02 August – Gunji-Navidhang Track – Part 2 – Rockslide at Kalapani

We were happy to have made good speed to Kalapani. The location also was beautiful. The river Kali originates here. There is a fairly big temple built over the spot where the river actually flows out of the earth. You can go inside and see where the water originates from. Additionally there are shrines to Shivji and Kali Maa. The temple is spotlessly clean and well kept. In the evenings the jawans gather in the temple to sing bhajans. Whenever there is a group of trekkers, they are supposed to join in the singing and praying.
Outside the temple, there are low stone walls built around the small pond formed by the river in front of the temple. The whole courtyard and the approach road are decorated with brightly coloured flags and trishuls. We sat there soaking the sun for quite some time. Again the jawans fed us fat potato chips and hot tea. I stuffed myself. No other chips have ever tasted so good to me.
A little later we made our way to camp. We sat in the dining room and rested. There was another group scheduled to reach the camp a few hours later. They were returning from Kailas Manasarovar.
Sachin was looking a little down. He had severe stomach ache and was running a slight fever. By the time lunch was served he had become even more lethargic and ate very little. Sahji tried to arrange for a doctor but the one in this camp had gone to Gunji. After he returned, he gave him some medicines and asked him to rest a little.
As we came out to wash our hands, it suddenly struck us that the sunlight had disappeared. It was 1 o’clock in the afternoon but it was quite dark outside. There were ominous dark clouds overhead, shards of lightning leapt across the sky and soon enough cold droplets of rain came pouring down. Sahji and Sudhir Uncle were trying to arrange an extra horse for Sachin, but there was little chance of it because there are hardly 4-5 huts in the village of Kalapani besides the ITBP camp. We were hoping to sit out the really bad patch of rain and start walking again after the rain eased off a little.
Instead of lessening the rain seemed to intensify and all of a sudden, there was a deafening crack followed by rumbling. “Come out, Come out”, we were instructed. We ran out to see a large portion of the mountain top right ahead of camp had broken off and rocks and mud were sliding down onto the road. A dog yelped loudly as a few stones hit him, but he got away to safety. We were surrounded by mountains everywhere. This didn’t look like a good sign. And why come out? Wouldn’t it be safer inside? No, I was told. You stay out and watch carefully so if a rock slide hits camp you can know which way to run. That was reassuring!
The jawans told us - Move. This is going to get worse. It is better if you hit the road. The next 2 kilometers or so are risky. Once you leave camp, run all the way to the bridge ahead. Once you cross the bridge, you should be safe. But till you reach there, don’t slack off and keep watching the mountains.We quickly put on raincoats and came out of the camp. Atul grabbed my hand and said,” Didi, you are the slowest one. Just keep with me. I won’t leave your hand but you have to run like hell. You are not allowed to be tired. We stop when I stay we stop.” I nodded, saving my breath for the run. Believe me, I ran like the hounds of hell were after me. The road was wide enough and firm, so I didn’t worry about slipping and falling. But over the sound of my own labored breathing, I strained to catch a cracking or rumbling that would signify a rock slide but I could hear nothing. Finally, the bridge appeared ahead of us and we slowed down.

02 August – Gunji-Navidhang Track – Part 1 – Gunji to Kalapani

The next morning I woke up and Sushrut was not to be seen. I pulled on my shoes and walked outside. There he was, outside the barrack, chatting to Sudhir uncle and munching away on biscuits. I raised my eyebrows and asked him, “I thought you weren’t coming with us today.” “Ha!” He said. “Why wouldn’t I?” I was overjoyed to see him up and about with no sign of the headache.
Around 7:15 am, we gulped hot glasses of bourn vita and left the gates of the Gunji camp. Turning right we walked a sharp incline and came to a kind of a plain where again there was an ITBP check post and a head count was done. The sky was a deep blue with puffs of clouds everywhere and everything was bathed in a pale watery light. The air was crisp and clean with a faint piney smell. The walk was pleasant and invigorating. The path was wide and stone strewn and it seemed like we were out on a simple nature trail with no sign of the previous hardships.
The Kali seemed like a sweet gurgling brook. I found it hard to believe that this was the same river. Sometimes we were high above the river and sometimes we were walking alongside it. We could see cliffs of sandstone on the opposite side and mountains of a yellowish ochre stone on our side and smooth pebbles and rocks along the river. There were moss and lichen covered trees and unusually shaped dried trunks all around. I was lulled into a feeling of tranquility and mostly walked in silence.
A small battalion of ITBP soldiers raced by us at one point. They were probably out on their exercise routine. A little before Kalapani we saw structures like closed rooms down below the path a little off the river bed. When we asked Sahji, he said those were actually bathrooms. Somewhere below were hot springs and the bathrooms were built for pilgrims to bathe in them. A hot bath sounded heavenly though sadly we were in no position to take advantage of it. We had a lot of ground to cover yet with no time for luxuries.The trek was completely uneventful and almost soothing and we covered the 9 kms to Kalapani by 11:15 am. I should have wondered then at such an out of sync calm but I was too busy enjoying myself to look a gift horse in the mouth.