

It was past noon by now, and we wanted to have a dip in the hot water baths at Vashistha. The water turned out to be really hot, and after the bath, several felt completely enervated.

After a late lunch, we were called for a Kiwi parade which involved picking up every bit of paper, plastic and twigs in designated areas and burning them up. We did our part enthusiastically. After this we found our way to the Beas river down below and spent the evening watching and bearing its splashing waters.

The Basic course girls were stationed in the room directly above us and the fearsome din that they made came unfiltered through the wooden floor. Our patience was worn out last night itself, so we called their group leader into our room and let her hear it for herself. She went back and suddenly there was complete silence above. Moments later, there were knocks on our door, and there was the whole group trooping into our room. First we thought that it was an attack by the Amazon women, but soon everyone was getting introduced to each other.

The sky was partially cloudy in the morning when we started on the 6km steep climb to Arjun Guha. We passed through a small village, with children waving 'Ta‑Ta' to us on our way. Three hours later, we were at the caves. Considerable length of the meandering Beas river is visible from here. There are apple trees everywhere and it is fun to pluck them. Though unripe, they taste good. There are also several plum trees on the way.

Meanwhile Vikas, Bhargavi and Prakash went for rappelling down a rock near Vashistha with the Advanced Course guys.

The Sports Minister of Himachal Pradesh paid a visit to the Institute and a 'Bada Khans' was organized in his honor. The equipment was issued after this: rucksacks, windcheaters and sleeping bags for everyone. We eagerly wait for the trek to begin.

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The much anticipated day, June 27th, was heralded by a clear sky. We finally packed our rucksacks and the lunch and started on the 13km trek to the Base Camp at Solang. Our Instructor Chobe Ram Thakur took us through the boulder strewn banks of Beas. Prem, Krishna and Raja who were at the back, took the road route and joined the main team after an hour.

At noon we had lunch near a beautiful splashing brook in a glade surrounded by huge rocks on all sides. We deviced a very ingenious way to avoid washing plates in that cold water. The plates were covered with plastic sheets before placing the food, and all one had to do was to dispose off the sheets in a pit. One more hour of trekking (the back loads seemed to be increasing in weight) brought us to the Base Camp of Mountaineering Institute at Solang, located at a height of 8134 ft.

Like a slender delicate fern glistening in morning dew, the Solang valley captivated our hearts the moments we were in its lap. The Beas with its ice cold foaming white waters flows in the East beyond which mountains belonging to the Pir Panjal range rise, covered with velvet green meadows and capped by milk white snow. Turning North, the cloud covered Patalsu and Friendship peaks are visible. The Solang glacier, with huge chunks of creeping ice, hangs in the West. The Kulu‑Manali valley lies South, the direction from which we came. In the middle of all these are the ski slopes of Solang which get as much as six to eight feet of snow in winter, now covered with green meadows.

After drinking the lemonade prepared by the girls and a brief nap on the grass, myself, Nagesh, Vikas and Prakash decided to go see the Solang glacier. On way a beautiful rock tempted us to climb it. Soon a drizzle started and we had to hurry back.

In the meanwhile a classical song session was going on in the camp. Leela was the star of the day, and the climax was provided by Vidyamurthy.

A BSF expedition group, returning from their base camp at Beas Kund after climbing the Friendship Peak (17500 ft) greeted us; we were invited to join them in a football game and later we went to their camp just a hillock away. One of them, Satish Nair, showed us all the modern climbing equipment.

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At 5 in the morning, Dile Ram blew the whistle to get us out of the sleeping bags. After breakfast and lunch packing, we were made to fall in line and a sweet surprise: toffees were distributed to everyone. The 14km long trek to Beas Kund began.

Within a couple of hours we were at snow level, surrounded on all sides by mountains and glaciers. For the first time, we crossed a glacier and touched snow. There were also several snow bridges: frozen ice on rivulets. Many varieties of flowers were seen: beds of yellow flowers at lower levels spread like a carpet, bunches of violets higher up and small white and red flowers still further up. At Bakkartach (11500 ft) about 1 km from the Beas Kund, rain started, first in drizzle, then in a steady pour, forcing us to take out the raincoats. Lal Singh ordered us to take out the packed lunch and we ate our lunch just like that, with the rain sogging the food!

The return trek was a bit dangerous due to the slipping caused on the wet rocks and ice, but we managed to reach lower altitudes without any broken bones. At Dundhi tea house we ordered double cups for everyone, and how good it tasted!

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Prem and myself were keen on viewing and photographing the night sky, so we got up at 4 in the morning next day, as silently as possible, but still waking everyone up, yet only to find the sky hidden with clouds. However by 730, when we fell in line, the sky was clear and the sun was shining bright. This day we were to attempt Patalsu Peak: height 14500 ft; trek distance: 5km. Amul chocklates were distributed, and we started off in a single file.

That it was going to be a tough climb was evident from the beginning. We first crossed the Beas by a log bridge and then passed through the Solang village. After an hour Tandava Murthy and Lalitha dropped out. The cause of their problems was traced to dehydration, and by taking in fluids for the whole day, they brought themselves back to shape for the next expedition.

Part of the trek was through a forest mostly occupied by Deodar, Maple, Walnut and Pine trees. Here we came across a water point and we were advised to fill ourselves as well as the water bottles since flowing water would not be available at higher altitudes. The trek continued with Lal Singh showing the way and Chobe Ram bringing up the rear, both nearly a km distance apart. The trek led us through steep slopes covered with grass. At a particular point we saw the unique cobra plant, its leaves exactly shaped like the hood of the reptile. Going further, we found flocks of sheep and several horses. As we gained altitude, breathing seemed to become more and more difficult. It was excruciating just to lift a leg and place the next step. We were taking rest after every few minutes. Soon we were into packed snow. We had never climbed in such conditions, and the instructors showed how to kick in the snow to make steps for climbing. Sadhana slipped and we caught our breath as our instructor slided down fast on feet, using a stick both as a rudder and a brake, catching up with her and halted her skidding. A similar thing happened with the leading team when Krishna slipped.

We soon caught up with Bhargavi, Prakash, Rout and Vikas near the peak. The grandiose view of the endless mountain ranges on the Tibetan side was fantastic. Looking back the way we had come, the green slopes, the glaciers and the glistening Beas river we felt to be at the top of the world. Top of the World feeling it was! Alas for only a few minutes while we managed to take a few photos, since the clouds were coming up fast at us, and a white out would make the descent extremely hazardous.

So we started down. The best moment of the day was when the instructors allowed us to slide down on the snow. Several went tumbling down, but assured that either Chobe Ram or Lal Singh would be ready to break the skidding. We soon learnt how to 'brake' by digging in the heels and it was quite safe.

Soon we came down to the grass meadows where we had lunch and then climbed down further to the water point for quenching thirst and a bit of rest. The slopes were too steep even for climbing down. Lal Singh showed us how to do it by literally flying down a slope taking in Leela with him. So exhausted we were at the end of the day that many were only too happy to take a bath with the ice cold water.

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The next day lemon squash bottles were distributed to be carried on the day's trek to Rohtang Pass (height 13500 ft, distance 14km). Roopa, Rajeshwari and Prem could not join. After a while Prakash dropped out due to knee problem.

We continued on road towards East for some time, past an impressive gorge. After cool drinks at Kothi village, the tough part of the climb began. Several small and big, broad and ribbon thin waterfalls were on the way. By noon we were at Marhi, a tourist stopover at an altitude of 13000 ft. Here we had our lunch in a dhaba.

Within minutes, clouds covered the place, visibility was reduced to near zero, and rain along With hailstones began. The kohtang Pass was within sight, but had to be given up. Fortunately, a bus arrived and we could go back till Palchan. The rain gave way to a mild drizzle and using raincoats, we trekked back to Solang.

It was still afternoon and we watched the BSF personnel doing zumarring and rappelling on a rack face nearby. They were nice enough to let Vikas, Rout and Prakash join them and lent their equipment.

As night drew nearer, we became restless. This was our last day at the base camp, and to celebrate the successful completion of the expedition, we decided to have a campfire. So firewood was collected, and a fire started. Dile Ram the cook joined in with bottles of kerosene and soon the flames leapt into the sky. We sang and danced until every bit of tinder was consumed.

The star studded sky presented yet another breath taking view. Bhargavi the Asteroid Hunter patiently explained the various star formations. We went to bed late, exhausted but extremely happy.

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We bid farewell to Solang the next morning, June let. This time we trekked to Manali along the road route. Several stopped on the way at Vashistha Springs to have hot water baths. Prakash, KV Kumar, Nagesh and myself continued non‑stop for two and a half hours till we reached the Mountaineering Institute, and had cold water baths. Later we returned the equipment and went to the town for purchases.

The next day, after bidding farewell to the Instructors and other students at the Institute, seven of us: myself, Nagesh, Hari, Tandava, Rout, Prakash and Frank took a bus to Kulu. Our intention was to catch the next day train from Shimla to Kalka, supposed to be one of the most picturesque narrow gauge railway lines in the world. Just about 10 km from Kulu, the road got blocked due to a head‑on accident of a bus and truck. We crossed the accident site, and took a bus on the other side. We changed another bus to Mandi and then yet another to Bilaspur. Here we stayed at the Sainik Rest House for the night and took a bus to Shimla in the morning. Near the Mall Road in Shimla we hired a taxi in the afternoon to visit Wild Flower Hall, Potato Research Center and Fagu. We stayed at Kali Bari for the night.

Next afternoon, after purchasing plums, apricots and cherries, we got into the Shimla Kalka train. With 103 tunnels and 845 bridges the 95 km long track built in 1903 is certainly very enjoyable. The train doesn't travel in a straight line even for a minute, but goes round the mountains, continuously descending. One of the main places along the way is Solan, famous for its brewery. At Kalka we took a train to Chandigarh where we boarded the Kalka Howrah Mail to Delhi.

Meanwhile the remaining group came by a direct bus from Manali to Delhi. On way they had quite a jolt when a lorry rammed into the back of the bus, and the brakes failed partially. Although no one was injured, quite a few were shaken up, and the bus had to be abandoned. Near Kurukshetra, another bus was boarded for Delhi.

Delhi was hot, and we spent the time shopping or sight seeing. On the 5th night, we had rendezvous at the New Delhi station to board the Karnataka Express. Prem, Krishna, Raja, Padma and Lalitha joined at Agra.

The return journey was as pleasant as the onward one. We spent the time viewing the photographs, playing cards and palm reading. In no time at all, we were back at the Institute.

The spell is however, still unbroken. Like an invisible thread, the charm of the Himalayas beckons to us, during work and sleep, to return again and again, and that we definitely will !