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.