I am rummaging through the almirah, trying to get hold of any winter wear that might come useful. At the moment, it is not about favourites but only the essentials. I have trekked before so there is a certain level of calm. But with the mountains, you ought to be prepared for anything and everything.
We have our departure scheduled from Delhi at 9 pm. Our plan is to reach Devprayag in Uttarakhand in time to catch the sunrise. But we are running an hour late. The Sangam Ghat at Devprayag is the holy confluence where the sediment-laden Alaknanda meets the turbulent Bhagirathi and thereafter flows as the Ganga.
After a 15-minute walk, across the bridge, crawling through the narrow lanes and dodging the occasional vehicle, I reach the Ghat where I take the holy dip. The significance of the formation stuns me.
A loudspeaker blares out announcements for the devotees to take precautions while taking the dip. There is a cluster of devotees at the Ghat - some taking the dip, some getting clicked, while others are collecting the holy Ganga Jal.
The twisty roads and sharp bends have left most of us sleep deprived. We stop again, this time to offer prayers at the Dhari Devi Temple. Goddess Dhari Devi is regarded as the protector of Char Dham - Kedarnath, Badrinath, Gangotri and Yamunotri. It's a 30-minute walk to temple, slightly more challenging than Devprayag.
The clock strikes 11. Sahil informs us that we will not be making any more halts and will tread straight for our destination. It takes us another 4 hours to witness the scenic views of the Chopta Valley. The roads are narrow and I understand why only cars, shared cabs and small tempo are allowed on this route.
Sahil is our trip captain. He takes turn to allot us our tents as we reach the camp site. The rest of the evening is spent in trek briefings, dinner and mingling with the group members.
Living in tents with complete strangers, limited resources and make-shift arrangements. This is as much a life lesson as preparation for a trek. You start seeing value in things which we tend to ignore in our abundance-filled lifestyle. Every drop of water is crucial, discarding waste responsibly, using electricity judiciously. And the most important - no one is coming to do anything for you. Be independent!
It's 6 am. A loud, animated voice echoes “Breakfast lag gaya hai. Jaldi aa jaao”. Rahul is up and running to ensure we are on time. It is cold and the blanket feels like a warm hug. I take some time but finally manage to get out of the bed. I unzip the doors of my tent, peek out while rubbing my eyes, and treat myself with the lush green valleys and snow-capped mountains of the Chopta valley. It is quieter than what I am used to but not enough to make my peace.
Rahul is one of the camp in-charges. He is responsible for everyone making it to the food table on time. I grasp a cup for the tea as I make my way to the dining tent. I couldn't stop at one cup. The blanket has found it's replacement. To go with it, Poha is served. Naman joins me.
Naman is my tent-mate. He hails from Jaipur but is working in Gurgaon. A true corporate at heart, he is making sure that his Friday-Saturday-Sunday is purposeful. As we are on the cusp of finishing our breakfast, we realize that a charging point has been freed up.
There are no separate charging points in the tents. The dining tent houses an electrical hub with multiple charging ports. The electricity supply is managed through solar panels and is hence regulated. The camp is a breathing example of “being close to the nature.”
I put my phone on charge and Naman follows. I am taking time to pack so that I don't leave any necessary stuff. This has been one of my learnings from the previous treks.
“Spend time in packing so that you sweat less on the trek.”
With bag packed, energy fueled and Ray Bans annexed to the eyes, I join the fellow trekkers who are indulging in a photo session. I am told we have to book a shared taxi to transport ourselves to the trek starting point. The sharing taxis are available at Baniyakund, which is a good 15-minute walk from our camp.
Since we are on time, we get the taxi in a jiffy. The driver tells us “ Rs 500 per taxi”. A shared taxi can accommodate 10 people. We get in and set our journey in motion. It is a scenic 15-minute drive to the starting point. We get down and slowly disperse in look out for trek gears, most important being the trek pole.
There is a rush of people who will be trekking to the Tungnath Temple (and maybe Chandrashila Peak). It is still fewer than what I had expected. Tungnath during May-October is insanely crowded. This is the period when the temple is open for prayers.
I get hold of my trek pole and patiently wait for the others. But the crowd is increasing by every minute. It has increased by almost 25% in 15-odd minutes. Naman, Avani, Sahil and I decide to ditch the group photo and start moving. Avani is a professor of Botany. She is on the quest of completing the Panch Kedar Yatra, having already been to Kedarnath.
It's 8:22 am. We enter the gate with the chant of ‘Har Har Mahadev’. The energy is high and I am feeling positive begining the ascent. The trail is swamped with trekkers and devotees in the initial metres. As we keep moving, it starts to spread out.
After a hike of 300 metres, we take a break to gather our breaths. There is a small crowd building around a temporary drinks stall where a person is selling the famous local Buransh sharbat. I skip and instead have my Electrolyte-loaded water.
Our early start is allowing us to stop and click pictures wherever the background is pretty. The trail is getting picturesque with every passing distance. The shining sun amidst the dense white clouds in a pitch-blue sky resembles the many desktop and mobile wallpapers.
Just when I am getting lost in the beauty and divinity of the trail, I hear trekkers playing loud music. Loud to the extent where it disturbs the tranquility of the nature. It is irritating but the only option I have is to keep moving.
Meanwhile, members from our group have caught up and are visible one by one. I see people taking shortcuts and endangering their life. Shortcuts, I am later told, also spoil the beauty of the valley and are being closed by the forest department.
I am not quick, but maintain a decent speed. The path is rocky but well defined. I am seperated from Naman, Sahil and Avani but I find other members from our group. We are motivating each other as the adrenaline is starting to run dry. I am taking frequent breaks now but being in the vicinity of the temple keeps me moving.
At around 11 am, I reach the temple. The Tungnath Temple is one of the Panch Kedars, others being Kedarnath, Rudranath, Kalpeshwar and Madmaheshwar. The Panch Kedar temples are highly revered by the devotees of Lord Shiva. In terms of the altitude, the Tungnath Mahadev Temple is the highest amongst the Panch Kedar and also the World's highest Shiva Temple.
There is a queue at the temple. It takes me another hour to reach the temple and offer prayers. It is truly a divine experience and brings me so much peace. I spend some more time at the temple, observing the devotees offer their prayers and soaking in the magic. I feel blessed that I was able to take this pilgrimage.
The weather has been kind. But it starts to shift gears as I see patches of dark clouds hovering in the sky. This puts me in two minds about continuing ahead.
The Chandrashila Peak is another 1-2 km hike from the temple. But the climb is steep and challenging. I wait for a while for the weather to get clear. Meanwhile, I get myself a maggi, which has now become a ritual whenever I am traveling to the mountains.
Just as I see the sun eclipsing out behind the clouds, I decide it's now or never. With one sight on the time and other on the weather, I begin the ascent towards Chandrashila. According to one legend, Chandrashila Peak is the place where Lord Rama meditated after defeating Ravana.
The Chandrashila trail is slightly risky, with a deep gorge on one side without any protection. Even though I have prepared myself mentally, I realize I will have to challenge my body if I am to summit it. I feel exhausted. But I am not ready to give up yet.
The Tungnath Temple is at an altitude of 11,000 feet and I will be climbing another 1000 feet almost. The initial few metres are easy, like a little warm-up. Once I am past that section, I see an uphill incline leading all the way up to the peak. This is the first time my mind is unsure if I will be able to do this.
I don't stop. The winds get extreme and all I can hear is a little chatter and the sound of the wind swishing. Every step feels heavy. With the altitude gain, the oxygen is getting thinner. But the ‘lakshya’ is clearly visible.
As I am waiting to get my breath back, Mr. X walks over to me. We start talking and he tells me that I will be able to climb the mountain. He tells me he has done it before and it is not as hard as it is looks. I don't have any energy bars left but his encouraging words are more than helpful.
The last few meters, I am dragging myself towards the summit. Slowly and steadily. My heart is pumping blood at an unbelievable pace. The wind hitting my face feels good but the never-ending trail is testing my patience. Huge climbs through undefined paths and rocky terrain.
It is 2 pm. I feel a pang of thrill realizing I have made it to the summit. Now when I look back, if the climb wasn’t this challenging, it wouldn’t have brought me the same level of satisfaction which it did when I reached the peak top.
I take a moment to soak in the view. I am surrounded by nothing but just mountains. I have always felt some kind of energy in the mountains. Their is comfort in their silence.
Climbing a mountain helps me conquer doubts. The fact I am on my own relieves me of my insecurities, provides me perspective and most importantly, allows me to believe in myself. I had forgotten this feeling. To be myself. That whatever come may, I can do it. This feeling is a good one and I will never want it to go.
There is a small temple at the beginning of the ridge. I offer prayers and then move to the edge of the peak.
It is slightly crowded. There is hardly anyone who is not taking a picture or is not getting clicked. I really want to sit down and switch off my mind for sometime. But I realize it’s not possible. I soak every second of the moment.
This feeling is one of those things you cannot take away from me.
The sun has stopped playing hide and seek and the rain looks imminent. I start my descend, hoping to get down the muddy incline before it gets slippery and potentially dangerous. I meet climbers at regular intervals, asking me how far is the summit. I motivate them, just like I was by Mr. X.
As I am about to reach the Tungnath temple, it starts to pelt down. I take shelter in one of the shops at the temple premises. Sensing this is not a passing shower, I decide not to wait anymore and continue my descend. I secure my phone in a plastic bag and cover three-fourth of myself in a yellow raincoat.
The rain gets heavier. I see people slipping and hurting themselves. I am moving slowly, each step placed with care and precision, sometimes even sideways to ensure balance is not lost. But I was yet to face my real challenge.
It is not water but hails falling from the sky. The temperature has dipped as well. It is freezing cold, to the extent I can’t feel my hands. I keep switching the trek pole between my hands after every few seconds. These few minutes are tough but going out of my comfort zone pacifies me. The experience is etched in my memory. I see a mother ascending with her raincoat covered child on her shoulders. The sight gives me more chills than the weather.
Despite the delays, I am on time with the descend. I have run out of water when I meet Mrs. S. She helps me refuel, with water, nuts and a Kit-Kat. She is a member of our group but we haven’t really interacted much. The generosity shines brighter than the sun at the moment.
It is amazing how quickly the weather changes in the mountains. One moment it was raining hails, and now the sun has painted the valley orangish with confident brush strokes.
I complete the journey around 6:30 pm. Some group members have descended earlier and are waiting for us to go back to the camp. We are all exhausted but I realize that being in a group is energizing. I have my dinner and we have a small bonfire session before I call quits on what has been a fulfilling day.
The new dawn brings with itself a new challenge, a new trek. We check-out and move to Sari, which is the starting point for Deoriatal. It is a 3-3.5 km trek that leads to a lake nestled in a forest surrounded by the majestic Himalayan peaks. Some of our group members decide to skip it, courtesy yesterday’s endeavor. I start the ascent at around 1 pm. The trail is mostly similar to Tungnath, though not as captivating.
My body is a bit sore from yesterday but I am not finding the climb tough. It takes me 2 hours to reach the Tal. There is a multi-tier entry fees, with concessions available to students and people below 18 years. At the Tal, I see clouds playing a spoilsport, having taken the snow-capped mountains within their ambit.
I am not really impressed with the scenery and the hike doesn’t feel worth it. This is an ideal location for camping but I am told that they banned it a few years ago, which doesn't come as a surprise.
While descending, we stop at a temple on the trail. We get to talk to and interact with the temple priest who enlightens us. I am also fortunate to have met people on this journey who have helped debunk myths and enhance my understanding about Spirituality and God.
I am going back, but not without memories, learnings and a re-energized spirit. And with a reassured belief that we are meant to keep moving, meet new people and try new things. This is the genesis of our existence.
*Some of the people names have been changed for privacy reasons.
Travel Stories
The Adventures of Srilanka- Part One
·
May 29, 2025
I am sitting at the Colombo Fort Railway Station. The old dilapidated structure is rusty but has not lost its charm. A set of iron benches lay parallel to each other, neatly organized in blocks of 4, one behind the other.
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