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Hello travelers

One thing I never liked doing since my childhood was to see off someone at the railway station! I still don’t. As the carriages moved out of the platform with me helplessly waving my hands, I used to think that the traveler is the luckiest one on this planet. When my friends went back to their hostels after their vacations, I used to think they were very happy to ‘travel’ back to their places of study where it might well have been to the contrary.

Such views have evolved with age. Destination and purpose of travel does have a bearing now. For example, when I travel to my native place for a vacation, I’m all too excited but same can’t be said for the reverse.

Just like many other Bengali families, travel started in my childhood with trips to Puri (Odisha). Whenever there was scope and time, that was the only destination to aim for. My parents never wasted time to choose places as that was always settled. So was the itinerary. It almost got to a point where I started to prefer staying at home rather than going there.

That pattern changed in our first ever trip to Darjeeling after my class X exams. That was the time I was introduced to the misty bends of the mountain roads. For the first time, I came to know that clouds could hover around me and I could swim in and out of them. The first ever view of Kanchenjunga from the mall was to change the way I looked at travel forever.

Then came the eventful trip to the Garhwal Himalayas in 1999. Events that occurred during the build up to that trip or even during it almost threatened to it, but we somehow managed to pull it off at the end. Nowhere in this world, you get to see a temple at the backdrop of the snow-capped Himalayas. I was thrilled to travel through places like Rudraprayag, the place where Corbett shot the man-eating leopard way back in 1925. I plan to share the details of this trip sometime in future on this site.

Then my profession brought me to the city of Delhi. Every year, when my company published the holiday calendar, our (me and my wife) first job was to look for long weekends. They were my windows to venture out to the corners of The Himalayas. Many such weekends took me to places of seclusion in Kumaon, Garhwal and Himachal Pradesh.

Mountain roads have always fascinated me. In more than one ways, they resemble the journey of life. After every bend, you’re presented with a view that is different from the previous one. It’s like a play with its scenes unfolding. You never know what surprise awaits you at the next bend. Mountains are probably the only places which let you to be with yourself. When you walk the trails up or down the slopes, you’re always with yourself and no one else. You’re responsible for the decisions you take, the speed at which you travel and hence, how soon you reach your destination.

I wish to share these experiences with you with my posts about my voyages. If they interest you, I’ll be more than happy to answer any queries you may have about those trips. Looking forward to interact with you all.

The Barun valley – Langmale

Dobato

24th October

We entered Phemathang under darkness amid the roaring sound of the Barun river. I was the first to wake up at 4 AM. The dark sky was littered with numerous stars. But the bitter cold air, laden with moisture from the river, didn’t allow to enjoy it. I almost ran for the toilet. I was pleased to be back in bed to enjoy the rest of my sleep. These early alarms pose a challenge to wake up. After completing my morning duties, I get an additional hour of sleep. I enjoy this extra rest while others go about their activities. Brushing the teeth proved challenging as it meant applying ice cold water to my face. The soft light started to make inroads into the valley.

On the northern horizon, the sky was acquiring brightness. There, beyond the left edge of the hills, the crown of Makalu was visible. It was our next meeting with that mountain after the Khongma La. The surrounding was serene except for the roaring sound of the torrent of the Barun river. We went down towards the gorge. The river came down in leaps and bounds creating massive rapids. The vibration against the walls amplified the roar as the river forged it’s way down through the valley. A long way down somewhere it meets the Arun river which has it’s source in Tibet. The entire stream of the Barun river freezes in winter. After the Barun river submits all its discharge into the Arun river, the Arun takes over the baton. It then carries the combined discharge through the lower valleys of Sankhuasabha.

*The Barun river, Phemathang*, *picture courtesy, Kunal Kishor*

We followed our plan and had breakfast. Afterward, we wrapped some packed lunches (of rolled chapati and jam) in our day packs. Then we started the journey. That is because, beyond Yangle Kharka (the next place of halt), there aren’t any other lodges before Langmale. Actually, there is a lodge after Yangle but it is closed now. We saw a sick lady at Phemathang who was the owner of that lodge. She was going down to her village in the lower valley to recuperate. After the usual ceremony of a group photograph, we started our journey. The trail went gradually ahead along the banks of the river. We couldn’t see it because of the elevated height of the gorge. However, we kept hearing its sound getting louder. After some more walking, we reached a bridge over the river. The bridge transported us to the right side of the Barun river and the trail started moving up.

*En-route Yangle Kharka*, *picture courtesy, Kunal Kishor*

Given that we were in the valley, the route moved through the forests. This was at contrast to the trail yesterday which was above the tree line, over the passes. As we moved along, the Barun river kept company. The depth between the trail and the flowing river kept decreasing and after sometime Barun was flowing by our side. The valley started to open up. The Barun river now appeared to flow along flat ground, distributed in multiple small and large streams. Just then, at the corner of a bend, a writing on a wooden board declared “Yangle Kharka”.

There was a check post of the Makalu Barun National Park. A single official sat in the small room. I wondered how he must feel to spend his entire day in this room. It is far away from the rat race of life in the middle of nowhere. His only companions would be the surrounding mountains. The distant stream of Shivadhara falling almost from heaven and the streaming Barun river. Kharka means a meadow in the Nepalese language. Yangle was indeed one.

*Yangle Kharka, picture courtesy, Dhananjoy De*

The lodge was on the right with a set of rooms. One of the rooms advertised the facility of a hot shower, the first of it’s kind on this trail. Shivadhara is a sacred waterfall in this region. The legend says that Lord Shiva created this waterfall with a stroke of his trishul. It falls from a height of about 500 m from a hole in a cave. The route towards it diverts from a place beyond Yangle and that trail is challenging. There’s a section where one has to step over wooden planks fixed on a vertical wall. I’ve watched videos about it and kept it out of our syllabus. It also required more days. We saw many local groups heading for that place. It’s considered a sacred pilgrimage in this part of Nepal.

We spent sometime in the wide meadow. The sun was shining bright. We had to cross the meadow to reach it’s corner. While doing so, we crossed many small streams. These were some of the numerous tributaries of the main stream of the Barun river. It flowed along the remote edge of the valley. We moved amid many small rocks spread among white sand. The surface of the ground indicated that they were part of the river bed in the past. It flowed through these areas. There’s no reason why it should not change its course again. The rocks had brown and red pigments making the sight beautiful. We saw it acquire shades of gold and crimson when we crossed this area on our way back. After sometime we entered the forest once again. The trail now had a consistent tree cover. It came in and out of the forest to kiss the banks of the Barun river.

Then came a set of staircases. After ascending them, we walked along flat ground under the shadows of tall trees. We saw clouds coming along and the sun soon started playing hide and seek. Just as the clouds started to take control, we moved out of the forest into another meadow. The trail was lined by rocks. It went through the meadow that was dotted with small bushes and trees. The diverted into two parts from a junction. A huge red cross was marked among the rocks in one direction. Hence we took the other direction.

*En-route Langmale Kharka*, *picture courtesy, Kunal Kishor*

It was about 12 when we stopped by a hut to have our lunch. The rolled chapatis hardened and we had a tough time to tear them into pieces. Once done, the pieces had to be forced down our throats, often with the help of water. Taste was unimportant, filling the stomach was. As soon we stopped walking, the cold winds started. This often causes a dilemma. Walking causes you to sweat, forcing to take off your jacket or hat, but halting brings the cold back. I repeated the spells of taking warm wears off and on, causing much inconvenience for the guide. Raju was walking with me and always helped me with these interchanges by holding my day pack. Beyond the bushes, the trail moved into a landslide area. Before that, we went past a closed house. We met the owner of this house in Phemathang in the morning. I stopped for a moment to have a look at the route ahead. It went through multiple landslide areas to reach at a base. There was huge jump in elevation at that point. Beyond that, the terrain wasn’t visible from where I stood. Beyond the horizon, huge massifs of the Himalayan peaks formed the skyline. We recognized Mt Nepo, Mt Chamlang and other peaks.

But Makalu wasn’t visible. Langmale lay somewhere on that elevated plateau. For us, the immediate milestone was to reach the top of that plateau. This was our second traverse of landslide zones after the one we crossed before reaching Phemathang. It didn’t appear that scary on this occasion despite being at a higher altitude. The daylight had a role to play and so did our state of mind. They kept coming one after another. For each, we had to cross a stream of debris. Boulders of different size & shape stood as obstacles and we circumvented or tiptoed over them. Some of them didn’t like our presence and threatened to topple us, but we finally managed to reach the base of the elevated plateau. It was a sight of wreckage and destruction. The trail rose through an ensemble of boulders and pebbles in leaps and bounds. We followed along with careful steps. On our way we came across a group of trekkers from Bengal on their way down. All of them were above 60 years in age. They shared their experience at the base camp. Their description of the route and the views lifted our spirits. The bade good luck and we moved in our respective directions. One part of my mind envied them as their milestone was fulfilled. Another part pitied them since their joy was over.

Barun hid from our view as we embarked on our upward journey. It was a series of steps trying to reach the zenith. Weather was cloudy and winds started blowing. I also felt a few drops on my body. That’s something I dreaded as no one wants to get wet. Fortunately, the precipitation remained constrained to a few drops here and there. The area was totally devoid of any vegetation. We moved through heaps of boulders whose appearance bore proof of instability. A quick glance around tells that nothing is permanent in this landscape. The slopes became gentler. That told us that we were reaching the top. The sights of roof tops of the first lodge gave us relief. As we started going towards it, Raju screamed from behind to urge us to move ahead. There was another lodge at a higher altitude. We saw our porters, Anil and Manoj coming down the slopes to receive us. After starting at 7:45, we reached Langmale at 15:00. We were allotted a room that could host six persons. It had 6 beds and we used some of them to spread our luggage. It was good, cosy and a luxury under the circumstances.

*Langmale Kharka, picture courtesy, Kunal Kishor*

After settling in and changing clothes, we headed for the dining area. This was the first lodge on this route. It could match with their counterparts in the famed trails of Nepal in terms of comforts. Like other routes in Nepal, this lodge’s dining area was bustling. It was filled with trekkers, their guides, and porters. We somehow could lay our hands on a pack of cards and games were underway. Tea was served after sometime and it was accompanied with fried potatoes. They were spiced up to our taste. We enjoyed the taste thoroughly. That prompted me to order for it at dinner time as well. We were engrossed in the warmth of the dining space. A chimney was constantly being fed with dried yang dung cakes and fire. Suddenly, we realized that the windows of our room were open. By that time, it was late evening. When I entered the room, most of our clothes were moistened. The mist had made its way through the open windows. I cursed myself as I found the surfaces of the beds were also moist. Losing calm over what has already happened was of no use and I closed the windows to prevent further damage. Back at the dining area, the card games were fully on. We met the owner of the lodge. He was a skilled Sherpa mountaineer. His summit credits include Mt Everest. They also include other peaks over 8000 m in altitude. We were relieved to know that he also owns one of the lodges at the base camp. That’s where we were slated to stay. We were served dinner and that’s when I realized my mistake. I ordered a full plate of fried potatoes which was way beyond my capacity. In the evening, three of us shared a plate, but Dhananjoy opted for Yak soup and Kunal, something else. I kept coaxing them into sharing my dinner and they partially obliged. I managed to delegate some of the rest to our guide and porters. These efforts brought the remaining quantity within my limits. After a brief planning for the next day, we headed to our rooms. My worries about moist clothes vanished quickly as our body warmth was enough to overcome it. We were sleeping at 4410 m.

Dobato

The Barun valley – the ordeal of Dobato

Acclimatization Langmale

23rd October

Equipped with an assurance for an accommodation at Dobato, we started off for the first of the four passes. The day was expected to be long. I had my skepticism but everyone else didn’t think much about it. It came as a surprise. On every trek, the day of crossing a high pass is considered crucial (kind of a D-day). This is because that day tests the limits and once you’re through, rest becomes easy. Such days are physically demanding and usually comes with risky terrains either while going up or while descending. For example, we started at 3:45 from Dharamsala to cross Larkya la during the Manaslu circuit trekking. The descent from the pass gave me a tough time. It was entirely through a rockfall zone. Getting a purchase on a steeply descending terrain was challenging, especially with loose pebbles conspiring under your feet. For Thorong La, it was the loose snow during the descent to Muktinath. You had to move fast to prevent the treacherous snow dragging you into the abyss. And who can forget the Cho La? Walking through narrow snow filled track, barely wide enough to place one foot at a time. A loss of footing there and you don’t want to think about the consequences. For the treks done so far, we had one such day at the most. This time it had four (most of them around 4000 m) and that too, in a single day. Moreover, it was not on the penultimate day. We would be going down into a valley to reach Dobato only to regain altitude to reach places like Yangle Kharka, Langmale, and finally, the base camp. The return journey would also need us to repeat these same passes. That made this trail unique. I had my doubts about the return journey. There was a day where we were supposed to travel from Yangle Kharka to Khongma. If going to Dobato takes a day, how can one cover the return journey which was even longer? This is normal when you gain height while going and lose while returning. But this was not a stretch which uniformly moved up. After crossing four passes, the trail would leave us at almost the same altitude where we started from. We would gain just about 100 m. The story for return journey would be the same. But locals seemed unfazed by this. We didn’t even start before 7.30. It actually turned out much worse while going up and return was no different. The planned itinerary went for a toss. In hindsight though, that saved us. However, reasons for that were different.

The first pass Khongma La (3890 m) was already familiar. We went there the day before to witness the sunrise and were presented with the first view of Mt Makalu. That familiarity gave some relief. Comparable to an easy examination where all questions are expected from a known textbook. It’s like “Oh, it’s that same set of twists & turns. Just a few mouthfuls of breaths, and there you are at the watch tower.” It didn’t quite play out that way. The trail seemed longer, now that we were hiking in daylight and the route was visible. Hence, the feeling “what remains” also started kicking in. We crossed the upper tea houses. Then, we climbed the winding set of stairs and switchbacks. It took us about 2 hours to reach there. The views were familiar but equally amazing. Skies were clear. Makalu and its neighbors were devoid of cloud cover, appearing majestic. The trail after the pass gradually descended. After a bend, I suddenly heard the sound of a notification on my cellphone. Network! At this place! Our quick fingers dialed our homes. They had a bonus of knowing our whereabouts for an extra day. The gradual decline continued and I wasn’t feeling good about acquiring this debt which we’d have to repay. The more it takes down, more have to be regained.

*En-route Ghungru La, picture courtesy, Dhananjoy De*

We could see the “repayment” going up the slopes in winding trails towards a distant top. It went towards a small dip on the contours of the mountain we were about to hike. It wasn’t clearly visible at first and only became clearer after we moved up through a few bends. Switchbacks started early on, indicating that this slope was steeper than the ascent of Khongma La. The distant mountains kept rising with us. After sometime, we saw the outline of a small stupa. That was Ghungru La (4055 m), the next pass. During our return, this same trail would turn monochrome. The bright sunshine & greenery would be hidden by dense clouds amid incessant snowfall. That’s a story to be told later. In the meantime, the switchbacks increased in frequency. Our knees and lungs bore the brunt. At least on the way down, lungs would have some respite. The slope gradually reduced in gradient and we finally reached Ghungru La. It was akin to any other pass with stupas and hanging prayer flags. The trail from Khongma to this point was well laid and safe.

There were even guardrails on some sections on the way up to Ghungru La. We took sometime at the pass for photography. This also was a chance to gulp down water, a crucial element at higher altitudes. Lack of it can allow high altitude sickness quietly sneak in to strike you unprepared. Once it strikes, the only medicine is to come down. It could jeopardize not just your plans, but your life. We saw an instance of it within our team in later days. The trail moved gradually down from the pass. Walking was easy. After losing some altitude, a beautiful lake appeared. By this time, clouds started to cover the sun. The lake was small. It had dark waters because of the reflection of the black rocky walls of the hills that formed its bowl. The water surface was mostly still with small ripples created by a gentle breeze flowing through the valley. We saw the finely laid trail lined by rocks. It went all the way down to the banks. Then it moved up again and disappeared among the hills in front.

*Sano Pokhari, picture courtesy, Dhananjoy De*

Somewhere up there, among the V-shaped gap between two hills, lay the famous Shipton La (4200 m). The lake is called Sano Pokhari. In the Nepalese language, “Sano” means small & “Pokhari” means lake. If this is the “small lake”, there must be an elder sister sitting somewhere. She lies on the other side of Shipton La. We spent sometime at the lake. There was a prayer flag on its bank. The entire place presented no other noise or movement other than ours. The walk resumed along the other side and the trail started moving up. Though the slope was gradual, but the easy stroll turned into a hike once again. Staircases and switchbacks reappeared. I started my usual tactic. I set local milestones like “the next bend” or “the base of the next set of stairs.”, “Just a few more and you can take in a mouthful” etc. What looks like a top, becomes a base for the next, which only reveals once you reach there. As everything comes to an end, so did this and we saw the prayer flags and a few lodges.

The pass is named after the famous British mountaineer & explorer, Eric Shipton. He first came to this area in 1951. It was part of his reconnoitering expedition to the Southern routes of Mt Everest. He was also accompanied by Edmund Hillary at that time. He returned to the area in 1952 with Hillary, Charles Evans and George Lowe. They explored the Makalu base area after crossing what became known as the Shipton La. Shipton’s exploration opened up the Makalu Barun valley for mountaineering & trekking. Shipton La (locally called Tutu La) is an important geographical milestone on this route. It is the gateway to the high alpine Barun river valley. By this time, clouds held their sway. Basic dal bhaat along with khursani (green chilies) greeted us at the dining table.

*Lodge at Shipton La, picture courtesy, Dhananjoy De*

It was about 1 PM, when we started our descent from Shipton La. The trail led us down to the bank of another lake, the Thulo (meaning big in Nepalese) Pokhari. On this occasion, there were two lakes. A big and a small with their water bodies connected by a small stream. The bird’s eye view of these two lakes was mesmerizing. The well led trail went all the way down to the bank. It then rose up and beyond to reach the last of the four passes, the Keke La (4170 m). All of the serpentine trail to that pass was visible.

Dobato lay beyond that, after an hour’s descent. While going down, I was thinking if it was possible to stay at Shipton La on our way back. But it’s height predicted severe cold at nights. The lodges there were rusty and promised to give a tough time. Someone high up in the mountains must have watched me and had a laugh at that time. The sights of Thulo Pokhari and our destined pass kept us going and we reached the Keke La.

Cloudy weather didn’t offer much for photography at the top. We wasted no time and started our descent to Dobato. Trees started appearing again as the trail moved towards Dobato. Dhananjoy went ahead and the rest followed him. We started imagining a satisfying stay. We envisioned a warm dining place with steaming tea. There would be plenty of recollection of the day’s trail. Relaxation was the primary feeling occupying our minds. We saw the single lodge of Dobato.

*Dobato, picture courtesy, Dhananjoy De*

As we entered its arena, Dhananjoy (who reached earlier) declared “There is no accommodation available”. I saw our guide Raju in conversation with the lodge owner, trying to work out something, but without any success. Dobato is an important break in this trail, but the place only has a single Lodge. I’ve dreaded this possibility long before the trek and have been insisting our guide Raju to make advance booking. That didn’t happen. Ming’s assurance (the Sherpa boy at Khongma) proved futile. The lodge was full with earlier reservations for a few large groups coming from both Khongma and Yangle Kharka. It transpired much later (from another guide) that some lodges at Tashigaon have tie-ups with this lodge. Staying there can guarantee reservations up here. It seemed the lodge we were coaxed away from by the little girls at Tashigaon, had a contact here. Staying there could have ensured a stay here. We were staring at two options. Sleeping at the dining place (not guaranteed as far as blankets are concerned) or trekking further ahead for about 2.5 hours to stay at Phemathang, which has a lodge. I preferred the former since traveling another 2.5 hours seemed an uphill task. It was already 3 PM, clouds hovered around and darkness falls quickly in the valleys. We faced the possibility of having to trek in the dark, at least towards the last phase. Much against my wishes at that time (and I admit, I was wrong), it was decided to move ahead.

Once the decision was made, we wasted no time and resumed our trail. It now entered dense forests. The path started moving downwards through a seemingly endless set of rocky staircases. Since it was already cloudy, the forest trail was even more dark. The rocks were moist and some grew mosses over their surfaces. We kept going down carefully. It became clear that we were heading towards the river, probably the Barun river. We should have been excited to see it for the first time, but circumstances were very different. “Why does the trail look so desolate with no one around? Did we lose track and head the wrong way?” Asking Raju proved futile as he wasn’t aware either. The cost of taking a wrong trail in these areas at the end of the day can be fatal. Only Dhananjoy was firm. “Did we see any other way till now? Was there a junction anywhere that have led us the wrong way? Since none of these happened, keep moving.” My doubts were raised because till Dobato, we saw other trekkers, but not anymore. We should at least have seen someone coming up towards Dobato. “Everyone must have reached their destination by this time. No one is on the trail. That’s the reason.” – declared Dhananjoy. Looking at the steepness and length of the downward trail, I had another thought. There was no way we can travel from Yangle Kharka to Khongma in a single day. This was especially true with four pass crossings involved. Our own itinerary was flawed. The sounds of the Barun river increased. After a long descent from Dobato, we exited the forests and reached the banks of the Barun.

A thunderous torrent moved through the gorge creating massive rapids on its way. “Scaring but beautiful!” is how I describe it. At this time of the day, with tiring legs, fear was the more prominent feeling in my mind. To add to our problems, we now entered a huge landslide area. Large swathes of boulders lay along the sides of the hills, going all the way down to the banks. The trail was lost amid this destructive debris. We moved cautiously by tiptoeing over loosely placed boulders. We regularly glanced towards the top from where the debris stream originated. It seemed never-ending. One landslide zone led to another with a brief spell in between. We kept plodding ahead, trailing Raju’s steps. Our porters were asked to go ahead to Phemathang to make sure our stay there. I thought if one of them had stayed with us. They’re locals and have been on this route before. As daylight kept fading, we kept looking at the distance for signs of houses of Phemathang, but none were visible. It was all the roaring river, its numerous rapids and never-ending landslide zones. At times we mistook rock surfaces as roofs of houses from a distance. The landscape, the almost nonexistent daylight and our states of mind, all played hide and seek as we kept moving with tired legs. “Was that a human being? Oh yes, it’s Anil, one of our porters!” I’d be ever grateful to him for his decision to come ahead from Phemathang to guide our way. By that time we were already walking with our head torches. We had to spare one for the porters earlier. Raju managed with his cellphone. This didn’t go down well with me. A guide on a trail without even a fundamental item like a head torch! I kept quiet. Anil relieved me by taking on my day pack. We finally reached Phemathang in another 30 minutes.

The lodge was basic but who cares? It had a room, a warm kitchen & blankets. It also had charging facilities! What more one needs? Intense planning went on between us before and after dinner. Dhananjoy was of the opinion “Now that we’ve moved ahead of other groups on the trail, let’s keep that advantage”. He had a point. There were a few main groups en-route Makalu base camp. The French group is headed for Sherpani col with about 6-7 members. A Spanish group has about 18 members. They met us on the way to Tashigaon. A Slovenian group has about 5 people. There were other small groups, but these were the ones whose itinerary aligned with us. Since number of lodges are limited in this route, they’re likely to stay at same locations as ours. Hence, we’d always compete for spaces and our fate at Dobato can repeat at other places. Dhananjoy’s idea was to break that using the advantage we gained today by advancing to Phemathang. Our next stop was Yangle Kharka, hardly 2 hours from here. His proposal was to advance to Langmale instead, the penultimate stop before base camp. That should advance our itinerary by a day. It made sense. I proposed to stay at Phemathang again (instead of Yangle) on our way back. That was for two reasons. We wanted to gain on the trail covered. We also wanted to be closer to Dobato, to have a better chance at getting accommodation on our way back. At that time, we got the idea that earlier arrivals at Dobato increased chances of reservation. Both of which proved untrue as I’d reveal in later posts. We sorted this out with Raju, Anil and Manoj. It was decided that porters would go ahead of us to guarantee our stay at Langmale. We’d follow after that. With planning done, we headed to our room. For the first time after Seduwa, I got a chance to charge my camera batteries. Our room was next to the kitchen and the wall had gaps. That allowed smoke to enter our room from the kitchen. Its walls were black with soot. We had to be careful while choosing places to hang our clothes, which were scarce to find anyways. We ignored all that and were fortunate to be sleeping on a bed, under blankets. We were sleeping at 3500 m.

Acclimatization Langmale

The Barun valley – Acclimatization

Khongma Dobato

22nd October

I was breathing heavily while taking the steps upwards. Pressure was gradually building up on my knees with increase in steepness. It was stairs all the way, going up through a series of switchbacks. The head torch showed the way amid darkness all around. We started from the lodge at 4 AM and were on our way to the viewpoint. I was sweating inside but despite that I couldn’t remove my jacket. As soon as I stopped for a few mouthful of breaths, coldness set in promptly. My hands were gloved and my head, covered. This journey in the dark reminded me of our hike to the Mardi Himal viewpoint. Just like then, I kept focus on the traveler in front. Incidentally, it was Dhananjoy again. I rested where he did. Consciously, I didn’t look up and focused on the stairs, letting the trail guide us. The distance between switchbacks kept getting shorter. Their increase in frequency indicated that the top was nearing. We saw the watch tower now. With every bend it kept rising and increasing in stature. Finally, we stepped on a flat ground where a stupa greeted us. Prayer flags hung all around it. The dawn was breaking. Darkness was gradually giving way to a soft light.

Taking hands out of the gloves proved painful but without doing that, camera operations were difficult. We had to ignore the pain as time was running out. The eastern horizon was acquiring a crimson hue. Sharp edges of rays flew around the distant mountain ranges. Mild stretches of clouds floated above the mountains. The reflected solar rays colored them with crimson and gold.

It was literally a crowning glory. To our left, beyond the hills, a mountain peak was partially visible. It’s shape resembled a distorted bowl with elevated edges and a depression at the center. It’s a very well recognized contour. There was no problem in recognizing the mountain, thanks to many photographs of it that I’ve seen before. That’s the mountain that has brought us to this corner of the Himalayas. Over the next few days, we’d reach at its base.

This was our first overland view of the fifth highest mountain in the world, Mt Makalu. Though still half concealed by the hills in front, but nevertheless, it’s “the mountain”. It is one of the illustrious neighbors of Mt Everest in the Mahalangur himal. It took some time for me to absorb the moment of looking at it physically. Before that, my interactions with this mountain was all through photographs or videos, i.e. through someone else’s lens. Now, it was an opportunity to frame it in my own lenses.

That I did in abundance. The numbness in my naked fingers became irrelevant. We’ve come across thousands of kilometers just to see this. No matter how many snaps we took, it still felt insufficient. The perpetual abode of snow appeared bright against a sky which was yet to acquire it’s full brightness. A thin slice of cloud floated above it as a roof. The golden hue gradually infected Mt Makalu and its neighbors. The edges of the bowl acquired tinges of gold but its inner walls remained in the dark. This presented a unique contrast of colors. The crimson ball popped up beyond the mountains on the eastern horizon and started it’s journey upwards. The solar rays changed colors by the minute.

In this drama, the actors stayed still, while colors of their costumes kept changing. Makalu and its neighbors dazzled as silver in the full morning glory. When we look at the photographs later, it becomes a challenge to select the ones to keep among many duplicates. Many of us posed in front of this canvas. I’m a bit skeptical about this. Though we relish the proofs of our presence in such theaters, but nevertheless, it’s nothing more than a proof. I find myself to be a mismatch in such portraits. Hence, I keep myself restricted to framing pure landscapes most of the time. The prime subjects are Makalu and its neighbors. Also featured are the glaciers that decorate its slopes and the valley with its diverse flora and fauna. With the sun fully up, the cold was tolerable.

After some more video shoots and photographs, we headed down. The route now appeared to be longer in broad daylight. The lodges of Khongma appeared tiny at start, but kept increasing in stature as we went down. The meadows bathed in bright sunshine. After breakfast we brought out the chairs and sat in the sprawling lawn. There wasn’t much to do except to enjoy gazing at the distant hills and the snow peaks beyond them. I kept dozing off. Dhananjoy brought out a mat and spread it over the ground. We quickly lay down with the sun warming our backs. The French group (who were headed to Sherpani col) also stayed at the lodge. Their porters joined us in the gossip. Dhananjoy entertained the crowd with a demonstration of his yoga skills. The porters joined him too with their own unique antics. After sometime, we were told that lunch was ready.

The routine for post lunch session wasn’t much different, except for playing cards. The angle and color of the solar rays kept us informed about the time. As afternoon wore on, the sunlight acquired a touch of gold. The distant bushes acquired the hue. We were sitting beyond the tree line. The valley below kept getting darker, while sun continued to shower its rays over the hill tops. We inquired about our stay at Dobato. Ming assured us that he had already informed the owner of the sole lodge there. We shouldn’t face any problem in getting an accommodation there. Our hike for the next day was supposed to be longest with four passes to cross. Our route lay along the same trail traveled today and went beyond the watch tower.

A sudden look at my phone revealed a feeble network. We called our homes. We informed them that this was probably the last time they would hear from us for the next few days. We didn’t expect to talk again till we reached here on our way back. Diwali was just a few days back and festivities continued with the locals. They have unique festivities in Nepal around this time. At Seduwa, we saw a few kids wearing masks and shouting like crows. They came door to door and people gave them money or gifts. Apparently, that was a day to worship crows. The next morning, on our way to Tashigaon, we saw garlanded dogs. It was their turn of respect. Today, we learned that porters and guides from different teams would assemble in the evening and dance. They’d visit all the lodges in the area to repeat the same. Darkness fell as soon as the sun went down below the hills. We could still see the distant mountain peaks shine in the fading sun, but darkness reigned supreme around us. Card pay resumed at the dining table. The guide from the French group was a Sherpa mountaineer. He had climbed Mt Everest. That made him the second person on this trail who had the honor. Their plan was to travel beyond Makalu base camp to higher regions. They carried tents and other allied equipment and ration. Beyond the base camp, there are no lodges. They’d need to setup successive camps for a few days at ever increasing altitudes. The highest crossing point Sherpani col pass lay at 6155 m. After crossing over, one would reach at the Solu-Khumbu district in the Chukhung region. The rest of the route lay through the villages of Pangboche, Namche Bazar and finally terminated at Luk La. This route requires climbing skills and hence, the group carried the necessary equipment with them. This route traverses through one of the most remote regions of Nepal.

The festivities started after dinner. The locals started dancing to the musical tunes playing from their mobile phones. They danced in circles around the center. A few bottles of beer were placed there. There were also nuts, sweets, chocolates, and a few currency notes. The guests at the hotel donated money and so did we. They kept singing with a phrase “Deusi Re”. It is a phrase used in songs sung during Tihar festival in Nepal. It is also celebrated in parts of India like Sikkim, Darjeeling and Assam. During this festival, groups of boys or young men visit neighboring homes in their community. They sing and dance. They exchange blessings in return for food and money. The group left our lodge to visit the neighboring tea houses. The process would continue late into the night. After they moved out, we went under our blankets. Thus ended a wonderful day of leisure and rest in a remote Himalayan village. The terms “leisure” and “rest” would vanish from our lives for the next few days, rather unexpectedly. I imagined myself sleeping at Dobato in the next night. The cold increased and for the first time on this trek, I had to use warm inner wears.

Khongma Dobato

The Barun valley – Khongma

Tashigaon Acclimatization

21st October

We had a comfortable sleep as the beds and blankets were good. Dhananjoy had a different experience. The walls had gaps near his bed which let in cold air. Weather was playing good with us and today wasn’t an exception. While our breakfast was being prepared, I sat in the sprawling lawn to enjoy the sunshine.

There I met an Estonian lady. We saw her the day before. A few days ago she came to Tashigaon as a part of a group. Sickness compelled her to stay back while her group moved ahead. She had spent a couple of days here already. Her plan was to rejoin her group on their way down. The lost opportunity to visit the base camp didn’t seem to bother her. She’s been making strolls to the local village, observing their daily routines. Apparently she was enjoying her stay at this tranquil remote Himalayan corner, it’s laid back life.

Our conversations moved in different directions as we both asked questions about each other’s countries. Estonia is one of the three countries on the Baltic shores, along with Latvia and Lithuania. These countries were Soviet republics earlier and became independent in the early 1990s when the erstwhile Soviet Union broke up. She has lived through the Soviet era. She has had first hand experience of living under two very different regimes. Conversation with her revealed that the Soviet era brought significant state-run development. This included education, infrastructure, and public sector economic measures. At the same time, it was very secretive and came with riders of restrictions. Press was controlled and so was communication & travel to countries other than Russia. Separation broke these restrictions, but also meant that these countries now had to stand on their own. Today, the Baltic countries share economic & military alliances with Western Europe. The political landscape has changed for them from what it was in the Soviet era. They adjusted to the new realities. However, with leadership changes in different countries, new conflicts started. The contours of political alliances are changing again. This raises new challenges including fear of territory loss. The Baltic nations are no exceptions. In these uncertain times people rely more on their own sources of information. They prefer the internet and social media over official agencies. It’s not very common to come across persons who had been part of different countries. Even I’ve seen my own country go through rules by different political parties with different ideologies and economic policies. But all through that time, I’ve been part of the same country. My ancestors, however, were born in an undivided but colonial India. Then they became part of an independent but partitioned country. We’ve heard about their experience about pre and post independence eras. It was a similar experience to hear about her journey living under different political systems.

After being told that our breakfast was ready, we headed for the dining area. Our baggage were ready to be picked up by the porters. After breakfast, it was time for a group photograph and then we started.

*Tashigaon, picture courtesy, Dhananjoy De*

Today’s journey was all about gaining altitude. Looking at the hill in front of us, the porters pointed towards a top. We would have to cross over the edge and travel further over adulating grounds to reach a place called Khongma. We planned to start from a height of about 2100 m. Our goal was to reach 3500 m. This was a gain of 1400 m in a single day. The maximum gain of altitude in a single day that we’ve experienced before was 800 m. That was from Phakding to Namche Bazar during the Everest base camp trek. Though it was challenging, there was a good part. This was being attempted at the lower section of the trail where there is forest cover. Itineraries are always designed that way. The longest marches or hikes are kept below the tree line. The higher you reach, shorter the travels become. At high altitudes, it is often desirable to reach your destination before lunch and have the remaining day for rest. We started at 8 AM. The target was to hike halfway through the route to reach Danda Kharka and have lunch. The word Danda means a hill in Nepalese language. Similarly, Kharka refers to meadows. The hike should take about 2.5-3 hours. Beyond that, another hike for a similar duration should take us to Khongma. We were told that the hike to Danda Kharka was steep, but the hike beyond that was relatively gradual. The trail left the lodge. It moved past agricultural fields and village homes. After a few bends, it entered the forests. It was covered by a canopy. The shade protected us from the heat. As altitude increased, rocky staircases started appearing and we started feeling pressure on our knees. We came across a few landslides where we had to cross by stepping over loosely held rocks. At another place, a stream flowed over these rocks. We had to cross over it by placing our feet carefully over these rocks which were smoothened by the torrent. Despite the issues, we found our way through to a position. From there, we got a view of the stream, its flowing bed, and the trail beyond. We took time to stand at that position in turns to get our photography done.

En-route Khongma

While walking through the trail, we suddenly heard a grunt from the bushes along with sounds of tingling bells. A dark creature was moving through the foliage. It was a grazing yak. We heard similar sounds from the surrounding bushes. Other yaks were grazing in the bushes and the tingling bells hung around their necks.

We continued moving up the stairs. Standing at the base of a set of stairs, it seemed that the ground beyond the top leveled gently. That gave me incentive, but as I moved closer to the milestone, upper stairs revealed themselves. That pattern repeated as we kept moving. We turned back to look at the trail below. We could see the fields and houses of Tashigaon below us.

Their diminishing size told us that we were gaining altitude. Then came a place that allowed the porters to sit and rest, leaning against the wall. We took the opportunity to gulp down sips of water. Some of us preferred to sit, but I chose not to. For me, it would have made it more difficult to regain momentum after that. For me, en-route rests are about stopping walks, but still standing on my feet. In this aspect, probably I resemble horses more than humans. Apparently, horses don’t lie fown while sleeping.

As every toil comes to an end with some rewards, so did this. In our case, the reward was reaching Danda Kharka. We removed our day packs from our backs, rested the hiking poles along the walls. Orders for dal-bhaat were given. While they were being prepared, we sat in the sun. This Lodge also belonged to the same owner who owned the lodge at Tashigaon. We saw his wife and their elder daughter Doma doing the cores. There was a lawn beside another Lodge which overlooked the valley. We went there in search of some photographic views and were not disappointed.

*Danda-Kharka, picture courtesy, Dhananjoy De*

Autumn stamped it’s impact in terms of varied colors of the foliage. The forests were lightened up with crimson, yellow, brown and other shades along with green. In the lawn, a mat was spread out and a little girl sat on it. She was engrossed in her drawing pencils, paper & other artifacts. There was a doll sitting beside. Her attention were divided between the drawing pencils and the doll. I tried to entice her into a pose for photograph but was flatly denied. Dhananjoy succeeded where I failed. He had the necessary skills and was capable of convincing her into a photo shoot. She had all the time and grace in the world to act as a model for many photographs. We got another chance to have her company when we stayed at the lodge on our way back.

Walking after lunch isn’t easy, at least to start with. Especially when there’s hiking involved. We were told that the slopes would be gentler. It was true initially. The bends came after longer duration. That changed soon and the trail turned into a path fraught with frequent switchbacks. Switchbacks are on trails where the need is to gain altitude briskly within short aerial distances.

*En-route Khongma*, *picture courtesy, Dhananjoy De*

I started keeping short milestones. Instead of thinking about the remaining path, I started thinking of attaining the immediate. For example, the next switchback bend. The idea was to reach there, stand, and take a few deep breaths. Then, fix the gaze towards the next milestone. Soon I was traveling alone as Dhananjoy & Kunal moved ahead. I could see them as well as others ascending the trail from my position below.

A series of switchbacks continued till the ridge at the top. One couldn’t see what lay beyond that. That makes one feel that the top is the zenith and things would ease after that. In other words, either an adulating trail or a descent would follow. I call this phenomenon as “Altitude illusion”. What could lie beyond the point where the hill seems to end, apart from a flat track or a descent? Only after one reaches near the point, the subsequent hike reveals itself. Earlier it used to give a depressing feeling. That’s why I’ve stopped thinking about it.

In the meantime, the slope was getting steeper and I was forced to create milestones even before switchbacks. With every switchback, the lodges of Danda Kharka became smaller and so did Tashigaon (which was still visible). We reached another set of houses. These were mere dwellings and places to keep domestic animals like sheep and yak. We quenched our thirst, popped in some lozenges in our mouths and resumed our hike. We repeated the same pattern of interspersed hikes and halts. Eventually, we reached a place where there was a stupa with prayer flags. I noticed that the trees have reduced. The remaining rhododendron trees have also dwarfed. That told us that we were nearing our destination. It was about 2.30 PM.

We rested for sometime leaning against the wall. The rays of the afternoon sun started taking a golden hue. We saw glimpses of the distant Himalayan peaks. They were partially shielded by light clouds. After sometime, the slope became gradual and walking became an evening stroll. The trail now meandered through bushes. We reached a flat top where there were two lodges. Our destined lodge was a few steps beyond that point. Now that destination was in sight, we focused on the surrounding bushes. We also looked at the valley and the distant mountains that formed the silhouette.

The trail moved ahead along the hill. We saw it rising beyond our destined Lodge. It went all the way up to a top where there was a watch tower. It appeared as a small toy even lesser in size than a matchbox. We have an extra stay at Khongma for acclimatization. That viewpoint was chosen as a destination for the morrow for sunrise views.

The name of our lodge at Khongma was “Makalu Danfe Lodge”. “Danfe” is the name for the bird Monal in Nepalese language. It is a very colorful bird, found at higher altitudes of the Himalayas. They can be found in the Indian states of Himachal Pradesh & Uttarakhand. We also saw it near Namche Bazar. It is designated as the national bird of Nepal. It turned out that this lodge too belonged to the same owner from Tashigaon. It was being run by his son, a Sherpa boy named Ming. The room was not as good as the one at Tashigaon, but it had the basics right. The lodge was two-storied. The dining space & living rooms were at the top floor. A wooden staircase at the center connected to the ground floor which had the toilets. After settling in our rooms, we went out and sat in the open, enjoying the warmth of the afternoon sun. We called our homes using my international roaming pack. The network was very feeble and disappeared quickly. The evening was spent playing cards. The French group (who were targeting the Sherpani Col pass), also stayed with us. We spent time chatting with members of the group. Their porters were very jovial. After dinner, we went under the blankets. The clock alarm was set at 3.30 AM for the next morning. We were sleeping at 3500 m.

Tashigaon Acclimatization

The Barun valley – Tashigaon

The starting point Khongma

20th October

Food options at the lodge weren’t great. We ate noodles at dinner last night. They were thick. We had challenges to gulp them down our throats. Breakfast was somewhat better. Yet, Seduwa offered the last chance to charge my camera batteries. The next available choice was at Phemathang, which we reached much later, that too, unplanned. But that’s a story to be told later. After Raju settled the bills, we assembled in front of the lodge for a group photograph along with Anil, Manoj & Raju with all our trekking gears. Another was taken at the entrance gate of the Makalu Barun National park.

Going by the plan, we would return here after another 10 days. We started hiking up the stairs amid bright sunshine, a clear sky & sweeping greenery. Seduwa is a relatively large village. While moving up the slopes through the alleys amid the terraced fields, we watched the village life. People were gradually getting on with their daily routine. The bright green crop of millet had a hue of yellow.

Children were either playing at the fields or on their way to school or some work. Some villagers were in a huddle of gossip. In one of the village homes, we saw a barber at work. He wrapped his client in a sheet while his scissors were working through the hair. In the balcony of yet another home, a harvest of ripened corns were hung up for drying in the sunshine. The trail went up amid the serpentine lanes, alleys & fields.

*Seduwa, Picture courtesy, Dhananjoy De*

At every junction, the locals were in huddles, engaging in leisurely conversations. No one seemed to be in a hurry. At onetime we went past a volleyball court. It was a small strip of flat ground split into halves by a net. It was slightly larger than a terraced field, surrounded by sloping hills covered by thick forests. It was probably the most picturesque volleyball court ever seen in this world. When we passed beside it on our way back, it came up as a nostalgic recollection.

The trail gradually moved upwards. We crossed multiple streams flowing across our path, some by careful tip toeing over boulders, others by bridges. Then we came at the base of a set of stairs. After ascending them (there were many of these), we reached another village. A group of 15 -17 trekkers were resting at a tea house. We chatted with them for a while. They were a European group with many aged people. While coming along we saw cultivation of cardamom. These plants are abundant in the Eastern Himalayan region. We saw them in Sikkim. This region of Nepal is not very far from there. Hence, it wasn’t surprising that it had a similar cultivation pattern. The flora & fauna is also similar. For example, the elusive animal Red Panda is known to live in the forests of the Singalila range. This range is in West Bengal & Sikkim. It can also be found in the forests of the Makalu Barun National Park. One can as well find a goldmine but not see a Red Panda in the wild. Freshly harvested cardamoms were laid over the roof village homes for drying.

We now moved along a narrow path through the hills, barely enough for a single person to walk. Thick bushes closed in from both sides. It was obvious that we were taking a short cut. The trail moved up and down, unlike the wide track which we came across earlier. I now realized that the place where we left the wide track to ascend the staircase, was a junction. The trail now moved down and merged with the main track. Once again we were on level ground (as far as it can be, in a mountainous area). But instead of villages, we were now walking amid forests.

Raju & Dhananjoy spotted trees of wild berries. The fruits were ripe & orange. There were thick bunches of these fruits that hung from the trees. They were up for grabs and we feasted on them. I recalled seeing locals selling these in and around streets of Pokhara. The forests acquired different colors of foliage. I remembered that it was autumn, which is known as fall in Western countries in temperate zones. Forests in such climates acquire colors in this season, famously known as “fall color” in the Western world. We kept strolling along the trail amid such wonderful colors. Thick bunches of ripe berries kept drawing our attention towards the bushes and slowed down our speed. No one was worried because the hike for the day was supposed to last only for about 5 hours. We were expecting to reach our destination Tashigaon before lunch.

Tashigaon is a Sherpa village. Just like the neighboring district of Solu-Khumbu, members of the Sherpa community also inhabit the higher altitudes of this area. The word ‘Tashi’ in the Tibetan language (from which the Sherpa language derives) means good fortune. The Sherpas often greet others by the phrase ‘Tashi delek” which conveys well wishes to others. The phrase is often heard not just in the Sherpa inhabited villages. It is also common in other high altitude areas of Nepal that border with Tibet. It is very commonly heard in the Khumbu region. We stayed at a lodge in Tengboche. Tengboche is the next halt after Namche Bazar on the Everest base camp route. The lodge was named “Tashi delek”. This phrase is widespread in the higher areas of Manaslu and Annapurna. You can hear it in places like Samagaon or Manang. Most of the Sherpas live in the districts of Eastern Nepal e.g. Dolakha, Sindhupalchok, Rasuwa, Solu-Khumbu (the Everest area), Sankhuwasabha (the Makalu area) & Taplejung (the Kanchenjunga area). Some also live in the Helambu region. It is to the North of the Kathmandu valley. This area is near the Lang Tang area. Sherpas can also be found in Bhutan, Sikkim & Darjeeling. The Sherpas originated from nomads who came from Tibet. They settled in the Himalayas of the Everest region. They are a mountainous tribe accustomed to living in high altitude areas. Life in these areas is tough and required them to toil hard for the limited agricultural activities that were possible. They often herded yaks and the grazing of these animals required them to find pastures in the high Himalayas. It is this lifestyle that adapts them to higher altitudes. Their immense strength and natural ability make them indispensable in many mountaineering expeditions, where they serve as guides and porters. They can breathe in rarefied air. Without their support, many climbers can’t even dream of reaching the higher camps of mountain expeditions, let alone summiting them. Many of the Sherpas are legendary mountaineers holding astonishing records of ascents. We met few of them in the lodges of this route. In the early days, all of the Everest expeditions happened from the northern routes as Nepal was inaccessible to foreigners. Since most of these expeditions were organized by the British, they all started from Darjeeling. It’s the British who started the tradition of hiring Sherpas as porters and guides. This caused many Sherpas to migrate to Darjeeling in search of work as expedition porters. Even Tenzing Norgay was one of them.

While walking, I suddenly noticed a moving object wriggling through the breadth of the track. I drew attention of the others. It was a baby snake. Dhananjoy was quick to capture that movement in a video. A closer look at it revealed a small hood which it was occasionally flapping. That told us that it was of a poisonous breed. We thanked nature that it was still a baby.

Courtesy, Dhananjoy De

After walking for some more time, we took a short detour through a village and regained the main track. We waited beside a house for our porters to catch-up with us. After that point the track moved up a little and the homes of Tashigaon started appearing.

We went through the terraced fields and narrow alleys besides the houses. A few lodges were visible. While on our way, we were scouted by two little sisters. They kept pleading to stay at their tea house. We had our gaze on another lodge but their insistence and their little age tilted our judgment in their favor. One of them also mentioned that the other lodge was expecting almost 20 guests. It turned out later that this was a false statement aimed at creating a bias in their favor. Nevertheless, the girls appeared innocent. The elder sister’s name was Doma and the younger was named Dzangmu. They quickly navigated the twisting trail and led us to their lodge. Little did we know, that this decision would have a crucial impact on the trek’s itinerary. On one hand we could say it impacted us badly. But on the other, we could also say that it saved us from bad weather.

The lodge was located on an elevated ground. There was a kitchen and a dining space on one side. On the other side there were some newly created wooden rooms. They were clean, airy (a little too bit of that, as Dhananjoy found later), wide enough beds with thick blankets. The fluffy blankets almost embraced us, but I resisted the temptation. The main trail went between the kitchen and rooms. Beyond the rooms, a grassy lawn stretched wide open as a balcony that overlooked the valley.

A few wooden trunks were laid in the lawn which acted as chairs. Another one was placed in front, acting as a table. We stretched our legs and sat on these amid bright sunshine. The surrounding hills wore a thick vegetation. We enjoyed a few beers in the perfect weather. While our phones didn’t work, but local phone calls were possible using a landline. They charged 50 NPR for each call. We informed our respective homes about our safe arrival. We were tempted by prospects of a mutton curry, but that turned out to be non edible. We finished the rest of the lunch. After that, Dhananjoy mustered enough energy for an afternoon village stroll but me and Kunal preferred to rest our legs. Sitting in the lawn in perfect leisure, I dosed off. When I woke up, I found the afternoon sun was showering its rays on the distant hills. The sun illuminated the clouds above them.

Kunal’s seat was empty. I entered the room and found him asleep, wrapped under the comfort of blanket. That tempted me to follow suit. When I woke up, the sun was already down, though there was light in the sky. In the evening, we went to the dining place. We managed to lay our hands over a deck of cards. Our porter Manoj was taught by us to play some games and he joined us. This was to repeat for the rest of the trail. The walls of the dining room were decorated with many photographs of expeditions. The owner of the lodge featured in all of them. There were photographs from Everest, Makalu, K2 and many other 8 thousanders. There was also a rack with mountaineering gear on display. It was obvious that the owner of the lodge is an accomplished mountaineer and has many summits to his credit. He has climbed Mt Everest & others on multiple occasions. The most recent was Mt Makalu in the current year. In the current year, a record was created when multiple siblings climbed Mt Makalu on the same day and the lodge owner is one of them. Dinner was served with noodles and chicken soup. While the taste was good, but in the name of chicken mostly bones were served. We still enjoyed it. We were happy knowing that on our way down, we would have an entire day at Tashigaon. We looked ahead to it but that never happened. As night drew down, the cold increased. The wind also intensified. It passed through open cracks in the wooden wall of our room. That wall was erected recently. Dhananjoy tried to draw our attention to the sky studded with stars and Constellations but sleep closed our eyelids down. We were sleeping at 2178 m.

The starting point Khongma

The Barun valley – reaching the starting point

Kathmandu Tashigaon

19th October

As discussed among ourselves, I woke up at 4 AM and went for a bath. Dhananjoy and Kunal were to follow after me. It was a pattern that was followed throughout the trip except for a few exceptions. Warm water was not yet available. The water heating system was based on solar power. The trick was to let out significant volumes of water (more than a bucket). After that, lukewarm water started flowing. While all that was underway, I completed shaving, probably the last chance to do before we returned to Kathmandu. We left the hotel premises, hired a cab and started for the Pasupatinath shrine. There was a slight chill in the air as the vehicle went through the streets of Kathmandu in the darkness. As we entered the temple complex, the familiar sounds of bells and the fragrance of incense and candles greeted us. I’m not a religious person. However, I enjoy the serene atmosphere of this temple complex. I find the cremation ground at the back of the temple particularly peaceful. The ones who leave this world, are brought here for their last rites on the banks of the Bagmati river. Their lifeless bodies get bathed in the waters of Bagmati before they are taken to the cremation pyres.

*The cremation ground, Pasupatinath* *shrine*, *Kathmandu, picture courtesy, Dhananjoy De*

After visiting the shrine, we crossed over the Bagmati to its other bank. Stair cases go up towards a park full of trees and more temples. We ascended them to reach a top. We had cups of teas at a tea house there. Scores of people were on their morning stroll, some even engaged in exercises. A barrage of monkeys followed the pedestrians, many of whom gave them food. Observing such incidents, it was clear that the monkeys expect this every morning. They are well acquainted with the human givers. After a quick look at the watch, we returned the same way. A cab ported us back to our hotel at Thamel. We headed for the breakfast table for the buffet. A lot was on the offering – breads, butter, jam, puri-sabzi, omelets of different variations, tea, coffee, fruit juice etc. It was a problem of plenty and we ate more than usual.

At 8 AM, a cab entered the gates and Raju alighted from it. That was a pleasant sight and it drove out a lot of skepticism from my mind. After loading our main baggage at the rear, we entered inside with our daypacks. Off we went for the domestic terminal of the Kathmandu airport. The streets bathed in bright sunshine as we followed almost the same route for the Pasupatinath shrine. The pleasant weather made me dose off. I woke up just in time as we entered the gates of the domestic terminal. It appeared the same as we saw it during our Everest base camp trek. It appeared more like a bus terminus than an airport.

*Check-in counters, domestic terminal, Kathmandu airport*

The small baggage check-in counters don’t have the sophisticated conveyer belt system. Airline employees accept the baggage. They dump the bags on to a trolley. A carrier drags the trolley over the runway to the aircraft. After baggage check-in, we waited in the departure gate fixing our gaze to the electronic screen of flight departures. Flights were leaving for various destinations in Nepal. These include Pokhara, Biratnagar, and Bhadrapur, which is the base for the Kanchenjunga trek. Additionally, flights were going to Nepalgunj. This city is a gateway to the areas of Western Nepal. Flights were also going to Luk-La. Luk-La is the base for the Everest region. Our destination was Tumlingtar. The flight was to depart at 9:40 AM. That kept getting delayed, first by 20 minutes, then by another 15 minutes. I inquired at the information desk and was told that the incoming flight from Tumlingtar was delayed. Apparently, heavy air traffic wasn’t allowing it to land and the pilot was taxiing in the air! They also showed me the flight map. The plane already made two concentric circles and now was heading towards the runway. We hoped for announcements, but suddenly, the electronic screen showed the flight status as “boarding”. I hurried up the rest and we headed for the bus. A ride took us to the waiting plane with an open belly. The trolley carrying the baggage was already there and the airline staff were loading them into the plane. Even after we boarded the plane, announcements were made for further delays. I kept checking the time. A delay would affect our arrival in Seduwa, which is the starting point for our trek. It takes 7-8 hours by drive to reach Seduwa from Tumlingtar. Add to that, another hour in between for baggage reclaim. You also need to scout for the vehicle. According to inputs received from fellow passengers, one may also need to break the journey at Khandbari. Direct transit might not be possible.

Flight to Tumlingtar

Finally, we took off at 12 PM. As the flight took to the air, the Himalayas were up for display from close quarters. This time it was the Everest, Lhotse and our destination, Makalu, who made their appearances.

After about 30 minutes, we started our descent to Tumlingtar. The lush green valley bathed in bright sunshine. The hills had a thick green cover with interspersed with terraced cultivation fields. The fields had a golden yellow hue formed by ripe paddy and millet. Then came the wide and serpentine expanse of the Arun river. All along, the size of the picture kept increasing. As soon as we crossed the Arun, the plane touched the Tumlingtar runway. Its speed decreased after it reached the other end of the runway. It then turned around and came to a halt after a short stroll. We alighted to the runway and stood outside to soak in the beauty of this small air strip.

*Tumlingtar airport, picture courtesy, Dhananjoy De*

The Tumlingtar airport (rather air strip) has a small runway surrounded by green hills on all sides. It is an important gateway to the Sankhuwasabha district. Generally, there are 1-2 flights in a day between Kathmandu and Tumlingtar, but it varies based on traffic. It could even be zero (as we found during our return) based on weather conditions. Occasionally, they also increase the operations (especially during festival times). They are operated by Budhha air.

*Tumlingtar, picture courtesy, Dhananjoy De*

After some photo shoots at the air strip, we headed for the terminal. There were just a few rooms. Raju went out in search of a vehicle while we waited for our baggage to arrive. After sometime, we boarded a vehicle which would take us to Khandbari. From thereon, we need to scout for another ride. Apparently, a lot of vehicles were off the road because of Bhai duj (a festival where sisters pray for the well being of their brothers). We headed to the parking lot and boarded the vehicle. It started its journey through the low areas of the Arun valley. The road was lined by dense forests on both sides. Villages appeared with terraced fields filled with the ripened crop of paddy or millet waiting to be harvested. It was full of greenery as we moved up the serpentine roads. We stopped at Khandbari for lunch. It was an important town on this route. As we moved into the hotel, Raju got in touch with a few drivers for our subsequent commute. After lunch, we heard that our luggage was already in another vehicle. This vehicle would take us to Seduwa. I purchased an international roaming pack from my cellphone provider. I informed my home about our progress and embarked on our post-lunch journey. The road condition was still good and the vehicle made decent progress. A full stomach and the serene greenery made me dose off once again. We halted at a place called Num at around 5 PM to have some tea. The golden due of the evening reflected off the distant clouds. This indicated that the sun was on its downward journey.

After Num, the road condition deteriorated. Though it was wide enough, but the potholes increased along the surface. After sometime, the paved road disappeared and was reduced to a dusty and rocky surface. With that, the comfort of ride also disappeared. This kept true to the facts known about this route. This applies to many routes in Nepal where vehicles ply, but paved roads don’t follow them. In earlier itineraries for Makalu base camp, Num was the starting point for hikes. Though uncomfortable, this bumpy ride would save us at least two days of walk. While this gives some relief for the current trek, but it is also an indication of the ever dwindling trekking routes in different areas of Nepal. Almost in every circuit, treks have shortened by 2-4 days because of road construction. For example, it takes 2 days lesser today than what it took for us in the Manaslu circuit. We kept plodding on. After sometime, darkness set in and the headlights came on. We realized that we were traveling beside a fast moving river torrent and asked the driver to stop the ongoing music. That’s when the roaring sound of the Arun river reached our ears. In the darkness, its roar gave a chilly feeling as the driver negotiated the bumpy road. There were many switchbacks where the driver had to go back and forth using reverse gear to negotiate the bends. The road was so rough. Many times our heads bumped with the ceiling. We had to keep a watch. The road seemed never ending and we kept gaining altitude. After many such switchbacks, we finally reached Seduwa. The last ride before the vehicle came to a halt seemed vertical (well, almost). I saluted the driver’s skill as without it, its impossible to drive a vehicle on such terrains. We stayed at the first available lodge at Seduwa. It was basic, but had the necessaries. At least it had facilities to charge our batteries and phones. We’d find this rarely in the lodges at higher altitudes. Wi-Fi wasn’t available and thanks to the international roaming pack, we could inform our homes about our arrival. We changed to our home wears and moved to the dining area. This is where we met other groups who were embarking on the trail. There was a French group, who were embarking on the Sherpani col pass trek. This involved traveling to the Makalu base camp and moving further up through multiple passes (more than 6000 m) to reach the Chukhung village. From there on, one enters the Solu-Khumbu region and descends via Tengboche and Luk-La. It was a group which would accompany us to Khongma. We got friendly with the porters and guide of that team. We also met our own porters, Anil and Manoj. They were from villages in the regions further down from Seduwa. They were two brothers (aged 22 and 19 years, respectively) and appeared simple and jovial. They’d prove to be vital cogs in this trek’s wheel. The next day’s trek was supposed to last about 3 hours, taking us to the next halt, Tashigaon. We reclined to our beds under comfortable blankets. We were sleeping at approximately 1500 m.

Kathmandu Tashigaon

The Barun valley – reaching Kathmandu

The build up The starting point

18th October

It was Diwali. Working migrants who live in the Delhi area were on the move. They were heading towards their homes to spend time with their families. This is an auspicious time of the year and the greatest festival of North India. During this time, we were also leaving Delhi. In fact, we were departing from the country and heading towards the Nepalese capital. It meant that we were competing with the rush. Even in the early hours of the day, one expects heavy traffic towards the exit points from the city, i.e. railway stations or airports. For international flights, one must arrive at least three hours in advance. This time frame allows for security procedures, which are typically more exhaustive than those for domestic flights. Though our flight was at 11:45, I started from home at 6. Dhananjoy started from Lucknow on the previous evening and reached a friend’s place in the morning. He was on his way to airport via metro. I also decided to use metro railway to travel to terminal 1. After my wife dropped me at the starting station, it took about 45 minutes to reach there. A shuttle transported me to terminal 3 in about 15 minutes. I met Dhananjoy and Kunal there. For some reason, web check-in was disallowed for Dhananjoy, so he had to complete it at the terminal. After baggage check-ins, it was time for security checks. As usual, we had to unravel a lot of our belongings only to reassemble them again. After arriving at the boarding gate, we finished our breakfast with chicken sandwiches provided by my wife, Anindita. Dhananjoy ensured window seats for all of us.

As the flight took off, Delhi turned into a city map, highways turned into lanes, vehicles reduced to toys. We focused our gaze on the Northern horizon. We hoped to view the Himalayas. It was the very reason for booking window side seats. It started with the Uttarakhand Himalayan peaks. The view of the awe-inspiring Dhaulagiri massif and the Annapurna range indicated that we’ve entered the Nepalese skies. We glided past the major regions of Nepalese Himalayas: Dhaulagiri, Annapurna, Manaslu, Ganesh Himal, and finally Langtang. Then the aircraft started its descent towards the Tribhuvan international airport.

*Kathmandu valley from plane, picture courtesy, Dhananjoy De*

After landing, we descended the airstairs to exit the aircraft. Standing on the runway in the bright afternoon sunshine, I looked around. It was surrounded by hills on all sides. Snow capped peaks of the Langtang region were visible beyond the hills on the northern horizon. A bus carried us to the arrival terminal.

A statue of Budhha greeted the arriving tourists. We posed for photographs in front of it. Immigration formalities in Nepal are one of the simplest that can be found in the world, especially for Indian citizens. In fact there are dedicated counters for Indian passport holders. While traveling in a cab to Thamel, we went past the famous Pasupatinath shrine. It’s golden top, styled like a pagoda, glittered in the afternoon sunshine. Durbar residency is a decent hotel with comfortable rooms. After getting fresh, we sat over glasses of beer at the hotel’s bar. We spoke to Raju and asked him to meet at our hotel in the evening. Since it was still early afternoon, we ventured out to visit Swayambhunath. The breeze was cool at the top of hill at Swayambhu. The views are all familiar as it was the third visit for me. The bird’s eye view of the Kathmandu valley from the top is awe inspiring.

*Kathmandu valley from Swayambhu top, picture courtesy, Dhananjoy De*

*Swayambhunath, Kathmandu, picture courtesy, Dhananjoy De*

The gymnastics of the monkey brigade is ever enchanting. One can spend an entire afternoon by watching their antics. We then went to Basantapur Durbar square. The ancient wooden temples are mesmerizing. The Shwet and Kal-Bhairav idols captivate with their presence. The scores of burning incense sticks and candles transport one back hundreds of years. This was to the age when the Kathmandu valley was ruled by local kings. This was before the Gorkha ruler Prithvi Narayan Shah attacked and conquered the area. He leaves behind a mixed legacy. Some credit him for consolidating the Nepalese kingdom by defeating the warring chieftains. Others loathe him for his cruelty towards the defeated forces.

*Shwet-Bhairav, Basantapur Durbar Square, Kathmandu*

*Kal bhairav, Kathmandu, picture courtesy, Dhananjoy De*

The Shah dynasty occupies a significant position in Nepalese history. After Prithvi Narayan Shah, the dynasty was immersed into a succession struggle between warring factions conspiring against each other. This mayhem was capitalized by the powerful prime ministers, the Ranas. They took control of affairs and reduced the Shah kings to puppets. They continued their iron grip over Nepal for centuries. The Ranas maintained a warm relationship with the colonial rulers of India, to the south of their border. They even stood by the British East India Company to help them suppress the revolt of 1857. When the British left India, almost abruptly in 1947, the situation changed dramatically. At that time, Nepal was ruled by its prime minister Mohan Shamsher Jung Bahadur Rana. The king Tribhuvan was it’s ceremonial ruler (who was crowned at the age of five). Inspired by the ideals of the Indian National Congress, the Nepalese Congress party was formed and it started it’s struggle for Democracy in Nepal. But they were suppressed by the Ranas with a strong hand. Tribhuvan sensed an opportunity and started liaising with them, promising to free them from the autocratic rule of the Ranas. He escaped from the Royal palace and took refuge in the Indian embassy. From there he was flown to New Delhi, where Jawaharlal Nehru, the first prime minister of independent India greeted him. Nehru was in favor of a democratic Nepal, but under the watchful guidance of the monarch. The Rana was forced to relinquish the rule and an accord was signed where Nepal was turned into a semi democracy with power shared between a democratically elected government headed by a prime minister and the monarch. Tribhuvan returned to Nepal, a hero, seen as the king who ushered in democracy to his country. It could have been a happy ending for Nepalese politics from here on, but Tribhuvan’s successor, King Mahendra had other ideas. He abolished the Parliament and introduced a Panchayat system where the Panchayat heads directly reported to him. Discontent started brewing against his policies. Rural Nepal witnessed the Maoist insurgency. Protests erupted on the streets of Kathmandu. After the sudden demise of Mahendra, Birendra became the king. He inherited not just the throne, but the political turmoil too, much of which was a result of his predecessor’s repressive policies. Despite relentless loss of civilian lives due to Maoist insurgency, the Army was not called upon. It is said that much of it had to do with Birendra’s reluctance to allow the army to fire upon his own countrymen. He took the unprecedented step of relinquishing much of his power. The power then shifted to the elected government. In doing so, he effectively converted himself into a constitutional monarch. But some say, this neither pleased the insurgents on the streets, much less the royal family members, many of whom favored his father’s policies. Finally, on the fatal night of 1st June, 2001, he was assassinated at the Royal Narayanhithi palace along with his queen and other members of the family by his heir Deependra who later shot himself. Many reasons and conspiracy theories float around, but the official record puts the responsibility on Prince Deependra. As the funeral pyres burnt at the cremation ground on the banks of the Bagmati river behind the Pasupatinath shrine, a mythological legend surfaced from the rears of history.

It is said that Prithvi Narayan Shah, the founder of the Shah dynasty, once met with the saint Gorakhnath (believed to be an incarnation of Lord Shiva). He somehow ended up enraging the saint who cursed him and predicted the destruction of the dynasty during the reign of the 11th Shah king. Birendra was indeed the 11th. After this massacre, younger brother Gyanendra succeeded him. He too, like Mahendra, tried to dissolve the Parliament under the pretence of saving the country from rampant corruption of the political class. This proved to be the final blow to the monarchy and he was forced to abdicate. Monarchy was abolished in Nepal. The country turned into a secular democracy. The monarchs, who once were viewed as incarnations of the revered Hindu God Vishnu, now moved into oblivion. But since then, the political class plunged into one controversy after another, corruption ran rampant. In a few years, Nepal saw approximately 20 prime ministers come and go. This led to the public protests led by the young generation (called gen-Z) in the month of September 2025 (just a month before our departure). Police firing led to the deaths of 20 young people. Angry mob burnt down every possible signs of the current establishment. It forced the incumbent government to resign. These developments threatened to disrupt our plans but finally, sense prevailed. Things calmed down with a caretaker government taking over under the leadership of a former chief justice of the supreme court. Fresh elections are slated for early next year.

Anyways, let’s get back to our story. After returning to the hotel, we tried to call up Raju but he didn’t pick up the phone. We tried this multiple times while rearranging our baggage (to leave some elements at Kathmandu). Raju’s silence increased our tensions. Normally, we expect a guide to have a conversation about the plan. They should fix the timing of departure. A guide should also give a sense of responsibility and purpose. We started thinking about alternative courses of action. Ideas of reporting to the police also crossed our minds as it was now 8.30 PM. This was late night by the standards of a hill station. Chances of Raju’s appearance seemed to dwindle by the minute. All our payments were already made and we didn’t know about his address. We almost gave up hopes and let our fates rest upon his mercy. Then, suddenly, late at the night, his face appeared. As if a fever subsided from our bodies after running high temperatures for hours! Apparently, his phone discharged while he was busy printing our T-shirts. Nevertheless, all’s well that ends well. Raju would arrive at the hotel with a hired cab. We would start for the airport no later than 8 AM. It was already planned to visit the Pasupatinath shrine at 4 AM in the morning. I went to sleep with mixed feelings. On one hand I was relieved that the trip wasn’t jeopardized. On the other hand, Raju’s casual attitude didn’t bode well for the upcoming days. Did he make the necessary arrangements as claimed by him or there could be unpleasant surprises along the way? Little did we know then that many such fears will turn out to be true. Because of these thoughts, sleep eluded me for long. It was our last comfortable stay before embarking on a fortnight long trip, but I couldn’t enjoy it. The route wasn’t known to be as developed as other parts of Nepal. It demanded more experience and preparedness from a guide but Raju’s attitude seemed on the contrary. I hope he turns up the next day on time! Was it wise to not engage a tour operator? We were planning a trek that lies in a desolate corner of Eastern Nepal. All my thoughts turned to the negative territory. Finally, some factor in my brain resisted. There wasn’t any point pondering over something yet to materialize. It’s wise to cross the bridges as they come along. Why not live in the present? Why not enjoy the moment of being away from work for a fortnight, away from the corporate rat race? Didn’t I wait long enough to embark on the Makalu trail? An itinerary which wasn’t possible to attempt till a few years ago, simply because of the duration, now seems within our reach! Why not grab the opportunities with both the hands (rather limbs as well). The Himalayas don’t beckon so easily. Whatever comes our way, will get tackled and we’ll be back at the same hotel after a fortnight with Makalu base camp added as a feather to our illustrious cap!

The build up The starting point

The Barun valley

Reaching Kathmandu

To reach the base of the Everest region, one has to fly North-East from Kathmandu to reach Luk La. Today, it is a prominent destination. This is thanks to the popularity of the Everest region. It is popular both for trekking and expedition purposes. Luk La acts as an entry point to the higher reaches of the Khumbu region. Solu forms the lower sections of it and is mostly bypassed by flights to Luk La. This region is crowded with trekkers and climbers alike in Spring and Autumn seasons. Though the views are admirable on this route, some feel the lack of tranquility due to the crowd. If you’re seeking solitude in the remote Himalayas, Everest might not be the ideal region anymore. This can be said for some other famed regions of Nepal too, like the Annapurna region.

Next to the Solu-Khumbu district lies another district to its right. This district is called Sankhuwasabha. It is located in the eastern most province of Nepal, the Koshi. It borders with the Tibet Autonomous region of China to the north. Two main rivers form the mainstay of this district and drain most of its mountains and slopes. One of them is Arun. It originates in Tibet and enters the district. It flows south across the district. This flow creates one of the deepest valleys. It is situated between Mt Makalu (8485 m) and Mt Kanchenjunga. Mt Makalu is to the west, and Mt Kanchenjunga is to the east.

Arun River

The other river is Barun , the main tributary of Arun. It originates from the Barun glacier at the base of Mt Makalu, the fifth highest mountain of the world. Both of these rivers are part of the Koshi or Sapta-Koshi river system that drains the Eastern part of Nepal before reaching the plains of India. The other rivers in this system include Sun Koshi (or Indravati). Dudh-Koshi is the famous river flowing through the Solu-Khumbu valleys. The Tamor is in the Kanchenjunga area. The river Barun freezes entirely in winter. The upper section of the Barun valley is one of the richest in Flora and Fauna. Yet, it is one of the least accessed regions of Nepal by tourists. It is so close to the famed Everest (aka Solu-Khumbu) region, yet so unknown among the travelers.

It is right under the light of its more famous counterpart in the West. It is one of the richest habitats for birds in Nepal. It is also the home of the illusive Red Panda. The valley shelters the Snow Leopard as well. The extreme lucky can occasionally get glimpses of these. The landscape varies from the tropical to the alpine. It ultimately reaches the base of its guardian, Mt Makalu, which oversees the valley.

*Barun river*, *en-route Makalu base camp*

The Barun valley lies entirely within the Makalu Barun National Park, which was established in 1992, as an extension to the Sagarmatha National Park (that covers the southern slopes & valleys of Mt Everest). In the early and mid 1980s, some members of The Mountain Institute were intrigued by the enigma of Yeti. They conducted surveys into the sections of the Barun valley. Their aim was to find an explanation of this mystic (rather mythical) phenomenon. In their attempts of doing so, they ended up exploring and unearthing extraordinary biological richness of the area. That led to the need to protect one of the last remaining pristine forests. It also led to the need to protect the alpine meadows (kharkas) in the Himalayan regions. The Makalu-Barun Conservation Area Project began as a result. Over time, this led to the creation of the Makalu Barun National Park. The region is inhabited by people of the Limbu, Sherpa, and Yakkha ethnic groups. It is also home to the Gurung, Tamang, and Magar communities. Additionally, Newar, Brahmin, and Chhetri people mainly engage in subsistence farming.

It is evident through the lush green fields that line the slopes of mountains as one makes way through the villages in the lower reaches of the region. The greenery appears to be much more than the neighboring villages of Solu-Khumbu and it’s very soothing to the eyes.

*Entrance, Makalu Barun National Park, Seduwa*

Let’s now turn our attention to the mountain which lends its name to this national park, Mt Makalu. At an altitude of 8485 m, it is the fifth highest mountain in the world. It is part of a section of The Himalayas known as the Mahalangur Himal. This section also includes Mt Everest, Lhotse, and Cho Oyu. Many other peaks in this area are at or above 7000 m. It lies 19 km south-east of Mt Everest on the Tibet-Nepal border.

Despite lying so close to Mt Everest, Makalu receives much less attention from climbers. Sights of long queues extending up to the summit of Mt Everest are common nowadays. Climbs to Makalu are rare. The first climb was attempted by an American team led by Riley Keeganin 1954. It was called the California Himalayan expedition. It was attempted via South-East ridge, but was forced to retreat from 7100 m when they encountered with storms. Another team from New Zealand including Sir Edmund Hillary also attempted it during the same season (i.e. the spring of 1954), but were deterred by illness and injuries. Finally, on May 15, 1955, Lionel Terray and Jean Couzy reached the summit. They were part of a French expedition team led by Jean Franco. Like Mt Annapurna, it was a French team, who tasted the first success on Makalu. The next two days saw three and four members of the expedition team summit the peak respectively. It was a major achievement at that time. Most of the expedition team members ended up summiting. This was unusual in those days. Typically, at most one or two members would summit. The rest of the team provided logistical and infrastructural support. This was done via the North face and the North-East ridge. In 2009, an Italian named Simone Moro accomplished the first winter ascent. He was joined by a Kazakh mountaineer named Denis Urubko. Before that, in 2006, the French mountaineer Jean-Christophe Lafaille disappeared. He was on the slopes of Makalu attempting a winter ascent. In 2022, Adrian Ballinger made the first ski descent. He skied from 15 m below the summit to the foot of the glacier.

We had our sights trained on this region from a very early phase but we couldn’t venture out because of its remoteness. We scoured the internet for itineraries. We found many, but none were less than three weeks long. This included a flight from Kathmandu to Tumlingtar. In the past, just reaching the starting point of the trek required at least 2-3 days. This was even after the flight from Tumlingtar. The duration proved to be a deterrent. It kept us at bay. We turned our attention to other areas of Nepal. After ticking off Everest, Annapurna, and Manaslu areas over the last nine years, we returned our focus to this area. By this time the road reach had extended further. This extension allowed us to fit the schedule to a window of two weeks. Now, reaching Seduwa, the starting point, is possible in a single day. This is achieved with a 30 minutes flight from Kathmandu to Tumlingtar, followed by a 7 hour drive.

Conversations started with our friends and Raju Gurung, our guide from Everest base camp and Annapurna base camp treks. Raju became a close friend of ours from these two treks. We wanted him to join us as a guide on this venture. After exchanging ideas, we fixed the itinerary. We made advance payments to Raju. These payments were for making arrangements for porters. They also covered advance lodge bookings and, most importantly, the flight bookings for Kathmandu to Tumlingtar and back. As per plan, we were to reach Kathmandu on 18th October. We would reach Tumlingtar on the 19th and arrive at Seduwa the same day. Successive nights would see us stay at Tashigaon, Khongma, Dobato, Yangle Kharka, Merek to finally reach at Makalu base camp. On our way down, we were to stay at Yangle Kharka, Khongma and Tashigaon. The last day would need us to trek to Seduwa, followed by a drive down to Tumlingtar. The itinerary looked good overall. Only one day raised concerns. It was the day we were supposed to get down from Yangle Kharka to Khongma. On the way up, the trek from Khongma to Dobato was 14 km long. It required crossing four different mountain passes, including the famous Shipton La (4170 m). This involved gaining elevation only to lose it. The final gain of height to Dobato was just about 100 m. After Dobato, it is about 12 km to Yangle Kharka. So, it involves descending a total of 26 km from Yangle Kharka to Khongma. This descent happens in a single day. The stretch from Yangle to Dobato is mainly descent. Thus, it should take less time than ascent. The rest of the section was similar while going up. It would involve crossing the same set of passes. All these factors combined gave me a feeling of a challenge. I felt it was going to be difficult with tired legs during our descent. It seemed almost impossible. I asked Raju the same question. He seemed okay with it. It seems most of the standard itineraries suggest that. I agreed to it at that time with crossed fingers. It’s another story that much of this itinerary went for a toss due to a multitude of reasons. Another cause of concern was the stay at Dobato. It had a single tea house. All texts on the internet suggested booking it in advance. This would avoid hassles after a long crossover across four mountain passes from Khongma. I often reminded Raju to make sure booking at that place. He assured us that everything was sorted. He had already informed local porters from that area to arrange for advance bookings. Apparently, there wasn’t any cause to worry (well, apparently).

Further inquiries revealed that this route could pose challenges unlike other areas of Nepal. Charging electronic devices or camera batteries may be difficult. Access to telephone or Wi-Fi networks could also be problematic. This meant we had to equip ourselves with power banks and extra batteries. We also needed to set expectations with our homes. For a large section of the route, keeping them informed about our whereabouts could be a challenge. They should expect us to be off network for a sizable section of the travel. To be honest, this shouldn’t be surprising in a trek. However, in other established trails of Nepal like the Everest or Annapurna regions, the infrastructure support is improved. Because of this, our expectations for connectivity went higher. This was a trail which brought us down to earth to more realistic expectations. Still, when we went there, it didn’t turn out that bad in terms of connectivity. It was not as sophisticated when compared to the more famed trails of Nepal.

Our last few treks in Nepal has been in the Annapurna region, the most recent was to the Khopra ridge. All of these travels involved entry and exit via Sonauli border (reachable from the nearest railway station, Gorakhpur). This time, after a long period, we entered and exited Nepal via flights. The flights were to and from Kathmandu, the Nepalese capital. The team boiled down to three – me, Dhananjoy and Kunal. Dhananjoy would start on 17th evening via a train from Lucknow to Delhi. Rest of us were to join him at the Indira Gandhi International Airport at Delhi for a flight to Kathmandu. Our return was going to be similar, except for Dhananjoy to take an onward flight from Delhi to Lucknow. A visit to Kathmandu would allow us to renew our ties to that city. We would probably visit the Pasupatinath shrine again. I always find this refreshing before starting over a trek.

Reaching Kathmandu

Tranquil Sarangkot

It had been almost ten hours since we’ve been on the roads and it hadn’t been fun always, despite the greeneries on display en-route. The ride was bumpy and dusty to say the least, thanks to the ongoing road widening activity. We started off from the distant village of Nagarkot, that lies about 25 kms from Kathmandu, lying on the border of the valley. After a descent to Kathmandu, we took the road going west, out of the Kathmandu valley, towards the town of Pokhara. Along the route, we were greeted with pleasant scenes of terraced paddy fields of rural Nepal, by the side of the Trishuli river which gushed down the valley. After a small stopover at a roadside hamlet for some tea, the journey resumed. After sometime, the traffic stalled for almost an hour as the road was blocked from one side due to a landslide and the local police were controlling the flow of traffic through a bottleneck. Then came the junction town of Mugling. It is a place where three roads divert (or meet, depending on the way you look at it). One coming from Kathmandu, the second heading to Pokhara and a third, going towards NarayanGarh, Chitwan and Birganj. After this junction, it was all dust and bumps and the speed came almost to a grinding halt.

Noon gave way to afternoon and the sun’s rays acquired a familiar slant and I started to keep a watch on time. It was already 5 PM and we were running against time to reach our destination, Sarnagkot, which was about 10 kms uphill from the town of Pokhara, which was itself about 35 kms way. That’s when we reached another junction and a local lad suggested taking an alternate route going through the upper reaches of the hills. According to him, though the route was longer, it should allow us to reach half an hour earlier, thanks to the clear roads. Hence, we left the main highway and went along the serpentine road along the slopes. Dust and bump gave way to serene fields that were stretched to the horizon where hills formed the boundary. The cool breeze came rushing through the windows while the sun poured gold on the forests lining the slopes.

The leaves glistened in the afternoon sun. The road went through the rural areas of Nepal, devoid of the crowd & traffic that one faces along the main Kathmandu-Pokhara highway. Lush green fields were interspersed with village houses. If I could stay in such a house, surrounded by fields on all sides. A walk of a few kilometers could lead me to a valley with a roaring stream making it’s way through it. A look through the V-shaped opening of the valley would reveal the snow capped Himalayan peaks on the northern horizon, just as they were visible at the moment, bathing in gold amidst the fading solar rays.

A quick look at the time made me realize that our hopes of witnessing a glorious sunset from Pokhara (let alone Sarangkot) would not materialize. Why not spend sometime en-route to make the most of this afternoon? The same thought must have struck with the travellers in the other vehicle as we saw it slowing down & coming to a halt by the roadside. All of us came out of our vehicles, climbed up a small hill to allow us a clear view of the northern horizon where the nature was at it’s best with it’s canvas & brush.

A huge range of mountains spanned the view where numerous peaks of the Himalayas of central Nepal were lined up one after another. Their snow covered slopes & crowns were put on fire by a brush of crimson. It was to be cherished uninterrupted but we tried to ensure that cameras captured them as best as they could before the opportunity fades away. We all knew that the window was slim as this splendour was short-lived.

Our journey resumed and as soon as the sun went down, darkness engulfed us and then the entire focus was on Pokhara, our immediate milestone. Roads became bumpier, speed slowed down but Pokhara still eluded us. The drivers asked a few locals about the way as we were travelling an off beaten route. I was trying to look for the familiar signs of the Fewa lake that greets one on entering Pokhara. While Fewa lake didn’t oblige, but we finally found ourselves riding through the highway from Prithwi Chowk towards lakeside area. That gave some relief. After sometime, we found ourselves moving up the slopes towards Sarangkot. The gradient of the slopes & the frequent switchbacks told that we were gaining altitude briskly. Even in the dark, the glimpses of the Annapurna Himalayas kept growing in stature, thanks to the moonlight. Their evergrowing stature added to our excitement as prospects of sunrise views for the next day grew proportionally.

We enquired about the “Sherpa Lodge”, our place of halt on our way up. After we reached the site, we found the place to be desolate with only one family staying on rent at the ground floor with no one else to be found. We heard that the owners shut the place down to head for Kathmandu. Their phones were silent too. With a large group at hand, the problem stared right at our face. We went around the place scouting for an alternative. At this remote place, out in the dark, it seemed daunting, but the drivers of our vehicles supported a lot, going door to door of the other available hotels scouting for rooms. Finally, they landed us with “Hotel Brisha”, we got smitten by its appearance immediately and to their credit, they didn’t capitalize on our situation to charge more. After settling in our rooms, we sat for a cup of tea at the dining please place while our dinner was getting prepared. The famous Sarangkot watch tower was at a walking distance from the place but the hotel owner cautioned to get started early to get a favorable place for the sunrise views. We retired in our rooms for the night with high expectations for the next morning.

Sleep was comfortable in the rooms under the cosy blankets, but the alarm went off at 4 AM. We saw the undulating reflection of a few distant night lights from the balcony. That revealed the location of the famed Fewa lake of the Pokhara valley. A small walk from the hotel led to the watch tower. Crowds already started assembling there. We hurried along the stairs to reach the viewpoint before sunrise. There was a wide balcony at the base of the tower, which had many stories. Contrary to my assumption, the views from higher stories were rather restricted. We lost more on the horizontal frame than we gained in closeness of the views from higher stories. Hence, we stuck to the balcony. Darkness started fading away as a soft light started gracing the northern horizon. The Himalayan peaks still formed a dark silhouette. The first solar rays started to make their way through the sharp edges of the mountains to grace the crowns of some of the distant peaks. Some of them started to wear a crimson-gold crown while others remained in the dark.

Hundreds assembled at the place with all of their lenses & devices trained on the mountains. As the crowns became prominent, the tops bathed in gold, I recognized the unmistakable Dhaulagiri. Was it so near to us? Such an imposing structure which inspires awe in the viewers.

The vista continued to the right to the Nilgiri mountains and then emerged the Annapurna range, starting with the main peak, followed by Annapurna II, III, South, IV, Mt Hiunchuli, Mt Gangapurna. To their right, there was the revered structure of Mt Machhapuchare (or Fishtail, as called by some).

*Mt Annapurna South and Hiunchuli, Sarangkot*

The mountains ran uninterrupted to the east towards the Manaslu ranges and further beyond. I kept thinking about them, as swathes of gold came down their slopes. These were the same mountains which we cherished from their other sides, their rain shadow areas from the remote villages of Pissang, Ngawal or Manang. The valleys on their Southern slopes are so green & lush in comparison to the barren & desolate slopes in Manang. Somewhere amidst these ranges, deep in their valleys, there would be the southern base camp of Annapurna. In one of the wedges between the Annapurna & Dhaulagiri ranges, would lie the Thorong la, the famed gateway into Mustang from Manang. It’s so amazing that there are three mountains reaching above 8000 m and many above 7000 m among the Himalayan range in front of us! No other region in the world except Nepal can offer such proximity to the high mountains.

By the time my gaze shifted from the mountains to my fellow travellers, the mountains appeared in their full morning glow of blazing silver. I regretted that we couldn’t stay another couple of days at this wonderful place nestled in the high slopes surrounding the Fewa lake.

As we travelled down the slopes towards Pokhara, Sarangkot receded behind us, creating an indelible imprint on my mind & a strong desire to be back there in the future.

The solitude of Khopra ridge – Ghodepani-Poonhill

Valley

1st May, 2025

Unlike other days, on this occasion, we woke up with leisure. Our target was to hike to Ghodepani, a wonderful viewpoint in it’s own right, but also famous for acting as the base for one of the famed viewpoints in the Annapurna region, known for its panoramic Himalayan views. Yes, I’m talking about the Poonhill top. To reach Ghodepani (2874 m) from Swanta (2270 m), it’s a hike for approximately 600 m. Our trek was reaching it’s culmination and this day was supposed to be the last day of trekking. The following day also involved a walk of approximately 2 hours but after that, a jeep ride would take us back to the Pokhara town. We took our time to get ready as the day’s hike was likely to last for a maximum of 4 hours and we were expecting to have lunch at Ghodepani.

After breakfast, we exited the premises of the lodge and hit a dusty trail that moved down. After a switchback, the trail turned even narrower & somewhat steeper to reach a suspension bridge which transported us over a gushing stream. After that, the trail moved up and traversed through abandoned cultivation fields. There was also an abandoned house. For a moment, I lost the trail as there wasn’t any clear path. However, after sometime, I did find a feeble line of human steps, which I followed to reach a place where a muddy but wide & unpaved road greeted us. For those who’ve been in Nepal, would know that it was a road where jeeps plied. With ever increasing road reach in the Annapurna area, such unpaved roads make the first “in-roads” with vehicles already plying, while pavements catch-up with these later. We went ahead along the road. Cultivated fields lined both sides of it where a sea of yellow flowers of innumerable mustard plants stretched till the base of the distant hills which formed the boundary.

The flowers looked contrastingly bright in the backdrop of overcast skies with breeze creating waves among them. A few buffaloes were roaming around with their bells tinkling around their necks. It turned out that Ranjan da left his water bottle at the lodge at Swanta and was now adjusting with a temporary alternative. Hence, I waited for him just in case he needed some from mine. After he sipped some water, we resumed our hike and soon I found myself alone on the trail. After walking on the Jeep road, there was a detour that moved left the main road to move up among the forests.

That gave some relief. I took the detour while the Jeep road went up gradually along the serpentine slopes. Clouds started hovering again and the winds dashed against my face. That prompted me to put on my jacket. After plodding ahead, we crossed the Jeep road once more at a place called Chitre. Chitre is an important junction on this route. One road went down towards Tatopani, while another joined it from Swanta. The combined road then moved towards Ghodepani. Tatopani is an important town where this road joined the Muktinath highway which came down from the Mustang region and went towards the town of Pokhara. Hence, to reach Ghodepani by road, one could reach Tatopani from Pokhara, switch vehicles to board another for Ghodepani. A milestone declared that Ghodepani was another 4 km away, which took me back. Yugal corrected by saying that it was for the Jeep road, the alternative walking trails should be just about 2 km from Chitre. That sounded more sane & I started off on the trail.

En-route Ghodepani, ground flowers — *En-route Ghodepani*

The hike was gradual but went through staircases which weren’t kind on our feet & knees. There are alternate tracks available besides the stairs (often created by herds of mules) & I was always on the lookout for them as they offered a more gentle slope. Such staircases could be overwhelming, especially when they span long distances. A glance at them from lower stages make them seemingly unending. Hence, I didn’t bother to look at the top, just focused on the stairs, which eventually would run out. I recalled our long hikes over stair cases during the Annapurna base camp trail, especially on our way from Jhinu danda to Chomrong. My daughter was traveling with me on that occasion and after sometime she gave up and started crying incessantly. Amidst hovering clouds, I was keen for her to go ahead but she became resistant. Finally, one of the porters carried her on his back for the last few steps. These people offer such valuable support but often turn out to be unsung heroes. Back to the present, profuse sweating prompted me to remove my jacket only to put it back on due to the cold breeze. This dilemma never seems to leave me. I felt the need to give a fresh look at my trekking gears. It always appeared to me that I was either over or under clothed reeling or shivering under severe sweat or cold respectively. I always seem to fringe on the extremes. But that’s for later. For now, after sometime, I saw the entrance gate welcoming us to the Ghodepani-Poonhill area. Ghodepani is a terminal village in the Myagdi district of Nepal, beyond which, the areas come under another district, Kaski. I waited at the gate for Yugal & Ramesh to catch up. We had some further steps to cover before reaching the tea house. This last hike was steep but the hope of proximity kept us going. We gradually entered the main tourist area of Ghodepani which was filled with lodges on both sides. Traveling through the alleys, we noticed a direction towards Poonhill. We moved in that direction and after a small hike, reached our tea house. That implied that we’d have to hike a little less for the next day while going towards Poonhill.

We were alloted a room at the third floor. That was an ask after a tiring hike, but it meant better views, potentially, though it was all cloudy at the moment. A sumptuous lunch with rice & chicken curry was well worth eating in a large empty dining space, almost devoid of tourists. The owner & staff also kept themselves busy by watching movies or playing games. With all it’s fame, Ghodepani appeared too empty. We were to be proven wrong in the afternoon when there was a sudden spike in trekkers which set the place abuzz. Actually, it’s a pattern where most of the trekkers reach in the afternoon, it just happened that we reached a bit earlier. After lunch, Ranjan da went for a nap, while I remained in the dining room. A slight drizzle was already going on, which now turned into intense rain. Heavy rains in the mountains cause tensions of potential land slides or road blocks but it also offered a chance for the clouds to clear up. Hoping for the latter, I kept gazing through the windows. Trekkers kept coming and the buzz increased, the hotel staff too, got going on their toes. Suddenly, the chit chat turned into a collective applause. Prompted by that elation, I looked through the window to find the clouds receding, making way for the mountains to appear. The silhouette was still monochrome but it looked like a water color canvas where a painter washed out the previous scene to make way for another.

Clouds still graced the tree tops but they were dispersing. The likes of Gurja Himal, Tukuche and the main imposing Dhaulagiri massif started to reveal their structures while their bases and the tops were still shielded by a horizontal line of clouds. As if they were floating atop the clouds.

On our right, the Annapurna ranges also started to may their way through. The forests in the valley below looked refreshing & freshly bathed by the recent rains. Ranjan da declared that the forecast was to have an all clear sky by 9 PM. That raised our hopes for the famous Poonhill panorama for the next day. For now, we headed out, training our lenses on the Himalayan vista, making it’s way piercing through the dispersing clouds.

Dhaulagiri range 2, Ghodepani — *Ghodepani*

As the veil lifted, the mountains revealed their full physical structure. With the clouds still forming the background, the monochrome display appeared surreal. The Dhaulagiri massif appeared as an imposing structure inspiring awe among the viewers.

As evening wore on, weather cleared up further and stars appeared in the sky. Dinner was served at 7.30 PM. The dining space was full by this time with ever busy hotel staff catering to the needs of the people. We kept gossipping with Yugal about our previous experiences in Nepal. Reminiscing about previously visited areas made us feel as locals. We discussed our ordeals and unique experiences in the routes of Everest, Manaslu & Annapurna regions. Time flied past and it was time to call it a day. After we reclined to our room, sleep eluded me as I kept glancing through the window towards the mountains. A partial moon cast it’s light over the mountains which made their outlines visible. The sky was still glittering with stars. We went to sleep with high hopes for the morning. We were sleeping at 2874 m.

2nd May, 2025

I woke up in the wee hours of the night. A quick glance through the window revealed a disappointment. Stars were not visible anymore and the mountain tops were covered again by the clouds. We couldn’t do much about it, but to sleep again till the alarm went off at 5 AM. We could hear people already moving towards Poonhill with head torches lit to light their way. When we started our journey, darkness started giving way for the dawn to break. Clouds maintained a strict veil but we plodded towards Poonhill hoping against hope. The track went up the slopes through stairs. Despite the cloud cover, people kept moving up. After sometime, we saw some of the early hikers coming down, giving up their hopes. Earlier known as the Lung Tung danda, this viewpoint was famous for panoramic Himalayan views. It was renamed to Poonhill to honor the Pun tribe who were the local people tied to the land of this area. After about 45 minutes, we reached the top, which was a flat space with a watch tower. The place was crowded with people jostling around to get a space at the front row to have better views, but these efforts were futile as clouds maintained their veil in front of the mountains. The streaming rays of the sun making their way through the cracks in the cloud armour gave an indication that the sun was already high up in the sky.

Hoping for them to disperse, we stated there for sometime, drinking tea from the local stall. The spot has lost some of it’s glory, thanks to the local crowd, many of whom were more interested in selfies than nature. This turned it into a picnic spot rather than a viewpoint. After sometime, we started our descent. On our way down, we were treated with a wonderful flute rendition by a local person who was on his way up. After we came down to Ghodepani, got ready and had our breakfast, clouds started clearing. Nature bathed in bright sunshine as cloud lifted their veil. The Dhaulagiri and Annapurna Himalayas appeared in their full grandeur. After a photographic session for about an hour we started on our way down. As if the Himalayas bid adieu with a marvellous display.

Mt Annapurna South, Ghodepani — *Mt Annapurna South*, Ghodepani

We made our way down through the alleys of Ghodepani amidst the numerous lodges. We exited Ghodepani through another gate, out into the forests as the trail moved down the slopes. We descended all the way down to Ulleri, which is a big town in the area. The trail continued further down through the woods. We crossed a landslide area and after a descent of about two and a half hours, reached Banthanti. Local jeeps waited for passengers. We boarded one of them and headed down towards the town of Pokhara. Another Himalayan journey came to an end. Though clouds held their sway, prohibiting the views at times, but they were kind enough to offer a grand sunrise at Khopra danda, added to the beauty of the mountains at Ghodepani. At someday we may come back to the region once again amidst the tranquility of the Annapurna sanctuary. Till then, au revoir.

Valley