Prabha- Revisiting Buranghati Pass Trek, June 2019
“ Somewhere between the bottom of the climb and the summit is the answer to the mystery why we climb
Jan 22nd,Here I was , nursing a strained ligament of the ankle, sitting in Nagpur airport ,with all flights delayed due to fog , & optimistically booking a trek . After Kashmir Great lakes, we were searching for treks that could match or surpass the KGL experience. BuranGhati kept coming up as an option
The Air India flight from Delhi - Shimla , return flight was showing limited seats so urgently booked it & urged my friends to do the same at the earliest . It turned out that few minutes made a difference and they missed booking return so they planned return via Chandigarh
BuranGhati videos showed an exciting package of everything a trekker could ask for, Meadows, streams, glaciers, with a bonus of rappling from a height of 15000 feet snow capped cliff followed by many snow glides
We took a 1.25 a.m flight on 8th morning .Shalini& I tried pulling a joke on Shvetha @ the airport which boomeranged very badly. For reasons of our safety from Shvetha, I am not revisiting that episode.
My genius advance planning to save time while travelling was thrown to the wall when the Delhi- Shimla leg flight was cancelled. So four of us fixed a cab to Shimla. We landed in Delhi early hours of 8th and left soon after for Shimla stopping on way for some amazing breakfast, tea .
We were on the historic GT Road ( Grand Trunk Road, Asia’s oldest road ) now NH-1 . So much history is steeped in every part of India. Shershah Suri was instrumental in making many of the longest roads. Then we also had Mauryan empire establishing some major routes for trade. The GT also has some stumbs placed at regular intervals, put for direction in ancient times by Sher Shah Suri. I remember having seen similar stumbs running through Tadoba Tiger sanctuary. The drive took us through Panipat- Karnal( originally Karnanagari) and Kurukshetra( war zone of ancient India).The journey seemed never ending with the tolls& traffic alternating. We reached Shimla @7 in the evening and were to report for transfers early next morning.
Shimla - Janglik
We started on our scenic drive to our base camp and met fellow trekkers on way for breakfast, many known faces , a few new.
The drive from Shimla to Janglik, our base camp was long but a beautiful drive each turn giving us am amazing view of the landscape. We had Pabbar river flowing all along. It was exciting to think that we would actually be seeing the source of Pabbar as we moved through our trek. We stopped at a point just to feel the river. It was refreshing and cold and the sound of the flowing water did relax the soul.
On route, we got to meet a trek Leader who had led the previous batch to BuranGhati Pass. We were lappig up whatever information he shared like a test paper squealed before the exams. Our Boleros navigated well though some challenging sections of the road including a narrow path across the river in lieu of a broken bridge. What seemed like a long drive finally ended with us reaching Janglik, our base camp.This is a quaint , calm village with so much green all over. It is refreshing. This was a homestay.
After putting our backpacks in the dorms assigned and doing our medicals, we decided to explore a temple closeby and be back for tea. We met Disha, an enterprising young girl who had completed her studies and was training to be a boxer. She enthusiastically showed us around the temple,its history and beliefs and insisted we see her house. On route , I was attempting to click a snap of a kid who was not smiling and my leg brushed across a thorny plant. I did not realise it would hurt so much but Disha immediately rubbed a plant across the area and the pain& itch instantly vanished!!!!! As she was showing us the crops grown, she innocently asked 3 of us with her on what we all grew in the city……. Embarrassed silence….. and we think we are more evolved ? We had gotten so carried away by Disha’s hospitality that we did not realise the time. When we reached base camp, the worried team thought we had got lost and more sadly, tea was over( our fault) .
We had a briefing session for little over an hour and then had time to change up, freshen up for dinner. Dinner was fresh, hot and delicious like all IH meals.They served a dish with a local leaf Lingda which was quite nice. Dinner done, we were off to our rooms to sleep starting our trek next day. Not sure if it was a long drives over 2 days, less sleep or the sensitive stomach which could not take the local dish, I woke up early not feeling that great. I let go of breakfast as I could not stomach anything. A trek on an empty stomach is not the wisest thing to do to add to which I could not even hydrate. I knew some sleep would help but that was a few hours away. I was given the option to rest and come with next batch but I chose to move on with the same batch.
Diude/Janglik (9,200 ft) to Dayara (11,075 ft)
It was a lovely trail with some amazing flowers and breathtaking views. I rested whenever possible and took the ascent at a slower pace to avoid too much strain. As tempted as I was to sleep as soon as we reached campsite Dayara, The Trek lead insisted I eat something before sleep which I forced myself to. The couple of hours of sleep was the perfect medicine to settle the mind and body. I got up hungry and relaxed. Dayara campsite is rich with flora. Fresh green with a lush of colours of fluttering flowers (Calceas, Iris, Rosemary Gold, Wild Strawberry to name a few)fighting with the gentle cold wind with the backdrop of streams and meting stately glaciers. Shalini and I ambled to the edge of the meadow and meditated for quite a while till the wind got really chilly.All the visuals one has of meadows comes to reality in Dayara. It is a visual delight, picture perfect, a location one would love to freeze frame and bring it back with you
Dayara (11,075 ft) to Litham (11,737 ft)
The day started off well and bright. This was to be the easiest trek day . While it was hot and sunny, we enjoyed the change in scene with every turn we took in our ascent. Imagine trekking through pine forests then forest full of Birch with snow capped mountains and streams never leaving your view . Short of the camp, we had to cross a stream twice. This was the melting waters of the Chandranahan Lake we were to trek upto next day. For the second crossing, we had to take off our shoes. This was to be crossed by stepping on stones across the stream. Though a short crossing, the water numbed our feet. It took a clear 15 minutes to feel our foot again. Salute the trek guides who stood in that water till all 21 of us crossed.
The Litham campsite ,where we would be staying for 2 days, was where your heart skips a beat as soon as you set eyes on it. You are surrounded by snow capped mountains, melting glaciers from where streams start finding their way down the hills.Its almost as if you are being cradled by the snow capped mountains. In terms of anticipation, right in front of us, partly visible, was the BuranGhati Pass, on the left was the ascent to Chandranahan Lake which we were to trek next day for acclimatization and on our right was Rupin valley ,snowclad cliffs, Truly dramatic setting. We decided to make the best of time in our hands and enjoyed games like 7up, Fire in the mountain, Dog & Bone .Good thing no kid was there to see the way we played, fought but had fun. We were briefed on what to carry for the Chandranahan trek next day. It was to be a difficult trek and meant to acclimatize us for the next 2 days. Chandranahan Lakes are mostly frozen 7 lakes , 2 of very difficult to access . Of the other 5 only 2 had partly melted .The last past of the ascent to this lake was supposed to be particularly challenging .We settled in our tents. I had consciously chosen a corner tent just to feel little more open space. The rest of the night was a reminder of that. As we settled into our sleeping bags , we saw some light flickering assumed it was someone moving with their head lamp. We figured shortly after that it was on for way too long. Then came the sound ,again and again. The amount of lightning & thunder which came that night was unbelievable .The rain started around 10 p.m and pounded non stop for 4 hours and we could hear it hitting our tents. I am sure all of us were thinking of next day and BuranGhati. The batch before ours had scaled 75% of the pass and had to turn back due to bad weather. Three batches before that had to face an avalanche( thankfully all were fine). Our trek lead had indicated start of the trek on the forecast of weather being bad for our Chandranahan day but staying that way only for a day. During briefing for Chandranahan ,he had indicated that even slight rain in the morning, we would not do Chandranahan as that make the last part very slippery & risky. We got up to a foggy morning and could see ice around our tents. As we looked around, it was evident that there was fresh snow being deposited which ruled our going right upto the lake.The option B was to do 70% of the peak & return. Option B also thinned as it did not stop drizzling. Magically at 8.30 it stopped. We were all ready .Option C…That was a smaller peak next to Chandranahan for acclimatization. The ascent was steep and required all focus. We all did it in came back to Litham campsite satisfied that we had done some acclimatization. Not sure if it was the climb or the air but something just metamorphosed the entire team into an animation movie. We did all strange things right from rowing a boat sitting on a huge boulder, to singing nursery rhymes ,shook a leg to some popular Bollywood hits. We would have continued had the rains now forced us back into our tents.
I am chuckling as I recall a daily ritual inside the tent. A Vaseline petroleum jelly would open up and be offered around like a pack of cigarettes. That was like a magic drug for the chapped lips. In the tents assigned for ladies, ours was declared the coziest and at one point we had six of us sitting inside this small yellow pyramid enjoying the chat. Shalini, Shvetha and I have developed this unspoken arrangement inside the tent. We automatically know where each one would place our selves, each one idosyncracies
The Litham campsite has a beautiful stream coming out of a melting glacier. One can sits hours beside it and just enjoy it in peace. The sounds of the gurgling & flowing stream can almost lull you into a gentle slumber. That’s what most of us did .
We also had an interesting group session on Himalayas which seamlessly digressed into related topics.
With the skies clearing we were all set to move to Dhunda campsite the next day.
Litham to Dhunda: Altitude: 11,737 ft (4,237 m) to 13,365 ft (4,074 m)
Morning was clear & crisp. Lithum can host two batches of trekkers . As the batch heading to Chandranahan ( batch after us) had to leave early to benefit from the weather, we moved from “6,7,8”( 6 tea, 7 breakfast, 8 leave camp)to “7,8,9”.The guide clearly told us that the scale of trek would be shifting gears now. Reminders to keep sunscreens and shades out and keep hydrating were repeated. The setting is extraordinary. The Dhauladhar range looms over the trail with the Gunas pass sitting pretty on top of the snowy flanks of the grey mountains. It suddenly moved from a riot of colours to a monochrome setting of grey and whitewith occasional shade of green through the visible stream . The Pabbar is no longer a gently descending stream. It is now a virulent stream descending rapidly. The trail took a sharp ascent. As we gained height, we got the first view of the Buran Ghati on your left as a gentle C shaped sailing boat. We did stop to soak in the fact that we would be up there in less that 12 hours .Walking on ice was tricky and exciting. Our trekking pole was our lifeline giving us an idea of the strength of ice and also providing support. We all had a couple of slips on it. At one point my leg went right through the ice forcing me to sit on ice. I was worried hoping that the ice I was sitting on was not fragile. One has to carefully navigate the leg out of the crack the same way it went in. There is no other way it will come out.Thankfully, the negotiation with the ice was not for too long. As we approached the Dhunda camp,it is almost as it your camera has been adjusted to B/W mode.The camp is flanked by ice left ,right ,centre,top, bottom …ice to the left of you, ice to the right, ice all around. Our campsite was not different. It was unbearably hot with the sun right above us. A quick & early lunch and all we were asked it to rest & hydrate. None of us could sleep. We lazed around watching the other group practicing snow gliding, heard some music …tossed and turned
Tea was at 5 and a briefing from the technical team was at 5.30. by then it was getting nippy. So the Technical team gave us a hands on briefing on how to wear the harness, gaiters, crampons , what to carry , what not to forget and very clear pointed instructions. We were warned that every minute in that height makes a difference and anyone not there at start time suggested would be sent back to Janglik, base camp.
Dinner was early.We were asked to sleep in clothes we would be trekking in , our offloading bags had to be handed over at night( normally it is in the morning short of leaving camp).The weight was not to exceed 9 kilos. At this campsite there are no mules.It is porters hired so we had to adhere strictly to the weight limit. We had to dress in 4 layers. As there was no water source till after summit, carry 2 litres but only sip to wet lip not quench thirst.
Schedule for summit day was:
Wake up call 1 a.m
Tea and breakfast 1.30 a.m.
Packed lunch
Time to start 2.20 a.m.
Why 2.20? Early hours are when the weather is calmest least chances of disturbances and snow is hardest.As sun goes up , snow softens and becomes slippery and more difficult to walk on .
We were in our tents by 7 but all that packing ,surrendering offloading bag but ensuring our daybag was not heavy .I don’t think any of us slept at all. I had a request from a fellow trekker to wake her up @12 to just help her get a head start.At 11.55 , I stuck my head out .Seeing the chill and wind, I was hesitant stepping out but had to as I had promised. I managed to snuggle back in but my tent mate,Shalini, got up and could not go back to sleep.
We were all ready on time .Harness, Gaiters and Crampons all ready.We saw the moon setting.It was magical!!! Magic word, SAVE, Save Energy, Save Water, Save Time..We moved in a line,no one was to break order till told that we could. Follow the step of the person in front strictly. @ 2.20 with only head lamps & moonlight, its not easy to figure of soft snow, crevasses. We were advised to take baby steps if needed to save energy but not stop as stopping & resting took up more energy and time. It was biting cold and The incline was steep( am told almost 75 degrees).The crampons do their magic on snow and we were asked to trust it. The non stop walk with that incline totally tested ones lungs especially closer to summit. We were asked not to take snaps uphill as that took time also risky as we witnessed.. One bottle cap slipped from someones hand,went right to the base on the hill . The cap was gone and the bottle useless without the cap As we reached summit, day also broke. “The best views come after the hardest climbs”I just turned around for the first time that day. The sunrays falling across all peaks greeting the mountains was a brilliant sight to behold. The look around from the summit was very overwhelming. The majestic mountains regally covered snow with the peaks soaked in the orange of the sunrise looked so pure ,so pristine .It is very humbling , a small figure standing on this summit surrounded by mighty mountains is a gentle nudge that we are there as mountains allowed us and because mountains take care. Every movement of the wind, sun changes the weather at the summit in minutes.
The other side of the summit is a steep sharp cliff and only way down is rapple to the snow filed ( 100 mts below ) down with a rope. This is what we were harnessed for . The rappling finished quite fast, followed by a series of snow glides.It is thrilling to say the least. Gliding down in an open snow field . The soreness & frozen bottoms are only felt in the initial slide. After that nothing matters except the thrill. The excitement & thrill gave way to hunger and thirst but we could not eat much.. The path to the river campsite seemed never ending. The descent was tough once done with the snow glides and being almost below snowline.It was tough on the knees and toes .The ligament strain on the ankle was reminding me of the strain it was being put through.With water stock also depleting, sun blazing down made it more challenging.
I think we crawled into our river campsite ,cleaned up & rested .The day was a true test of endurance. Later in the evening, post tea we had a debriefing of the trek .The day had tested all of us. I think we slept undisturbed till the next day broke.
River camp to Barua village : Altitude: 11,800 ft (3,597 m) to 6,700 ft (2,042 m)
The day was a descent ,gradual and steep, through Barua village.The roit of colours, the fresh greens on trees , variety of fruits and vegetation ,apricots, walnuts, peaches, apples simple but clean and pretty houses, smiling faces, flowing waters all greet you . I took it easy that day to avoid any further strain to the ankle. The drive from Barua to Shimla was close to 10 hours where we cross through a huge hydel project at Karcham. We finally got to Shimla around 10 p.m .Thankfully had booked assuming we wont use buffer day as hotel was running full.
Having done a few treks with IndiaHikes, their value system , their genuine interest to encourage more in India to take trekking especially children, to improve trails through their Green Trails initiative, are qualities that stay with you after the trek.My note of this trek will be incomplete if I do mention Leo, our trek guide. His easy going pleasant nature does not take away his enormous maturity & ability to manage the entire team.
Why do I trek? It’s a Detox formula for the mind & body using the best & purest ingredients, to see raw untouched nature, the beauty of the canvas painted by nature . I trek as mountains beckon me, invite me to see their might, their grace , their presence. I trek in peace enjoying the gifts of nature as mountains take care of us as they do take care of all flora and fauna. Mountains really do have a way of making our problems seem insignificant
Not all classrooms have four walls !!! I also trek as it reminds us that all we need to do is to Keep it Simple. Excess is where the complexity starts. Across the treks I have done, I have realized that there is nothing more important than human connect.The trek guides who are mostly local go beyond their call of duty and in all sincerity take care of each trekker. Their dedication and large hearts are what make them the great human they are.We saw this through BK ji ( BalaKrishnan) and Biju ji ( Vijendra Singh)in this trek.
I will stay with the experiences this trek has given me till the next mountain beckons me…..
In 1996 , I was in HMI,Darjeeling( Himalayan Mountaineering Institute).I was handed over this momento by Mr.Nawang Gombu (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nawang_Gombu). Cherished as it has been, the moment & memento, the motto, resonates now more than before…….
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