Just north
of Uttarkashi, the Yamuna and the Bhagirathi, still close to the glaciers that
feed them, flow hardly 30 kms apart as the crow flies. A spur of the Himalayas extends south from the
Banderpoonch range separating the watersheds of the Yamuna and the
Bhagirathi/Ganga. We plan to trek from the Bhagirathi valley to the Yamuna
valley, crossing this range. Our path will take us over bugyals, past high
altitude lakes, across streams fed by glaciers and over a high mountain pass. We will start from Bhatwari on the Gangotri highway and end up at Hanuman Chatti on the Yamunotri highway (see map below). We reckon that it should take 7 or 8 days.
J is my sole co-trekker. I am older than his father is, he informs me after inquiring my age. We met a year back on another trek, hit it off well, and have kept in touch virtually until now. Two brothers from a village near Uttarkashi will accompany us. We would have been happy with just one person who would show us the way and share the load, but we are unable to get a guide to come with us alone. As things turn out, the younger of the two brothers, formally the guide’s assistant, becomes a real asset during the trek. Over the next few days, Sur Veer hauls the bulk of the load (provisions, tents, and cooking utensils), gets campfires going in the worst of conditions, improvises and cooks delicious meals with limited ingredients, finds the trail buried deep in snow, and even takes us bird spotting through the jungle, all in good cheer.
Our trek
begins at the village of Barsu
Barnala Bugyal
A few hours into the climb, we reach a group of thatched huts, walls of rough-hewn stone stacked on top of each other, set out in disorderly fashion, in a small clearing in the forest. These huts belong to the Barsu villagers and are used by them in summer when they bring their cattle up to graze. As of now, they are all empty though it is already the first of May. Summer is clearly late in coming this year. It is early afternoon and ominous clouds have gathered. We are quiet happy to select the best chaini (as our guide refers to the hut) to occupy and camp for the day.
The inside
of the chaini is divided into two parts. One side is meant for the animals as
is evidenced by the droppings on the floor. The other side is relatively clean
and is organized around a fireplace. This chaini has no door and is simply
boarded up with loose stone, which we have dismantled to enter. In minutes, Sur Veer has
a fire going and ‘Maggie’ ready which we eat with great relish. With something
hot inside and the load of the haversacks off our backs, we are ready to
explore.
Sur Veer has cooked the dal and is ready to put the rice in the cooker, but cannot find it. We start searching all the bags without luck. Have we misplaced the rice or did we forget to buy it in the first place? I pull out the handwritten bill made at the Kirana shop
in Uttarkashi yesterday and we painstakingly go through every entry in
illegible Hindi. There is no rice mentioned on the list! That night we sleep on a dinner
of salted dal and a sweet dalia porridge. Tomorrow, we will think of how to manage our meals on the trek without the staple.
Continued ....Dayara to Dodital - Part 2
J is my sole co-trekker. I am older than his father is, he informs me after inquiring my age. We met a year back on another trek, hit it off well, and have kept in touch virtually until now. Two brothers from a village near Uttarkashi will accompany us. We would have been happy with just one person who would show us the way and share the load, but we are unable to get a guide to come with us alone. As things turn out, the younger of the two brothers, formally the guide’s assistant, becomes a real asset during the trek. Over the next few days, Sur Veer hauls the bulk of the load (provisions, tents, and cooking utensils), gets campfires going in the worst of conditions, improvises and cooks delicious meals with limited ingredients, finds the trail buried deep in snow, and even takes us bird spotting through the jungle, all in good cheer.
 |
| Barsu |
Barnala Bugyal
A few hours into the climb, we reach a group of thatched huts, walls of rough-hewn stone stacked on top of each other, set out in disorderly fashion, in a small clearing in the forest. These huts belong to the Barsu villagers and are used by them in summer when they bring their cattle up to graze. As of now, they are all empty though it is already the first of May. Summer is clearly late in coming this year. It is early afternoon and ominous clouds have gathered. We are quiet happy to select the best chaini (as our guide refers to the hut) to occupy and camp for the day.
A short
climb from our campsite brings us to a gently rolling open green meadow, with
trees on its fringes. Higher up, we come across a beautiful pond that
has hollowed out a part of the meadow. This is Barnala Tal, in the meadow named
Barnala Bugyal. The grass of the Bugyal is obviously the reason why the Barsu villagers bring their cattle here in summer.
It begins to rain and we make our way back
to the chaini only to discover that we have several feathered friends. A
White-collared Blackbird waits to be photographed. I turn around and spot a comical
looking Himalayan woodpecker and then turn back to see a Golden Bush Robin in the
fading light.
 |
| Barnala Bugyal (2850 - 3000 m) |
Continued ....Dayara to Dodital - Part 2
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