Himanchal -2: 'Trek to the base of Neelkantha Peak'

"Life is brought down to the basics: if you are warm, regular, healthy, not thirsty or hungry, then you are not on a mountain. . . . Climbing at altitude is like hitting your head against a brick wall – it's great when you stop."

                                                                             - Chris Darwin

The Place:  Neelakantha is a major peak of the Garhwal division of the Himalayas, in the  Indian state of Uttarakhand.Soaring over the town of Badrinath at a height of 6600m (~21700 ft), the snow-peaked Neelkanth Mountain is popularly known as the Garhwal Queen.The base is situated at an elevation of 4300 m (~14500 ft). 

The Splendid View of 'Neelkantha Peak'

            

 The Myth:   It is believed that there was no mountain on the spot where Nilkantha stands today. There was an adage route between Kedarnath and Badrinath. The "Purahita" or the worshipper of the two temples worshipped them in one day. This continued for a long time until due to some sins of the worshipper, Lord Shiva became displeased with him and stood blocking the way as huge sky-kissing mountain, which is said to be modern Nilkantha. 

The Route: The route towards the base of Neelkantha peak goes from the badrinath temple through a small village called 'Bamni'. The base is situated at a distance 11.5 km towards east of the Badrinath temple.

Courtesy: Google Maps

 The Trek: I started the trek from my ashram, situated just beside the Badrinath temple. I left the ashram at 7 in the morning and started towards Bamni village. It is said that, Badrinath is the area that Lord Shiv originally chose for his tapasya. However, Lord Vishnu decided that he wanted to meditate here so he assumed the form of a little child and lay on a rock and cried. He refused to stop even when Parvati tried to console him. In the end, Lord Shiv could not stand the child’s wails and decided to shift to Kedarnath. The rock on which Lord Badrinath is said to have played this trick is called Leela Dhongi and is located on the way to Bamni village.

Way to Neelkantha through Bamni Village

For the first 3 Kms the trek is steep with almost 60 degrees of slope. A temporary path has been made with the help of stones.

The journey started.

 After that with the slope declining, the trek becomes a little manageable and you will start encountering  snow scattered on the way. 

On the way

 

The destination beckons.

 Trek some more and you will find the water streams coming down from the glaciers and just alongside the stream you will encounter a small meadow.  Take some rest here,enjoy the panoramic view of the mountains standing tall & strong around you,  and have some food and water before you get ready for the next part of the trek.

Icy cold water from the glaciers

The Next part was the most exciting as it involved a 2 km trek on a 40 degrees inclined plane covered with around one feet thick silvery-white snow. The experience in itself is amazing. You start trekking upwards slowly and carefully, measuring every step. You need to avoid edges as the snow cover tends to be weaker and treacherous on the edges. I had a minor incident during my trek. I went to the glacier stream to fill my water bottle and carelessly took support on the edge of the glacier. The next moment I found my one foot sunk knee deep in the snow. In that situation disturbing the glacial layers vigorously while trying to pull my foot out could have been dangerous. Fortunately I had carried a little hammer. With that I slowly broke the glacier from one side and slid my foot out. Also it is advisable to stay clear of the mountains around as there is always some danger of snow slabs falling down from the mountains.

The snow cover

Walking up the snow field

Finally after crossing this snow ground I reached the destination. It was a 11.5 km walk from the Badrinath temple and I touched the base at 12:30 in the afternoon. From the base of the Neelkantha you will get a panoramic view of Nara-Narayana mountain range. You feel connected to the nature and at that moment of solace you get access to your innermost thoughts. No wonder, in ancient times saints and sages choose Himalaya to perform their meditation. I spent half an hour at the top and then started my journey back to the Badrinath temple. 

Nara-Narayana Range(view from the base of Neelkantha)

 It is truly an enriching experience savoring the beauty of the Garhwal Queen. A vast ground covered with ice, chilling winds whistling in you ear and a shining view of the Neelkantha Peak, together they create an unforgettable memory of the Himalaya.

The Garhwal Queen

The Guidelines: Here are some important points to take care of, before you go for this trek.

•  May-June is the best time to go for this trek as the weather will be less uncertain and you'll also get to see the snow on the peaks. After that the rainy season will start and it will be difficult to trek.
• Start early in the morning so that you can return in time. I started at 7 in the morning and reached the Badrinath temple back at 2:30 in the afternoon. 
• Take some light food and a water bottle with you. Stuffs like dry fruits or biscuits are best but do not leave empty wrappers/ plastic bottles in the mountains. 
• Take one walking stick, one torch,one raincoat and if possible, a little rock hammer but do not pack a heavy bag as it will cause inconvenience while trekking in upward slope. 
• If you are new and have never been to the mountains, it will be better to take one guide. Local villagers are expert trekkers and they will take you to the top in no time.
• And finally, 

      "You need special shoes for trekking - and a bit of a special soul as well."

                                                                                                      - Terri Guillemets

Himanchal -1: ‘The Badrinath’

·           

      "How orderly philosophical is the landscape, are all the inhabitants of this World!  It is the creation of a god who ever plays the geometer."

    

 

   The Place:  Badrinath is a Hindu/Jain holy town and a nagar panchayat in Chamoli district in the state of Uttarakhand, India. It is the most important of the four sites in India's Char Dham pilgrimage. The town gets its name from the Holy temple of Badrinath. It has an average elevation of 3,415 metres (11,204 feet). It is in the Garhwal hills, on the banks of the Alaknanda River. The town lies between the Nar and Narayana mountain ranges and in the shadow of Nilkantha peak (6,560m).

The panoramic view from Badrinath

                                                     

The Magnificent Neelkantha Peak

       The Temple: 'Badrinath temple' sometimes called 'Badrinarayan temple', is situated along the Alaknanda river, in the hill town of Badrinath in Uttarakhand state in India. It is widely considered to be one of the holiest Hindu temples, and is dedicated to god VishnuThe temple is open only six months every year (between the end of April and the beginning of November), due to extreme weather conditions in the Himalayan region.

 

    The Temple

                                                                                       

The Route: For travellers coming from New Delhi the route will be first to Rishikesh and then to badrinath via Joshimath through the folllowing route.

 

   

                                                           For travellers coming from Delhi                                                                                                     

I started from Pithoragarh so I went to Joshimath first Via Thal-Bageswar-Gwaldam-Karnaprayag and Chamoli. From Joshimath, Badrinath town is 42 Km away and you have road access to the town.   

                                                                                                                               

Route From Pithoragarh

                  

An alternate route is that you can come to Jollygrant Airport(Dehradoon) and from there you can go via Rudraprayag-Karnaprayag-Chamoli-Joshimath. You can take help from the following distance chart.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     

   

The Journey:   I started my journey from Pithoragarh at 7 in the morning, reached Gwaldam in the evening at 4 and stayed there for the night. Gwaldam is a hill station perched at an altitude of 1,875mts above sea level in Chamoli district of Uttarakhand state. It lies on the route which connects Garhwal region with Kumaon. The famous Nanda Devi Raj Jat Yatra goes through Gwaldam. Trek to the mysterious Roopkund Lake is the most renowned trekking excursion of Gwaldam. I spent the evening by strolling around the nearby Forest Department bunglow. It is a very old but well maintained bunglow and from there you can have a distinct view of Nanda Devi and Trishul peaks.  

Directions to the Himalayan ranges from Gwaldam

The Forest Department Bunglow

Sunset from Gwaldam.

           

View of the Pine forest from Gwaldam

        

The Trishul peak from Gwaldam ( Pic was shot in the evening amidst a very cloudy sky)

        

 

From Gwaldam, next morning I set out to Badrinath via Karnprayag,Chamoli and Joshimath. The journey from Gwaldam to Badrinath was one exhilarating journey. You follow the trail of river Alaknanda and make your way through the tall, barren mountains with your vehicle peeping down to deep valleys at every turn. The route is curvy and you have to trust on your driver's driving skills.The road conditions are excellent and a big thumbs up to the state government for improving the road conditions. Though it gets a bit worse during monsoons due to consistent rain and land-slides but you can't avoid these things in this region. If you have your own vehicle then I can assure you that it would be an adrenalin pumping journey and for gaming geeks it would be like NFS resurrected in real life. 

 

 

The River Alaknanda (on way to chamoli from Karnaprayag)

 The Road from Chamoli to Joshimath 

Since you will be travelling in the Himalayan region , at every turn you will get to see sky touching mountains or a magificent glimpse of snow capped peaks. 

   

Glimpses of the Himalayan Range en route to Badrinath     

Finally after 5 hours of exciting journey from Karnaprayag, you reach the land of lord Badrinath. For the parking of all the private vehicles, there is a parking area near the bus stand. There is a guest house of Garhwal Mandal Vikas Nigam(GMVN) near the parking area. It is better if you book a Hotel/Dharamshala in Badrinath in advance otherwise you can also find rooms in Dharamshalas after reaching there or you can arrange for a lodging facility in Joshimath and make your trip from there. For eating, there are many facilities near the temple zone. You can have food like Marwari/Punjabi/Bengali/South Indian thali, or you can have local food. 

For Darshan, take a customary token from the counter near parking area and go to the temple. Take Blessings from Lord Badrinath. After Darshan, take a stroll around the other temples in that zone. Visit the 'Himalaya tirth' museum, situated just beside the Badrinath shrine. At night enjoy the splendid view of the shrine decorated with the lights .

The Badrinath Temple

Temple decorated with lights

               

 The Expenses:  The Journey is not very expensive. The major expense will be of travelling. Take around Rs. 1200(if you travel by bus) for to and fro journey from Delhi to Badrinath. For lodging, there are very affordable ashrams/dharamshala/hotels available and it will cost you around Rs.200-300 per day.Add another Rs 200 per day for food ( Food items are a bit costlier than normal but it is fair enough as those guys have to pay for their transportation cost of carrying the material to 11000ft height) and another Rs. 300 for 'Prasad' and 'Dakshina'. So for a 2 day trip to Badrinath, it will cost you around Rs. 2500 per person and if you are visiting the place in a group it will cost you even less than that.

The market and the ashrams

 So when the Kapats of BadriDham are opened pack your bags, have some warm clothings(weather can change colours at any moment), keep an ID card(necessary while booking rooms), leave all your depressing thoughts and mental loads back at the home and get ready to have an exciting himalayan experience with some religious flavour. As the Skanda Purana states that- “There are several sacred shrines in heaven, on earth, and in hell; but there is no shrine like Badrinath”, have faith on the almighty and Lord badrinath will bless you with joy and prosperity.

 

 

                                                                                                                                            

 

INTRODUCTION: ‘The Himalaya’

On a chilly afternoon high up in the mountains in the northern part of the Indian subcontinent as a shining gaze of light strikes the horizon, it reveals the most precious of nature’s magic – The Himalayas.

  

‘Himalaya’ is a Sanskrit word that literally means ‘Adobe of snow’. The Himalayan mountain range is world’s tallest and is home to some of the tallest peaks in the world. Forming a distinct geographical divide that separates the Indian subcontinent from Central Asia, the Himalayas extend from west to east in a massive arc for about 2500 kilometres (1550 miles).

                                                       image: courtesy Wikipedia.

From south to north, the mountains can be grouped into three parallel, longitudinal mountain belts, each with its unique features and distinctive geological history.

                                                                                    [Courtesy: http://library.thinkquest.org]

• Shivaliks (Siwaliks, the Outer Himalayas or the Sub-Himalayas):

Forming the southernmost belt of the Himalayan range, the Shivaliks are also the lowest and narrowest range in the entire Himalayan system, having an average elevation of about 900 - 1200 m (3,000 to 4,000 feet) and in places, a width of only 16 km (10 miles). The name Shivalik is a Sanskrit word literally meaning "Belonging to the Lord Shiva (of the Hindus)".

• Himachal (the Lesser Himalayas or the Lower Himalayas):

Lying between the Himadri region in the north and the Shivaliks to the south, the Himachal region forms the middle section of the Himalayan mountain chain. Lower than the Himadri or the Great Himalayas, this region has an average altitude of 3700 - 4500m above sea level (12,000 to 15,000 ft). It extends southeast from Pakistan and extrends through large parts of the Indian states of Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Western Uttar Pradesh, Nepal and and the North-Eastern Himalayas. This region passes and glaciers and includes many of the 110 mountains in the Himalayas rising to heights up to 7300m (24,000 ft) or more above sea level.

• Himadri (the Great Himalayas, Higher Himalayas or the Great Himalayan Range):

The northernmost, longest and the most continous belt in the Himalayan system, the Himadri belt forms the backbone of the Himalayas. Lying well above the snow line with an average elevation of about 6100 m (20,000 ft), the Himadri dominates the extreme northern frontiers of India and the entire northern boundary of Nepal. It rises to its maximum height in Nepal containing nine of the fourteen highest peaks in the world, all above 8000m above sea level.

The beauty of the Himalayas has lured visitors to this region since olden times and being the world's highest mountain chain; it constitutes the greatest attraction to climbers and trekkers throughout the world.

 Prologue:

सैर कर दुनिया की गाफिल, जिंदगानी फिर कहाँ.
जिंदगानी गर रही तो, ये जवानी फिर कहाँ.

बन मुसाफिर साहिलों का, लहरें जिनकी थकती नहीं.
हो सवार उन पंछियों पे, उड़ानें जिनकी थमती नहीं.

रास्तों की ले तलाशी, बस तेरी निशानी हो वहां,

सैर कर दुनिया की गाफिल, जिंदगानी फिर कहाँ.

पहाड़ों से पठारों तक, दरिया से किनारों तक,
कड़कती धूप या बारिश, बहारों से नजारों तक,
हर शहर हर गाँव से बस तेरी कहानी हो बयाँ,
सैर कर दुनिया की गाफिल, जिंदगानी फिर कहाँ.

[Travel across the world my friend, as you will not get this life again. Even if you have the life, you will not get this youth again.

Be the traveler of the coasts and of the tireless sea-waves. Ride the birds, the birds with the eternal flight. Explore the streets so that they forever carry your mark. Travel across the world my friend, as you will not get this life again.

See the mountains and the plateaus. Visit the rivers and the beaches. Experience the scorching sun and the soothing rain. Savor the springs and enjoy the lovely scenery. Travel so that every city and every village must sing to your travel tales. Travel across the world my friend, as you will not get this life again.]