The Final Journey

The Final Journey

Genesis – September – November 2009

Three months ago I had no idea that I would be revisiting the Himalayas. It’s a college tradition that after the Final MBBS exams, people go for a trip with friends, mostly to Goa. One thing that I had definitely decided was not to go to Goa. After all I didn’t want to follow the mass and then that’s what the Basterd-giri is all about. So, while cramming our brains with medical stuff just before the Prelim exams my mind was already racing with ideas about this trip. Discussions used to occur everyday with the other Basterds. One of the first plans that we had come up with was to go to every Basterd’s native town. But then that was not feasible and was quickly discarded. The other plan was to go to Kanha; the Basterds had heard a lot about the jungles in and around Jabalpur! Finally however the answer came from a totally unexpected frontier when one of my girl batch mates told me of her plan of going with friends to Dehradun-Mussoorie.. Now I have been to the Himalayas a number of times and since I realized that none of the others had been there, I considered going there. And all of a sudden the plan was formulated in my mind. I was thinking of a trek in the Garhwal Himalayas and especially of Dodital lake and Darwa Top which I had done while in Scindia School. The place was amazing and the prospect of going there in winter was thrilling. I told of my plans to Prabhu and the others. Almost all of them were enthusiastic in the beginning. I started to search about the means and ways to organize the trek. I contacted my Adventure Club in charge in school but he could not help me. The help came from within AFMC. One of my juniors regularly went for treks and he had contacts in the Garhwal. So I got the number of a certain Bihari Da. I called him up and found out about the cost factor and most importantly the presence or absence of snow in the region during December. I was told that the cost would be approximately 30000 INR for the entire trek. So I figured out that per person the cost would be in the range of 5000 which was pretty acceptable to all of us. The next two months went by in the pressure of the final exams broken intermittently by the thoughts of snow capped mountains and the pine forests. Our Sardar that is Yuvraj had dropped out of the trek because he had other plans and plans of going to the usual Goa! Romana the other Sardar was also unsure because of the highly unstable dates of his cousin’s wedding during December. The rest of us were 100% sure and we finalized the dates between 17^th and 25^th of December 2009.

Romana broke the news that he won’t make it because of the wedding. I had wished that all the Basterds be together on this trip but unfortunately that was not to be. Now we were 5 people and that meant that per person the cost would escalate by another 1000 rupees. But that wasn’t a matter that concerned us. Pawar was suggesting that his brother would like to come for the trip. Initially all off us thought that this should be a pure Basterds trip but then on second thoughts we thought fine. So we were again 6 people. After ruling out the options of coming straight back to Pune after the trek we finally decided that Prabhu would come to my place in Jabalpur for a week or so, from there we would go to Pawar’s place in Gwalior where Cobra would join us and then we will all go onwards to Delhi and Dehradun. In the middle of the university exams Bihari Da called me to confirm whether we were coming. I said yes and I told him that I would call him once I leave from Jabalpur, Gwalior, Delhi and Dehradun.

Jabalpur Escapades – 6^th – 13^th Dec 2009

After finishing the most difficult exam of my life I left for Jabalpur one day before Prabhu did because he wanted to spend some ‘quality time’ with Madamji. Unfortunately it turned out that the quality time went sour and he washing it down with beer with the juniors. I messaged him back when his message saying “To down with bitches” – “All the way down Sir”! Prabhu came the next day that is on 7^th December to Jabalpur. That night my dog Django gave him some ugly scars on his left hand by biting him. Dad was furious. We had to start the 5 injection protocol from the next day. But anyhow our trip was to remain unhampered with that. We went to Madanmahal, the Gond watch-fort in Jabalpur the next day. After admiring the precariously balanced balancing rock we came back to have taste of some home food. Next day we went to Gwarighat, the religious place on the banks of Narmada River and the first Ghat on the Narmada in Jabalpur. Religious places are notorious of being extremely filthy and dirty and to that end Gwarighat didn’t disappoint us! After half an hour of boating in the water full of algal growth and watching the sun set over the river we returned. On the way we stopped at the first and only mall in Jabalpur. Still partly functional and constructed but it was on superficial looks, good. The next day we brought our old driver to drive my Alto as Prabhu was unsure of driving in the mad traffic of Jabalpur and of course I didn’t know how to drive. We went to the newly opened Dumna Nature Park on the Airport road. It was pretty good and better than what I had expected especially the Kerala backwaters like appearance of the beautiful Khandari Lake. We saw some Langurs, red faced monkeys and some Chitals on the other side of the lake.

My mom always wants to utilize the facilities of the Army CSD canteen and this time she had a bonus as we were two people with two cards! We went to the canteen on the next day and bought stuff worth 5000 bucks. Meanwhile we were also enjoying the ‘special delicacies’ on the dining table- Suhane ki jalebi, Amrit Bhandar ki Rasmalai, Puran Poli, Chhole-Kulchhe etc. On 12^th Dec we went to the most popular tourist spot in Jabalpur that is Bhedaghat. Bhedaghat is a rift valley created by the Narmada some 21kms from Jabalpur. Mom and my sister also came along. We went to the Dhuandhar first, Prabhu buying a marble Ganpati for his Dad on the way. After watching the smoky waterfall we sat on the recently started ropeway which stretches over and across the waterfall. At around sunset we went to the Panchvati Nauka Vihaar to enjoy boating amongst the marble rocks. The boating was great as usual punctuated by the hilarious commentary of the guides. Trust me you have to listen to them once!

Gwalior and Scindia – 14^th – 15^th Dec 2009

We left for Gwalior on 13^th Dec with our rucksacks on the Sampark Kranti Express. Gwalior was colder than Jabalpur and reaching at 4’o clock in the morning didn’t help it. Pawar was there at the station to receive us while we were told that Cobra was happily snoring inside the Razai at home! We reached his place, changed and quickly got into the warmth of the Razai after a hot cup of tea. After getting up at 10’o clock and feasting on a sumptuous breakfast made by Pawar’s mom we left for some shopping which Cobra had to do for the trek. After an hour of frustrating us with his slow choice making he finally purchased a rucksack and shoes. We were to leave for Scindia after that but Pawar’s car broke down. We finally got the car up and running by 3’o clock, meanwhile eating very ordinary fast food from Cook’s. The ascent up to the School through the Urwai Ghati of the Gwalior Fort just thrilled me. I cannot describe the feeling I was experiencing at that time. Returning to my Alma Mater 5 years hence was least to say nostalgic. After purchasing the tickets for the Sound and Light show at the Mansingh Palace we drove to the other end of the Fort to visit my house, Madhav House. At the school gates which were renovated to look like a fort’s entrance we were stopped by the guards. At the same time I met an old teacher of our times who instantly recognized me and Pawar and let us through. That is the magic of school and its memories. All the teachers I met that day who were there in school at my time recognized me and that further reinforced my nostalgia. We went to Madhav House and the though the Housemaster was not there, we met his wife and took permission to see the house. The school was on vacation and had just closed 2 days before. We went upstairs and I met our old house servant Ram Prakash who also recognized me. My God, I thought I would cry out of emotions. I then went to all the nook and corners of the house, learnt that a kitchen had been made. Then seeing that the spiral staircase leading to the rooftop was open we went up. It was never allowed when we were students. So going there was another fond memory I added. After clicking pics with Prabhu’s unreliable camera which was again starting show its unreliability we came down. Finally his camera gave up! We then went to the beautiful Shivaji Parapet. The overgrowth of grass there told me that no longer do seniors make juniors do sit ups and push ups there. More so the beauty of the parapet was marred by the two newly constructed houses. Needless, we sat there for a while, posed on the place which gives you a feel of the Titanic and then went back up again. After going to the Astachal the place for the evening assembly I realized why the Old Boys used to feel nostalgic about it specifically. In school I didn’t like it and in my last year at school I hardly went there. But sitting there and watch the sun set now made me feel what so many other Old Boys do. Then we visited the Open Air Theatre which is another memory package for me for the number of stage performances I did while in school. We then met some of the old teachers on the way back to the car and I chatted with them for a while. The sun had set and it was imperative we got back to Mansingh Palace for the Sound and Light show. The air got colder and we had to put on our woolen caps. The show started with the familiar voice of Amitabh Bachchan saying- “Main Gopachal Hoon”. I had seen the show number of times and so had Pawar. Prabhu and Cobra liked it. I then visited Mr. R.K Kapoor who was another teacher from our times and then the sadness overtook me. What he told me about the present state of affairs of the school was not only depressing but also a situation of which I could do nothing. I talked to him for over an hour and then left back for the city.

Next day I had to meet my uncle Dr. Dubey who is an Ophthalmologist to discuss my future plans. I thrashed out some of the possibilities with him and finally came to the conclusion that I wanted to go for DNB in Ophthalmology straightaway. He gifted me a decent blue Van Heusen tweed coat for completing my MBBS. We had lunch together at a small but reasonable place and then I left back for Pawar’s place. We had to catch the good old Taj Express for New Delhi at 5’o clock. We reached New Delhi at ten at night and I caught an Auto for Vasu’s place. The cold in Delhi was even worse especially at night with the fact that it had rained there that morning.

Good old Delhi – 15^th – 17^th Dec 2009

I reached Vasu’s place which was full of relatives. His cousin had come along with her Dad and her husband, Ashwin Jeeju was also there. I had already had dinner on the train but I happily munched on the chocolate cake offered to me at Vasu’s place. We retired for the night and in Vasu’s room we chalked out the plans for the next two days. I called up Amisha and gave her the surprise that I was in Delhi. She was busy but we fixed a meeting in the afternoon the next day. After sleeping at four in the morning after watching Ashwin Jeeju get ready for his Republic Day parade practice we finally woke up at 11’o clock. It was decided that we will pick up Amisha from her place at around 3 in the afternoon and then go and hangout somewhere. It went according to schedule and we picked her and her brother from their place and decided to go to City Café in Greater Kailash which according to Vasu was a very reasonable and sexy place. We were disappointed though when we saw that it was closed for renovation. We then went to Hauz Khas village where Vasu knew of a place called Gun Powder. Again that too was closed. Finally we set our asses down at a place called Kitchen and Café. I gifted Amisha her birthday present which was a handmade card with a different kind of poetry which she read out for us. Obviously she liked it! We ate some very expensive food and coffee, clicked pictures and then left for home as there was a party to attend at night and Amisha had to study for her exams the other day.

The party was at Jindal Centre in Bhikaji Cama Place and the purpose and reason of the party was of no consequence to me so I happily went there with thoughts of free booze and good food. Mostly there were elder, famous and rich people there with only Vasu, Yamini, Ashwin Jeeju and Vasu’s cousin Gimmy to keep company with. Vasu however was depressed when he came to know that one of his friend’s cousin got killed in a road traffic accident in Pune. So I was mostly left in the company of Gimmy and Yamini. We came back home at around midnight. I was tired and I slept off almost immediately.

Next day I had to leave for Dehradun in the afternoon and before that I had planned to meet my sister Sohnee in her college at North Campus. I left from Vasu’s place for Central Secretariat at 11.30. After bidding goodbye to him, I boarded the Vishwavidyalaya Metro for the North Campus. From there I took a cycle rickshaw to her college enjoying the beauties I saw on the road. That truly is the magic of Delhi! I met Sohnee who introduced me to some of her friends and I advised that next time I come she should introduce me to some of her good looking friends and not nerds every time! I had a treat from Sohnee at Berco’s in Kamla Nagar which is a pretty reasonable and good Chinese - Thai restaurant. The treat was due on account of her job placement. I left hurriedly at 2.30 as I had a train to catch at 3.30. I called up Pawar and asked for the platform number of the Dehradun Janshatabdi and left for the New Delhi station. I reached on time and finally boarded the train to meet Pawar and Cobra. Prabhu had left a day earlier to spend some more time with our seniors posted in Military Hospital, Dehradun. Thus, we finally left for the long planned journey into the Himalayas.

Drunken Dehradun – 17^th Dec 2009

We reached Dehradun at 9.30 at night. Prabhu and Chaap came to pick us up at the station in the Fauji car. Driving back to Military Hospital (MH) they told us about their stay so far in Dehradun. They had gone to a place called Gucchu Pani and were all praises for it. We reached MH after a 10mins drive through the lonely night streets of Dehradun. Our seniors had already prepared for the night with an assortment of Blenders Pride, Smirnoff, soda and tandoori chicken! After setting our bags we went to the Officer’s mess lawns where angithis had been lit up for us. The mood was all set for a typical AFMC daaru party. Mussoorie could be seen from where we were sitting as a necklace of lights on the hills. Truly, beautiful. Pawar was already high with two pegs down and we had gone on from talks about us, them and finally onto Sardar jokes. I got to hear some really funny ones that night! As the clock struck midnight we revealed a cake for our Cobra who had his birthday. After doing the honors on the cake we blessed his ass with our kicks! He was ever so thankful and after exchanging hugs and clicking pictures we resumed our party. Chaap wasn’t feeling well and had already retired to bed and Pawar was soon escorted by Cobra in his semi-comatose state to his bed. Finally, I and Prabhu were left alone with our seniors. After another round of drinks we too went to bed at about three in the morning. With plans to get up early and leave for Uttarkashi we slept.

Journey to Uttarkashi – 18^th Dec 2009

But when do we ever get up on time? The earliest we could move our asses from the bed was at 9’o clock. We freshened up hurriedly and went for breakfast at the mess. Still, despite of all the hurried efforts we only managed to leave MH at 11. After a couple of minor jobs like getting batteries for the cameras we finally left for Uttarkashi in Mahindra Maxx at 12.30. The driver said that they usually carry 10 passengers in the car but we had already decided that we would pay the whole amount instead of stuffing in five more people. I asked the driver to take us through the Mussoorie route as it is more scenic and beautiful. He gratefully complied and we started the 250km journey to Uttarkashi. After bypassing Mussoorie we halted at a place called Suwakholi where we had our lunch comprising of Rajma, Rotis, Sabzi and rice. This was also the place from where we got our first view of snow capped peaks. The other four were already thrilled as none of them had seen snow peaks before. We left after some camera work. Soon however at a Ghat ahead, Prabhu despite of taking Avomine vomited. I knew that was bound to happen with his history of motion sickness and the endless stretch of winding roads in the hills. The journey was uneventful for a while when we hit a really bad patch of road; that is if you call it a road. The road was not metalled and the driver, to our delight told us that this stretch of road was pretty long! So everyone’s sleep was broken with the continuous rocking of the car and the unexpected bumps. I literally developed pain in my left arm because of constant pressure against the door. However this bad patch was gifted with a beautiful view of the mountains and especially the snow peaks. We again got down at a place we thought the pictures would come out great and gave the cameras some exercise. The bad patch ended when the sun was set and it was twilight. The last part of the journey went in darkness as we covered the last few miles to Uttarkashi. I could not hear the old familiar sound of the mighty Bhagirathi River all thanks to the dam built at Tehri-Garhwal. We finally reached Uttarkashi at 7pm and I called up Bihari Da to know as to where to go in the town. He received us at the petrol pump (there’s only one in Uttarkashi!) and told me that he had been trying my number since morning and couldn’t get through courtesy to my fake battery. He had come under the impression that we wouldn’t turn up and had downed considerable rum as a consequence. Now that he saw us he was reassured and we went to a hotel called Bhandari Annexe for the night. We gave Bihari Da an advance of 20000 bucks and then ate at a local restaurant. The Aloo Jeera was especially good. We ordered vegetarian as it is very hard to find decent non vegetarian places in Uttarkashi because of the religious influence. The cold was considerable and so we crept into the warmth of the Razais in no time.

Day 1 - 19^th Dec 2009: Trek to Bebra (7km)

The day was supposed to start at 8am but the cold and the comfort of the Razais kept us in bed. However we managed to pack up and get ready by 10.30. We transferred unnecessary stuff into a spare bag (including a Blenders Pride, which we regretted doing later) and handed it over to the hotel staff. We left Uttarkashi at 12 noon after a breakfast of Parathas and Achaar. Cobra was insisting everyone to have butter in excess quantities to ward off the cold and we were happily taking his case over his Ramdev Baba theories! Our starting point for the trek was about 45mins drive from Uttarkashi, a place called Sangamchatti, lying beside the Assi Ganga River. We unloaded the car, the porters packed their luggage and after taking photos we started the trek with Bihari Da leading us and me following up close. This was to be the protocol for the trek. The climb was at once steep and the road rocky. Soon we were panting for breath and sweating in the winter sun all thanks to one year of minimal physical activity! We halted after about 20mins into the trek. Bihari Da told us that we would climb at our natural pace and there was no need to hurry. We thus moved on, on the winding trail occasionally meeting villagers who were shuttling to and fro between their villages and watching the ever so laboring mules. After a 5km trek with several halts we reached the hamlet of Agoda nestled in the hills. I personally wasn’t feeling as worked out and feeling as cold as others possibly because of previous experience of trekking and I was thankful for that. We stopped at a tea stall and had hot tea which was refreshing. We could see the Dayara Burgyal (12300ft) and Bakra Top in the distance shrouded in snow. Cobra was ironically having black tea which was a pleasant surprise for us! I had found a tobacco packet with the brand name Nevla written on it and I urged Cobra to pose with the packet! After a second round of tea we left for our first camp at Bebra which was 7km from Sangamchatti. The trail from Agoda was less steep and in the last 1km to Bebra it was actually downhill as Bebra was located in a valley. We reached Bebra at 5pm. Bihari Da pitched up our tent and Kishan Da made hot tea for us. I washed up and checked my mobile. 8yrs hence there was still no connectivity ahead of Uttarkashi and I was told by Bihari Da that even Uttarkashi became connected about 4 years back only. We had tea and biscuits and clicked pictures against the tent. Some locals had already lit a fire and all of us sat around it to warm ourselves. The locals left after a while as the sun set and we prepared glasses and drinks for the night. I asked Prabhu to open Royal Stag because I personally find the taste better than Blenders Pride. We also offered booze to Bihari Da and he was more than happy! We sipped on our drinks as we heard Bihari Da’s trekking adventures punctuated by some of my own. We also discussed the probability of finding snow ahead as that was one of the prime reasons we had come. Soup was served at 7pm and though I don’t know what soup it was but it will suffice to say that in the cold any hot drink except hot water tastes wonderful! Half an hour later we were having dinner around the fire which was tasty and sumptuous. We retired in the not so warm sleeping bags at 10 and called it a day.

Day 2 - 20^th Dec 2009: Trek to Manjhi (9km)

The next morning we were awoken by Bihari Da at 7.30 with tea. The tea made our bowels to move and soon every one of us was scrambling for tissue paper and searching for cozy spots in the jungle to answer the nature’s call. All of us returned after brushing our teeth, taking a wash and getting ready for breakfast. Breakfast was made up of toast, egg bhurji, dalia that is porridge and butter and jam. That day I had the best porridge of my life and I complimented Kishan Da for it. Every one agreed with me and gave a 5 star rating to the porridge garnished with dry fruits. Sounds tasty, isn’t it? After a round of tea we set our rucksacks, filled our water bottles and were all set for the next trek to Manjhi which was 9km from Bebra. Bihari Da packed the tent and we left. The initial 15mins was very tiring as the trail steeply ascended from the valley. We halted when we were on top of that trail. The trail to Manjhi was more challenging than the first day’s trek and that was evident on our faces. Chaap and Pawar were already sick with cough and cold and that didn’t help matters for us. We however trudged along and the beauty of nature helped us move forwards. We had some beautiful views of the alpine trees standing against the blue sky with the Dayara hills in the background. We halted for a considerable while at a place called Dharkot where a resting point had been made overlooking the valley. It was a beautiful view from there and we clicked photos for sure. The porters and Kishan Da joined us after a while and we again set forward to Manjhi. After about an hour’s trek I and Cobra were considerably ahead of the others when Bihari Da made us spot our first patches of snow on the trail. We picked up the snow and fashioned it into a ball and went backwards to give the others a surprise and surprised they were pleasantly! We moved ahead agin until we halted at Kachheru, about 3km before Manjhi. From ahead of Kachheru we could see the Bandarpunch range in the distance. Finally after four and a half hours of trekking we reached Manjhi. All of us were visibly exhausted. Our camp site was surrounded by patches of snow and we posed against it for pictures. We also went to the other end of the village where it rested on the edge of the valley from where we could clearly see the Bandarpunch range. Manjhi is a seasonal village which is inhabited only in the summer months and hence there was no soul around except us and a stall owner who was also leaving the next day. The valley was splattered with snow at places where sunlight was hard to reach. Bihari Da and is gang were meanwhile preparing the sexiest food to eat in the mountains, Maggi! We hogged the noodles like animals in no time. We were still hungry so we went to the stall owner’s shack and had another round of the tasty Maggi. We returned to our tent and while Pawar warmed himself in front of the fire, the four of us played 29 with cards inside the tent while the sunlight still remained. As the light went out we came back out and were greeted with the spectacular shades clothing the mountains because of the setting sun. I ran to the edge of the valley to take pictures of the Bandarpunch façade which was turned to a bright shade of orange. I was not a professional photographer but the result I got on the camera was satisfactory. I had to adjust to the low light conditions and take the picture. I then returned to the campsite where a fire had already been lit. We again opened our drinks and Bihari Da accompanied us yet again. After having dinner at the familiar time we retired to bed at 10pm. It was exceedingly cold and the sleeping bags were initially complementing us with it but the warmth of our bodies soon ensured that we slept.

Day 3 - 21^st Dec 2009: Trek to Dodital (6km) – 11000ft.

The next morning we woke up at a leisurely pace as the next trek to Dodital(11000ft) was comparatively short and easy. Chaap’s cold was worse and we urged him to start a course of antibiotics. After relieving our bowels and having breakfast, this time blessed with an amazing Halwa, we left for Dodital at 11am. The Bandarpunch façade was a totally different beauty in the morning and I marveled at the beauty of nature. The path to Dodital was pretty easy and the trail was covered with snow at a lot of places. We met some frozen streams and at a particular stream the ice had formed in beautiful patterns and I happily clicked pictures. We also met a Sardar team coming down from Dodital. We learnt they had planned to camp at Darwa Top but the chilly winds and the plentiful snow made them think otherwise. Afterall who can blame them for paucity of thought! We met a forest guide along the way and Bihari Da coaxed him into giving his radio to us. We finally reached Dodital at 1.30pm. The lake was as beautiful as ever and the surrounding area was touched up with snow. We also a found a completely frozen section of stagnant water and clicked photos on it. The lake surroundings however had changed in the last 8yrs. Unnecessary stone walls had been built around the lake which marred its natural beauty. I took lot of pictures around the lake and while the lunch was being prepared we roamed around, went to the Ganpati Temple which was closed and had snow fights. Dodital, in Hindu mythology is supposed to be the birthplace of Lord Ganesha and the story of Lord Shiva beheading him while he guarded his mother Parvati while she was bathing in the lake is also supposed to have happened here. Cobra decided to emulate Goddess Parvati but was out of the lake within seconds! We ate our lunch which was hot Khichdi. Thereafter we again sat down in the tent for rounds of 29 while Pawar dozed off. Dinner was served at 8pm and we drank around the fire while listening to the match commentary for the India – Srilanka match. Sachin was blasting away and that really got us in the mood. We cheered for the team all the way down, while cursing Malinga and others and finally Dinesh Kartik who stole away a century from the Master Blaster. However it ended on a happy note as India won the match. We looked up at the night sky which was twinkling with innumerable stars and the small crescent of the moon. We retired to bed at 10pm looking forward to the last ascent to Darwa Top.

Day 4 - 22^nd Dec 2009: Trek to Darwa Top (5km) – 16170ft.

The morning began early the next day as we had to trek up to Darwa Top (16170ft). The trek was going to be the steepest with us climbing 5000ft in 5km. After doing the daily necessities we sat down for breakfast. I asked Chaap whether he was feeling well enough to go up. He was affirmative and thus we left for Darwa Top at 9.30 without our rucksacks. The trail was immediately steep and Chaap was feeling breathless. The combined effect of a blocked nose, cold weather and decreased oxygen was taking its toll. We had to halt many times but Chaap was firmly set about climbing to the top. We had to cross some tricky streams with partly frozen water and the result was both Cobra and Chaap accidentally wetting their feet with ice cold water, Cobra did it twice!. Luckily, Pawar and Cobra were wearing double socks so the wet socks weren’t an issue. They left the socks on the rocks to dry and we moved ahead. The road was ever so steep but the beautiful view of the hills and valleys again nudged us on. The final climb from Darwa Pass was exceedingly steep and we had to stop many times on the way because of Chaap. The tree line had passed below and now we were able to see an entire range of snow peaks dotting the horizon. I clicked some fabulous pictures which looked more like paintings! After walking on the last 20ft of a snow trail we finally landed on the place called Darwa Top. The view from here was breathtaking. The peaks we could see from the top were Srikanta (6140m), Draupadi ka Danda (5600m), Jaonli (6000m), Swargarohini group (6200m), Kala Naag (6387m) and Bandarpunch (6316m). Darwa Top proper is actually on top of a snow covered slope. We didn’t venture up there as the snow was very thick and we could wet our shoes and Bihari Da told us that the view offered from there is not better than what we could see from here. We clicked a battery of pictures and all of them turned out to be a spectacle. I also took a picture on self timer of the whole team by keeping the camera on its case. After all the posing we had lunch which was packed for us and the prospect of eating good food at such an altitude thrilled us. After an hour we started the descent which proved to be even more difficult but however quick. We reached back to Dodital at 4pm with our legs paining but our minds full with the beauty we saw. Dodital in the evening that day was looking exceptionally beautiful and the pictures I took proved it. Another team had meanwhile pitched their tents at Dodital. The team was from Ghaziabad and I could see the DTC looks on their faces and their attitude. They had got mules and we were of the opinion that the mules were from Orissa, considering their blatant vandalizing of their team’s ration! That night I drank to the full and we were singing songs in full volume. We went to bed on a high note, cheering the prospect of the return to less colder environments on the next day.

Day 5 - 23^rd Dec 2009: Descent to Uttarkashi (22km)

This was the last day of our trek. We had to descend back to Sangamchatti, all 22kms in one day. Chaap was feeling better, the antibiotics working their magic. The Ghaziabad team meanwhile was gearing up for their assault on Darwa Top since 6am and all they did was stand around the fire. They had brought ice axes and walking sticks for snow, for God knows what. Bihari Da was of the opinion that he definitely felt some of them won’t be able to climb up and I seconded him. We left Dodital at 10am. We only halted twice till Manjhi. After Manjhi the descent was rapid however the rocky path caused some of us to twist our ankles and unfortunately Chaap twisted his knee and developed severe pain. His pace slowed down considerably. I, Bihari Da and Prabhu were waiting for others on the top of the valley of Bebra for over an hour when finally the others turned up informing us that they had taken the short cut which proved to take longer as it was steeper. We reached Bebra at 2pm and we had Maggi for lunch. Cobra spotted the village women (some of them were good looking) carrying grass on their backs and wanted to try and lift it. He thought that it must be very light. The villagers told him that the grass stack weighed at least 30kgs. However Cobra was not to be deterred from trying out. We were all rolling with laughter when he couldn’t lift it even slightly from the ground. At the same time I was wondering about the strength of these village women. We urged Chaap to lead the trail to Sangamchatti, but since he had become really slow I took the lead and Bihari Da followed him up from behind. I and Prabhu reached Sangamchatti at 3.45pm with Chaap finally appearing at 4.30. I was exhausted and the sprain in my ankle was hurting a lot. We quickly jumped into the taxi back to Uttarkashi and back to our same hotel. Warm water awaited my dirty body. It was literally filthy! I bathed, shaved and became a human again! The tip of my nose was sun burnt and so was Cobra’s. We then went to the ATM to withdraw money to pay Bihari Da the balance amount. He was already high by the time we got back and after thanking us he treated us to vegetable momos. The momos were the cheapest I have had i.e 2 bucks per piece! And they were good! I asked Bihari Da to arrange a vehicle for us to Dehradun early at 8am as Chaap had to catch a train to Lucknow at 6.30pm.

Day 6 - 24^th Dec 2009: The journey back

The next morning we got up on time. We had already packed our luggage at night and thus we were ready to go in no time. Bihari Da too was on time and he had got the same driver with whom we had come to Uttarkashi. After saying goodbyes and handing over the remaining bottle of Blenders Pride to Bihari Da we left for Dehradun from the route via Rishikesh.

We reached Dehradun at 2.30pm. After having a slightly expensive lunch on Rajpur Road we went back to the MH and were met by our seniors. Chaap was dropped off at the station by Prabhu into a fauji dibba as he didn’t have a ticket. We also met a Captain Shyam who was not an AFMCite, he was giving us a treat that day because he had become a father recently. After giving an account of our trip we sat down to drink with them. The talks quickly became sentimental and Captain Shyam was leading the way! We had decided to come to conclusion on deciding his daughter’s name by 11.30 at night. However, our alcohol ridden brains couldn’t work that out, especially with a starting syllable of “To-“, that’s how it goes in Hindu tradition. I slept at midnight without having food and I urged others also to do so as we had a train to catch at 5am.

Day 7 - 25^th Dec 2009: Back to Delhi

Cobra and I woke up at 4am and woke up the others. The sa’abs had come to drop us to the station where we reached on time. The journey back to Delhi was marked by thick fog along the way which made the train go slower. We had planned on going to Berco’s to have lunch but the train’s pace made us change our plans. We went instead to Connaught Place after reaching Delhi. Initially we went to a place called Castle 9 which offered cheap booze and so we thought cheap food but the exorbitant rates drew us out in no time. The waiter was wondering what happened! We then made our way to McDonald’s and hogged. Cobra left us at the Metro station to leave for his relatives’ place and we reached the station on time. The train however departed 1hr late. Me and Prabhu were in the AC compartment while Pawar was in the sleeper. I was with some Japanese tourists in my compartment who didn’t know English so despite my attempts to start a conversation I failed! (There was a good looking girl!) We reached Gwalior at 8pm where we met Pawar’s parents who had got dinner for us. I also took my tweed coat which I had left at Pawar’s place. After bidding him goodbye we got back on the train again. The train reached Jabalpur on time as it made up at night.

Day 8 - 26^th Dec 2009: In Jabalpur Again

The next day I had to do some paperwork at the collectorate. I spent the day uploading pictures on Orkut and Facebook and we gorged on Khoye ki Jalebi at night.

Day 9 - 27^th Dec 2009: The missed train

We were to leave next day back for Pune. The train was however late and the erratic reporting system of the railways resulted us in missing the train! I cursed myself and the railways and thought about the inevitable “kaands” which happen in all of our trips. The trip had gone on perfectly till then! Prabhu got his ticket cancelled. I didn’t as mine was a warrant ticket. We pondered on options to reach back on time as we didn’t want to face the sick training officer. We finally boarded the night bus to Nagpur from where we planned to take a further bus to Pune in the morning.

Day 10 - 28^th Dec 2009: In Nagpur

We reached Nagpur at 5.30am in the dark and were told that the earliest bus leaves at 2.30 in the afternoon. This further frustrated me. We then had to book a cheap lodge for the next 8 hrs. However the reception at the hotel was pretty unexpected. He asked me for a photo ID like one reads in the books about international hotels and he also took a picture of us through a webcam! We slept soon after in our rooms. After having lunch that was packed by my mom we left for the travels office where we had booked our ticket to Pune earlier in the morning. The bus arrived an hour late and I hoped that it would reach Pune on time. I passed my time reading The Double Helix by James Watson about the discovery of the structure of DNA. It was interesting. Meanwhile Prabhu was reading Godfather. The bus halted for dinner at a highway restaurant called Tandoori Nights! We laughed out! After having dinner we slept.

Day 11 - 29^th Dec 2009: Back in Pune

The bus reached Pune at 8am. We took an auto to college and were thankfully in before time. The training officer had asked us to report at 9am which was later cancelled by him. We cursed the TO for a long time for this.

Finally, thus we reached the end of the beginning. We had started off from Pune and we came back to square one after 23 days of fun. This was by far the best trip I had while in college and the snow, the fun, the surprises will all be etched in memory forever.