Trekking to Har-ki-doon - 5

Snowscapes seen from Har ki dun

The clear weather and the descending trail make the return trek from Har ki dun a relaxed affair. Nearing Osla, we see mostly women in colorful dresses, out hoeing the fields in  preparation for planting the next crop called phafra.

The village of Osla


Around noon, we reach the ancient village of Osla just as it starts drizzling. We head for the satellite phone center from where I make a call  home paying Rs 10 for a 2 minute call. The charges are the same for any place in India. We learn that the government has provided such phones in each (large?) village. 

Curious village children gather around us and pose for a photograph. The village is empty except for the little children and an occasional 

woman working inside. The older children and adults have gone grazing their cattle or have gone to their farms. There is no shop in the entire village and nowhere for us to get some tea.

The temple in Osla

Our next stop is the temple which occupies a prominent place in the village. The temple is empty for the idol has been taken for a festival to another village. The walls of the temple are made of alternate layers of stone and wood - a design that apparently allows the structure to withstand earthquakes. The roofs are made of slate. The wood of the pillars and the front door are intricately carved. Even before I can ask, Kamal, my guide tells me that if have heard that this temple was dedicated to Duryodhana, that is completely untrue. I do not pursue the issue any further.

Door of the temple

Old house in Osla

We descend from the main street to a lower level to see a house which people point out to be one of the older structures in Osla. All the houses are multi-storied. The lowest floors are used for keeping the cattle and sheep. The floor with the overhanging balcony is the family residence and above it, the lofts are used for storing wood. Families have separate housing for grain silo's where they stock enough grain and other rations to last through the harsh winter. Osla has a school teaches up to class 8. For high school, PDS rations and medicines, the villagers have to go up to Sankri.The rain now comes down in a steady drizzle and it is time to make our way to the GMVN guest house in Seema across the river.

A bird watchers paradise


The walk from Seema to Taluka turns out to be the best walk I have had in this trip. It is a beautiful day and I have all the time in the world as I plan to get only as far as Sankri today. The walk is along the left bank of the Har ki doon Gad. We again pass the beautiful fields of green and yellow. It is early in the morning and the ideal time to see birds. The area is a veritable birdwatchers paradise. 


I get beautiful shots of several Drongo's sitting totally absorbed in their own company. Juvenile Dippers squat on the rocks in the middle of the stream; every now and then, they dip into the water and return with their catch. Redstarts throng the banks. An elegant White capped water Redstart flits and perform acrobatics in the air, showing off his brilliant colors. A clear mountain stream invites me to brush my teeth - something I could not bring myself to do with the water of the GMVN guest house.  A Lammergeir flies low over the river following it downstream leaving me mesmerized. A blue sky, warm sun, the beautiful river and birds of different hues to be discovered at each step - it is a perfect day. (Some of the birds I was able to capture on camera can be seen here )

Reaching Taluka, I find a jeep waiting to go down to Sankri. I am now suddenly in a hurry to get back home. I sit in the Sankri Jeep with a goat, that has been stuffed into the leg space of the rear seat, keeping me close company. At Sankri, I team up with the group of 6 young men from Delhi to hire the same taxi to take us to Mori for Rs 500/. We are in Mori at 3.30 pm and fix up a 10 seater Max for Dehradun for Rs 3500/. We reach the ISBT Dehradun at about 10.30 pm, too late for the last government luxury bus to Delhi but there are many other options. I choose a private bus with reclining seats - and am at the Delhi ISBT Metro station at 6.30 am the next day.


Previous: Trekking to Har ki doon - 4

Himalayan Trek 4, April 2011

Trekking to Har ki doon - 4

It is 7.30 am on a crisp and cloudless morning as we set out from Seema for Har ki dun, a trek of 12 km that includes a height gain of over 600 m. After the experience of the last two days I have dumped my polythene jacket and picked up a local plastic poncho with Kamal's help. 

Bridge over Har ki dun Gad at Seema. Path on
the right leads to Ruinsara Tal

We take the bridge and cross over to the right bank of the Har ki dun Gad for the first time during this trip. Snow clad peaks can be seen in the far distance looking upstream. The path rapidly gains height and branches into two - the left fork leading to the ancient Osla village. A young pahadi woman points me towards the right fork and then asks me for a toffee!


We walk past fields being readied for the next crop - phafra, a local grain whose flour is used to make roti. More women  than men are to be see working in the fields. At half past nine, we stop at a tea stall just at the beginning of a steep climb. The youth running it knows that it is the perfect spot for a mid-morning tea break for trekkers to Har ki dun.

Kala Nag (left) and Banderpoonch range

As the path levels out of the climb, Kala Nag and the 6000 m + peaks of the Banderpoonch range become visible. Looking back, I can see the Har ki dun Gad meandering down seemingly towards the snow capped Kedarkantha peak. Across the river from where we are is a Bugyal - the Devsu Thatch - surrounded by pine trees and lying on the trail from Seema to Ruinsara Tal. Following the river upstream one sees the Ruinsara Gad whose confluence with the Har ki dun Gad is not visible from the path we are on. We can see a wooden bridge over the Ruinsara Gad that allows 

Bridge over Ruinsara Gad
seen from Har ki dun trail

the Ruinsara Tal trail to cross over to the right bank of the stream. The lake is a good 12 kms from the bridge, according to my guide.


It is 12 pm and we stop for our packed lunch near a pretty little waterfall. I fill up my water bottle from the mountain stream. Clouds are starting to gather and we have already had a few drops of rain - it is time to hurry. We enter a valley dominated by two peaks - Hata Peak and Har ki dun peak. 


The valley floor is covered with snow in patches, the consequence of the wet weather that has prevailed over the past week. I spot the forest rest house complex in the 

FRH complex, Har ki dun

shadow of a huge rock. It has a fairy tail look. The GMVN guest house is further ahead at the head of the valley and the snow must be negotiated carefully to avoid loosing step and rolling into the Har ki dun Gad.  We reach the GMVN guest house exhausted at half past two. We must have been plodding through snow for past hour or so. 

The afternoon view from the GMVN guest house,
Har ki dun

It starts snowing and turns bitterly cold. Pavani, the canteen contractor at Har ki dun has reached only a few minutes earlier and is busy trying to get a fire going to heat water. I look out to see a blanket of snow covering everything other than a few large rocks. For the rest of the evening, I am obsessed with trying to keep myself warm. 

By the next morning, there is an amazing turnaround. I look out to see a clear blue sky and the Swargarohini peak (6250 m) standing nearly 3 kms above us. Legend has it that Yudhishtar, the eldest of the Pandavas, climbs the Swargarohini peak on his way to heaven. 

Swargarohini (center) from the GMVN guest house

I hear some raucous crows around and ask Pavani about birds here. He answers that but for the unseasonal snow, it would have been impossible to sleep this late in the morning because of the chatter of birds with as he puts it, their "108 boli". 

Blue Gentian ?

The clear weather has put me in a better frame of mind to appreciate the beauty of Har ki dun. A stream meander down gently and along its sides is a green border of Fir trees. Looking closer at the grassy slopes, I  can see brown 

Marsh Marigold

grass giving way to green and numerous flowers, yellow - Dandelion, Marsh Marigold - and blue Gentian making an appearance in anticipation of spring. But I cannot tarry here any longer, for I must reach Osla the nearest village while the weather holds.

Previous: Trekking to Har ki doon - 3

Next:       Trekking to Har ki doon - 5

Trekking to Har ki Doon - 3

Today is the day of the longest trek - we must walk 14 km to Seema and gain 750 m in height. I set out at 7.30 am with my guide and porter Kamal carrying my haversack which weighs about 10 kg. I carry a small knapsack weighing 2-3 kg with water, some food, a jacket and rain gear. We set out along the left bank of the Har ki dun Gad, a stream which we will follow for the next 2 days right up to Har ki doon.

Forest Department Map of the Govind Wildlife Sanctuary

As we leave Taluka, Kamal points out a micro hydro-power station that supplies power to the village. The GMVN guest house remains without power for reasons other than a lack of supply to the area.

Some distance on, the trail bifurcates, the upper path leading Dhatmir village while the lower path heads more directly towards Osla. In a while, we see Dhatmir village perched precariously high up on the hillside. The slopes are terraced with fields of wheat and mustard - adding dashes of brilliant yellow and green to the drab brown and grey of the

mountainside. The fields extend to impossible slopes and dizzy heights. The trail moves along the stream, climbing up when the gorge becomes narrow and descending down to the level of the water when the geography allows. Along the way, it starts raining - that prevents me from enjoying the beautiful environs.

A house in Gangad Village

We pass the village of  Gangad, where the valley has widened to allow the mustard and wheat fields to descend to its floor.


Turning a blind corner at a height above the river , we spot the village of Osla  perched on the sheer hill slope on the other side. From a distance, the village almost merges with the grey/brown of the hillside.  No easy access is visible to the village. 

Below the village,  the hillside slopes steeply to the river, while above it is a sheer vertical cliff capped with snow.


I wonder why the villages in this area are located high up on fairly inaccessible slopes rather than near the river bank. Is it the fear of floods? Kamal opines that it could be because the village founders were trying to hide from the rulers in secure locations.


We reach Seema - located on the left bank of the Har ki dun Gad just across but at a lower height than Osla - by 1 pm. After depositing my bags and changing, I settle down at the dhaba opposite the GMVN guest house to spend a long afternoon and evening in the amiable company of the dhaba owner, Jainder Singh, sitting on a raised platform beside his chullah.

Jainder is one of 6 brothers and 2 sisters. He tells me that his is a very old family of Osla. One sister is married and lives in the neighboring village. A brother works in Delhi.  The other 5 siblings are younger and go to school. Jainder has studied till the 9th (the nearest high school is at Sankri) and now spreads his time between running the canteen at the GMVN guest house for which he has taken the theka and helping with the farming of the 50 nalli of land his family possesses. He prefers staying in the village with wife and family to working the char dham route during the season, even though the latter leads to a much higher earning.


The evening passes pleasantly enough. A young group, also from Delhi are also heading the same way as me. They are poorly equipped, having no heavy woolens and walking in office footwear. But what they lack in equipment, they make up in spirit. They are determined to get to Har ki doon the next day despite the reports we hear from returning trekkers of the heavy snow in Har ki doon. After a simple meal which tastes delicious under the conditions, we retire early for tomorrow is going to be a testing day.

previous: Trekking to Har ki doon -2 
next: Trekking to Har ki doon - 4

Trekking to Har ki doon - 2

The main street of Purola has a busy look at 6.30 am. The sky is clear and the air crisp. I board the 7am bus to Sankri. The bus carrying mainly daily commuters slowly makes its way up the valley of the Kamal river. The ever solicitous Rana calls to check that I have made the bus.

View from the Purola - Mori road

 It is a remarkably wide and beautiful valley dotted with neat villages. The gentle slopes near the river - the Kamal - are covered with the green of wheat and jawar. The steeper slopes are covered with Pine trees and Rhododendron in full bloom and some of the tall peaks in the distance covered with snow. My seat neighbor in the bus is a gentle and soft spoken pahadi. The bus hugs the curving and smooth road at a gentle speed. The driver plays a CD with Garhwali music - melodious with slow beats - and I can imagine a slow rhythmic harvest dance to go with it. The dense and beautiful pine cover extends to even the steepest slopes. The comfortable ride, expansive scenery and lilting song lifts me into a joyous mood. I wonder if these simple pahadi songs will sound as good in Delhi.


We stop at Mori for breakfast and I have a huge aloo paratha served with dahi and achar. The paratha is shallow fried in mustard oil and tastes really good. A couple of Israeli backpackers climb in and I get absorbed in conversation with them.

The beautiful valley of the Kamal

We stop briefly at the Forest Department checkpost at Netwar to pay the Govind National Park entrance fees. 3 km before Sankri, a little short of 11am, the bus grinds to a halt - the road is blocked by a huge dumper clearing a landslide. When the dumper finally gives way, the bus is unable to clear the stretch as its wheels cannot find enough purchase in the loose mud. We are dropped unceremoniously and the trek begins earlier than I anticipated.


I walk to Sankri and after a relaxed lunch, set out around 1 pm for Taluka - the jeeps are not running because the road has been blocked by landslides. My newly acquired Israeli friends - Arnon and David - decide to accompany me part of the way, just to limber up for their trek which begins the next day. On the way, I meet the caretakers of the Taluka and Har ki dun GMVN's heading for Sankri. They assure me that there will be somebody to open up when I reach the guest house. I later learn that these men are heading to Sankri to collect their salaries which have arrived after a gap of 6 months!

View of a Saur village, just off Sankri

Soon we are brought to a stop a fast flowing stream that has flooded the jeep track. I part with the Israeli's here, remove my shoes and walk slowly through the icy water, testing each step carefully, fearful of taking a fall. The icy water and the sharp stones over which I walk really hurt. As it turns out, this is just the first of the tests I must undergo today. There are more streams requiring a similar treatment. Later in the afternoon, there is a thunderstorm with hail. The only possible shelter near the path - pine trees - turn out to be useless in shielding me from the hail stones. Wet and soaking in spite of a jacket, I reach Taluka just before 5 pm.


The guest house at Taluka is a dilapidated building. There is no electricity and no water in the bathrooms. I get a bed in the 'deluxe' room which has more storage space than the dorm but little else. I have dinner at the Thakur dhaba at the end of the village along with a couple of Bihari workers who are temporarily in the village doing a painting job. A Nepali origin family runs the dhaba. Two women, looking to be a mother- daughter pair are doing the cooking and serving. I later find out that they are actually a grand mother - grand daughter pair. The Bihari's joke with the attractive looking younger women about the small helpings she serves. The rain has started picking up and that means it will be snowing in Har ki dun. Perhaps my journey is slated to end at Seema. 

Houses near Taluka village

An old man in a uniform is also taking shelter in the dhaba from the rain. He turns out to be the chowkidar of the forest rest house (FRH) at Taluka. In conversation, I find out that the FRH has two rooms with water, electricity and a wireless set. He is willing to let me have a room on my return journey provided there is no prior reservation. My haversack has begun to weigh heavy on me after the 13 kms I have walked today. I decide to take a porter for the rest of the trip and ask for one at the dhabha. Kamal Thakur, (whose mother cooks at the hotel) volunteers himself and we arrange that he will carry my bag for Rs 300/ per day and food.


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Next -> Trekking to Har ki doon - 3

Trekking to Har ki doon - 1

Getting to Purola

It is not yet 6 am, but  the over-bridge at New Delhi Railway Station is already chock-a-bloc with people. I make my way to the far platform and locate the board with the passenger lists. My torch comes in handy in the darkness and I am able to locate my coach and seat in the Dehradun Shatabdi.

We are soon on our way and passing through the towns of Meerut and Muzzafarpur. Staring out of the large windows, I see golden fields of wheat with patches of sugarcane and occasional groves of mango. Innumerable brick kilns line the track, emitting black smoke drifting slowly west from their tall chimneys. My neighbor Mr Syal, an elderly man in his mid seventies, is good company and the conversation flows easy. We are at Dehradun by half past twelve.

Har ki doon Gad at Har ki doon

My plan for today is to get to Purola from where I intend to take an early morning bus to Sankri, the start of the Har ki dun trek. I make my way to the bus stand just outside the railway station and confirm that the Purola bus will come in at 1.30 pm. There is time enough for a dal-roti-subji lunch at a nearby restaurant. The fun starts after I return. Chaos reins around the bus going to Barkot. I make my way to the ticket counter to see if I can get an advance ticket for the Purola bus. By the time I get the clarification that tickets will be available only inside the bus, the bus arrives and there is a crowd of people trying to get in. There are also a large number of people trying to get out. The conductor advises me to load my backpack on top of the bus. Looking unsuccessfully for help to get my bag on top of the bus, I loose my place in the queue to get in and all chance of getting a seat on the bus. As things settle down, I learn that all the travelers in this bus go up to Purola, that a seat is essential and that to ensure a seat, passengers (or their proxies) board the bus at the workshop where it is parked before coming to the bus stand.


This is the last bus to Purola or anywhere nearby. There are other stranded passengers and there is a discussion about persuading the transport authority to organize another bus which soon fizzles out.  Another option floated is to hire a  private taxi and some people go out on that mission asking the rest to remain where we are and wait for them. After a long wait, we learn that private taxi's operating on this route fill up on the main road and will not make a detour to the bus stand. We head for the main road to find the situation bleak - a taxi has just left filled to capacity and there are little chances of another shared taxi coming by. There is now just one other passenger left with me and he needs to get to Barkot. He has a plan - take a bus to Vikas Nagar and look for shared taxis from there. In case nothing works out, he says he will put up at Vikas Nagar for the night - that place being much cheaper than Dehradun. I decide to take my chances with him.

We reach Vikas Nagar past 3.30 pm. A quick enquiry reveals that taxis for Purola have just left. We wander up and down the main street of Vikas Nagar. It is nearly 5 pm and people tell us that it is too late for vehicles to Purola. My companion is already making plans for a night stay here. Taxi's start from one "Prakash Hotel" and I am interested in taking a room as close to this as possible. As we head towards Prakash Hotel, it starts raining. My companion spots a bus with a couple of people inside whom he recognizes. The bus is actually going to Purola and we can't believe our luck. My companion, RS Rana of Barkot takes charge. The bus will reach Purola at 10 pm, past the time for hotels to be open. He calls up his friends and arranges stay for me at a hotel he knows.It is a wet evening.


The large 40 seater bus makes its way up along the Yamuna on a road that remains in a precarious condition after last years heavy rains. A couple of Gaddi shepards get down at a camp site crowded with buffaloes, goats and a few pack horses. They are in their traditional dress - skull caps and long kurta /pyjama - and with their distinct beards and goatee. I figure that this is their seasonal summer migration with cattle from the plains to the pastures in the hills. We stop for dinner where my friend gets his glass of the local brew after a hush-hush exchange with the waiter. Rana gets off at Mori to make his way to Barkot. I reach Purola just after 10 and make my way to the hotel previously arranged. On the short walk, I get a call from Rana who is checking to see if I have found the hotel.


Trekking to Har ki doon - 2

Birds of Uttarkashi, Uttarakhand

Himalayan Bulbul - seen at Purola in mid April

Ashy Drongo seen near Gangad village on the Har ki dun trail - mid April. According to Salim Ali, the crimson eyes are the diagnostic. Deeply forked tail. Breeding April onwards in the Himalayas up to 3000m. 

A Rosefinch seen near Har ki dun valley on a thorny scrub. ( Slightly forked tail distinctive - Salim Ali)

Juvenile Brown Dipper sitting by the Har ki dun Gad near Taluka (~2000m).

Orange flanked Bush Robin near Seema ( 2700m)