Naveen’s Travel Blog

Trek to Gangaria

Thursday, August 21, 2008 – 6:44 pm

August 4, 2008

The much anticipated trekking started today…

In our dormitory, we were all ready by 5AM. Outside from the courtyard of Sankaracharya Math, the atmosphere was surreal. I didn’t understand what the Head Priest explained us yesterday night with such enthusiasm, pointing into the dark misty regions but now i can see them all. We were right in the middle facing a giant stage erected by Mother Nature, the curtains of clouds were tearing up and revealing in beautiful bits and pieces, the majestic Himalayan mountains posing in the centre and flanked on both sides of the sloping hills was the township of Joshimath.

We hauled our rucksacks and climbed the zigzag streets to our gathering point in GMVN hotel. It was a bit far and the few mins of steep walk felt like a trial run. I didn’t feel the weight of my rucksack eventhough i had sweated out one full cycle already. It was normal for me but i was still considering whether i should give away my rucksack to be carried by a mule. I had already enlisted for it. After the briefing, we set off in buses from Joshimath to Govind ghat from where we will begin our trek.

Govind ghat located at the confluence of the rivers, Alaknanda and Lakshman Ganga at about 6,000ft above sea level was the drop off point from NH 58. From here a 13km track which is not motorable and only passable by foot or by mule leads to Gangaria which is at 10,000ft. This route is fairly crowded due to incessant pilgrim traffic to the Gurudwara at Hemkund. And there are dhabas atleast at every 2 or 3km and even a little village in the middle of trail. By professional standards of trekking, we were said it was quite easy one.

Piles of our rucksacks were gathered to be carried on top of mules. And it appeared that most of us had decided to part with them. I was still considering and undecided. First, i was confident that i can manage to walk up the 13km trail and i was just trying to build some more confidence so that i can do that as well with my rucksack. Even for the walking, i had no previous record or preparation or had even attempted anything lesser of that sort. So without any tangible evidence, i was building castles and castles out of confidence, blind confidence! Atleast it would be considerate if these castles were beside the seashore but unfortunately they have to be perched precariously on the steep altitudes of Himalayas. Do i have a chance? and out of what stupid idea that i was trying to pull myself with a 10kg rucksack?? You know, i have a fundamental lethargy to evaluate tiny numbers, i mean the single and double digits. So what is this 10kg and 13km are going to bother me from a true trekking experience. (I had no idea of the 4 digit altitude at this moment) With that glowing thought, i went beaming and withdrew my rucksack from the list.

After a moderate breakfast of Aloo Parathas, we set on to cross the hanging bridge across Alaknanda river and started climbing the mountain path. I had no watch but it must be around 8.30 AM and the Sun rays were in full glory heating up the sides of mountains that we were traversing. I was sweating as much like the stream that gushes beside our trail in the deep gorges. With passing time, my rucksack seemed to swell and weigh more, exhaution swept across body, dehydration was too fast and drinking water didn’t seem to help. Despite being aware that i shouldn’t do it faster, i started to drag myself more rigourously and without break.

Barely 2 kms away, practicalities became clearer and limits of confidence were evident. My back was aching and the legs were getting cramps. Certainly mere confidence wasn’t going to make me cross the rest of the journey. I tried to carry on for some more time. But some rectification was needed immediately. So when i found that some of our group’s elderly women had taken to ride on mules, i finally decided to give up my rucksack with them. Relief was immediately felt. Infact my pace improved and i started even walking with batches of other trekkers here and there.

Unfortunately the status didn’t last longer. About another km and the distress came back but now its only muscle cramps which kept recurring in painful cycles across my thighs. And my stupid self had hurriedly thrown away everything with the rucksack that i didn’t have the first aid kit. Thankfully i was within the sight of some of our group. Someone spared their Relispray and Deepa advised some leg exercises. After some rest, i continued. The cramps occurred again but in a different muscle. It seems to be the high time when the body is reminding me that the leg is indeed composed of several muscles and that they do exist…..and that they did exist in idle for so long!

Now there was no one near by and i progressed slowly whenever the cramps subdued. At one moment, my legs froze and i couldn’t move even a step more. And then i saw at distance below Sunand, our expedition leader and few others. It was a mixture of relief and anxiety. Anxiety because as all of us know, Sunand was the one who was lingering behind and pursuing the whole group at their end. The Relispray was borrowed once again and Ratha gave some Homeopathic pills (forgot the name) for pain relief. We had a long break with a bit of chit chat. Sunand cast no doubts about my ability and only advised me to take water more frequently as i might be dehydrating a lot.

By now, the trail had trees and shrubs shading the path from the hot sun. Cool breeze lifted up the spirits and my sagging confidence was restored. Somehow i felt that till now, all the efforts of trekking had unconsciously deviated into a sort of manual labour, with eyes fixated on the cobbled paths. The nature around was hardly relished. So i unwrapped my camera again and decided to distract myself out of the monotonous walk. By now i had also learned the basics of trekking and had a better idea of how to progress further, how to walk steadly unhurried, when to stop for breaks to avoid cramps. Thankfully i had been carrying the snacks of dried fruit and nuts, rainwear and the torch. Sunand had also given me his wooden stick for supporting the climb. What great help it did. All these are going to help me for the next several hours with more unexpected turn of events.

I walked, walked, walked, walked, walked as slowly and steadily as i can. Don’t be tired of my writing, i would indeed repeat the word “walk”, even an umpteen times more because truly - believe me: it was the amount of effort that i made painstakingly. Several short breaks were taken, just pausing without resting. And every hour or less, i took a major break resting for several minutes chewing the dried fruits and nuts for quick energy and gulping electrol dissolved water or the spicy Nimbu pani (lime juice) from a dhaba rehydrating the body. I also took the homeopathic medicine from Ratha again twice during the breaks.

As i got better, the challenges also got better. The weather started to drizzle. No sooner that i had wrapped myself in full rain suit, the sun started shining again. Within the unbreathable rainwear, i was sweating profusely and had to strip them off. Nature turned tyrant. It started to rain then. Quickly i repackage myself into the rainwear. Atleast the game was over. And it rained cats and dogs. By now, i was crossing the village which was in the middle of the trail and about 7 kms from Gangaria. About halfway reached…

At this time, my pace had also steadily moved ahead of Sunand and few others tailing the group. And more or less i was strolling in sight of Chandrasekhar couple from chennai. I had skipped my Lunch and settled for more snacks and water. The rains continued to pourdown intermittently.

About 3kms away from Gangaria, the track went nasty and very steep. There was not a bit of order, stones of various sizes where strewn randomly, the rains have made a sludge of the soil and the rocks were slippery. Garnishing the precarious ground were the excreta of the mules and their unbearable stench. Without the metal tipped wooden stick, i could have certainly spoiled or atleast soiled myself a lot in this rough patch. After 2 kms of struggle, the path became flooded. A fresh stream was flowing across the path where i happily washed off my shoes.

Crossing across, in the next few metres, a group of man-made structures were visible. The lights were failing and i increased my pace. Only when i had come closer i see a sign, marking a further 1 km for Gangaria. And the structures were a camping site outside Gangaria. But it was too late and the stupid mistake had been already done. By moving faster in anticipation of reaching, i had exhausted myself completely. Now, i had to drag myself for the last leg of the journey. I’m in sight of no one, either in front or back. Its getting dark and worse cold. I wasn’t wearing any warm clothes. I continued in my rain coats. Fortunately its wasn’t raining anymore and the path was well-laid and solid.

Finally i reached Gangaria, collected my rucksack and checked-in our humble lodging.

What i needed desperately was a good soak of my foot or better a foot massage. Forget about searching for it, i dont have even a faint idea that its possible in this forsaken place.

Not a minute after i had entered the dormitory, a man poked in enquiring of something in Hindi for “Molish”. Now, why would somebody what to polish their shoes here. Possibly to exterminate the mule shit? But wait, he wasn’t carrying any wax, instead it was tiny vials of oil. Prahalad was busy shooing away the intruder and i hurriedly interrupted him asking to enquire for me in Hindi, “Is it a massage?”. After few exchanges, he confirmed my guess. Yes, it was. I gave out a big sign of relief, “Amen! Please take my legs!!”