Chadar Trek – Walking on the Frozen Zanskar River – January 2011

July 21, 2010

Some of you might remember a post on this blog a year ago about the images of Chadar Trek. Chadar Trek is an expedition of walking on ice when Zanskar River (in Ladakh) freezes over. The sheet of ice, called Chadar, is an ancient winter route that connects people of Zanskar with rest of Ladakh.

Manish, whose images were published in this blog earlier, conducts Chadar expedition with the help of expert local guides every year. The next expedition is scheduled from 22nd January to 6th February 2011. I was planning to join the trek last year, but had to stay back to address some commitments. I am hoping to part of the group departing in January 2011.

Registration for the trek is now open. If you wish to join the expedition, read more on Chadar Trek and sign up. Manish will respond to your queries, if you have any, about the expedition.

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Posted in Jammu and Kashmir, Uncategorized, ladakh, trek

Join me on a trek to Dzongri – Goechala..

November 25, 2009

After some quick discussions with a friend who wanted to go trekking somewhere in the Himalayas this December, we made a decision to head to Sikkim and trek to Goecha-la, a high pass in Kanchenjunga National Park.

I have trekked to Goechala via Dzongri earlier in summer(See trip report), but I was keen to go back there again to do some serious photography of landscapes deep in the Himalayas. We are starting the trek on 13th and we can take a few more people along. Here is an open invitation to join me on the trek.

It will be an 8-day trek and this being December, the weather is likely to be cold. But I am hoping that the winter mornings and evenings can be so spectacular that the trouble will be worth it. If you are interested in joining, see my earlier trip report to know more details. The trek starts from Yuksom Village, where we need to arrive a day earlier to get the permits made. You can contact me here or email me at arunchs -a-t- yahoo -d-o-t- com for more details.

Below are some images from the trek.

Trek to Goecha La

goecha la trek - samiti lake

Kancnehjunga as seen during Goecha La Trek

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Sikkim – Trek to Dzongri and Gochela (Goecha La, Goche La)

Posted in Sikkim, Uncategorized, himalayas, mountains, nature, travel photography, trek

Thadiyandamol revisited..

December 18, 2007

Yet another visit to Thadi. I would never have enough of the place, and just before embarking on this trip I had already committed myself to another visit.

* Destination never mattered. We decided to rest somewhere halfway, found a place under shade and sat down, and were lying flat the next minute under the shade of the tree, with cool breeze adding to the mild winter weather. And we remained lying there long enough, till sun moved to stunt the shadow and brought in warmth, moving only slightly once a while to make way to a few more people who made their way up.

* Pitched the tent at the standard place, the highest point where there was water, and instead of moving on, comfily settled down for the harsh sun of the afternoon to move over.

* Unwillingly yielded to move on towards the peak, pretty late in the day, reluctantly leaving the comfort of the tent and the books we were reading; making it to the peak just in time for the golden sunset

Sun setting on Thandiyandamol peak

* sitting down at the peak, watching the hopelessly beautiful valley at one side and going ‘oooooh…’ and then after forgetting self for a few minutes, suddenly turning around to the other side, only to watch another hopelessly beautiful valley and go ‘ooooh…’ all over again…

* braving the cold wind on the top, overlooking the world below, dreaming of various things undescribable, feeling immensely happy. Finding a shelter from the wind – in a seat of comfort – watching the glory of the evening sun in silence.

* returning back to the tent, walking in darkness, guided only by the mild rays of the half moon. Watching flicker of fireflies in the dark forest. The feeling of a firefly landing on my shirt and walking up slowly, lighting up its path. The pleasure of letting it into my hands and watching it remain there for a few seconds before flying off. Pleasure in its purest form.

* Lying down on the rock in the night, watching the ‘moon and the stars and the sky’, wanting nothing else but just this, feeling infinite gratitude to mother nature for its creations.

* Waking up early in the morning only to see a foggy world, and to postpone ‘actual waking up’ again and again; finally dragging out of the tent after many postponements to see a ‘slightly’ clear weather.

* continually postponing the process of returning to the ‘world’ from 10.30 to 12.30 to 3.30, and finally 5.30pm, and finally walking down after a failed attempt to move it further to next morning!

* A random walk in the meadows that ended up in a nearby peak, experiencing force of the wind that made standing up difficult! Listening to the lone rhododendron tree braving the wind and roaring like a sea while at it. Wondering what the tree felt – was it jubilant to be standing alone at the top, kissed by the high winds, or did it curse the bird that dropped its seed in this high place?
…feeling overjoyed to face the force of the wind, until the wind won on us. And then to find escape from the wind to the warm sun at the other side of the hill, sitting protected and watching big trees and the tiny grass on the opposing hill sway sensuously. And to hear the magically beautiful words – “this is all that I really need”.

* Returning from the random walk for refueling, only to continue on the random walk, to discover a small waterfall. Finding a fallen tree next to a rock in front of the fall. Sitting on the tree, with the rock providing backrest, silently watching the water fall-by in the theater of nature, feeling blessed and blissful.

* Endless chatter all through supported by an equal share of blissful silence, on desires, on the wish to escape from the routine and mundane, on the wish to be free, on the wish to live by the moment, on the wish to see the world, on wishes themselves, on things wise and unwise, on simplicity, on synchronized minds, on books, on movies, on Betelgeus and Ford Prefect and Arthur Dent, on bikes and trains, and even on the chatterati’s topic of delight – the Bangalore traffic!

* watching a blackbird fly past as we walk, listening to the incessant chatter of parakeets on the top of the canopy, and the pleasing whistle of the drongos, watching sunbirds go ‘chee.. chee..’ oblivious to our presence, trying to judge how far is an invisible partridge by listening to its call, seeing colorful yellow browed bulbuls..

Thadi, never, ceases, to, fascinate!