Exploring the Unexplored Side Of Me – Trekking – Part 2

Aug 8, 2024 Thursday – Nichnai Camp (निचनाई)

Our bags were ready, some of us submitted the extra luggage to the mule incharge, we got ourself ready with our backpack which was one of the crucial travel companion & started walking with the hiking pole. Time was around 9 in the morning. Two Kashmiri guides one in the front which was Saddam & Tarikh who stayed at the back made sure no one left behind him. Total 27 of us going towards Nichnai camp which was our destination of the day.

During the walk there were many local kids asking for Toffee, Apple. They used to say टॉफी दे दो, सेब दे दो to us & kinda block the road. What I did initially was on my backpack I tied up a small plastic bag which had 3-4 apples which was clearly visible & may be that also grabbed the attention. I used to tell them I am hungry I want to eat, or just smile & wave. For few I told them I got it from the tree , I could read from there perplexed expression that they knew I was lying. Then I did a wise thing – I removed the bag & put it in my hydration water pouch bag which was I was holding in the front. At least it stopped getting attention. After walking for an hour we took a short break. We got settled down & some of us exchanged dry fruits, chikki etc. Every one was walking with their own pace & used to take halt as in when required, but tried to maintain the rhythm most of the time.

We took a lunch break around 2 o clock. Each of us got settled down, filled up our water bottles near by river – a natural water source which was abundant. It was so cold & fresh. Before the lunch I faced the music as both of my shoulders started paining. I like to walk a lot & I always knew that walking & trekking is totally different, it’s just I was experiencing it. It was the first time I walked with 10kg & the show was just started. After having Poli bhaji we sat there for sometime & then started walking. The terrain was mix of flat + climbs & downhill.We took few (multiple) breaks while climbing because now there was a huge gap between the group who was much ahead & people who were at the extreme back. We stuck in the middle & then decided to go slowly. Shoulder pain kept reminding me the weight inspite of removing few items such as books, 2 t-shirts, Rubik cube etc. I tried to ignore it kept adjusting my bag in between.

It was 4.30 in the evening at the time of reaching the campsite. When I first saw it it was such a big relief & I was very happy. The camp incharge Achyut greeted us with a big smile & told us to settle down & have the welcome drink .It started feeling cold but he was sanding in t-shirt & half pant.I was like, didn’t he feel cold? Looking at him made me feel even colder. He told us he was in the campsite 20+ days but still. He asked everyone, how are we doing, any body facing any body pain etc. I told him I am having tremendous shoulder pain & headache. In the fraction of second he said he can help out with the shoulder pain. He gave massage, which a slight relief & will be always thankful for his help & assistance. He helped many of us – some of us had knee pain, body pain. His enthusiasm was next level. In very calm & composedly he helped us. He briefed about the camp arrangement, washroom facilities, meal time etc. At every campsite tent was on a sharing basis, In Nichnai Camp there were 4 persons in each tent. Each tent had 4 sleeping bags.

In the tent I had to unpack the bag in order to replace old clothes with new. But slight hand movement used to cause a lot of pain. But had to do it eventually as there was no other option. After getting ready with new set of clothes, I had a welcome drink- Tang. I had it around 250ml & after sometime it felt like bloating in stomach & thought I am going to throw out (which I didn’t eventually); but I was fine after 10-15 minutes. During the journey effects of AMS started giving signs. I had a major headache. I was going to take Metacin Tablet, but decided not to take because KK told me that it’s normal, I will be fine in few days, so decided to listen to him. Also Achyut told us in case if we take any medicine we should consult with him or fellow tent mates that we are taking a particular medicine. He also told us if we would have reached the camp around 3 in the afternoon, there was a chance to see Nichnai lake which was 20-30* minutes away. Then he took out his phone & showcased pics of that lake. It was breathtaking. To be honest in my mind I was done for the day & body also said the same thing. I just wanted to sleep right away. Another important thing Achyut said not to sleep or let anyone sleep immediately as it will take toll on the body. We make sure that we followed the drill (unwillingly) 😔😭. I was super sleepy, if I had just laid down or closed my eyes for a minute I knew I would fall asleep. So, I went back to the tent & sat down. There were few (some) negative thoughts.

1. What happened to you? Before joining the trek, you knew what you were getting into. I’ve always liked walking, but walking and trekking are different & I was aware about it. This is something you’ve always wanted to do—walk all day. Now that I’m getting to do it, what’s the issue?
2. My shoulders are still hurting. Will the pain go away on its own? Tomorrow, I’ll have to walk with weight again. Will I be able to do it?”

I immediately tried to switched it off all the thoughts & told myself that I did pretty well. It’s just day 1. Focus on each day & think about that only. Don’t be too hard on yourself, just go with the flow & think about one day at a time, basically survive each day. Here you are getting everything ready, tent, tea, food sleeping bag, you just have to walk with your bag, focus on that.

We had tea + pakode around 5.30 in the evening, I had tea but just to be safe for stomach sake had one small piece of pakoda. During orientation we got to know that there is arrangement of Milk + Bournvita. During the walk especially in the second half I was craving for it, so at the Nichnai campsite we had option of Turmeric Milk & majority chose that. Dinner was served around 7 o clock. When I went to eat, I was wearing base layer along with T-shirt & track pants yet I still felt cold. After finishing the round 1 I went back to the tent & wore my down jacket on top of it & it felt slightly better; post which went for the round 2. Dal kichali was tasty, worked as an energy booster & was indeed refreshing. One of the reason day 1 is tough & intense because you get to see the campsite only when you actually reach at the venue & another reason was acclimatisation. Transition from 5500ft from the basecamp to 7700ft (Nichnai camp was at 11948ft from the sea level) in one single day it can take a a toll on body & mind. We slept around 9 o clock in the night & before that unwillingly I went outside the tent to fill the water. One of the things I got to know about sleeping bag was, if you go inside with multiple layers then it’s of no use. Either one can go with tshirt & pant or base layer / thermal. Initially one will feel cold but within 2-3 minutes it will be comfortable & will not feel cold, which was absolutely true.

Aug 9, 2024 Friday – Vishnusar Camp (विशनसर)

I got up by 6.18 am, had a morning tea and breakfast. Menu was Puri bhaji which I had a small portion as wasn’t hungry that early & decided to take it as a packed lunch along with Pulao. I realised the shoulder pain was drastically reduced , next to zero on the scale of zero to 10. Sleep & rest are magical & it could do wonders & you can believe once you actually experienced it. I got a confidence that I will be able to do it as shoulder paint will comeback again but it’s going to be a temporary & I can deal with it.

We all got ready and after the head count & singing national anthem we left the campsite between 7.45 to 8, we were 15 minutes late & started walking. Distance for the day was 11-12kms approx. During the walk got to witness glacier 1st time in my life & I was blown away. The word I learnt in school days in Marathi ( हिमनदी अथवा बर्फाची नदी ही शब्दशः बर्फाची नदी असते. याला इंग्रजीत ग्लेशियर असे म्हणतात. हिमनदीचे थोडे पाणी वितळून ते नदीच्या तळापाशी जाते पण वरती बर्फाचे अस्तर राहतेच. © Google Result.) I was witnessing it in reality. That’s the beauty of travelling, it teaches you things for real & one has to actually go & see it. Majority of the public went there & spent good amount of time.

Afternoon was challenging especially after the lunch. I think because body gets lethargic & after eating you felt like sleeping. After having lunch (Puri Bhaji which was damn yummy) around 1.30 I slept for sometime & after few minutes guide said let’s go. During the climb we saw one of the guy who kept walking with us. He was wearing organge jacket outfit & one can recognise by his aura that he is into hardcore trekking. He looked super fit. He said to me to increase the height of hiking pole slightly more especially during the descend & went ahead. When we took a halt some of our friends such as KK already knew him. I came to know later that his name was Paul Painter. Then we found out that he had done some work on the phone for a fellow traveler & to help him get mobile reception, he walked from Vishnusar camp to a place where there was mobile signal range.( I’m unsure which mobile service provider worked because as soon new entered in the mountains we didn’t had any network) I think he must have walked 5kms+.

We reached the campsite around 3 o clock. Camp incharge was Sir Paul Painter, a fit guy & very well known in the trekking circle, a versatile trekker with a sharp memory. He could remember names whoever interacted with him. He told us to sit in silence for few minutes with our eye closed & he narrated a short story & we all did visualised & kinda meditated for sometime. When we opened our eyes it felt really relaxing. After having welcome drink & tea, we all went to Vishnusar lake which was about 20 minute+ walk. In second half I had major headache & acidity. I decided to go with the flow, tried to distract my mind & I’m glad that I could go. There were two reasons

1. Today, I’m here at this campsite, &  the lake is close by. Tomorrow, we will be travelling to a different place, and if I don’t go today, I will miss seeing it. This is my opportunity to see the lake, which I have to take, seize the day, period!
2. If I had stayed back in the tent, I would have definitely fallen asleep.

When we reached to the place, I was blown away with the stunning views. It was magical, breathtaking & one has to actually visit in person & experience to feel it. There were few locals camping there. We talked with them for sometime. We stayed there for around an hour & click countless photo’s ,videos. Some of in our group, Abhishek, KK took out the DSLR cameras & started the capturing the pics. Abhishek is an artist & he clicks amazing pics which are actually candid. The way he clicks portrait pics when you see it you know that it’s an artist’s work & one needs an eye for the camera & Abhishek is one of the few I know. It was 5.45 & we decided to move back to our camp as Paul told us that he has planned the day’s schedule which will affect if we didn’t go on time. After reaching the campsite, I went to my tent & had one Gelusil tablet & felt better after few hours. Told Paul about it, he said he would have suggested the same & gave it to me in case I didn’t have one. Hot soup was refreshing indeed which we had before the dinner. Post dinner it started getting cold & most of us had given the headcount for the Bournvita & finally I got my hot cup of Bournvita & milk. It felt really good as I don’t remember when I had it last time, but having the sweet tooth I always look for the opportunity to have sweets, chocolates, anything in chocolate works for me – for instance raw bornvita powder also. Paul told me not to miss the opportunity for star gazing. Initially I thought I will come out of the tent & see that in the night but as soon as I went into my sleeping bag, I fell asleep immediately. PS. Abhishek & Ojas took efforts & did captured in their camera & phone , showed me on the next day. The pics of मिल्कीवे Galaxy & also the time-lapse videos were stunning.I really appreciated the efforts & enthusiasm.

Aug 10, 2024 Saturday – Gadsar (गडसर)

Initially, I planned to wake up early around 3 a.m. for star gazing but ended up waking up after 4 a.m., thanks to KK who woke me up. Every night before sleeping, I would ask my tent buddies to wake me up when they got up, & they always did—I’m really grateful for that. I decided to have black coffee (few days we had black tea), which the kitchen staff prepared on a count basis, while standard tea was more readily available. After Day 1, many of our trek buddies had stomach issues & preferred the black coffee or tea. However, it was given on a first-come, first-served basis. I wondered whether everyone who actually wanted it got it, since I noticed most of us were having it. But since no one complained, I guess everyone must have gotten some. We had our breakfast , Maggie + Upma both were delicious, post which we took our packed lunch which had Poli & chana Bhaji.

In the morning, I accidentally dropped my hydration bag- I hadn’t locked it properly & half of the water spilled out. As a result, it soaked my bag. My front bag got wet, and since I was carrying it on my chest, my limited set of clothes, including my red t-shirt, would have also gotten wet, if I had carried the bag like that. So, I removed the bag cover, wrapped it around my front bag, and continued walking, which worked actually. We left the campsite around 7 o clock. Paul accompanied us for 15-20 minutes. He gave his best wishes to us & we started walking. That day we were able to see & crossed Vishnusar Lake, Krishnasar Lake & Yamsar Lake (Yamsar lake one can spot at the time of descending the Gadsar Pass) .

The views we saw from the height were stunning & at one point I stopped clicking the pics because its infinite – the natural beauty, landscapes would take one’s breath away. These memories more than in mobile it stays in mind with you till last breath. Going to Gadsar one has to cross via Gadsar pass (13763ft) which was the highest in terms of the height in the entire trek. It was 10 o’clock in the morning when we reached there & obviously we clicked mandatory pics in that spot. I remembered ,there was one guy from another group I think Indiahikes, was waiting to get clicked as our people were already in the line when I went he told me that he was waiting since 15 minutes. I told him in my case I need only one pic so it will be quick, somehow he got convinced & Abhishek quickly took few of my pics.

Around 10.15 we started descending Gadsar pass. It took around 2 hours when we reached at the ground & decided to have lunch to an awesome place which was Gadsar Lake itself. We sat there for sometime & started walking. In the afternoon we crossed Military check post. It was one of the unforgettable moments for each of us. They welcomed us with a broad smile congratulated us, even gave permission to click the near by photos. Some of us took pics with them on a condition of not posting it anywhere online, social media handles. We talked to them & meeting them for few minutes automatically created positive energy & it didn’t felt like that we were walking since morning . Tiredness, body pain it went away in few minutes. They told us to settle down see the campsite after our identification formalities which was pretty quick, we all sang National Anthem with them. At the time of writing this, It felt like yesterday & just thinking of it gave me goosebumps. We will always remember that moment in our lives. I’m glad that I could do this trek. We thanked Military personnel for their wonderful hospitality & went ahead.

It was around 4 o’clock by the time we reached the campsite for the day. Mr. Malay Mani and Dr. Kumkum, who were in charge of the Gadsar camp, welcomed us. They briefed us on the camp facilities, and we then returned to our respective tents. Some of us went for a bath in the nearby river, while I decided to stay in the tent to do some unpacking and repacking, chat with friends, & jot down notes in my diary (I used to write day-by-day events for my reference). The habit of carrying a diary began last year during our Kashmir to Kanyakumari cycling trip. Before the dinner, we were served hot sweet corn soup, which was so good that many of us repeated it. We had a small “mehfil” where we sang songs, played Antakshari, & spent rest of the evening enjoying ourselves.

Dinner was served around 7:30 PM, – we had rice, dal, and a vegetable dish that looked like soya but was something different. I asked the cook for the name, but I forgot what it was. Later, some of us had Bournvita, for which we had given a headcount earlier.Post dinner, most people went to sleep afterward, but a few of us—Pranav, Sai, Ronak, Mamta, Priyanka, Gaja, Mac, and I—sat outside the tent, stargazing, singing, and listening to old classics. Gaja, Mamta & Mac went to sleep after spending sometime with us. We could see lightning in the distance, which was a bit terrifying, & we thought it might rain. However, it didn’t rain during our music session, which lasted for about an hour. Around 9:30 PM, we decided to sleep. I returned to the tent, where Gaja was already asleep, & after a few minutes, I drifted off as well.

The next day when I woke up, I looked at the view & thought it must have rained. When I asked Abhishek, KK about it, they both looked surprised & said it had rained heavily, and everyone woke up in the middle of the night. Our destination for the day was Satsar, one of the coldest campsites on the entire trek. More on that & rest of the trek in the next blog. Peace out ✌️

Journey Continues…

Click to see the view of the Entire Map during the trek Source: Strava App

Photo Credit : 3 Image Lakes :- Krishnasar, Gadsar Vishnusar Lake is clicked by © Makarand Bapat aka Mac