A Travelogue Day 2 Destination:Chhani

May 27th 2009 6:00 am: After sleeping like horses we wake up to a sunny morning.The hills around shed their dark blanket and yawned as the golden rays illuminated them.Quickly we pack and prepare to leave-keeping in mind the scorching heat of the day and the thunderstorms late in the afternoon.As expected we don't hire a porter or a guide...a few directions and landmarks to remember and we set off.

May 27th 2009 9:00 am: Two hours of walking and we are on the hill overlooking Ghuttu.The sun has climbed and seems to be at his personal best.We rest beside a water source and prepare soup.The route continues along the 'dhar' of the hill,hiding behind a vast stretch of green trees and re-appearing a few thousand feet above our resting grounds.Sounds of a 'dhol' reverberate in the valley...a marriage party perhaps.Chepa has a wicked grin splashed across his face.He looks at me and I acknowledge his thought-suji ka halwa chane ke saath.

May 27th 2009 11:00 am: We are spread on the face of the hill.A hairpin bend and another and another.The calm of the day is interrupted by the occasional call of the Cuckoo and the whistling of the wind rushing through the trees.The serenity in the nature beckons the soul which wrests itself free from the shackles of worldly concerns and free falls into the lap of mother nature.

May 27th 2009 1:00 pm: Chhani-We have been walking for almost 5 hours now.Chhani comprises of a stone hut with a roof made of wood and grass.A bored cow rests inside chewing on her meagre resources.We had been told a water source was nearby and we scouted the area but to no avail.All our water supplies were depleted and we were in for trouble.We have a few snacks and debate over our destination.The sky rings its first warning-a deep rumbling far away towards the Kedarnath hills.We were aware of the speed at which thunderstorms moved and judging by the growling noises we had just over an hour to reach our camping site.

May 27th 2009 2:00 pm : The sky is overcast and the first few drops of rain quench the thirst of the parched land.As nature rejoices, we rush back to Chhani descending about a 1000ft in under 15 mins.Lack of knowledge about any water sources ahead and the impending rain we had to retreat.Another lesson learnt in the World Class University we call the Himalayas.

May 27th 2009 4:00 pm: It has been raining heavily for the past two hours and we are grateful to enjoy the warmth of a fire and warm soup rather than getting soaked on the very first day of the trek.

May 27th 2009 6:00 pm : The rain finally subsides and the Ghuttu valley blossoms.It seems as if the whole hillside was cleaned using a giant vacuum cleaner.We set up out tents and also find the water source.The day was an eventful one and as the sun sets we settle down in our cosy sleeping bags and ponder over our experiences today and what lay in store tomorrow.

A Travelouge:Day 1 Destination:Unknown

May 26th 2009 5:15 pm: The Airbus soars...leaving behind a foggy Bangalore and the myriads of ones and zeroes.As Insomnium screams Mortal Share in my ears I set my mind to the task ahead.4 days and 65 Kms,gaining a maximum height of 5700 mtrs and a trek route so anonymous that a Google search returned a single result.The synopsis was grey and so were the skies.Daily storms ravaged the upper regions of the Garhwal Himalayas dumping worrisome quantities of snow.Flustered,I admired the tired sun greeting the horizon.

May 26th 2009 11:00 pm : Ready to roll out of ISBT Delhi..bound for Roorkee.Plagued by a tyre puncture and pushed around by hordes of people trying to escape the scorching weather of the plains I manage to say goodbye to Delhi.A long day ahead but no sleep round the corner.

May 27th 2009 5:00 am: Roorkee...A quick reshuffling of luggage and we are good to go.Tapesh and Sanjay join me and we set out for Haridwar.

May 28th 2009 7:30 am: Missed the last bus to Joshimath.Chepa, waiting for us in Rudraprayag shells out more bad news.All the high altitude treks are closed and the authorities are not allowing any trekkers beyond Vishnuprayag.Seems like Chenap Bugyal would have to wait.So as the bus meanders through the majestic hills we are left with 3 backpacks, enough food for 3 days, 2 tents, a cylinder and no trek.I leave the brain-work to Chepa and enjoy a nap dreaming of the paranthas in Devprayag.

May 28th 2009 12:00 pm: The Srinagar bus stand is bustling with activity.Seems like we finally have a destination-Panwali Kantha.We wait for Chepa to arrive from Rudrapyarag.Its been almost 12 hours since I boarded that BMTC bus to the airport.

May 28th 2009 2:00 pm: We board a taxi for Ghamsali and drive out of Srinagar.The clouds are rolling in and another storm is inevitable.The clouds are dark,menacing and seem to be adorning an armour of dust.It starts raining and we hopelessly stare at each other, the same thought haunting everyone's mind-the rucksacks on the roof.

May 28th 2009 5:00 pm:Ghamsali.Another 30 Kms to go and we would be at our base Ghuttu.Little did I know the last 30 kms would be the most adventurous of the 2800kms I had traveled.

May 28th 2009 5:45 pm:No Jeep available for Ghuttu. As we contemplate a night stay in Ghamsali Chepa has a whole different set of plans.Soon we find ourselves,much to our chagrin, boarding a truck bound for Ghuttu.To add to our agony the truck was carrying diesel and soon our rucksacks and clothes smelt of it.Nevertheless the drive through the majestic forests and lush green fields was a treat to the eyes.We finally get a glimpse of snow-covered peaks rising sharply behind their younger cousins.

May 28th 2009 8:00 pm: We finally reach Ghuttu after hitching another ride on a truck, chilled to the bones.A match and all of us would have erupted in flames.We eat to our hearts' content-our last full meal for the next 3 days-and settle down in GMVN's rest house.The day was an eventful one but my body needed some sleep desperately.We plan to start early tomorrow morning and also hire a guide.But deep down I knew,as always,there would be no guide and no porter...just the four of us and the mighty Himalayas.