The Valley of Gods

"Climb the mountains and get their good tidings. Nature's peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees. The winds will blow their own freshness into you, and the storms their energy, while cares will drop away from you like the leaves of autumn. "

As more and more of today’s urban population venture out to explore the mountains, they do realise one thing. Getting closer to nature is not something reserved for holidays anymore: it is fast evolving into the perfect getaway from the mundane Monday-to-Friday cycle.

My seventh trip to the mountains in a year’s time was gathering pace. And this time, it took just two days for the headstart to become a reality. Oh and yes, I was going solo again. First time since an unforgettable trip to Spiti Valley (more on that later).

Googling had started like this: a basic search on weeklong treks in Uttarakhand and Himachal, followed instantly by a similar image search. Plenty more research, mail-chains and phone calls later, my destination popped up right in front of my eyes.

The evening before departure and the morning that followed, was a blur. Adding the right stuff, accessories, and trekking shoes to my backpack was no easy task, but it all came together and I was on my way. The Delhi to Dehradun nightlong journey had finally begun.

Day 1

Reaching Dehradun at about 5:30 am, I followed our guide and a few other passengers to a SUV for Sankri. The weather was pleasant and refreshing; not biting cold. On our way, we required permits for visiting Govind Pashu National Park. It was 3pm when we arrived at the Sankri guest house. Anticipating how difficult bathing was going to be in the coming days, I did the honours early.

A mini village with scores of shops and dhabas: that’s Sankri for you. Being the starting point for numerous treks, it’s always teeming with trekkers and travellers. Dusk followed soon after, and after a rather early dinner, we retired to our rooms.

Day 2

At the break of dawn, we left for the village of Taluka in the SUV. Our supplies were loaded on a mule.

Around an hour later, we were readying ourselves for the trek to begin. Mr. Guide, Mr. Cook and the man with the mule (I'll refer to him as 'Uncle Ji') joined me on the breathtaking journey that followed.

One of the few images in which I'm on the other side of the lens, though barely visible.

Navigating through hilly roads between forests, with a river perennially by our side on the left, was something to behold. Beautiful scenery enveloped our entire route.  Occasionally we came across those classic wooden bridges over gushing streams: the kinds you see in romantic movies (or not!). As we made our way, some villagers crossed our paths, and stopped to greet us.

The horizon was soon upon us; on its outline snowy peaks beckoned. And then we came across a walnut tree and started throwing twigs at its branches. After filling our pockets with walnuts, we sat a little bit further to peacefully munch on them.

Uncleji : "Be careful with your 

fingers while breaking the shells. 

You haven't completed even 

half your trip."

After the well-deserved break, we carried on. Soon the village of Gangaad with its wooden houses greeted us. After a few more kilometres we crossed the river over a bridge. The path that followed from there went steeply up. We finally reached the village of Osla, where much needed cup of tea and steaming maggi were waiting for us.

A quaint village located very close to a mountain top, Osla was everything you left the hustle and bustle of Delhi for. Far below, you can see the river rippling on. All the structures here are wooden as well. There is a temple which, according to the Internet, is dedicated to Duryodhan.. though locals say otherwise. It opens only once during a festival in August.

Talking of the people here, the women I encountered during my journey were camera shy and simply refused to be photographed. On the contrary, the men always allowed a few clicks and the children were more than eager. Still, I managed to take many clicks of the family I stayed with. They were simple people, with a heart of gold. Far away from the maddening race we call life, I discovered the true meaning of peace.

It is always a bliss to play 
with the children

We sat in the kitchen and had a long chat in the evening. As is customary in the mountains, I went to bed early after a delicious dinner. 

Day 3

Early morning the four of us headed for Har Ki Dun through the mountain path. Osla is the last human settlement on this way. The path is meandering in its true sense: twisting its way through waterfalls and meadows, with the peaks of Bandarpunch and Swargarohini visible in the distance. Legend has it that it was Swargarohini peak from which Yudhishthira proceeded to heaven.

On the way, we came across a hut in which honeybees were farmed once. The hut had a window damaged and broken from outside. This was the work of a mountain-bear, the only creature some people are afraid of here.

We reached our campsite in Har Ki Dun late in the afternoon. No other soul could be seen for miles around… except for the ever-present river and the imposing snow peaks in the distance, circled by the forest.

The view from our campsite. These two horses and their riders were going back to Osla.

I tucked myself into a warm 4 seasons tent. The rest had a large tent to themselves which housed the cooking. Before retiring to our tents, one of them asked if I'd be okay at night.

“Though danger is real,
fear is indeed a choice .” 
Many of the pet dogs
in places prone to leopard attacks,
have such metal bands
around their neck.

I climbed a hillock to get a better view of our trekking route for the next day. The sight that awaited me was the kind that inspires a journey like this. Lush meadows stretched all the way along the river banks, ending in dry rocky peaks. On the other bank, forests merged into snow-clad slopes. The majestic Swargarohini peak still seemed elusive. Near the horizon though, the Jaundhar glacier had come into view. Free from all restrictions, I carried on exploring my splendid surroundings till the sun went down.

By the fire, we all sat down with tea, and shared our tales till dinnertime. There’s something about the night sky as seen from places like this. It’s nothing like what we glimpse from cities. Free of all artificial light and pollution, one can see the stars present themselves right across the horizon. The Milky Way and all the constellations are gloriously clear and well-defined.

Day 4

“It’s always further than it looks. It’s always taller than it looks. And it’s always harder than it looks.”

The view from the hill top. The lack of any sign of civilization can make one underestimate the distance of the horizon.
It can take well over half a day to just reach there. The peak in the middle is Swargarohini.

Our trek resumed the following morning as we descended into the vast meadow and walked up to the river. It was pretty shallow, so we took off our shoes to cross it. And then our feet froze. The water was chilling, and you just had to keep walking. After drying our feet in the comfort of the sandy bank, we went further upstream. It was here we came across the footprints: the footprints of a leopard!

The Birch forest

The trail we were following is used by the goat herders during the summer. Along the way, we came across a forest of Birch trees. Known as Bhojpatra, the bark of these trees come off easily like sheets of paper and were used to write ancient Indian scriptures. Thorny bushes and huge boulders made our progress slower, yet we carried on in the spirit of true trekkers.

One of the frozen streams

Next on our journey were streams completely frozen on the surface! A point arrived where Uncle Ji said that it was the last place any traveler had dared to come. Nevertheless we didn't stop. Couple of hours later, we were standing at the base of Swargarohini peak. Standing there, I felt like a speck in the landscape. It was so overwhelming a sight!

It was getting late already. We sat there for sometime, took a few photographs and started on our return journey.

Managed to take one snap while
balancing myself over a rock
in the middle of the river

We followed a different route while coming back. Most part of it cut across huge rocks. Quite often we had to jump from boulder to boulder. We crossed back the river balancing ourselves delicately over the rocks, while the water, frozen at places, gushed below.

Back in the camp, the cook served us hot tea and pakodas. Our topic of discussion that evening was the origin of Osla, the problems the villagers faced now. They narrated me stories about the mountain predators, and how every villager was trained to face them. When it was my turn, I explained to them simple facts about the sky which they see so clearly… the stars, planets, and comets adorning it.

Near our campsite

Day 5

Next morning on our way back to Osla, a group of shepherds crossed our path. As we trudged on across the mountain terrain, we encountered something odd across the path. It was a white patch, rather suspicious. On closer inspection though, it turned out to be a dead sheep! It had probably lost its way... getting smothered by some wild animal.

That afternoon in Osla ended cheerfully. I made a few friends there, and several fun games later we took a casual walk around the village.

Day 6 and 7

What goes around comes around. Next day I was back where I started: the guest house at Sankri. This time I met some school kids at the dhaba:  pretty inquisitive ones! Amused by my smartphone, they took turns in etching out their creativity on the screen.

Cometh Day 7, I was back at Dehradun.

Day 8

My return bus was scheduled to leave from one of the holiest of cities: Haridwar. And like all my previous trips to Uttarakhand, I didn’t forget to make the customary trip to Har Ki Pauri. An old woman was selling packets of puffed rice at the shrine: the divine ‘prasad’ as we know it. I bought one. Spent the rest of the sunny morning clicking pictures and soaking up the atmosphere.

It all had to end someday. It was 9pm when our bus arrived back in the capital. So there was I, back home after an invigorating getaway. 

You could say I was tired, worn down by days of trekking. Maybe physically. But inside, I was feeling fresher than ever, raring to face the daily challenge we call life. 

And yes, like in every other trip of mine… I came back with a truck load of memories and many more photos.

Here are the galleries:
The people of Osla

The valley and the path

The awesome company I booked my trek from:
Gypsyshack

PS - Thanks to Prasenjit Chowdhury for taking time out of his busy schedule and editing the post.

PPS - After this trek, I've already made a trip to Thar Desert and climbed the snow clad peak of Kedar Kantha in Garhwal.