Trek to Roopkund in June'15

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Day 0: Delhi – Haldwani

Departed Delhi via Uttarakhand Parivahan Volvo at night. Arrived in Haldwani by 4am the same night.

Day 1: Haldwani – Loharjung

Hired a private taxi from Haldwani, departed by 4:45am. Halted at Dewal for lunch ty Noon. Arrived in Loharjung by 3pm.

Day 2: Loharjung – Tolpani

We guys got up at around 8 am, freshened up and proceeded for Breakfast. 

Our tour organizer Harinder reminded us to take all that is sufficient for the entire trek. After picking up the final utilities and necessities it was time for everybody to pack up their rucksacks and start the much anticipated trek.The lunch arrangements were made at Didna village at the house of a local family and the campsite for the night was at Tolpani. We quickly got acquainted with the guides and started descending down the mountain. A 3 km hike till the river at the bottom which was done with ease. However we stopped for a quick breather anyway and let the holiday feeling sink in. Now it was all upwards from here. Initially the slope did not bother us but after 2-3 kms we settled for a break as everyone was out of breath. Meanwhile the donkeys overtook us. They carried all the food supplies, cooking equipment, tents and sleeping bags. We started the climb again. Didna village was another 5 km. I was already tired after taking a few steps. But one has to keep going. Slowly and steadily we kept climbing. Leg muscles had started crying out, rucksacks started giving the shoulders a hard time but there was no choice whatsoever. The slope had gotten pretty hardcore by now. There was no point of taking a break because once you take a few steps you are tired again. We used to stop, catch our breath and move on. We only hoped to reach Didna quickly and nothing else. After a much tiring ascend, behind the trees we saw a few houses. Oh the joy of food and relaxation ran across our minds. Our pace increased automatically even though we were so tired. And when we reached the house I removed my rucksack, shoes, socks, jacket and just sat on a chair in the lawn. The lady of the house gave us fresh Buransh juice which was so refreshing that it put a smile on my face. I straightaway asked for more. There was delicious Rajma Chawal for lunch. The family was very hospitable indeed and served us nicely. We sat there after lunch and watched the beautiful sky. The donkeys were also feeding on the grass nearby and the bells on their necks ringing religiously. We had to climb again till Tolpani but the guides promised that it is comparatively easy. It was not. Kept going, kept going and kept going. Tolpani campsite was beautiful. It was a secluded place and our tents were placed well under the big trees. We reached by 4pm and had enough time to kill. There were lots of sheep, buffalos grazing far away and obviously our carrier donkeys! It rained towards the evening which made the night extremely cold. Our guides lit up a bonfire followed by dinner. Conversations flew and we got to know the others in the party and the guides, cooks and our organizer nicely. After a hectic day we settled in comfortably in Tolpani. Everyone called it a night and went to their respective tents.

Day 3: Tolpani – Ali Bugyal – Bedni Bugyal

A cold morning awaited us outside our tents. Everybody went all over Tolpani in various directions to do the needful. We even had a morning bonfire and chai was served immediately. Everyone got ready, packed their belongings, ate breakfast and started the leftover ascend which was about 2 km. Towards the topmost region of the same hill the trek started looking beautiful and the route started opening up. The forest got dense and due to the rain last evening was lush green. When we reached the top and looked the other side we were left flabbergasted by the mesmerizing view of the never ending Ali bugyal and just stared at its beauty. The first glance of the Himalayas and the snow capped peaks in front was also from Ali bugyal. What a treat it was. We sat down on top of Ali bugyal and ate our packed lunch and relaxed under the sunshine. Lots of photos were taken, lots of laughter and suddenly we realized that this is what we were looking for. Ali bugyal was not a trek it was a leisure walk in the gardens of heaven. We forgot the slope, we forgot the weight of our rucksacks and all the tired faces were rejuvenated. However, there was still lots of ground to cover. As camping is not possible on Ali bugyal due to non-availability of water we had to trek till Bedni Bugyal which is again a famous campsite. Now we were walking with a beautiful and constant view of the mighty Himalayas in fornt of us therefore the thought of getting tired never came across our minds. We took a few very risky short cuts which brought our hearts out of our mouths but the adventure made it fun. Finally we got a view of our Bedni campsite. There were lots of tents and two shops as well. People were playing cricked on a flat stretch of the bugyal. It was an open area of complete relaxation. It was cold here as now we were at a height of about 10,000 feet. Bonfire here was not allowed by the forest department and we had to soak in the cold. One walk around the campsite was good enough for the sun to set and what a beautiful sight it was.  I met two dogs also whom I fed biscuits and they followed us to our tents. We ate dinner outside in the dark. I could not see anything on my plate. Just ate whatever I could grab. Then all of us quickly washed up and were back inside our tents. Good night!

Day 4: Bedni Bugyal – Pahar Nauchani

We got to witness a beautiful morning from our tents. The clouds went away for a bit and the sunrise was just magnificent. The mighty Trishul stood there nice and strong and that was where we had to go. Quickly the clouds came back to block the view and play their tricks. Anyway, we ate breakfast, bid farewell to the dogs and left ahead of the others to see the famous Bedni kund. It’s a small fresh water lake with a few small temples around it. We took the blessing of the Lord before we started the day’s trek. The trek was really beautiful. We could see the entire trail going up the hill and disappearing. The greenery was gone today and it was rocks and bits and patches of snow. The route was not tiring at all once again and today’s trek was only 6 km. However it was really cold which we realized when we took breaks. Warm jackets, woolen caps and gloves were out today. We rested where the trek started descending apart from the quick breathers we took. Campsite was an hour away from here. Snow in patches all around and the snow capped mountains in front of the Himalayas bang opposite us. Now it was a relaxed walk till Pahar Nauchani campsite. We were anyway ahead of time and reached our campsite in time for lunch. Brilliant khichdi was served, and it was exactly what we needed before the afternoon nap under the sun (although it’s not recommended to suddenly nap after long hours of trekking at high altitudes, but where’s the fun in that?) When we got up we saw the 30 people India hikes party learning to trek and negotiate on the patches of snow for the big day tomorrow. Our group just saw the proceedings from far away. Also, our guide told us that this small lesson will not help tomorrow and will only scare people. Anyway, I guess their party had nothing else to do and was just killing time. We came back to our tents to enjoy the beauty of the campsite. It got cold towards the evening. It even rained a little bit. There were patches of snow around our tents. This was definitely the coldest night. We were served dinner inside our tents as yesterday we could not get a view of the food on our plate. Inside the tent was warm and the torch hanging above was a blessing. As we had to start tomorrow’s trek at 3 am, we slept immediately after dinner. 

Day 5: Pahar Nauchani – Bhagwabasa – Roopkund and back

Freshened up ate maggi noodles for breakfast, started trekinning at 3 am. Torches were out as it was pitch dark, senses were consciously heightened and cautious as the trail was very thin initially. After about 2 km the trail widened, but the incline started. Today the trek will regularly gain massive altitude. We were mentally preparing ourselves for it. It was also spine chilling cold. I was wearing 5 layers on top and 2 layers at the bottom. 2 hours of climbing led us to Kalu Vinayak. This is a Lorg Ganesh temple where its tradition to pray to the lord for a safe ascend today. The sun was rising and the view was jaw dropping. Clear view of the Trishul, Nanda Ghunti (Up close and personal), Chaukhamba, Neelkanth and Satopanth (in the distance, along the horizon). The peaks had a gold hue due to sunrise. This blew our mind away. The trail from now one till Roopkund, is all on glaciers. The crampons were out now. We walked for another hour now and reached Bhagwabasa. It’s a crowded campsite with lots of groups trying to attempt Roopkund. We had a cup of chai to warm ourselves and proceeded. It was already around 7am now. Which is a little behind schedule for the ascent. The trip to and fro from the tarn takes about 4-5 hours. The sun softens the snow, which is bad for trekking. The trail started with a well defined path on the snow with relitively flat incline. This slowly turned into a thin path cutting across massive glaciers with a lot more incline. The drop on the other side was dangerous as well. We were carrying Ice axes prepared for the worst. They are used to arrest free falls on ice. To add to this, we are now at about an altitude of 4500m. The air was thin, and we would feel the affects after each step. Our heads would spin a little when we would halt. After the toughest few hours of my trekking life, we arrived at  a balcony just above Roopkund. We had a clear view of the lake from here. We decided not to descend to the lake as the view was much better from here. We were midway between Roopkund and Junargani pass. It was so very cold. We had a quick snack to energise ourselfves, clicked a few photos and were on our way back. The descend was quicker but as tough. Quicker because we would just slide down some sloped of ice to save time. It was noon and the sun was at its strongest. The ice was melting and turned softer. This is not good because the boulders on the ice loosen their grip and are a potential risk if they fall downwards. Another hour or so and Bhagwabasa was in our sights. The weather suddenly started to worsen and clouds atrted coming in. We made it just in time to Bhagwabasa. As soon as we arrived, the visibility tuned near zero. Relaxed for a while and caught our breaths, then moved onto Pathar Nauchani. Removed our crampons and descend till the campsite till Pathar nauchani. Ended up doing it quickly- only one thing in the mind – Tent – sleeping bag – change into warm clothes – eat lunch and pass out.

Late lunch at around 3. Everything went away – fresh again in our tents. Music! Slept towards evening as this was last day of the trek. So tired that could not get up and go out of the tent for dinner. Also the reason being it was bloody cold!

Day 6: Pahar Nauchani - Loharjung - Kausani
Today we had to cover maximum distance which was all the way till Loharjung. However it was downhill all the way and the route was through Wan. We reached Bedni in no time. All the other parties were in Bedni Bugyal resting. We stoped for a breather and carried on. We wanted to take a break in peace where there was no one around. We walked for another hour and then stopped for 30 minutes. The slope was getting tougher and with the shortcuts we were taking our legs were definitely feeling the strain. We had to go all the way down till the river and then another 1 hour up till the road where jeeps were waiting in Wan. It looked like the trek would not end. It was hot; the way was dirty with mud in the air and the trek not beautiful at all. We just wanted to reach Loharjung. When we reached the bottom of the hill we sat down for a good 30 mins again. We ate our packed Aloo Puri on the river rocks. Everybody freshened up and was ready for the final 1 hour climb till Wan. We were a little sad that the trip is getting over. However the tiredness made everyone feel that the trip must get over fast. The final ascend killed everybody. After every visible patch I wished that next sight would be of the village but it did not come until we were so tired that we could not think anymore. After a traumatic climb we reached Wan, loaded up our rucksacks onto the jeeps and were ready to leave for Loharjung. It was a 30 minute ride till Loharjung where we reached at around 2pm. The other group members were leaving for Kathgodam the next morning. However the two of us decided that we would stay the night at Kausani and visit Nainital in the daytime tomorrow and take the Volvo to Delhi the following night from Haldwani. The trip ended perfectly with these two little fancy hill stations. Both were crowded as hell and very expensive. Now we knew we have come back to civilization.

Day 7: Kausani- Nainital- Haldwani

Reached ainital from Kausani by around lunchtime. Killed time by strolling along the circuit of the Naini lake. Did some boating as well. Left for Haldwani in the evening. Caught the bus to Delhi the same night from Haldwani.

Day 9: Back to Delhi

Arrived in Delhi early morning.

Basic Mountaineering Course in Kashmir

Its tough to get 35 days leave from work when you are an Assistant Brand Manager. I had been planning to attend a Basic Mountaineering Course (BMC) for some time now and had applied for a seat 8 months in advance to the event. Even with such planning I was not able to negotiate the required leave even though my boss had earlier agreed in principle. Irritated, I decided to move on and quit my job. It was not only the BMC that made me quit but I had travel plans following the BMC which were seeming increasingly unlikely if I was to continue working. There were a lot other factors that led to the resignation, so lets not start this note with a tone of- I quit my job for a BMC.

Out of the various options where I may have attended the BMC, I chose the Jawahar Insititute of Mountainerring. (JIM). My selection of JIM was purely based on the fact that I got a seat to attend the July 2016 course. At the time of my application, all other premier Institutes had a far longer waiting list. Also, I had never visited Kashmir, and this was a decent opportunity to spend a month in Sonamarg- a meadow with a mix of lush green slopes and rugged glacier. 

The July course was to start from the 1st to the 30th of July. I reported to the Sonamarg-Thajiwas camp on the 30th June. JIM also has a few other camps, one at Pahalgam and another at a place named Aru. They have the right to place you in one of these camps. I was lucky to be placed at Sonamarg (you'll see in the photos why). Trvelling to Sonamarg is fairly straightforward. Since at the time I was travelling from Bombay, I flew directly to Srinagar and took a cab (3 hr ride) that dropped me in Sonamarg. The camp is walking distance (about 2km) from the Sonamarg market towards Thajiwas glacier. 

The Sonamarg-Thajiwas camp of JIM on a rainy evening.

View towards the other side from the Camp.

The first day at the camp, there were only a handful of us who had arrived in time and on the desired date  (30th June). We were put in one  temporary tent and got to know each other. The next morning we helped out the staff in sorting track suits that were to be given to the attendees. More people kept on arriving at intervals, and over a span of 24 hours, there were close to 75 people as part of the July batch. The gender ratio was 1 female for 10 males. The same evening, we had a fall-in (assembly of the entire batch on the instructors whistle), and were divided in groups of 16-18 pax to be shifted into our tents. Our home for the next month. We are also told to make a 'Buddy' for the duration of the course. A buddy is your partner through the course, you are to help each other out and go through thick and thin together. A buddy is by default the guy who sleeps next to you in your tent. Some of the things you do along with your buddy are- camp duty (night duty for a period of 1 hour anytime between 10pm-5am), help each other out with any emergency, you are even to accompany your buddy to the toilet at night.

The next morning, there was a loud whistle at 7am for a fall-in, I woke up right at the whistle and was half a sleep in line. after a brief by our lead instructor, Soham Ustad, we had breakfast and started out induction process. After lunch there was a lecture introducing us to mountainerring equipment, both ice and snow equipment included. The days of the course were going to split along the lines of- Early morning Physical Training, breakfast, training (rock craft and ice craft), lunch, rest, lecture, games, rest, dinner. The schedule would start at 6am in the morning with fall-in and end with lights out at 9pm. 

The 30 days were split like this- General induction (introduction to equipment, basic techniques of climbing and bouldering, knots and hitches classes, zipline rescue, equipment care and survival on mountains)- 4 days, Rock Craft- 10 days, Ice craft-10 days, Hiking and Trekking- 2 days, and lastly, Tests- 4 days. After the first 4 days of general induction, the group of 75 was split into 4 groups. Two groups would do Rock craft for the first 14 days, while at the same time the other two would do Ice craft and then switch. This was to manage an equal chance for everyone by lessening the crowd at one particular activity.

Rock craft included, rock climbing, rappelling, pitch climbing and bouldering and its theory. JIM shared the rock craft area with HAWS or High Altitude Warfare School of the Indian Army. It was so motivating for us to train on the HAWS rock craft pitches. HAWS is also in Sonamarg, and our instructors at JIM were all ex-HAWS. Just imagine the physical training they put us through each morning, all of them being from an Army background.

Rock climbing at the HAWS rock craft pitches. Spot three guys, two climbing and one rappelling.

Ice Craft included, 10 point, 2 point, 3 point and 4 point climbing. In addition, it included glacier marching and Crevasse rescue. Ice craft is taught through the method of drills, and our instructors being from HAWS, would included pushups on the Glacier (without gloves) as part of the drills. There are a special kind of shoes to be worn on ice, known as LOWA shoes (named after the company that makes them), they weight around 2kgs each. The glacier being 3 km away, we had to trek up till the glacier from our camp with the shoes on. Life is a little tough on the glacier. But hey, wheres the fun if life a isnt a tad bit tough on the mountains.

The walk towards the glacier for Ice craft.

Ice Craft at the Glacier. You can see the despair in some, haha!

At the end of the course, they would test us on the following- endurance- which would be a a run from the camp to the market and back up (around 7km) with a rucksack and sleeping bag and water bottle. There would in addition, be one written test and one oral test. Marks from all theses tests, plus some chunk of marks dedicated to discipline would be added up and you would be given a grade accordingly. Marks above 70 over 100 will qualify you for an A grade. If you get below an A, you will not be eligible to attend any Advance Mountaineering Course from any of the registered Institutes in the country.

There is a closing ceremony on the last day, where a couple of awards are given out and each attendee is given a small JIM blazer badge. You leave the next day for your homes. There was a tad bit extra adventure (not of the good kind) in our return to our homes. The curfew which extended to just after the Uri attack, had started in the middle of the course. During curfew in Srinagar, all traffic movement to and fro from Srinagar happens only b/w 11pm to 12 midnight. The roads are blocked at all other hours. We proceeded from Sonamarg and had jut manage to make the cut and were let loose at 11:56pm. Thankfully we all managed to reach the airport safe and sound.

In conclusion, the BMC at JIM is highly recommended and is the real deal. If you are looking to attend a laid back course and have fun, dont apply here. I believe there is an Institute in Manali that has a less strenuous course design. Maybe that could be an alternative. The utilities are average, there is electricity each evening between 7-9pm. There are no toilets, you have to descend towards the river and find your spot and claim your right. The food is wholesome. There's chicken or meat twice a week. Its much easier for girls at JIM as there is just one female instructor at camp, and she is a sweetheart as compared to the other male instructors from the Army. She is also an Everester and perhaps the most experienced out of all the instructors. There are JIM track suits issued to you, which is the uniform for the entire course. Wednesday and Saturday are non-uniform days where you may wear clothes from home (the instructors are moderately strict about this....depends on their mood perhaps).

Trek to Nandikund in October'15

Having an entire valley to yourself, at the cost of scarce views of himalayan peaks. Not a single tent except ours all along the trail. And ending it with a spell bounding emerald green lake with crisp, cold and pure water. What a feeling !!

Oct 2, Fri- Departed Delhi via Uttarakhand Parivahan Volvo from ISBT Anand Vihar. This dropped us in Dehradun the next morning.

Oct 3, Sat- Had breakfast at a friends house in Dehradun who was the third and final addition of the trekking party. Departed Dehradun by 9am via private taxi. Arrived in Ukhimath by 5pm. Met our guide and spent the night at Ukhimath.

The mall at Ukhimath. Guptakashi visible twinkling across the Valley.

The Kedar Dome from Ukhimath at Sunrise.

Oct 4, Sun- We set out by around 7am in a shared jeep from Ukhimath towards Ransi. After a jeep ride for about an hour or so, we arrived in Ransi. Highlight of the ride was a stellar view of Chaukhamba for a few minutes until we swayed into a u-bend turn to enter into another valley that took the view away from us.

Upon arrival in Ransi, we worked towards the last task of fetching two tents for the trek. Our guide rented the tents while we had a cup of chai like elitist clients (haha!). It was now time to start the trek as Ransi was the end of the road, in the sense that this is where the trail for the trek starts and the tarmac ends.

We begun our trek towards Madhyameshwar from Ransi through the Madhyameshwar valley, after crossing a few bridges and walking for a few hours we reached Goundhar village. We sorted out two able porters for the trek and then proceeded further. 

Continuous walking for around 08 hours, and at last we arrived at Madhyameshwar by late evening. We departed Ransi at around noon and reached Madhyameshwar by 7pm. Night stay in Madhyameshwar temple committee lodge. Overall the trail is wide and easy to walk on. It is even cemented for most parts. Just the distance is really long. Water and food is not a problem as there are many little isolated home stays on the way. Madhyameshwar has 24/7 access to water.

One of the many homestays between Ransi and Madhyameshwar.

Sunset views looking back at the Madhyameshwar valley towards Ransi.

Oct 5, Mon- Today we start out for our destination for the day, Kachni Dhar. It is a steep ascend from Madhyameshwar till you cross over a sort of mini-pass towards the other side of the mountian. The mini-pass is Kachni Dhar. We set out in the morning from Madhyameshwar and reached Kachni by late afternoon, say 4pm. The distance is not too much, the delay was due to rain and hail, that halted our progress for an hour or so at least. 

Hail spoiling the party en rout to Kachni Dhar.

The trail gets progressively rugged from Madhyameshwar, not easy as you are gaining altitude fast the entire way. You will cross the tree line at mid way en route to Kachni today. Kachni is at approx. 4000m above so the tough terrain together with the altitude can get challenging. The last quarter of the trail to Kachni-Dhar is full of big boulders. There is no trail and in some instances you have to climb up boulders twice your size. Once you cross the boulder zone, there is one stretch where you have to be careful as there is a direct drop with a narrow path. Although this stretch is only for about a few meters, 8 meters at max. You heart does race while crossing it. I became a lizard on all 4s while crossing this section.

Kachni-Dhar is also the point from where you will get your a glimpse of some snow capped vistas and the Nandikund pinnacle below which is Nandikund itself. Once you cross Kachni-Dhar you have to decent a little on the other side of the mountain. That is where the camp sight is. Rest here for the night. Water is scarce along the way, please fill up well from Madhyameshwar. Water at Kachni-Dhar is a little far from the camp sight (say 100m).

View of the Nandikund pinnacle (in the center with the glacier) from Kachni campsite. The lake is at the base of the Pinnacle. Long way to go !

Campsite just below Kachni-Dhar

Vistas from Kachni-Dhar. Pandavsera Valley is the leftmost Valley right ahead.

Oct 6, Tue- Today we proceed towards the legendary Pandavsera valley. Pandavsera will serve as the base from where we will make our push towards Nandkund. Pandavsera valley is clearly visible from Kachni-Dhar (as it is situated at a higher altitude than Pandavsera and right opposite it). It gives you the typical illusion of it being at arms length from Kachni, but it will easily take you the entire day to arrive there. We left Kachni at 9am after packing up our camp and having breakfast, and arrived at Pandavsera by 4pm. 

The trail is tough from here with a few spider walls at regular intervals initially. These walls are tough but only a few meters long so nothing very daring. However, there are sections in the middle of the trail where the trail is absolutely raw, and the incline is challenging. You will need to be on all 4s for these sections. Since you are climbing up these sections, you also descend down eventually, and there are a few sections where the downward slope is challenging as well, you will slip a little and fall on your ass while descending (as the trail is raw and full of pebbles and small screes), but as my Ustad in Kashmir used to say- "yeh slip toh trekking ke medal hote hai" Translation- "These slips are the medals of trekking").

The gradient getting a little beyond our liking. But wheres the fun without it?

Finally, you will arrive in Pandavsera by evening. The valley is breathtaking and there is a small cave like setting which is the ideal area to set up camp. Rest here for the night. Water is available at regular intervals via streams and waterfalls. However always stock up well, we went post Monsoon so the streams were flourishing. Water here is provided by a rivulet that cuts through the valley meadow. It is a little far from the camp sight.

Mythical, Magical, Mystical Pandavsera.

After the long tough climb, my friend and I just lay here on the soft sand, boots and jackets off, soaking up the sun while it was still out.

Oct 7, Wed- Today we shall push towards Nandikund and back to Pandavsera. Surfacing early morning we wrapped up a heavy breakfast (you'll need it) and set out by about 8am. Traversing across the Pandavsera valley we crossed the streams and fields, that according to Myth, were used by the Pandavas to irrigate and cultivate rice respectively. It is believed that it was the Pandavas who setlled in this valley and engineered the land to make is suitable for cultivation. We also found a small beach like setting, next to the main stream, but due to lack of time and the ascent still ahead of us, we decided to explore this on our way back from Nandikund. The traversing ended when the incline from where the trail ascends to Nandikund.

Planning the acsent to Nandikund at Pandavsera.

The magnificent Pandavsera viewed from the ascent to Nandikund.

The trail up till this point is well marked and easily maneuverable, from here on out we encountered Boulders and patches of grass sporadically.The incline is continuous from this point on up till the lake. The trail as well starts to disappear along with signs of any trekking here in the past. You are forced to recee  the best way possible to move forward. You are also gaining altitude dramatically along this route, so it is normal to feel the affects a little. After doing some trekking and some bouldering you start to notice the incline plateauing and that is a relief. At the end of this incline, which is completely boulder filled as well, you notice the large emerald water body- Nandikund, with this plateau on one side and a small arete wall on at the other. We reached the lake between noon and 1pm. The lake is at an altitude of approx. 4800m. Water at the lake is crystal and holy. Make sure to fill your bottles. We spent just over an hour at the lake and then began to descend back to Pandavsera. There is a stream that originates from the lake down the trail to Pandavsera so water is accessible throughout today's route. The descent back to Pandavsera campsight took us about two and a half hours. We did hurry this bit as the weather was worsening. Arrived in Pandavsera by 4pm.

The last stretch right before the lake.

The ascent plateauing just before approaching Nandikund.

Filling up our bottles with water from Nandikund.

Oct 8, Thur- Plan for today was to cover Pandavsera to Madhyameshwar. We left Pandavsera at around 8am and retraced our route back to Madhyameshwar by 5pm in the evening. This is the longest and most tiring day of the entire trek. It will be tough on the legs today. Only saving grace is the awaiting matress beds at the end of the day in Madhyameshwar and finally some good food (Dal, Bhaat, Ghee, Papad and Sabzi). Night stay in Madhyameshwar.

Soft beds at Madhyameshwar at last. My friend Shiva having a laugh, while I am flat out in the back.

Oct 9, Fri- Madhyamaheshwar to Ransi back to Ukhimath. Night stay in Ukhimath.

Oct 10, Sat- Ukhimath to Dehradun via private taxi. 

Oct 11, Sun- Uttarakhand Parivahan Volvo back to Delhi from Dehradun. Arrive in Delhi early morning on the 11th, Monday. Back to the grind ahhh !!