Uttarakhand

The Enticing Himalayas – Winter Kuari Pass Trek Part 3

Himalayas, India, Travel, Uttarakhand / By / November 9, 2021

The stories of Day 1 and 2 of the trek can be found in Part 1 and Part 2.

So Cold!!

On reaching Tali campsite at the end of our trek on Day 2, we headed straight to the kitchen tent to warm up and there we stayed till evening. Several cups of hot tea and bowls of maggi were consumed to ward off the biting cold and to re-energize ourselves after the 13km long trek. From evening till dinnertime, we spent the time in our tents having naps and just resting.

That night’s dinner, delicious though it was, provided only a small respite from the bitter weather. It kept snowing at a steady rate and the ground was carpeted by fresh snow a few millimeters deep. Inside our tents, we had to keep hitting the roof to ensure that snow didn’t collect for very long and bury the tent. When we tried to sleep though, it proved to be impossible – we were literally shaking, our teeth chattering. Cold rose from the ground in waves and any number of layers or even the body warmers couldn’t help. Temperatures had dropped to sub-zero zones, to about -25 deg.C!!

The Descent to Base

The next day, however, dawned bright and sunny to our delight. The unbearable cold had gone and we were left with a manageable cold and a clear, sparkling sky. After breakfast, we packed up for the final time, said goodbye to our camp crew before we set off.

Day 3

We started from Tali at 9AM on day 3, the final day of our trek. Almost as soon as we started our walk, we encountered amazing views behind us. The sun shining down on the fresh snow and the clearly visible majestic peaks. We simply stared with wonder at nature’s beauty. Last night’s snow seemed to add an extra dimension of magnificence to the whole scenery.

Initial part of the day was a medium incline or ascent, and the final part was a mix of gradual and steep descent down to our base point. The sceneries that we came across as we walked on steadily were mind blowing. It was nature at its best, in all its glory and splendor and we were right in its lap!

We started with exclamations like “Omg! Wow!”, “That’s amazing, what a view”, “Never seen anything like this!”, until we soon ran out of words. There weren’t any adjectives to describe the brilliance of what we were witnessing. Every turn of the trail opened up another new mountain peak and scenery.

Ultimately, we started to leave behind this gorgeousness and climbed down to lower altitudes. We traveled via Gurson Bugyal top, onto Gurson Bugyal and finally down to Auli, our final stop.

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Gurson Bugyal Top
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Unforgettable Views

The universe compensated for the cloud cover of the day before and rewarded us with such amazing panoramic views that is hard to put down in words. Seeing is believing. That day we saw some mighty peaks of the Himalayas – Dronagiri, Mt. Kamet, Nanda Devi, Trishul , Chaukhamba, Neelkanth, Hathi Ghoda and some which we did not know the name of but were equally breathtaking.

We saw these mountains at various angles, with the sun and shadows creating views unlike any other, giving birth to unforgettable sceneries.

Day 3 Summary:

From/To: Tali to Auli via Gurson Bugyal

Distance: 9 kms.

Altitude: 11000ft to 11500ft to 9500ft

Walking Time: 5.5-6 hours

Peaks: Dronagiri, Mt. Kamet, Nanda Devi, Trishul , Chaukhamba, Neelkanth, Hathi Ghoda

Memories of a Lifetime

From Auli we were driven by car to Joshimath, where we stayed the night and from there on, traveled the next day to Rishikesh (10 hours by car and finally back to Mumbai. At Joshimath, the fatigue hit us; extreme exhaustion settled upon us and we barely felt able to make it to dinner. And the pain….! Oh, the pain in the legs, I was literally limping. But I wouldn’t exchange it for anything in the world.

This Winter Kuari Pass trek was my first ever trek. I never knew I had this stamina, bravery, strength and will in me to do this. There were bad moments – when I slipped and fell and hit my bum, when my foot slid dangerously close to the edge on the icy snow, when I felt I just couldn’t take the cold anymore and tanning up like crazy, skin bleeding due to dry chappiness and mini frostbite. But nothing, nothing will ever come close to what I saw – nature’s loveliness which I was fortunate enough to behold.

It is the experience of a lifetime with memories forged that will be there in my heart forever.

Things to know before you do a winter trek

  • Clothes: Thermals, fleece jacket, down jacket (which should also be wind and waterproof). Atleast these 3 layers plus woollen mufflers, gloves (one woollen, one waterproof), socks, hat.
  • Shoes: Trekking shoes with bottom treads.
  • Miscellaneous:
    • Body warmers (I recommend)
    • Sanitizing wipes, tissues
    • Headlamps with extra batteries
    • Bag with waterproof cover
    • Sunglasses are a must (can cause snow blindness otherwise)
    • Moisturizer to take care of dry chappiness
    • Thermos to carry warm water.
  • Remember! (for any trek):
    • Do not throw away your trash carelessly, clean up after yourself.
    • Collect the trash and dispose it off properly. Respect nature, it is giving you so much to cherish.
    • Avoid use of plastic as they are toxic.
    • Do not waste, be it food or water. Resources are scarce, use them responsibly.

That said, enjoy the gift of nature and absorb the pure atmosphere all around you.

This post was written as part of Blogchatter’s Cause A Chatter campaign – “Nature Talks”; where I led a rustic life in harmony with nature.

The Charm of Himalayan Mountains – Winter Kuari Pass Trek Part 2

Himalayas, India, Travel, Uttarakhand / By / October 26, 2021

The initial pre-trek and Day 1 story are here in Part 1. Carrying on from there…

T minus 7 Hours

The night at Gulling campsite was freezing cold, and when we lay down on the ground inside our tent – albeit over a mat – our backs froze. The sleeping bags itself came with a layer of warm material plus we had on our inner thermals, tee shirt and fleece jacket. We also had on our socks and gloves. Despite this, it felt cold. To give ourselves that final warmth, we had brought body warmer patches which we attached to our back and the backs of our legs. This helped a lot, and we could catch a few hours of sleep.

I have never done camping so this feeling of sleeping under the open sky with utter silence surrounding me and hug of nature from all around felt exciting and a bit unnerving and, despite the cold, quite fun!

The Final Ascent

Our day started at an ungodly hour of 4.30AM. Hot tea and biscuits was given to us in the tent which awakened us. We freshened up with wipes and a tinny amount of our warm drinking water and then put on our trekking gear – layers, boots, hats, gloves and headlamps. After packing up our sleeping bags and organizing the one we were going to carry, we had a quick breakfast of toast and porridge standing in the kitchen tent. A quick check of equipment later, we were ready to start.

Day 2

The 2nd day of our trek started officially at 6AM. We set off walking in dark with our headlamps on and our walking sticks for aid, over slippery, frozen ground. The guides showed us the route but told us that we should all go at our own pace, stop when needed and pick up pace if we felt like it.

Over the rocky, mountain terrain we walked on, through trees, up boulders, across frozen streams as day gradually dawned around us. We stopped when we were totally out of breath, had water and sweets for sustenance and carried on. It was enervating and such a rush!

As we climbed, we started to encounter snow on the ground, a little scattered here and there on the sides and then ultimately the whole ground was snow covered. Breathing became harder as we moved to the rare air of higher altitudes. We had to pace ourselves.

We traveled via Khullara and reached Khullara Top mid-morning at around 9AM. Here we had a small rest, refreshed ourselves and put on our shoe protectors because we were about to start serious tramping through snow after this. Till now, we were going up a gradual ascent but from hereon started a pretty steep ascent over snow to our final destination.

Walking through snow over steep slopes, S-curved ridges, brambles etc. was hard. The snow was deep so we always had to test the ground by poking our stick and checking that it was solid enough for us to walk on and only then should we step forward. Once we were through the trees and on higher elevation, the entire mountain landscape opened up behind us – the dazzling peaks and a slightly clouded sky.

Never, not one part, not at any point did it ever feel boring or monotonous. Each step was a challenge, each foot forward was a risk taken towards our ultimate goal. Ofcourse we stopped for photos, water, small rest to catch our breaths. And so it went on till we reached our peak – Kuari Pass at an altitude of 12500ft.

We summitted at 10:30AM in the morning. And may I say, I was the first one to reach the top – yay me! I soaked in the feeling of having reached the top, that sense of achievement, that absolute joy and finally the utter wonderment of having that sheer natural beauty in front of me.

Kuari Pass!!

A Panorama Unlike Any Other

It was unbelievably windy and cold at the top. But that all faded when we beheld the view in front of us. The valley stretched out between the ranges and the mountain peaks right up in our faces, all separated by the pass we stood on – Kuari Pass.

Unfortunately, the weather had turned quite cloudy by this time and we were able to witness only a few peaks. Mainly, the Dronagiri behind us, to our left the Pangarchulla peak and mostly hidden behind the clouds – the Neel Kanth. Despite this, the panoramic view was something to be remembered forever, it was a view unlike any ever seen.

At The Top

The Descent

Having spent a half an hour or thereabouts on the pass, it was time to start our descent to the other side to our day’s camp. After walking a couple of minutes, we found some boulders shielded from the extreme wind and we sat to have our packed lunch.

The descent was via a ridge to our Tali camp. This was the most adventurous part of our trek where it always felt one slip and down we would go. As we started our walk over the ridge – sharp drops on each side of us – it started to rain. We had to walk carefully on the path because it soon became slippery. The danger added a level of exhilaration and excitement to this part of the trek. Hearts beating fast, heads bent against the rain, we forged on ahead.

After some-time the rain converted to snow and with the wind blowing sideways it struck our faces, settled on our clothes and bags. It was fascinating to see the various shapes and sizes of the snowflakes as they floated by. But we had to concentrate on the path, on not slipping and sticking to the trail.

Finally, at around 2PM in the afternoon, we made it to Tali Forest, where our camp for was setup among the trees for the day.

Snowing on descent

Day 2 Summary:

From/To: Gulling to Tali via Kuari Paas

Distance: 13 kms.

Altitude: 9000ft. to 12500ft and back to 11000ft

Walking Time: 8 hours

Peaks: Dronagiri, Pangarchulla

Final part of the trek coming up in Part 3.

This post was written as part of Blogchatter’s Cause A Chatter campaign – “Nature Talks”; how I was at the heart of nature and one with it.

Paradise On Earth – Winter Kuari Pass Trek

Himalayas, India, Travel, Uttarakhand / By / October 26, 2021

Heaven on earth. This is the only term to describe the Himalayas and its impeccable beauty. To be up close to these gorgeous mountains, in the very lap of pure, unadulterated nature is a blessing. To be able to witness those views from the top is an award which you get for your hard work to reach there. Such were my feelings on my first ever mountain trek – the Kuari Pass Trek.

Auspicious Beginnings

The pre-trek part of the trip saw us – my husband and myself – traveling from Mumbai to the holy city of Rishikesh, Uttarakhand. Our hotel was right beside the river – the Holy Ganges – and just 2 doors away from the Laxmanjhula. Breakfast was hot kachoris and sabji, with tea on the balcony with a view of the Ganga and the Laxmanjhula bridge. Could there have been a better start to a trip?

After breakfast, we went for a walk by the river, over the bridge and onto the other side towards the Ramjhula. A pleasant walk with some window shopping or actually, 1 piece of shopping – I bought a woollen hat. That hat turned out to be my savior on the trek.

The walk left us famished and we had lunch at this cute café. Evening saw us meeting up with our con-conspirators i.e. our co-trekkers. We reacquainted ourselves – food, adda and laughter – and discussed the final minutiae of our trek.

Raring To Go

Early next morning – 5:45AM!! – we 4 trekkers started from Rishikesh by car for Joshimath which would be our main starting point of trek as well as the place for collection of supplies. With stops for tea and lunch, we reached Joshimath at about 6PM to icy cold weather. Temperatures were down to 9°C!

Joshimath is a bustling town in Uttarakhand which serves as the starting point for many a trek or trip to the upper Himalayas, including pilgrimages. In itself, it is a pretty town with its mountainous backdrop and religious afflictions as several temples of fame are located here.

We took a walk about town, imbibing the cold and compensating by having hot tea and biscuits! We met our guide for the trek who gave us instructions, timings and some tips. After organizing our trekking bags for the next day, we turned in early that night.

Incredible India!

Trek starts - The Initial Ascent

Next morning, though the 3rd day of our trip, was our 1st day of trek. Excited, we were ready and raring to go at 9.30AM. We were to travel a short distance by car to Dhak, point zero of our trek. Before that, we made a stop to collect all supplies which were to last all of us for the next 3 days. Ration, fuel, water, utensils, stoves, sleeping bags, tents.

Our trek was organized by Himalaya Trekkers, a small but experienced group who took care of all our trekking needs from point to point (Joshimath to Joshimath).

Day 1

At 10:30AM, we officially started our trek from Dhak (~ 6100ft).

We dismounted the car and strapped on our bags while our equipment – that we had picked up earlier – was loaded on to 2 mules who would carry it to the day’s campsite. The four of us plus our two guides – second one joined us at Dhak – took off walking on a small trail through the village of Dhak.

As we climbed, the mountain vista slowly opened up below us and enjoyed the lovely sights. After about an hour, we stopped for a rest and to refill our water bottles in tiny village of Tugasi (~7000ft). This would be our last encounter with villages or residents – after this it would be the mountains and us, nature embracing us.

Lunch was a packed one – roti, sabji, a fruit, a chocolate bar and juice – sitting on a rocky outcrop on a trail to higher altitude. A drink of water and we set off again. We were able to gradually see and recognize peaks in the distance. The feeling that we were closer to them was something never felt before. The final leg of that day’s trekking ended at our campsite – Gulling, at an altitude of 9000ft. We had walked for 3 hours that day and covered a distance of about 7kms.

We were greeted by an astoundingly beautiful campsite on the edge of the mountain with a view to die for. Dronagiri, Nanda Devi, and Hathi Ghoda peaks were right in front of us – an unimpeded view against a sparklingly clear sky!

The trekkers

Camping

Our campsite was already set-up by our camping crew helpers; 2 tents for the 4 of us, one loo tent, one kitchen tent. The kitchen tent was our saviour for these 3 days, only place warm enough to thaw us down a little in the freezing cold weather. It also served us king’s feasts for every meal. That evening it was piping hot coffee and pakodas!

We then had a small trekking lesson just before that – our guide showed us how to put on shoe protectors and spikes for snow trekking. Then, we were given instructions on camping rules –

  • Do not waste water (no brushing, just a quick mouth wash)
  • How to use the loo tent (hole’s been dug, do your thing and the use the shovel to cover it with dirt)
  • How to use your sleeping bags (pack them up the next day)
  • Collect your trash so they can be disposed off properly.
Me!! Enjoying sunshine @ Camp Gulling

I am doing my bit towards conservation of nature by raising awareness through this post via Blogchatter’s Cause A Chatter campaign.

Before sunset, we did a bit of exploring around the mountainside, taking in the clean, fresh air and the wonderful ambience that surrounded us and then watched the sun go down in between those gorgeous peaks.

Dinner was hot food – rotis, daal, sabji, sweets – in the warm tent. We chitchatted and walked about the small campsite in the moonlight but in the end the cold got us – it was impossible to just stand in that cold. We retired early as we had a very very early start the next day. Our final ascent to the peak.

Coming up in Part 2 , our final ascent and in Part 3, our last day of returning to base.

Day 1 Summary:

From/To: Dhak to Gulling

Distance: 6-7 kms.

Altitude: 6100ft. to 9000ft.

Walking Time: 3 hours

Peaks: Dronagiri, Nanda Devi, Hathi Ghoda

Us! @ Camp Gulling
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