kedarkantha
Kedarkantha Trek
7 min read
Gori tera gaanv bda pyara me to gya maara , aake yhan re………
After many hiccups, three musketeers were set out for Extreme-Fun in inclement conditions.
Anyways we reached ISBT and bade goodbye to the nocturnal city-Delhi at 10 pm. We were prepared for the trip with full charged Mobile-batteries & bottles. We decided to gorge on Omelette but it wasn’t enough to satiate our hunger. “When will we gulp chocolates and biscuits that we are carrying in the bag?”
“No buddy, the journey has merely started plus three more days to go” a sensible mind replied.
It was blowing cold when we reached Dehradun. Nobody in Dehradun knew about Sankri. First Google Map hinted nothing about Sankri & now the People’s response. Bravo! “When it rains, it pours.” Well said.
At 5 in the morning we got a bus for Nogaon. A village man with his lamb was our new buddy in the bus. After reaching Nogaon, we hopped on the next bus to Purola & then finally to Sankri. Phew! We reached there around 5pm. And Yep, that bleating lamb accompanied us all the way to Sankri.
We made decent arrangements for stay and collected all the accessories like shoes, raincoats, and trekking poles. Moreover, we hired a guide who made arrangements for Sleeping & food for the next 2 days. Next thing we knew, that we made a beeline for dinner. The pleasant lady with her charming daughters cooked amazingly, beyond our surreal expectations. It was really frightening to witness smoke approaching us, little later that moved upwards. Ohh, we realized these were clouds that scared the shit out of us.
We decided to hit the sack and set the alarms to awake us at 7.
It was raining outside but that could not deter us. We got ready in half an hour and after having breakfast at the same place, we headed towards the starting point of the Summit.
Our Yogi Bro (The guide) asked us to step up. We were like Step up? But where? In demonstration, Yogi stretched his legs up to the rocky terrain of the mountain leaving the road behind. Well okay, guess "lagne ke din ab shuru ho gye the". However, cool thing was that the raindrops turned to snowfall within 30 minutes of our Trek. That view can’t be imagined & explained. We are still lost in those huts tents and little stops under the trees to save ourselves from snow, Click selfies, widening our arms to feel the heaven. Awesome!
Good things come after multiple waits,
Joy multiplies when it’s with best-mates,
And it’s all worth coz it’s never too late.
This particular hamlet, where people dread to move out after dusk, was the most awaited destination of ours. The seeds of our next trip were sown in December, but cruel & demanding circumstances delayed the germination till 25th Jan 2017. But was it worth Wait? Relive the moments with me & find out!
“I wanted to see the snowfall”, Sunny blurted.
“Ok, I assure you this will be even more than that & let’s make it our best trip”, Bindal enthused.
VB jumped in & exclaimed “Take My-type thing bros.” I can’t sleep & dream without it (Beer).
“I said it’s fine but isn’t it risky to get away with Beers in Metro” said Bindal apprehensively.
Vibhum sighed “Not a freaking deal Man, we’ll see.”
“No buddy, the journey has merely started plus three more days to go” a sensible mind replied.
“Wait, have you planned any arrangements of food & accommodation over there?” Sunny demanded.
Bindal tilted his head in unfavourable direction. VB & Sunny roared to laughter & yelled, “Are you nuts? Bindal”
Soon, Bindal handed Popcorn to Sunny to gag his anger & hunger. Later, a bus halted at a stop in UP and we scurried for dinner. If drama & thrill in Bus wasn’t enough, UP Babu trolledus with Payment Bill. LOL.
Somehow we managed to reach railway station from where we boarded a bus to a place near Sankri. No straight journey to Sankri yet... Remember, people we met, doubted the existence of Sankri. So our progress wasn’t bad at all.
At 5 in the morning we got a bus for Nogaon. A village man with his lamb was our new buddy in the bus. After reaching Nogaon, we hopped on the next bus to Purola & then finally to Sankri. Phew! We reached there around 5pm. And Yep, that bleating lamb accompanied us all the way to Sankri.
We decided to hit the sack and set the alarms to awake us at 7.
It was raining outside but that could not deter us. We got ready in half an hour and after having breakfast at the same place, we headed towards the starting point of the Summit.
Little did we know that we couldn’t move to the Base Camp that day. So opted to sojourn at Yogi's relative’s house. We had lunch and started towards our todays destination, dropped our bags over there, had some "Chai" and enjoyed filming ourselves falling into the 3 Feet soft layer of snow (Yes, mark this one on your To-do list.) There we met our old friend Arun who was enjoying with his trek group. After a little chat, we came back and had an amazing dinner in their kitchen, little drunk in front of fire goons and then slept thinking of adventure coming up tomorrow. At 6 in the morning we started with the aim to reach at the base camp by 12 in the noon. But the fresh snowfall that too about 2 feet didn’t allowed us to move forward. Nor the way to summit was visible but summit was calling us, as we reached the hargaon, we were able to see the peak we were thinking of from yesterday. While making the way through the snow we required lots of push and it was a long distance to cover that day. We had breakfast somewhere on a fallen tree and anyhow reached Base Camp, but till than one of our mates Sunny has left the hope to move forward.
It was snow everywhere, snow to eat, snow to view, snow to bath, snow to wash (dash dash) VB better fill this dash dash. But me and VB were still conscious just to reach the peak or Mad you can say. Our Guide and Sunny stopped at the base camp. Me, VB along with a new guide started upwards without luggage but this time we were well equipped with our accessories like crampons and gutters. It was a dream that we were living in, all white and the shining sun and more low the temperature, more wonderful it was. Our feet started sleeping and the steep slope came. We were just below the peak; they call it shoulder, mesmerizing it was.
We had "Chai" again and headed upwards. The passionate VB had too fallen weak but somehow he managed to move. I don't know if I was the one who made him go further or it’s the the spirit that Himalayan Dog showed. This small creature was with us from the base camp itself.
27th it was when we reached the Summit and there was a storm up there, that wasn’t budging, the damn snow!! The first thing we did there – Yep, you guessed it, smoked a Sutta, after clicking some "Conquered the World" Moments of course. 🙂
We started downwards and it was more interesting than stepping up, we just loosen our body, falling, standing, sloping again, standing & falling again. Our whole body was out of order till we reached back to the base camp. We were both pretty much tired up now by falling down the slopes so often. VB knows this better 🙂. We warmed up ourselves up in the bonfire and had supper and after little fun slept retired to sleep. Finally a soothing sleep in the sleeping bags. Spending night in the tents is quite fascinating by the way.
Next day in the morning our legs were not following our mind and we were in a great pain. VB also was walking like that "langda tyagi" in Omkara movie. We with Yogi Bhai started downwards towards Juda ka Talaab. Yogi Bhai held Sunny's hand to help him with Steps. 😀
On the way back, we met a lot of Trekkers but bro they missed the kiss to Fresh snow that we seized. It was a great trek but it didn’t stop there, it was 3 pm when we reached back in the Sankri village. But then we couldn't find any Govt. Bus to Dehradun, luckily we found a cab for Purola and then we managed to reach Naugaon and then had a stay over there. In the morning we headed to Dehradun & eventually Delhi. Finally back to the hot Delhi from -15 degrees freezing kedarkantha.
There exists a story behind every scene.