Snowscapes of The Himalayas

Exploring Western Tibet Border Lands-II

2011-08-13T23:56:00.036+05:30

Continued from Part I.... Expedition Himank: A walk in the Girthi & Kio Gaad Valleys Part 2- The Tethyan Highland 18th June 2011 Day 6- Girthi Confluence(3720M)- Lower Matoli Camping Grounds(6 Kms, 4400M) Route on right bank to Glacier snout Well before daybreak, Suraj woke me up“आशु भाई , GPS देना ज़रा ?” said he.“क्यों , इतनी सुबह GPS क्या करना है ?” – I was trying to muster the

Exploring the Western Tibet Borderlands I

2011-08-13T11:29:00.029+05:30

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In the Foot Steps of Frank Smythe- Part 2

2010-08-30T11:30:00.366+05:30

continued from Part 1Expedition Eden2Heaven- Over the Gupt Khal Day 7- Rataban(E) Glacier(4500M)- Bank-Kund Lake(4500M)(6Kms Trek) The body demands rest after the kind of ordeal we went through the previous day. The camp woke up late in the morning. The clouded skies and the chill in the air did nothing to help the situation. It was as if we were planning to spend the day there! In the

In the Foot Steps of Frank Smythe- Part 1

2010-08-30T11:27:00.335+05:30

Expedition Eden2Heaven I– Over the angry Bhuinder Khal (Morning at Gupt Khal base after 20 Hrs of snowfall) "Will this snow ever stop?"- It was a thought that I blurted out aloud in the darkness of the tent. "Shall we turn on the camp lantern?" Rajesh surprised me with a response from deep within his sleeping bag. "Its only 3 in the morning. Long hours yet for the light" He said. "You know

Prelude- Expedition Eden2Heaven (June- 2010)

2010-04-17T21:01:00.009+05:30

QUOTES from "Kamet Conquered" (Frank Sydney Smythe) "...The successful carrying out of an expedition to the summit of a Great Himalayan Peak depends upon so many factors that it is difficult to enumerate them in order, yet however well planned an expedition may be , and however well the plans are executed, there is always one link of strength unknown in the chain of circumstances, and that

Expedition Airaavat- In the Shadow of The Celestial Elephant

2010-01-23T00:54:00.057+05:30

(Explorations in the Haathi Parvat Valley) Time: 1230 Hrs 5th Nov 2009 "Woh nahin Sir, yeh pass cross karna hai". Subhan said, his voice partially garbled in the radio transmission. Subhan, Vinod and Kundu were looking like three tiny specks at the feet of an imposing mountain. "What???" I could not believe what he was saying. From where we were, this pass looked perched on top of a vertical

Shwet Digant (Part 2)-Twin Passes Trek- Nalgan and Lamkhaga Pass

2009-08-15T13:21:00.061+05:30

(Continued from the earlier article- 'Twin Passes Trek- Stage 1')A Long Road to Heaven- over the Lamkhaga PassTwin Passes Trek- Stage II- (Chitkul- Lamkhaga Pass- Harsil)View Nalgan Lamkhaga Actual Track in a larger mapDay 6- Sangla- Chitkul- Nagasthi CampThe drive from Sangla to Chitkul is over a metalled road that is maintained beautifully. The only valley that had etched an image vivdly in the

Shwet Digant (Part 1)-Twin Passes Trek- Nalgan and Lamkhaga Pass

2009-08-15T11:39:00.078+05:30

She was watching eagerly as Jaisingh helped the last of the members hop across to the other bank of the angry river. Did I notice a sense of despair in those innocent eyes?I realised all of a sudden, that the entire group of 30 Men (and women), who had by now crossed over already, were watching her with equal eagerness. For a moment, the sound of the roaring waters ceased to exist as my mind

High Adventure At Cloud's End: Dhumdharkandi Pass, Monsoon 2008

2008-07-22T02:05:00.057+05:30

They were appearing like two fist sized blots amongst rock debris, on that huge white canvas of a snow wall. Jaisingh and Dalbahadur were slowly proceeding across the snow slope, carefully stomping hard with each step. The wall rose a few hundred meters above us. Below, was a massive bowl of a snow field. We were standing on a rocky platform, ahead of which opened this vast amphitheatre. As I

Saptarshikund- Remembrances of a Pilgrimage

2008-05-13T03:11:00.027+05:30

Since when did Hanuman and Yamuna ever get related? .... A faint question mark remained in the back of the mind even as I was doing my research for the maiden trip to Yamunotri. I do claim of a better than average understanding of Hindu mythology but nowhere have I ever come across anything linking Hanuman and Yamuna!! Why is the first point of trek called Hanumanchatti? Why is the river

Baptised by Fire... Kedartaal- The Winter of 2004

2008-05-05T19:20:00.028+05:30

One could only hear silent footsteps echoing in that vast silent valley. Our footsteps! We were marching on a bit loosely; observing the shadow line progressing over the hill ahead. The sun was softening out as it set on its way West and we were hastening walk in order to reach the campsite before shadows became longer. "Aur kitna dur Rana?".. I asked "Bus aa gaya sir..abhi ek aur dhalan hai aur

Footloose in Virgin Valleys – The Bamsarukhal Trek

2008-02-09T21:35:00.003+05:30

"Hi...You don't know me...but my name is Ajay..." I was reading this surprise mail in my in-box from this guy from the United States of America. He was seeking my advice on possible trek routes in the Himalayas. That's probably the first time I had a go at being a professional adviser on issues relating to trekking and guess what? it was the toughest I have handled so far! This guy was seeking

Paradise Where the Gods Reside- Tapovan

2008-01-26T19:28:00.001+05:30

"When the wind blows at you that menacingly, carrying snowflakes as sharp as needles, when you can't see forth cause of the piercing fury of it..and when you turn your back, it's as if wind gets sucked out of your lung… its white all around and you don't know which way to go because the fresh footprints get snowed out in seconds! that's when you know it's a blizzard…" Sandhu was giving us a first

The Abode of Bhagirathi- Fountainhead of A Civilisation

2008-01-26T02:19:00.001+05:30

....and the lilting poetry of the Shree Gangashtotram, goes on for another 12 stanzas..In a moment of absolute spiritual inspiration...sitting by the banks of the Ganges...thus wrote the great sage Adi Shankaracharya in the 8th century AD. Of the many travels and treks that have me besotted so comprehensively with the King of the Mountains (Nagadhiraja- Himalaya...as described in Kalidasa's

Snow Fields, Rockwalls and Riverine Vistas- Traversing Balipass in Winter

2007-11-24T16:02:00.001+05:30

Standing in the middle of that 70 degree slope I dug deep again with the hiking staff. Loose earth and rubble sliding from under made it a giant effort to just hold on there. I looked up and saw Jaisingh almost overhead a hundred feet above, waving at me and saying something completely inaudible. Looking down I see Ritesh as a small speck several hundred feet down below, Rama and Pradeep resting

Balipass Trek - Itinerary and Preparation

2007-10-07T08:08:00.000+05:30

Detailed Itinerary and CostBali pass / Yamunotri pass H. 5236 Mtr.Best season 15th May to 15 Nov. (We are basically in the end window planning our trip from 25th Oct- 2nd Nov 2007)Days 01Delhi- Hanuman chatti – Janki chatti (Trekkers Team)/Uttarkashi –Hanuman Chatti – Janki chatti - (Support Team).On arrival at Barkot Lunch at the Hotel after Lunch Short drive for Janki Chatti 02 hrs On arrival

Mysterious Pretty Lake of Doom- Roop Kund

2007-06-17T16:39:00.000+05:30

8th Century AD:The Gods had been very angry for several days now. The snow fall would just not relent!!! There had been no sun for days ! The group of pilgrims was stuck in the middle of a tarn on a high mountain pass. Having taken refuge in the frozen tarn, the depression of the bowel shape providing some shield against the blinding blizzard- blowing few meters above on the pass. Weeks earlier

Preparing to Explore the Heights

2007-06-16T02:24:00.001+05:30

Its like a fervent wish- when u are into a hole, a difficult situation, hoping and praying to god to give u that little screw driver that's required to hold that specs-lens in the frame. Over the years, as one has gone on trudging from one difficult spot to the other (and of course all those heavenly and transcendental moments) the wish-list for trekking preparation has constantly grown. Here is

Lessons at the "Shivalaya" in "THE" Himalayas

2007-06-06T03:05:00.002+05:30

The legend goes that the great Reinhold Messener was once allowed permission by the Chinese administration to climb this mount. Definitely not lofty by the standards of the first man to be atop Mt Everest without oxygen....this was a mere 6000 and few hundred meters. So he started off to recce the Mountain and in the process witnessed some display of human faith that must have shaken his

Badrinath-Vasudhara-VoF- Hemkund

2007-05-27T15:19:00.000+05:30

The Pindari trek had left a vivid impression and I was longing for a go at it again. The legendary adventure (some by providence and some created by our complete lack of planning) had got us new friends in the batch who either had similar experiences or similar ambitions.Posting the skeleton now for information of aspiring trekkers in the routeFirst the route...Day 1 (evening)- Delhi-226(

The Pahaadi Maa of Pindari

2007-05-21T00:46:00.635+05:30

Day 1- (Delhi- Nainital)The Longest Bike Ride to Nainital……… When they said "Pindari", an image conjured up in the mind- of robbers dressed with complex turbans riding on horses whom Lord Hastings had a bad time controlling during the days of Colonial imperial India. But this Pindari was different; way apart from the robbers of central India in 19th century. Pindar Ganga is the third major