Himalayas Trekking Experience

Here starts my adventurous trip to Himalayas( Bakaria Top, 12,000ft).

Everything is planned 3months before but as you know that am the laziest one and takes lot of time to take decision I enrolled mine just a month before.

Day1 - We 40 people started from HYD to Delhi including students, teachers and principal. From Delhi airport we were shifted to a travel bus till Rishikesh.

Being a classical dancer loved these mudras @Delhi airport

Day2 -  At Rishikesh one of our student’s grandparents hosted us for refreshing and morning breakfast, they are so kind to host 40 people. There we were shifted to a mountain bus in which we are supposed to travel for 7more hours on a ghat road. On the way at a small dhaba they handed over our lunch which we had in the bus itself (yummy aloo paratha with tomato pickle).After travelling 4 hours our  bus tyre got a puncture. I have to say Thanx to the tyre because of the puncture we could able to get down on the ghat roads and can see nice view of the hills and river flow.

 Just half-an-hour before reaching our base camp we could able to see snow mountains far behind us and am soooooo excited to see them, if you are guessing that it may be my first time to see snow then my answer is a big YES. I enjoyed my first view of snow mountains and also there’s no proper road and all of us are really worried about the driving.

We reached our base camp - Raithal around 4pm which is at 5,000ft height from sea level. We had our lunch around 5pm enjoying the view of snow mountains and green tall hills around. We went on a small trial trek around the base camp just for fun. Slowly weather started changing its cool and cool and cool …….. as it’s my first time to cool place am really worried. 

Our base camp

We got our rucksacks in which we are supposed to transfer all our belongings to get ready for the next day trekking. I transferred my full suitcase of items into rucksack except my return journey clothes and few handy things into my back pack which am supposed to carry along with me throughout my trekking. Things that went into my backpack are few dry tissues, wet tissues, rain coat, water bottle, chewing gums(we feel dehydrated and thirsty so if keep chewing we don’t feel thirsty), chocolates, energy bars, glucose-D, mobile, power bank, sanitiser, lip gloss, sunscreen lotion, goggles, hat, sanitary pads(though we are not on our monthly periods because of the sudden change in the weather there are chances that any time our menstrual friend can visit us, and we have to get ready to host these friends) . Around 7pm am all set with sweater, head cap, gloves, sweater pant, woollen gloves 😉 Around 7.30pm had our dinner, there we had this salad of onion, keera, carrot . Onions really tasted sweet. We have given instructions that next day morning 7.30am we will start our trek to camp 1. Around 8pm they gave us sleeping bags, it’s a different kind of experience sleeping in these sleeping bags of course its so much fun though 😉

Day3  – I woke up around 5.30am to enjoy the early morning weather and its amazing to see all tips of the mountains covered with snow. Now the real scene begins that I have to brush my teeth, implies I have to touch water with my hands and then into my mouth eeeerrrrrrrrrrrrrr Devudaaaaaaaa I did my brushing. Our cook is so good that he provided hot water for drinking (actually they are just mild warm but they said that they are hot water ☹ ) Now it’s 7.30am and all of us are all set for trekking then suddenly started drizzling then raining then pouring....... We are upset that our guide said that our first day trekking is cancelled because of the rain. We all friends sat in a room and started sharing our unique quality and with what we compare in nature and ourselves. It’s so much fun and knowledge transfer.  Around 10.30am slowly clouds started moving away and we can see snow mountains again. Around 11am we kept all our rucksacks outside the base camp for the mules to carry our rucksacks to our next camp. 

Started our trekking yaaaaayyyyyyyyyyyyyy. Our trek goes through forests of giant deodar, alder and oak with extensive views of the Gangotri valley. I cannot describe the beauty of greenery in words.

 We walked and walked and walked and walked and reached to our Camp1 Goyikhata, height – 7,000feet around 4.30pm. 

Can you see that small white igloo on the carpet

There’s a beautiful Igloo on natures green carpet which we are supposed to stay for that night. Before I reach my Camp1 our rucksacks were dropped by mules. We had our lunch around 5pm, it’s really tasty after a long walk. Around 5.30pm it started raining and suddenly hail storm for about 15minutes. It’s my first time to see hail storm and am so excited to touch and feel ofcourse I tasted them 😉 they look like big sabudana not only in size they look like. 15minutes of hail storm turned the green carpet to white carpet, 

Dear Sun added shine to the white carpet and there comes our beautiful rainbow. I saw the rainbow forming from one end to the other end that’s a feast to my eyes. 

Few of us came out of the tents and igloos and started playing on the white carpet, few of us peeped into our sleeping bags for the weather change. Around 7pm it started raining heavily and one tent got flew off for the heavy wind, all of them shifted to igloos. We started chit chatting in the lights of torch. We shared our torch lights in such a way that one of us use our torch one day, so that we have torch light throughout trek. That’s a different experience of torch light night stays 😉. Around 7.30pm we had our dinner and got strict instructions that none of us are supposed to come out alone even if its an emergency. Even for washroom we are supposed to go to washroom as a group with our torch lights. After dinner all of us peeped into our sleeping bags.

View of early morning Himalayas from Camp 1

Day4  – Again my struggle started for brushing teeth and face wash ☹ Somehow freshen up myself and got ready by 7.30am to reach our camp2 Dayara Bugyal, height – 9,200 feet. We started walking and walking and walking  through dense forest of pines and Silver fir trees on the zig zag way. 1 hour before we reach our camp2 it started drizzling and slowly it started snowing, I really enjoyed the snow walk for half-an-hour. Around 2pm we reached our camp2 at Dayara Bugyal where we have tents on white carpet, yes its full of snow snow snow snow all the sides. 

Had our lunch around 2.30pm, played foot ball and cricket for sometime with our own game rules 😉. Around 6pm started our torch light night stay. Around 7.30pm had our dinner and again strict rules that none of us are supposed to come out the tent alone and have to zip the tents tight.

Day5 –  Ofcourse my struggle started to freshen myself. Around 8am started our trek to Bakaria top, height – 12,000ft. It’s a steep mountain covered with snow. We reached the Bakaria top around 10am and YES I DID IT yahoooooo. I laughed loud, smiled, shouted, cried, jumped, danced, sing aloud, slide, rolled, clicked plenty of pictures, wrote my wish on the HIMALAYAS what not I did but then I MISSED my family……  We can see enchanting views of the Mt.Bhagirathi peaks, Mt.Bandarpoonch, Mt.Black peak, Gangotri range peaks. We reached back to our Camp2 at Dayara Bugyal around 1pm.

By gods grace we got the opportunity to build a small temple with rocks and Shiva Linga pratishta in that small temple which is provided by one of our student parents from Rishikesh. We did chantings of Maha Shiva, Parvathi maata.

One of our friend got Jack fruit pickle from Hyderabad, we had it for our lunch. After lunch we did Hanuman Chalisa parayanam for 11 times, Lalitha Sahasranamam, Vishnu Sahasranamam, Lingashtakam. Evening we had cricket league between Hyderabad and Banglore teams where we divided ourselves into groups(as its IPL time 😉) Around 7.30pm had our dinner with strict instructions as usual and we peeped into our sleeping bags for the torch light night stays.

Day6  – Yes the same struggle of mine to freshen myself. Around 8am started our trek after breakfast to Camp1, Goyikhata. This time we have a different experience the way down. It’s a complete strenuous steep walk down. Walk down through dense forest with Silver fir trees and Apple orchards. A great day spent with a day long hectic walk. At one of the place I just sat there watching the beauty of Himalayas for about 45mins, just like that.  We reached our camp1 around 3pm, had our dinner and enjoyed some adventure games. A little big chit chats, dumshall arts, antyakshari. Had our dinner around 7.30pm with strict instructions for the night.

Day7 – As you guess my struggle to touch water to freshen myself. Around 8am headed back to Base camp, Raithal.  At one point I slipped and on the ground, Lord Shiva is on my side that he made sure am not slipped into the valley. Continuously rained for about 2hrs and we continued the rain walk from a narrow village. I can say the hectic trek of the whole camp. Reached base camp around 2pm. Had our lunch, unpacked rucksacks into our suitcases as we completed our trek. Around 5pm Certificate distribution ceremony, sharing the experience of the trek and take away of the trek. Finished our dinner and peeped into our sleeping bags.

Day8  -  Wokeup early by 3am and started to Gangotri by 3.30am to take a dip. I felt that one has to experience the drive along the valley. Reached by 6.30am, took a dip, had a cup of tea and started back to Raithal by 8am. Reached Raithal by 11am boarded our mountain bus by 11.15am to Rishikesh. Around 9am reached Rishikesh and had our dinner. Shifted our belongings from mountain bus to travel bus to start to Delhi.

Day9 –  Reached Delhi around 3am, checkIn to our rooms by 4am and had a nice sleep for 2hrs. There I got my mobile signals to speak to my family, had a good talk for about an hour with family. Freshen up myself with hot water, went for window shopping. Started to Delhi airport around 4pm and reached home by 10pm. 

YES I DID IT