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.


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Himalayan Trek 4, April 2011