Himalayan Adventure

Life Is Either a Daring Adventure or Nothing !

It was 11:45 AM, somewhere in the Peer Panjal Ranges of the Himalayas.  The view in front my eyes was exactly as you can see now. That's when this thought struck me. 

Rohtang Range seen from Manali

The whole thing started few months ago. It had been many years since my last trek in the Himalaya. Life was going good on all fronts: spiritual, health, wealth, emotional, family, professional, social, and what not. 

But something was missing. The natural sound of the flowing water, the wind, the chilling cold, the breathlessness, the huge mountains, the valleys, the trees, the fun of being in the Himalayas. It was perfect time for a Himalayan trek.

Rohtang Range in the evening

Earlier I had done treks in Garhwal and Kumaon regions, but had never done a trek in the Himachal region. While searching for some good options, I came across this offbeat trek, Deo Tibba base camp. Deo Tibba, going by the local folklore, is the assembly site of the gods.  

It is an ideal trek for beginners or for acclimatization if you want to attempt a difficult trek later on. The views of Himalayan range are mesmerizing. Despite its proximity to Manali it is not a very popular trek and you would not see many people on the way. Nestled in the Peer Panjaal range of the grand Himalayas, it is blessed with some of the most spectacular landscapes. It is truly a traveler’s paradise and one can come across mighty snow peaks, deep gorges, green valleys, flower filled meadows, misty woods, fast flowing rivers, and snow fall if you are lucky. 

Himalayan treks need a lot of preparation and it is better to do it through experts in this field. I chose Yuvashakti, one of the best organizers of Himalayan Treks in Pune.

Manali was the starting point of the Deo Tibba Base trek. One passes through lush green forests of Pine, Fur, Oak and Cedar, crosses meadows laden with wild flowers & glittering streams. One can have panoramic view of many snow capped high mountains, such as Indrasan (6220 mtrs.), Deo Tibba (6100 mtrs.) etc. This trek provides ample opportunities to explore the glaciers and moraine in this part of the Himalaya, the flower covered meadows, terraced fields of apple, paddy, maize and of course, the sparkling rivers, Rani and Jobdi.

The journey was to start from Pune on 25th May, 2016, reaching Delhi on 26th, followed by a overnight bus journey to Manali. Just to save on the commute time, I decided to take a flight from Pune to Delhi. 

On 26th May I started the journey, morning flight to Delhi. I reached Delhi by lunch time. I joined the trek group in Delhi. and we started our overnight journey to Manali in a well maintained Volvo bus at around 5 PM. Except for some traffic jam in Delhi, the journey was uneventful. 

Manali Base camp

We reached Manali on 27th by noon, and directly went to the base camp, which was on the outskirts of Manali, on the Manali-Vasisht road. Had lunch and proceeded for an acclimatization trek to Jogini Falls. On the way back we visited Vasisht Kund. It is the abode of revitalizing sulphur springs which not only relieves your weary body but also has varied therapeutic values. 

During this acclimatization trek I got chance to get introduced with the fellow trekkers. We were total 36 trekkers (11 ladies and 25 gents). The youngest ones were just finishing their 10th standard exams and the oldest one was yours truly.  Most of them were 10th or 12th standard students.

Jogini waterfall

Next day we started our trek at around 8 AM after a heavy breakfast. Initially the climb was steep and them it became easy to moderate, through the alpine meadows and forests. We were taking breaks after half an hour or so. The route was scenic. In all directions we could see the lush green mountains with snow cap. By noon time we reached Rani Camp. 

We were pleasantly surprised by the camp site, the welcome drink (lemon juice), and rains :-). The camp site was one of the most beautiful places I had seen. We had lunch, took some rest, and then had rappelling session. In the evening we had soup, followed by dinner in the late evening. We had bonfire in the night. This surrounding area was a favorite place for the brown bears to hibernate in the nearby caves. And hence we were not allowed to come out of the tents during the night. 

Our local guide

The next day we started after the breakfast. The route from here onwards lead towards Jobdi on grassy banks that slope from high cliffs. 

The journey was pleasant. We came across rocks like these.

Anish, our team leader

Valley was covered with trees all along the way.

We came across some green meadows and couldn't resist taking rest.




And then there was a dam constructed on the confluence of Jobdi and Rani rivers.

Dr Anupam with the dam in the background

The concrete construction, while necessary for development, was looking too odd, looking at the backdrop and the surrounding area.







The Jobdi river and the valley was looking awesome.



And the peaks started showing up on the horizon.



We walked for around 4 hours, covered around 8-10 kms and reached Jobdi, our next camp site.

We had our lunch. Took some rest. In the afternoon we had heavy sleet fall. Sleet (ice pallets) are tiny balls of ice that are, in essence, frozen raindrops. Rain that freezes on the way down. Everyone came out of their tents and started playing with the ice pallets.

The view from Jobdi was amazing.

The next day we started our journey towards the next camp. The walk began with gentle slopes over the beautiful meadows and the latter half of the trek was through the rocky terrain.

We came across herd of sheep.

The views were mesmerizing.

After a tiring walk, by noon time we reached our next camp.



From here we had a panoramic view of the entire range.









The next day we were supposed to trek in the alpine zone, beyond the tree line, reach the highest point of the trek and come back to the camp. I was excited to go into that zone. But that night I started getting the symptoms of altitude sickness—also known as acute mountain sickness (AMS), a pathological effect of high altitude on humans, caused by acute exposure to low partial pressure of oxygen at high altitude. Although minor symptoms such as breathlessness may occur at altitudes of 1,500 metres (5,000 ft), AMS commonly occurs above 2,400 metres (8,000 ft). I could not sleep that night, nor the next night. There was a sense of breathlessness. Taking simple steps became difficult, which meant I couldn't do the trek the next day.

The team continued the trek the next day, reached the highest point of the trek and came back to the camp in the afternoon. I did some photography during the day.


The next day we started our return journey towards Manali. From the beautiful meadows of the upper Himalaya, we walked down for about three hours towards lower Pirni village, beyond which we were transferred to the base camp by vehicles.

The trek was over. Overnight we stayed at the Base Camp, Manali. The next day went for River Rafting, and then proceeded to Delhi.

Looking back, it was one of the most memorable treks in my life.  

After going through my blogs, I generally get three questions.

1. Man, where are you in this trek, not even a single selfie?

I am neither known for looks not for sense of fashion. The nature is far more beautiful. See through my eyes (I mean the photos) and my thoughts (expressed in the blog). That should be enough :-)

2. I want to do a trek with you. How and when?

You are most welcome. Read my other blogs and see "About Myself" section on the right hand side.

3. At this age (which is 40+), why do these things, especially after reading about the acute mountain sickness ?

This question came from many directions. Some of them asked it and some of them expressed it in their eyes, especially the caring ones.  This question initiated a deeper thinking, within. Read the following paragraphs only if you also have the same question.

Life Is Either a Daring Adventure or Nothing !

Do what matters.

Do what you want to.

Live every day of your life.

Dear reader, ARE YOU LIVING EVERY DAY OF YOUR LIFE.

The trek was strenuous, challenging and fun. In short it was EXCITING. What makes anything EXCITING? Is it the joy of achievement? Probably anything that is strenuous, challenging and fun may qualify as EXCITING?

How about WORK? Why is it EXCITING for some people but not for all? How about ME?

Is it not fun for me? Nothing could be further from the truth. Software development is FUN.

Is it not fast enough?  Is it not strenuous? Is it not challenging? Where is the catch?

The answer arrived today.

Now that the flow of thinking has started, it’s not allowing me to take a break. I need to write it down, right now, at 11 PM. While I am writing, one of my colleague pings me on a communicator tool. He is still working and shares some test results.

One quick question comes to my mind. Why is he working right now at 11 PM? Is it fear (don’t lose your job in a tough economy), is it greed (get more pay), or is it something else.

Probably it’s something else; it’s the joy of achievement.

Like many other things worth doing, software development is strenuous, challenging and fun, and is EXCITING.

For that matter driving is EXCITING. But for whom? Obviously if you WANT to drive, then any strenuous, challenging and fun DRIVE will be EXCITING. But what if you HAVE to drive rather than you WANT to drive? Will the drive be EXCITING?

That’s the answer.

If you are doing something because you WANT to do, it’s EXCITING. But if you are doing something because you HAVE to then it’s not. Period.

What is EXCITING for me? What do I WANT to do?

I see that and I get the answer. The answer lies within.

Am I doing Software development because I HAVE to or is it because I WANT to?

A direct question like this deserves a direct answer, and a real answer that comes from within. I WANT TO!

It’s 11:22 PM, and I am sensing something. It’s the moment of awakening. It’s the time to internalize ….

If you are still reading this stuff, and interested in the journey find your own directions!

PS:

Many people have asked me about how to do a Himalayan trek. Some tips on preparing for a trek as follows:

Trekking activities can be roughly classified as:

Low altitude trek: Below 13,000 ft (Oxygen levels are OK) - does not require equipment (except shoes and a walking stick if you need)

High altitude trek : Above 13,000 ft (Oxygen levels go down as you climb higher altitudes) - does not require equipment (except shoes and a walking stick if you need)

Mountaineering: Requires equipment (ropes, climbing / rappelling etc.), mostly technical.

Let your first Himalayan trek be as easy as possible.

Within the low altitude category, 4-6 days of trek with
- max altitude gain less than 500 meters / day
- overall altitude gain less than 2000 meters
- overall walking less than 10 km/day
is an easy trek, mostly meant for beginners. ALL my Himalayan treks are of this category. Within low altitude trek category, one can have easy, medium, challenging
and hard treks.

The fitness needs that I describe below are for Low altitude trek - easy category.

Strong physical fitness is must for a trek in the Himalayas. To prepare for the trek you need to work on following three major areas :

1.    Cardiovascular Endurance
2.    Strength Endurance
3.    Trekking Specific Training

You need to start preparing 2 months in advance so that it gives you ample amount of time.

Step 1: Building cardiovascular endurance

You can train yourself to run 4 km in 30 minutes as per the schedule given below. Remember always start your training program with stretching and warm up exercises. Follow this training schedule for trekking fitness required. Running or Jogging is best for Fitness endurance

Week 1: Start with 10 minute of brisk walk and then jog for 10 minutes and finally 10 minutes of easy walk.
Week 2: 5 minutes of brisk walk 15 minutes of jog 5 minutes of easy walk
Week 3: 5 minutes of brisk walk 20 minutes of jog 5 minutes of easy walk
Week 4: 5 minutes of brisk walk and jog for 30 min and cool down your body .. continues for subsequent weeks.

Step 2: Building Strength Endurance
Do your strength exercises 2-3 times per week and you should see an evident improvement. Include exercises which improves quadriceps for descents; the hips for supporting pack weight over variable terrain; the shoulders, upper back, and the lower back and abdominal for transferring power from the legs into forward propulsion.

You can choose set of exercise with the help of a physical trainer of your local gym.

Step 3: Trekking specific training

1. Hike Steep Hills: Hiking hills in your surrounding area will help in building your leg strength which is the key for your trek. Hiking steep hills also help in learning how to balance on uneven paths.

2. Practice with Loaded Backpack
During the trek in the Himalayas you will trek with your backpack and carrying essential items, so your backpack is an important tool for the trek. Look for Backpack with adjustable chest and waist straps so that you can adjust it according to your comfort and practicing with loaded backpack helps a lot.

3. Staying Hydrated
When you are high in the Himalayas the weather is cold and dry so you loose moisture with every breath you take in addition to sweating because of the trek. Running low on fluids diminishes your endurance, contributes to fatigue, and makes you more susceptible to getting altitude illness. So develop a habit of drinking lot of water. I drink at least 5 liters of water per day, on a normal day.

Shades of Sahyadri

Trekking and photography goes hand in hand for most trekkers. Adding philosophical touch, as the readers tell me, seems to be the USP of my blogs.

For a change, here is a photo blog. No details around trekking and no philosophy.

These photos were captured around Pune. Places include Torna, Rajgad, Shivthar Ghal, Telbail, Kavdi, Lohgad and Purandar. I have intentionally placed the low resolution images so that the blog is bandwidth friendly.

Pune sky during June

Telbail

Visapur

Purandar

A quick trek to Korlai Fort

It was noon time. I was caught in an extremely complex traffic jam. Two 4 wheelers facing each other were blocking each other from going forward. I was driving one of those two. The other was driven by an equally 'competent' driver :-). There was no room left for both of us to navigate. It was matter of few inches. It was a classic dead lock.

How would you respond to this situation ?  I chose to be happy :-)

I was on a 6 ft. wide mud track. On the left side there was a cliff and on the right side there was an excellent white sand beach just 10 ft. below.  It was a narrow 2 km long mud track along the Arabian sea. There was no way any one of us could have taken our vehicle to our left sides.  The only option was to make way inch by inch with extreme care. Driving skills, patience, judgment and extremely good command over the accelerator as well as the steering wheel were put to test. It was a close encounter. I mean even the right hand side mirror had to be retracted.

Hope you got it  ;-)

After an interesting manoeuvre, the exercise was over. We both exchanged smile and waved hands. I might have crossed thousands of car drivers in my driving career. But not many had the privilege of getting a smile filled with admiration for the driving skills.

My fellow passengers were impressed by the driving skills of the ... other driver. For me it was one of the many moments to cherish in future.

It all started at 5:30 AM. Yet another Saturday morning. Yet another trek. Fort Korlai. On the Arabian Sea. Covered by the sea through 350 degrees. And a narrow land strip connecting the mainland to the fort.

Fellow trekkers included Smita, Ganesh and Ashwini.

We took the Mulshi - Tamhini Ghat route. Early morning drive through Mulshi and Tamhini Ghat is refreshing throughout the year. Plus Valley crossed at 7 AM. We were making good progress. By 8:00 AM we reached Kolad on the Pune Roha state highway. At Kolad this road crosses the Mumbai Goa highway. Ironically, the state highway and the national highway have no qualitative difference. Both are two lane roads without dividers. We continued on the Pune Roha road and reached Roha by 8:30. We continued on this road that lead us to Salav village followed by the Rewadanda creek bridge.

At this point, taking a right turn takes you to Alibaug, while continuing on the road takes you to Kaashid & Murud. We continued on the Murud road. Within 3 KMs there was (an extremely tricky, almost non existing) right turn for Korlai village.

From here, the road is single lane. I mean one vehicle at a time, in any direction, through the small Korlai village. Fishing is the primary business here. Most locals have Portuguese roots. Almost five centuries back the Portuguese people arrived here, built the amazing fort, stayed here with pride and managed to maintain their culture. Even today most of the houses are typical Portuguese style.

We reached the end of the village and reached a T junction. In front of us was the graceful Korlai fort. On the left was a narrow mud track along the sea coast. On the right was a narrow mud track along the sea coast. The view was beyond imagination. As if I had known this place for ages I took the correct turn.

Readers, if you are reading this carefully, you will know which way was the turn. Right or left ???

The road was heavenly. Imagine yourself driving your car through a lonely narrow track. On one side you see the Arabian sea and a white sand beach. On other side you see a grand mountain.

This is an ideal gateway for all kinds of groups. Trekkers, nature lovers, bikers, people looking out for romantic destinations.

The road suddenly came to an and end. Only a government agency can think of putting a metallic gate and a impregnable compound  at the end of such a lovely drive. That was our encounter with the Light house, at the base of the fort. The enclosed premises is under the control of the Ministry of Shipping.

I parked the car and went to the gate to see what can be done. Luckily the caretaker was around. He was happy to receive us. He took us inside the campus. The lighthouse campus was maintained well. The campus included a neatly done garden, some cannons, small houses for the people staying there, the lighthouse and huge radar dish.

The caretaker offered us a package that included visit to the lighthouse with running commentary at Rs.10/- per head and Rs.20/- for the camera. Best deals are signed off verbally with a handshake. This was not an exception.

We proceeded towards the lighthouse. We entered the building, climbed up 2floors via a normal staircase. Then we had a tricky, almost vertical climb for 10 ft. But that was not the end. The final climb was a real vertical climb. This was turning out to be one of the most interesting vertical climbs in my trekking experiences. Finally we wee at the top of the light house. The view from here was amazing.

The caretaker was a seasoned guide. For the first 10 minutes he gave our own time to see the breath taking views of he sea, the fort, the narrow road that we had taken to reach here. After the euphoria was over he took over and explained us the way the light house functions.

All four us being engineers, it was interesting to know the functioning of the light house. Each light house has a unique signature, I mean a unique pattern of light signals. In this light house there were four levels of backups to deal with power outage as well as any other unforeseen failures. They were broadcasting GPS information for the ships that needed it. There was a radar very close to the light house which keeps on sending images to the central control system managed by the Shipping Ministry.

It was interesting to know how the entire lighthouse functioned. Ganesh almost claimed that he could run it for few days if needed.

Thanking (& of course paying the dues to) the caretaker, we started our journey to explore the fort. Carved (and huge) steps from the lighthouse compound took us to the fort. The actual climb is only 15 minutes, but is steep and tiring.

Korlai Fort is a Portuguese fortification in the town of Korlai, built in 1521, on the Alibaug - Murud road. It was built on an island which guards the way to the Revdanda Creek. It was meant as a companion to the fort at Chaul. At this strategic position the Portuguese could use it to defend their territory which stretched from Korlai to Vasai. Korlai fort was strategically very important as it guarded the mouth of the bay.

Sambhaji Maharaj tried to take it over but failed and had to withdraw his forces. The fort was later taken by the Marathas who held it between 1739-1818.

The fort is 2828 feet long, and its average breadth is eighty-nine feet. The enclosing wall is 5' 3" high and has 305 battlements for guns. It is entered by eleven gates - four are outer and seven are inner. At the north point, within pistol-shot of main battery is the water cistern named Santa Cruz - major source of water. The area within the fort walls is divided into three enclosures by two lines of bastioned fortifications. Each of the seven bastions bears the name of a saint. The two westward bastions are named São Diego(after Didacus of Alcalá) and São Francisco (after Francis of Assisi). The others are São Pedro, São Inácio, and São Filipe.

The top of the hill is bastioned as well and is and surrounded by a parapet. It has a large rain-water cistern with three mouths, each one foot wide, and the ruins a church. The church was built in 1630 for the use of the army and was functional until 1728.

There are three Portuguese inscriptions. One, over a doorway in the centre and highest part of the fort, reads as follows:

No entry without fight

This is the height of bravery and self confidence. Can you imagine someone coming thousands of kilometres away from home, building a fort at such a location and having the guts to say "No entry without fight". Hats off to these people. I mean I am proud of Maratha history, but that does not stop me from acknowledging the 'attitude' of these people.

We saw the entire fort. Took rest for 15 minutes. Had some snacks and decided to start the return journey.

We reached the parking place. From there we had an easy access to the sea shore. It was a bright and sunny day. And we were on the shore at noon time. Sea shore is a great place for photography, but at sunrise and sunset. Noon time is not worth attempting photography.

The beach was secluded. We had almost private access to the beach. We spent some time there and then started our journey back.

What happened after that is well known, I mean at least to those who are reading this blog. If you still don't get that, it was a classic traffic jam :-)

While coming back we visited the Birla Temple at Salav. It is a well maintained temple. Somehow it has a corporate feel, not a great thing for a temple. But it is architected and maintained well. Worth visiting once.

Our next stop was Roha. We had lunch at Hotel Roha Pride. They offered a good vegetarian Thali. Post lunch Ganesh had the privilege to drive. He did a great job. And we were back home by 5:00 PM. That was the end of a memorable drive and trek.

Elevation	Sea level
Difficulty Level	Low
Endurance Level	Low
Adventure Level	Medium
Fun Level	Great, especially the drive along the sea shore is amazzzzzzzning
Ideal for	Trekkers, nature lovers, bikers, people looking out for romantic destinations (especially the beach).
Notes	1. Do visit the light house. 2. Do visit the Birla Temple.

A trip to Kaas Plateau

Photography was once described as painting with light.

No prizes for guessing what's there in this blog. An amazing journey into the nature, and the reflections captured by my DSLR.

Most of my treks & trips are driven by an urge to see the beauty of the creation. Post monsoon, nature is at its best in Sahyadri. Rivers, hills, sky, everything in nature offers amazing variety of colours. Kaas plateau is no exception. Come September, flowers start blooming at Kaas.

For those who haven't been there, Kaas is a huge plateau (around 1000 hectars) at an elevation of 3900 ft. It is situated in the Western Ghat Sahyadri range, 25 km from Satara, a district place on the Mumbai Banglore NH4 Highway. The major portion of the plateau is reserve Forest. The plateau is largely formed of basalt which is directly exposed to atmosphere. The basalt rock is covered by a thin cover of soil formed due to erosion and has accumulated a layer of not more than an inch or so.

At certain places water gets accumulated because of uneven surface. The plants growing on Kaas plateau are typically like grass. Kaas Plateau is rich in its Bio-diversity. Many species observed on the plateau are unique. Its an ideal place for students of botany and photography (including your truly). These days it is crowded by tourists during the peak season that starts in September and last for three to four weeks.

On being a student of photography, in the book 'Outliers', author Malcolm Gladwell says that it takes roughly ten thousand hours of practice to achieve mastery in any field. And most people agree with that. With less than thousand hours of practice, it's a long way to go for me. Going by the snaps that I could capture, it has been a learning journey. And of course,I may be few years (and few lenses) away from the hobbyist level.

Readers, are you reading between the lines ? Does this sound like a gifting idea ;-)

This time I was with a group of people on the spiritual path. We were accompanied by our Guru (an evolved soul) who would prefer anonymity and a highly advanced disciple. Evolved souls like our Guru are like Chintamani (wish-fulfilling jewel). Their presence has a magical touch to everything. It was going to be a great day.

We started at 8:15 AM. Reached Virangula, a well known restaurant on NH4, near Satara. Had breakfast. Proceeded towards Kaas.  By 10:30 we had crossed Satara. Ajinkyatara base, Yavateshwar, some great views, lot of greenery, and soon we were very close to Kaas.

There was no need for any sign post. The flowers along the road were suggesting the arrival of the heaven on the earth.

I had been to Kaas in 2008, with my parents and wife Smita. That time this place was not known so widely. Things have changed, not sure for good or for bad. Good part is vehicles are not allowed to be parked on the plateau (of course you can be a government official or a minister
to park your car on the plateau).

There is a nominal charge for visitors and car parking. The parking area is far away from the plateau. On busy days, government officials arrange for eco-friendly buses that take the visitors to the plateau. Other days you have to walk :-)

The entire plateau is now safeguarded by railings. While the aim is to make this place secure, there are claims that this might impact the eco-system. There is some debate among experts on whether a certain amount of grazing should be allowed on the plateau to ensure that grass species do not start dominating the landscape. Anyway let the experts debate on this.

The plateau is so large that one can walk for an entire day and still not see the plateau fully. We had to make a wild guess about which area to cover. Most part of the plateau was covered with flowers. But the 'carpet' effect was missing.

Next 90 minutes were spent in enjoying what nature had to offer. We could see different types of flowers. It was an amazing experience. Thanks to my lack of understanding of botany, I was free to enjoy the flowers without knowing the 'technical' stuff.

It was post noon when we decided to move to the next destination, Kaas Lake. Its around 5 km away from Kaas Plateau on the road towards Bamnoli. Its a mid size lake that supplies water to Satara city. We spent some time there and then proceeded towards Bamnoli.

Bamnoli is situated 35 kms from Satara city.  It is a very small village.  This village lies on the shore of Shivsagar lake formed by koyna dam. The road to Bamnoli goes through dense forest. Throughout the ghat one gets to see amazing view of backwaters below.

At one point, we decided to have lunch. It was a working lunch with parathas and thalipeeth (Spicy indian rotis) with curd rice and some sweets.

Post lunch we proceeded towards Bamnoli. The village welcomed us with a breathtaking view of expanse of the lake that spreads for hundreds of square kilometres. What an amazing view !

It was time for boating. We booked a ride for the triveni sangam (confluence of three rivers, Koyana, Solashi and Kandati) point. It was a 45 minute ride. At the actual sangam point, the lake appears to be far bigger than anything you can see in this part of the country. At that point you are covered by a huge lake. The huge lake is covered by towering mountains on all sides. And the mountains are covered by sky at the horizon.  Amazing experience. By the time we came back on ground, it was 5 pm. We were at least 30 km inside dense forest, covered by mountains on all sides. It was getting dark. Time to start the return journey.