Mandini : Garhwal n Monsoons ; Mandini Valley

DAY VI : Mandini .....

Morning arrived and found me awake raring to go, Uemid made some hot upma and chana for me to eat to gain strength also to have a change from what i had been eating since the past few days . They forced me to eat well for it was important that i has the strength to walk. Soon we started ahead while as usual Premsingh ji would wind up the camp and follow with the rest of the team. The path was gentle unlike the previous day and we made good progress walking in knee length foliage which made seeing where the step was being placed a major concern for many a time we had to walk on stones stepping over them for many metres as the path led ahead, hence once again the key word in monsoon when the foliage is in full growth and everything is wet and slippery, watch where the step is placed. After around 2 kms we reached DANGJA, a local landmark which was a small bugyal next to a flowing stream. The shepherds normally stay here as was explained to me. It was a very pretty place with flowers and grass all around. After a short break we again moved ahead, there was no rain this morning so we were quite comfortable and after crossing three more ridges Umeid finally pointed to me Mandini valley up ahead. I think the entire area may be called as Mandini valley and not just the place where he was leading me to but then again i am not sure, but yes the place was right at the end of the green valley for up ahead the giant mountains of MANDINI I II III rose harsh and straight with mighty glaciers between their folds. But for now i had to descend from where i was, to go down into the valley floor and it was again a tricky proposition in the monsoons. Eventually did reach down but had to cross a glacial river as the bridge had been washed away. Umeid and Premsingh ji went along the banks searching for a safe area to cross. After some time, they came back with a possible site and we all walked towards it which lay in the direction of the peaks from where the river was coming. The plan was to find a place where various streams joined to make the big river. The site they had chosen definitely was possible with water coming till thigh level. Soon the two young porters made their way cautiously with the stores and then premsingh  ji and the remaining porter followed. I opened my shoes slung them around my neck tightened all the camera gear on me taughtly and stepped into the water; the chillness took my breath away. In an instant my feet numbed from the drop in temperature as the team members urged me to keep moving as one felt the force of the gushing water, slowly by slowly step by step i made my way as did Umeid and finally we crossed the river which was around 30 mts in width.

22.          Ohh the pain in the feet it was exquisite agony as the blood flowed back again and i so badly wanted to sit down right then and massage them but i just stamped them around, wore my shoes and looked around. I was finally in MANDINI VALLEY, as we then made our way back towards the area where the camp was to be erected. On reaching the campsite we paid obeisance to MANDINI Goddess who is one of the forms of Durga herself.

23.          There is a temple built here and we erected our camp nearby. MANDINI VALLEY, truly someone had written that if you wish to sèe nature smile and deck herself up go to Mandini and that is what i was seeing, surrounded by flowers after flowers ..rows of them growing in wild abandon . I had entire following day devoted to exporing the place and i will let the pictures do the talking (to be contd ..)   

24.          Mandini Valley. Truly a place to see in the monsoons, tucked away from prying eyes it was nature at her softness. Shielded by towering mountains on three sides and a dreary path on the remaining side, it has been spared the onslaught that Valley of Flowers has been subjected . The remoteness ensures that only determined few come out here and hence there is no commercialization till date. I am lucky to have seen this place and truly Umeid’s sentence held true “ sir agar flowering dekhni hai to mandini chalo monsoon mein; Valley of Flower takkar bhi nahin de payega “

DAY V: Towards the abode of the mountain Goddess , Dagla beckons !!

DAY V:    Towards the abode of the mountain Goddess , Dagla beckons !!!    

    The next morning i got up to a quiet morning with no wind or rain, the mist played her games in the distance on both sides of the ridge as i sat in my sleeping bag watching the same.  Premsingh ji soon served me two cups of hot sweet tea to get the circulation going and to get me the inclination to leave the warmth of the sleeping bag and the tent. The next hour or so i kept myself engaged clicking pics as the mist revealed one peak after the other and i tried to get them visual in the lens. Chaukhmaba , Mandini even Neelkanth and Sujaal ..what an hour it was as we were all caught up in the excitement , Finally it was time to move for the day and i quickly went about the preparations to begin the day’s trek . Today we were supposed to climb even higher towards DWARA KHAAL ( PASS) located at 4400 mts above sea level and thereafter descend the other side into Mandini region. The trek was again a series of one step after other carefully placed amidst fog and rain through trails built for either the Bharal ( The mountain goat)  but now mankind was also using it . Most of the time I was walking on the edge of the land with maybe a feet of earth  available on any one side before the land just fell away into the depths. I would definitely like to say that in monsoon doing this trek there can be no lapse of concentration for even a minute of it would either result in a broken ankle because of a misjudged step or worse a drop over the side. The guide cannot do much because he is some metres ahead in the rain n mist looking at the path ahead and it is just not feasible to connect each other with ropes for there is no straight path even for 10 mts .

18.          Finally we reached the goddess of the pass and paid obeisance to the shrine there, rested for a few minutes and then once again moved ahead towards the pass. The pass was finally reached after 1.5 hrs of trek from campsite. we waited for the rest of the team to catch up and then a small prayer was done to the guardian deity and we moved ahead thus leaving one region and entering into the Mandini region. The route was now downhill for around 2 kms crossing a boulder region which definitely fatigued me even more, for today i was tired do not know why but the strain was telling in each step that i took. Onwards we went in the rain and mist each huddled in his own thoughts, my guide Umeid understood that i was having trouble walking and he stayed very close to me. After we left the boulder region behind we now were walking on slopes of small mountains that were interconnected. After around 4 kms I finally reached campsite at around 2 in the afternoon, the team had already reached and set up the tent and i gratefully stepped inside.

19.          Dagla that the name of the place where we had camped, a meadow on the mountain slope all covered with grass and flowering plants for they were all in full growth in peak monsoon Dagla sits on a small ridge and towards the left of it are the valleys that lead to kalimath and Guptkashi quite a distance away while to the right are the big Himalayan peaks of Mandini and Hembook . In the evening the rains abated and after some hot Maggi and a cup of black lemon tea i definitely felt much better. I was invited to the kitchen shelter and with Umeid and Premsingh ji warmed myself in the heat of the wooden sticks that were burning merrily. Soon soup followed as the discussion flowed on many topics, slowly i too was recovering especially my right knee that had a history of its own.

20.          After a while I  wandered to do some photography with Umeid in company as we walked among the foliage clicking and talking till it started to get dark . After an early dinner I turned in for the night curled inside my sleeping bag as the rains built up outside .