Har Ki Doon -- #The Valley of Gods#

Har Ki Doon

11,768 Ft

Moderate

November 2018

I have read about this place a couple of years ago. What makes HarKiDoon interesting are the legends that surround it. Some say the village Osla is in existence since the time of Kurukshetra & the villagers are followers of Kauravas & worship Duryodhana. Another Myth says, the Pandavas hiked this route to Mount Swargarohini from where they reached heaven. So, this trip would act as an Adventure & a Myth buster to me. 

Day 1: Dehradun to Sankri (6,400 ft)

As I arrived in Dehradun early in the morning, it was drizzling. We were asked to assemble for pickup at the Railway Station. I met fellow trekkers outside the station, near the Online Reservation Counter. After the cab arrived, we loaded our luggage’s inside & on the roof of the cab. As the rain intensified, I went out to have a Warm cup of Chai. After a while the Traveller started moving on the open roads of Dehradun as I sat in the front, enjoying the weather.

We stopped at Mussoorie & after a hearty breakfast, we hit the road again. An hour into the journey I felt sick in the stomach. I soon exchanged seats sensing I can’t stay there long. Minutes later, I vomited through the window. This is my first experience of Motion Sickness (The movement of vehicles can lead to a signal miscommunication between our vision and our body, provoking nausea, vomiting and a general feeling of sickness). I took a pill from a fellow traveler & I decided to sleep to get over the sickness. 

We reached Purola for lunch. These are the same places I halted at, during my trek to Rupin Pass about 4 months ago. In remembrance of my previous trek I ordered “Jungli-Murgi Thali”. My condition had improved a lot & during the other half of the journey, I continued taking naps & drinking water occasionally, not wanting to take chances. By the time we reached Sankri Guest house which is in the Govind National Park, the rain did stop. 

We went to allotted rooms & Freshened up. I took a long nap & went for gathering at the dining hall. Snacks & Tea were ready for us to devour after the long journey. The trek leader (Abhishek) introduced himself. We were given forms to fill & are asked for necessary documents to be submitted. After which there was orientation about the trek. And are also informed that it snowed at the Har-Ki-Doon valley this morning.

I left for a stroll in the village in the rain & bought some essentials for the trek in a small shop for reasonable prices. I packed my bags for the next day after dinner. The weather was very cold, there was no electricity, the bed was very cushiony, I was soo exhausted & made no delay in jumping on the bed for a good night’s sleep.

Day 2: Sankri to Pauni Garaat via Taluka (8,200 ft)

I woke up in the morning & after freshening up went for a stroll around the village. The place looked great, surrounded by hills. After breakfast we are ready to move.

Taluka is reached by travelling in a vehicle, through the forest from where the trek starts which is app 10kms from Sankri. We loaded our bags in the Bolero Pick-up truck & hit the forest road.

We passed through some stunning scenery, bridges made of rock that fell off possibly during a landslide at a water fall, Shepard’s taking their flocks for grazing & their dogs keeping a watch for threats, a lot of different birds I have never seen, that are native to the Himalayas. Bird enthusiasts in the cab were talking bird stuff which I had no idea of. One of them was Paul.

He was from Ireland & aged around 58. He has been coming to India every year, for the last 28 years. And had completed a lot of Himalayan Treks & speaks very decent Hindi. Hopefully we have to learn a lot about our country from him. He has seen it all.😃

Even a trek from Sankri to Taluka should have been added to the trail, given the beauty & wonders it holds. We reached Taluka. The people are going about their daily life as we started down the village towards our next destination. 

There is in front River Tons & in the far somewhere snow-capped mountains, that is where we are to go. We crossed a bridge that was damaged & are assembled in an open ground where we were briefed for the day.

After a long walk ............
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We arrived at a huge plateau kind of place after crossing over a bridge which is also damaged at the other end. We rested there for some time & started again.

I usually prefer staying at the very front of the group or at the very end, to find time away from the group & get lost in nature. We then reached a bridge that was on the left side of the trail that is over the river, this was built by the locals.

Simple engineering. A cantilever on each side & a simply supported frame in between, that is all. Any flutter, the bridge would probably be in the river. But this bridge was here since a long time. We had our lunch here & started again.

An hour or so, we spotted a village on the cliffs on the left & a cafe in front of us. As the dusk is approaching the villagers are returning home with their cattle & the women with heaps of grass on the backs for their animals. 

All these people are very warm & welcoming. Some locals ask not to take their photographs & we should respect that. Then there was another bridge we had to cross. Before reaching our campsite we stopped at a place by the side of the river.

We again had a gathering & are given instructions about the camp & asked to not cross some boundaries because of the possibility of wildlife.

Hot Tea & Pakoda were served. I got a Solo tent, arranged my tent & took a brief nap. After I woke up I heard people chit-chat & joined them.

We had a tasty & warm Dinner. The trek leader was talking about the Milky way that can be seen in the nights. Because of the clear sky as Diwali is approaching (New moon). After dinner I went out for a walk around the tents & that is when I saw the milky way. It was amazing. I have seen it a couple of times previously. But this is unbelievable. One of the clearest skies I have ever seen. Because of shortage of battery I waited for the last day (extreme cold weathers drain out batteries quickly. Wrap the batteries in a warm cloth). I decided to shoot on the way back. I went to my tent early as its very cold outside. 

Day 3: Pauni Garaat to Kalkattiyadhaar (9,800 ft)

As I woke up in the morning, I observed the moisture condense & form a layer of thin ice (Frost) on my tent. After breakfast, we arranged our sleeping bags & are ready to move, before which we have cleaned the waste & plastics that were in our camping area. Be a responsible traveler.

After the morning instructions, we crossed a small hydroelectric plant & the sun came out. One thing High altitude trekking teaches you is to understand your body & adapt to the environment without over doing or stretching too far.

We spotted the famous Osla Bridge from a distance. We entered a place where there were a few houses, Forest guest house, a temple. All of them were empty.

Finally, we reached the Osla Suspension Bridge. 

From here all the areas in the shade of mountain are covered with snow. In front was a very steep ascent, this is first such tough climb in the trek.

Reached a small bridge. To the next cafe it was a long walk in the sun, on the rocky terrain & so we had a lot of chit chat.

There is a huge rock on the right overlooking the valley in which the river is. I dried my shirt, ate Maggie & stared again. From here there was snow. There was a mountain on the left & to the far end we are to trek to reach the next cafe.

We crossed a sudden steep waterfall, with snow along the trail.

Reached our last pit stop, a cafe by a small stream flowing down the rock. After a brief stop we started for the final stretch of the day.

The trail is heavily covered with snow, because of the sun it started melting & the water entering our shoes made them damp & difficult to walk. There were places on rocks so slippery & the trail was like hairpin bends all the sudden on the cliff sides. If you ask the guide “How far still?” he always replies “behind the mountain” & that mountain’s end never seemed to come.

BANDAR POONCH MOUNTAIN RANGE

Descended a very steep muddy patch & reached the new campsite. Tents were laid on hardened ice & I dried my shoes. There were other camps around, of other trek agencies.

I woke up in the middle of the night to dogs growling around our tent for a considerably long time.

Day 4: Kalkattiyadhar to Har Ki Doon (11,768 ft) & back to Kalkattiyadhar

The morning was very cold. Water froze in my bottle & my shoes have become very hard because of the moisture it contained. I took a stroll around the campsite scanning all around. People were discussing about the last night’s dogs growling assuming a possible presence of some wild animal near our camp.

After the breakfast is done, the sun turned up. Because of the direct sun rays now it’s too warm & people started removing the layers of clothing. We were on the trail & in half an hour reached a waterfall & crossed the stream on logs & waited for others to come.

Few meters ahead there was another stream across which we have to enter what looked like a jungle. The log-crossing that was already present was submerged completely in the water. The trek leader & the guides tried throwing rocks in the water & as they surfaced, placed logs on them which took time. After some hit & trail the log-bridge was ready. We then crossed the stream.

The mountain is full of tall trees & covered with snow, some parts were knee deep. We went on & on, rested at places, re energized. This place has less water sources for drinking. They might have been under the layer of snow. It was not a difficult climb but a long-long walk. As far as the eye can reach you only find snow, a wonderful place to be.

Carry UV-Sunglasses, at places like these. Because of the blazing Sun & Ice, there is a lot of glare you have to encounter, which can cause severe headache.

There are a lot of amazing places, that make you spell bound. I was so lazy in taking my camera out, i decided to just enjoy the beauty of nature.

I finally reached Har-Ki-Doon. 

Truly, a valley of gods. Surrounded by some of the oldest mountains mentioned in the holy texts of this Land. The valley is surrounded by the Jaundhar Glacier, Swargarohini, Kalanag(on BandarPoonch Range) & Fateh Parvat.

Mt Swargarohini

These places are frozen in time. This Holy mountain is mentioned in Swargarohana Parva( स्वर्गारोहण पर्व) the last of eighteen books of the Indian Epic Mahabharata.

Swargarohini is a mountain massif (6,252 m) consisting of four separate peaks in the Bandarpunch Range of the Garhwal Himalaya. Swargarohini is the main peak of the four peaks. It is associated with legends that tell that the Pandavas visited it. Some other legends say that it is the only way one can approach the heaven with human body. Some also say this indicates that traces of Shambala (the mystical kingdom that allegedly disappeared from the Earth's surface) are probably here.

After lunch & a strenuous walk we reached the campsite by the same route.

Day 5: Kalkattiyadhar to Pauni Garaat via Osla

We helped pack the tent after breakfast & climbed the muddy patch, the same one that we descended from. 

But the trail looked very different from when we saw a few days earlier. Now there is no snow, it has completely meltdown making the path muddy & slippery.

After finishing my lunch on some rocks near a bridge with a diversion to Osla Village. I left for Osla.

I was greeted by children playing & asking for toffees, an old granny came & controlled them by beating a few. Feeling bad for them I gave chocolates and asked them to share.

At the entrance of the village I met Bahadur Singh with his cute little lamb.

After exchanging greetings, I had a conversation with him, regarding the myths that surround the village. He said all these are false rumours, created by some travel agencies to lure tourists & that the temple actually belonged to lord Shiva called with a different name in the region.

This Deity travels to different temples around the region staying in a particular village for a period of time & the temple is presently closed, i.e., the deity is in another village.

“When what you hear and what you see don't match, trust your eyes.”

The lifestyle of the people of Osla has not changed in the last few centuries, I guess. They survive from season to season. Now, as winter is approaching most houses are seen drying Rajma, cereals & preparing other necessary items required for survival. Almost all houses have a separate storeroom. The winters here are long & the village will be completely covered with snow. They also make arrangements for their livestock. They do not care about money. In fact no one has money. The world might think they are poor, but they are wise & happy. Everyone is content with their lives.

"Money is not required to buy a single, necessity of the soul."

I think the human body is designed to move, to hunt, to flee, to really be pushed & tested, but somewhere along the way comfort became the key to happiness. You know, big fancy houses, luxury cars, gadgets, expensive labelled clothing, jewellery & yet these material things never really seemed to make us happy & in the process we’ve softened both mentally & physically.

I read somewhere, one of the many reasons why people feel lost in life is because they have disconnected from their own hearts and souls. They pay too much attention to their rational minds, and to what everyone else has to say, and now they can no longer hear the voices of their hearts, nor can they connect to the wisdom of their souls.

The village got its supply of electricity 3 months back.

A LOCAL CHAKKI USING THE STREAM OF WATER WHERE VILLAGERS COME TO GRIND

After dinner i have learned night photography. We shot the Milkyway. Celebrated Diwali, very Eco-friendly just by lighting Diyas.

Day 6: Pauni Garaat to Sankri via Taluka

Early in the morning I went to the small Hydro-Electric plant that lights up Osla which is near our camping site. After breakfast we started back to Taluka.

We have followed the same trail that we came in. When I was at a Maggie point resting, I have spotted some children (2 girls & 1 boy) coming down the hill from the forest collecting something in their baskets. They looked like fairies. These are really small children around 6-7 years old.

Being curious I waited for them to come down. They told, after a heavy morning breakfast they leave their homes for forest in search of dry figs & stems. And reach home before night falls. When asked about lunch, they told they don’t bring lunch. I offered them wafers that I had. They smiled & accepted. When I am about to leave they asked me to stop, I wondered why? A kid took a pouch from her basket & slowly opened it & took out a handful of walnuts & gave them to me saying “jungle se laya”.

Gratitude is a really powerful emotion. Had I been there 2 more minutes, I would have been in tears. Accepting the walnuts i patted her cheek thanking her & said goodbye & left. This is why I love the people of the mountains. Very pure hearted. As a token of this memory I saved a walnut.

CAREFULLY EATING SOME BERRIES WITH THORNS THAT SOME LANGOORS THREW AT US

We collected some beautiful leaves & pine buds along the way. Before dusk we reached Taluka.

I sat on the roof of the cab. It was very cold. We crossed the forest from Taluka to Sankri in the darkness. That was a great experience.

After I got on the cab, I realised how exhausted I was. After reaching Sankri, took a hot water shower & rested. Before dinner we were awarded certificates & shared our experiences.

Day 7: Sankri to Dehradun

In the morning after breakfast, we started from Sankri. Reached Dehradun by the evening & boarded a bus to Delhi. 

"Fill your life with experiences not things, have stories to tell not stuff to show."

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