31 July – The Tough Route Begins (Gala – Budhi Track) Part 1 – Gala to Lakhanpur

Today we were supposed to cover 18 kms from Gala to Budhi. We set out at 6:45 AM after tea. Breakfast would be at the first halt at Lakhanpur. Sahji warned us not to dawdle on the way as the terrain was the most difficult one of the whole trek.

Before starting out, we worshipped at the Shiva temple. Sahji lit incense and rang the temple bell, praying for a safe passage. It had been drizzling since we woke up and there was a nip in the air. I wore a sleeveless sweater under the raincoat. The first two kms of plain walking brought us to Jipti. From Jipti there were steep stone steps that rapidly took us down towards Lakhanpur. Local folklore has it that the steps were constructed by a rajasthani Maharajah. There are supposed to be exactly 4,444 of them in number. I can’t vouch for that. I was too busy putting one foot in front of another to count them.

We were joined by three horses and their grooms. We had hired two for my uncle and aunt as they both are nearly sixty. The third was a backup in case anyone was hurt or too exhausted midway. One of the grooms was a young impertinent bloke. As he overtook me, he said, “Didi, agar aap ghode pe jaana chahoge toh mere ghode pe chalna.” (If you want to go on horseback, take my horse). I was flattered. “Kyun, bhaiyya?” I asked. “Arre didi, aap bhi chhote aur mote, aur mera ghoda bhi. Achchhi jodi hogi.” (Both you and my horse are short and plump. You will make a good pair). I decided that walking faster was a better option than strangling him.

Climbing down the steps was not as easy as it seemed. By the time we reached reasonably level ground, everybody’s knees were aching. Pallavi and I compared notes and realized that our legs were trembling so much that we were likely to fall over standing still. At one point we passed over an old landslide that was so huge that we felt like little ants. See the tiny red dot in the picture? That’s me.

A few turns later we reached Lakhanpur. There is no ‘camp’ as such. A hut is all there is. It was now 10:30 AM. Cool water and a hot cup of tea revived us. Breakfast was thin gravy of potatoes and steaming hot puris. Served cheerfully. With smiles and “Aur lo, aur lo. Aage bahut chalna hai” (Have some more. Lots of walking to do ahead). I must admit one thing. At all the camps, the staff was extremely courteous and helpful. After breakfast, we started down the road to Malpa.

30 July - Dharchula to Gala

The next morning when we woke up, the sky was still overcast. There was word that there had been a few landslides on the way from Dharchula to Mangti. But we were raring to go. We quickly had breakfast and secured the luggage on the jeeps. We had packed the sacks individually in rainproof jackets because the mules would pass through waterfalls and rain. If the luggage got wet, there were no shops around to buy any kind of spares.

The 45-km road from Dharchula to Mangti is made of narrow roads twisting and turning tortuously. The drop into fierce Kali is always just 2-3 feet away. Everywhere you look, the green peaks of the Himalayas are hypnotizing in their tall glory. By then the skies had cleared and everything was drenched in a pale watery sunshine.

The first landslide had left enough space to drive around it. With inches to spare on the side of the drop. We climbed out to avoid plunging into the river in case of a mishap. I felt guilty thinking that it seemed as if our lives were more precious than the driver’s. But both the drivers safely brought the jeeps around. The next landslide was huge. On the other side there were other jeeps waiting and sort of exchanged passengers. We took down the luggage and carried it over the mountain of rubble and again piled it on the new jeeps.

The third and final landslide did not leave us an option. This time the jeeps left us for good. We wouldn’t see any wheels in the area for the next 12 days. This landslide was all slippery mud and rocks. We slipped and slid our way to the other side. The mules took over the luggage. We hefted our smaller backpacks and began walking. Luckily we were only 2-3 kms from the actual starting point, so the extra walking was not so much as we had feared.

The track from Mangti to Gala is picturesque and fairly easy. In a few places, there were condors circling overhead. Small mountain brooks gushed and gurgled in pretty waterfalls. We filled our bottles and drank the sweet clear water. There is some mica content in the water which can sometimes give you an upset stomach. We didn’t face that problem. Our stomachs were probably lead-lined.

Milind brushed against a small prickly bush by mistake. In seconds, his hand was covered with angry red blisters which itched like hell. There was also a slight swelling. He held it under a cool stream of water and carried on. After a few hours, the swelling and blisters settled down. The offending plant was locally called ‘bichchhoo’ or scorpion in hindi. We learnt to steer clear of it in future.

At 3:30 we finally reached the Gala camp. Lunch was a light affair. Piping hot moong and rice khichri with papad and mango pickle. After lunch we sat on the parapet outside camp and gazed down into the valley. There were tiny birds, some red, some yellow, twittering around. The Kali looked harmless and distant from this height.

The sky was again overcast. By 6 pm, it was raining in earnest. We were happily surprised to be served steaming hot glasses of soup. By 8 we were ready to call it a day. We walked down to the dining hut and had a candle lit dinner. Sleep came easily because of tiredness. Bundled up in woolen socks, gloves, sweaters and soft blankets, I fell into deep dreamless slumber.