12000ft and down

The Roopkund fever had gripped me nearly a year ago. It all started with a reading of the book ‘Living with the Great Himalayan Masters’ and an intense desire to visit the Himalayas. On searching the internet I came across a really impressive group from Bangalore ‘India Hikes’. On a trip to Blore I met up with Arjun Majumdar of IH and decided that Roopkund was the trek I wanted to do. With an interesting topography and dreamy pictures seen on their website, I became obsessed. I took a break from regular work, started my fitness routine and shopping for trekking gear, mainly the right kind of shoes. My sister in law Hazel, from ooty, decided to join in too and not one day passed by without us talking Roopkund!

My father’s illness and other circumstances forced me to postpone the June 2010 trek to September 2010. The day of travel arrived on Sept 19 and Hazel and I boarded the plane to Delhi. On the way from Delhi airport to Faridabad where we were to spend the day at a friend’s place till the night train to Kathgodam left, we got a call from India Hikes that because of a landslide near Roopkund our trek route had changed to Hampta Pass above Manali. Though hugely disappointed, we decided to go ahead with this trek. Having already met another trek member Sangeeta at the airport, we three left by bus to Manali that evening. Delhi was buzzing with preparations for the Commonwealth games.

---

After the break

Gosh! It’s been 5 years and I have the audacity to continue this post. It will be interesting to reflect on how much I remember, how much I have changed and how much the story has changed.

So Hazel (who has since become a compulsive trekker – Everest base camp, no less!) and Sangeeta and I boarded a late night bus from Delhi to Manali. Wait I don’t remember S to be on the bus, where did she go?

On the bus, I discovered my great skill of going to sleep anywhere, anyhow. A beautiful, serene sleep descended on me on that rattling bus ride. Sometime close to midnight, we stopped somewhere in the hinterland of Punjab for dinner. The jazzy, brightly lit eatery also selling all manners of merchandise looked surreal to my sleep addled mind. Something to eat and a quick su su break, we were back on the bus. After what seemed a very short while later (hello RipVanWinkle!) I was very irritated to be woken for the morning tea at a roadside dhaba. The tea went down with a couple of steaming aloo parathas with butter, yum… So now sleep is all gone and I am wide awake to enjoy the scenic beauty of Himachal with a babbling brook, soon to turn into my nemesis, flowing by. Memory brings back smells of diesel puked out by badly maintained vehicles on NH something.

Let’s quickly get to Manali and what happened thereafter, shall we? In Manali, we are taken to a small lodge in the middle of a crowded market place. Going up the narrow stairway to the rooms, I wrinkle my snooty nose at the lowly accomodation. Little did I know then this would would be my haven, my heaven in a few days.

More audacity to continue this post 5 years later…

Memories blurred. Intense headaches, exhaustion, can’t catch up with Hazel who has the muscle memory of a mountain goat.

Decide to descend with a motley bunch of co-quitters. Have to descend 2 days worth of ascent in 8 hours or so before darkness prevails. Just one guide to spare and 4 of us…

Slipping into the rapids, being pulled out by the poor young guide. Somehow reaching the heavenly lodge, passing out for 10 hours, waiting for a day more and the rest of the trekkers including Hazel to return.

A memorable experience indeed. And I did again 6 years later. A tale for another post.

Adios