Adi-Kailash – The Heavenly Abode!!

Life of mountain is as intense and varied as human beings. It expresses different moods; one moment it looks beautiful with glowing sun, green cover and smiling flowers, another moment it looks wild with foggy clouds and echoing thunders. These moods can be experienced by getting closer to it. We the group of five trekkers decided to feel the beauty, peace and serenity of Mt. Adi-Kailash (popular as Chotta Kailash) and Om Parvat, located in Indian Territory in Kumaun Himalyan range close to Indo-Tibetan border. Mt. Kailash is Lord Shiva’s home and Mt. Adi - Kailash is his guest house. These peaks offer a beautiful trekking experience for adventure lovers. Kumaon Mandal Viskas Nigam (KMVN), a Government organization arranges yatra annually to this region. However, we organized the trek without KMVN’s assistance. This article is my attempt to share a glimpse of experience we had in these terrains. Team got together at Delhi and boarded the train for Kathgodam.   

Day 1 Kathgodam to Dharchula (398 Km): We landed at Kathgodam, the last railway station on this route in Uttrakhand and were welcomed by smiling mountains and light showers in the morning. This welcome was taken over by local taxi drivers who were excited to see the batch of tourists carrying heavy luggage, wanting to warm their pockets with morning tea. They tried their best but poor fellows were not aware that these weak looking people were Himalayan trekkers and above all great bargainers. Managed to hire Mahindra Max (taxi) in less than half the amount they demanded. On this route the public transport frequency is from Haldwani which is the second large township in Uttarkhand, situated at a few km distance from Kathgodam. The road is very well built and has a heavy traffic flow. We reached Dharchula via Pithorgarh, Almora and Bhimtal at around 8 pm. Dharchula is a small town; divided by river Kali, defining its territories in India and Nepal. We had our first night halt here with Dharchula special chicken (local dish) and lots of butterflies in stomach. 

Day 2 Dharchula to Jipti (35 Km by road & 05 Km trek): Dharchula looks bright and colourful on Monday mornings with people going to work, markets opened, and ladies carrying heavy stuff (including two filled LPG cylinders) on their back.  For being in the Kailash region the legal procedure is to get inner line permit from SDM Dharchula, so got that and headed towards Mangti  Nala. Kailash Yatra begins from here but we were destined to begin with the adventure earlier as landslides had blocked the road so we started our trek from Cheterl Dhar, a place around 10 kms before mangti nala. Pony Porter who was our luggage carrier, joined us. Rainbow appeared right at the moment we started; a colourful signal from God was enough for us to smile and move with the positive spirit. We trekked for about 5 hours and reached Jipti village. During season time, villagers rent out rooms in their houses to the trekkers. A family accommodated us in mud house which had the warmth of lanterns and cozy carpets. With light dinner of Dal – Bhat and prayers for next day we snuggled in blankets.

Day 3 Jipti to Budhi (18 Km trek): Completing the morning tasks in the lap of nature is very challenging as there is always a risk of ‘Bitchu Kanta’ an itching grass; It being the only choice, we managed. The day started with light showers and lots of advice on do’s and don’ts from localites for today’s route. With hot tea and lots of courage we started at 7:30 am in the rain, crossed Bindra koti and Lakhanpur (Breakfast halt) villages.  Along side of river Kali, the route was stony, muddy, steep descent and wet because of numerous waterfalls. The intensity and number of waterfalls was such that all our waterproof equipments (jackets, rain coats, ponchos and umbrellas) could not keep us dry.  We were spellbound to see the beauty of these continuous waterfalls.  After walking for hours, reached Malpa village (Lunch halt). In 1998, village had undergone a tragedy; it was washed away along with few trekkers due to heavy land slide. The only building left was the PWD Rest House atop the hill.  While crossing the bridge of Malpa village, we paid our tributes to the souls who faced the wilderness of nature in 1998. Reached Budhi late evening, the village had Indo – Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) camp equipped with Satellite phones. The place has a nice campus of KMVN with beautiful Dalia flowers and apple trees. On the whole, day was full of adventures and scenic beauty was so delightful.

Day 4 Budhi to Gunji (17 Km trek): With the morning tea we tightened our belts for 3 kms steep ascent; locals call it ‘THE KHADI CHADAI’. Weather was foggy and fresh. On these harsh, steep and stony patches we relished many delicacies like pahadi tulsi, nimbu and many fruits and flowers. This Khadi Chadai landed us at a door to heaven, ‘Chhialekh Pass’, a resplendent green valley full of flower beds of all bright hues. The place had ITBP check point, where our permits were checked. Walking through the valley was the beautiful stress free nature walk, crossed Garbhyang and  Sithi villages (Lunch halt). Domestic animals like, sheep, mules and cattle were grazing around. The chemistry between hens and dogs was awesome and weather was very pleasant. Towards evening we crossed villages resembling Nepali architecture. There were lots of flowers and green fields; Plantation of peas, cabbage and potatoes was most fascinating. All these villages are self sufficient in terms of agriculture produce, whatever they grow is consumed there itself.   Reached Gunji, another sweet village in the evening. The village runs small trade centres where imported Chinese stuff (woolens, blankets, shoes, accessories etc) is sold. The place had well constructed houses and common toilet/ baths. Since the trek started, first time we got the luxury of using toilets so slept in peace. ITBP camp of Gunji is located little far from village (at Manila) equipped with two solar power plants, 3kw and 2kw to fulfil the electricity requirements of the camp however, village households do not receive the supply.

Day 5 Gunji to Kuti (18 Km trek): We were ready for our next destination at 6:30 am sharp. Crossed the core interiors of Gunji village. Met local people and attended their musical Morning Prayer ceremony. Trek was very simple and weather was kind with no pinching sun and no harsh rain. We all were in our fifth gear. Lovely chit chat and philosophical talks were today’s source of energy. After covering about 11 kms, had our first halt (maggi break) at Nampha village .In terms of aesthetics, it was a lovely camping site. With delicious maggi, we enjoyed togetherness of villagers, played cards, practiced a few yoga assans, napped for a while and moved. On the way, crossed many totems, small trees where people offer prayers and tie a strip of cotton cloth (traditional ritual). Also, there was a huge stone on the entrance of Kuti village where people pay obeisance, offer smashing padma dhoop grass and pray, “Apni Shakti hume dedo aur hamari shakti aap lelo (give us your energy and take away ours)”. Reached Kuti at around 3 pm. It’s an elite village with good houses and well constructed common toilet/baths. One member in every family is an engineer/doctor or some other official and has migrated. The village gets healthy remittance from the migrated members. There is one hill top with some old broken structures. It is believed that these are Pandavas’ houses and girls above 13 yrs of age are prohibited to climb this hill. 

Day 6 Kuti to Jolligkong(14,300Ft.) 14 Km trek: Left Kuti at early hours in the morning and headed towards Jollingong. It was the place of our foremost target Adi- Kailash. The route was very dull and dry with bright sunshine. As we were climbing up, we had to put in extra efforts. Inhaling oxygen was difficult and we were slow. Crossed stony grass patches, going up and down. There were no villages on the way, we could spot ITBP’s blue hut from far of distance and reaching that hut was the only motivational factor. It started raining towards noon and cold winds started hitting us hard. Managed to reach at around 3 pm and gulped hot maggi. A readily available meal on higher altitudes is ‘Maggi’, the more you go up, the more you have to pay but one hot serve makes your day!. Dhaba guy told us about one hotel so we accommodated there, it was actually a tent. After lunch break and laughter sessions we visited Parvati Sarovar (1.5 kms from Jollingong). It is a holy lake surrounded by green hills. There is rock known as ‘Kunti Statue’ it is similar to Statue of Liberty. The valley had a lot of sheep grazing around. We collected many sparkling white button mushrooms. Later, cooked and relished these. From Jollingong, there is one route towards Panchchula Peak (Dharma valley). This route is very dry and tough with no villages but has an ITBP camp. From Parvati Sarovar, there is one trek route towards Lampa & Mangsa Dhura passes. These passes lead to Tibet (China controlled). For visiting these snow filled passes, a permit is sanctioned by SDM Darchula. With cramps in legs and chilling cold, enjoyed  in the camp. We retired with sessions of card games and fresh sheep milk.

Day 7 Jollingkong to Adi kailash and return (2 Km trek):   Today was the day to reach our first target, Mt. Adi –Kailash. It is 01 km hike from the campsite and route is tough with steep ups &downs with narrow rocky and muddy patches. ‘Om Namah Shivah’, and ‘Bum Bum Bole’ was the mantra of the day. Reached at the base of Mt. Adi Kailash and got clear Darshan in one flash and then it was covered in clouds. At the very foot of Mt. Adi-Kailash is Gauri Kund. The mountain reflects in the waters of Gauri kund. Remembered Lord Shiva, chanted few mantras and receded. Later in the evening joined the group of porters who were partying with locally manufactured brew. Devoured yummy dinner and snuggled.

Day 8 Jollingkong to Nampha (21 Km trek):  It was 15^th Aug’10 so congratulating all on Independence Day, we departed.  Participated in Flag Hoisting ceremony of ITBP. The sun was very hot and bright. Reached Kuti village by lunch time. The villagers were out from homes and enjoying the sunshine. We too got the chance to bathe after so many days. After lunch we reached Nampha at 5 pm. It is a resting point between Kuti and Gunji. The place  has got 2 Pwd cottages and Kamaon mandal is getting its building constructed. We too stayed in a Pakka hall made up of cemented walls with attached toilet/bath, unexpected luxury in remote areas.

Day 9 Nampha to Kalapani (20 Km trek): Today we started towards another destination ‘Om’ Parvat. Our first halt was Kalapani so on the way crossed nabhi village (tea break). The village is well designed with infrastructure like satellite phones, Badminton court and toilets etc. The road to Kalapani is motorable and construction was going on in full swing. The unanswered question was that how will vehicles reach here? As till now we did not see any pucca roads. There was a hot water spring which we could not enjoy because of land slide. It being a road and straight route, the trek was boring. There were lots of manganese rocks on the way. We could spot one tunnel called as Vyas Gufa, where Rishi Vyas (writer of Mahabharata) spent many years. In the vicinity of Kalapani there is Kali Mandir. It was decorated with colorful strings and surrounded by water from three sides. This water is the melted ice of Om Parvat. Daily pooja and mandir maintenance is the responsibility of army personnel. The essence of temple was exhilarating. There were two hydroelectric plants (like portrayed in Swades movie) in the area. In the village the kacha houses with tented roofs are so nicely built that despite heavy rains there was no leakage and we had a comfortable stay.

Day 10 Kalapani to Navidang and return (18km Trek): Navidang is the Holy place from where Om Parvat is visible and prayers are offered. It is located at a high altitude of 13,800ft. The trek route was very steep and because of high altitude we were struggling to breathe. Photography and pranks were the two sources that kept us moving. Reached there at around 11.30 am. We were welcomed very warmly and God was gracious as weather was cloud free and we had good Darshan of the Parvat. Since there was less snow on the peak, so formation of ‘OM’ was not in one clear stroke. The best time to see OM is June. The ITBP camp at Navidang has sports complex and Helipad. There is a Lipulekh Pass (8.5km) which leads to China. The route from here to Lipulekh pass is provided with stand alone solar streetlights. After lunch we receded to Kalapani and on the way collected all the littered plastic, specially the wrappers of toffees, tobacco and cigarettes. In the evening attended Aarti at Kali Mandir. Thereafter, had recreational time with Garwali children, they are brilliant in card games.

Day 11 Kalapani to Chhialekh Pass (23km): Today was the onset of our return trek. Decided to bypass Gunji and planned a halt at Chialak Pass the beautiful valley (localites call it heaven). It was a long and steep route. We were over with our aesthetic sense and the valley didn’t look as beautiful as it was the other day but bliss of nature kept us moving. Towards evening, the weather became misty and foggy, managed to reach the Chhialekh pass at around 7:15 pm in dark and there was a problem to arrange for stay. Army Personnel warmly accommodated us in their camp.

Day 12  Chialak Pass_to Budhi   (3km):Morning news was little shattering, our pony had lost !! . Porter went in search of pony and we covered 3kms steep descent in fog and mist. It was a rocky patch garnished with lots of cattle /horse dung. So we had to be very cautious. Our target of the day was to reach Jipti but we had to wait for our pony and porter and on reaching Budhi (breakfast halt), local people told us about the bad weather. There was continuous rainfall in the region from past 7 days resulting in hazardous landslides. So we decided to take a rest day here. It was a relaxing holiday, rejuvenated ourselves with fresh red apples and photography.

Day 13 Budhi to Jipti (18km): Perceiving it as the last day of long trek we were charged enough. With many warnings of challenging route because of bad weather, we marched praying silently in the heart for our safe return. There came the first challenge, a fresh landslide with stones falling continuously and wet mud sucking the shoes in. We managed to cross it with true team spirit, facing bravely the stones falling right in front of us. We tasted the flavour of wild mood of a mountain. Thereafter, came the next challenge, high pressure waterfall. The transparent water had turned brown and speed was 100 times more. Interesting was the hot water spring very near to this chilling waterfall. At several places, we saw the broken barricades hanging in to the roaring river Kali flowing aside. We had a tea halt at Lamahri village, enjoyed watching ripening apples on the trees. We bought some for home as well. Next was the wet stony route full of waterfalls. Situation was same as third day, our ponchos, rain coats and umbrellas failed to keep us dry. Waterfalls ended and we reached Lakhanpur. From here there was a long khadi chadai (steep ascent). We climbed approximately 4480 steps and our survival was on ORS powder, dry fruits and lactobites. Despite extreme tiredness we managed to wear smiles and continued with our prank therapy. Finally reached Jipti and stayed with an old couple. Lady provided cozy bedding and tasty dinner and the day ended thanking Shiva for today’s safe landing.

Day 14 Jipti to Narayan Ashram            (24km): We were elated as today we had to walk only for 4-5 kms till Mangti Nala and get taxi but we heard about the incidents of dangerous landslides and falling stones en-route. One porter with his pony was washed away at Mangtinala and one KMVN yatri was hurt with stone fall. So we decided to play safe and take an alternate route via Narayan Ashram (24kms from jipti) as suggested by local people. Our first halt (breakfast) was village Simkhola. It was the remotest place we ever visited. It had a post office which also functions like bank, crossed the village and entered the forest. It was a lovely trek through jungle and not the yatra route. Met Langoors and many Himalayan birds. We crossed the jungle in rain and passed many waterfalls. The only encouraging factor was the assumption that Naryan Ashram is the last destination and taxi service is available from its gate. Walked for miles crossed the village Samri, a nice place with pear trees and good houses.  Our next rest point was  Sirka village (evening tea halt). It was a rich village with pakka buildings and amenities like LPG cylinders. Thereafter, it was dark and scary, heard roaring beers so accelerated for another one hour and entered a hotel like building in jungle, ‘The Narayan Ashram’. The very moment we stepped in, our smiles were back and strength was revived.  It was constructed in 1936 by Yogi Ramanand and Sushri Ruma Devi. The authorities sanctioned our stay and excitedly we entered the luxurious room which had beds, luckily one for each. The smiles could not last longer as immediately got another shock, the officer smilingly said, “No taxi is available as roads are closed. You will have to walk only 50 kms till Dharchula”.  With this crispy news we were offered delicious food with an extra pinch  of hospitality. In very less time we were in bed praying for some miracle to happen tomorrow.

Day 15 Narayan Ashram to Dharchula  15km trek & 35km by taxi): Morning was bright with shining sun. We were stunned at the scenic beauty. The Ashram had nicely constructed toilet/baths so we got the chance to bathe that too with warm water. So we were all set for the day. Prayed in the temple, devoured Himalayan paranthas with Maharashtrian Chatni and marched. We were finally on ‘ROAD’, which was black and bright but empty. Walked for miles crossed the landslide which was the reason for blockage. A stuck taxi driver wanted our help in clearing the landslide so that he can drop us ahead and we jumped with joy! Within minutes, we were at the site and successfully cleared the road. First miracle of the day happened. This taxi ride was a temporary joy as road was again blocked and we trekked again. This trek was with full luggage, all my senior trek mates were carrying 20-30 kgs each and I remarkably 9kgs!!. We crossed the dangerous muddy patch of landslide. Adventures were not yet over, crossed a waterfall which was enough to wash us fully. Now our strength was diminishing, carrying weight was difficult, feet had developed blisters and our spirits were low. The sun was about to set, deep in the heart we were praying for help and suddenly a Van came, the driver agreed to drop us till Dharchula. This was second miracle of the day!! Had a caterpillar ride on a bumpy road and in few hours we were at Dharchula. Bravo! It was a last night halt. Celebrated the success of our trek with Dharchula special chicken and scoops of icecream.

Day 16 Dharchula_to Kathgodam (298 km by taxi): As always we started early and we were on our return journey. Adventures were yet not over as there was another landslide to be crossed by foot. Finally, the taxi was changed and now with no more obstacles we had a smooth drive. It was really sad giving adieu to mountains. This sadness was reflecting on our faces.  We were dropped at Kathgodam railway station and boarded the train for Delhi. It was the last phase of our trip, one moment we were happy about going home and another moment we sad for leaving this beautiful place and each other. Finally, reached Delhi and departed. Departures always hurt but we smiled as in these days, we had collected many momentous memories that we are going to cherish throughout our lives.

John Muir has rightly said 'Climb the mountains and get their good tidings'.  Nature's peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees; The winds will blow their own freshness into you.  Every trek teaches us a lesson and Adi Kailash trek taught us to be courageous and bold in hard situations also. We learned kindness, team spirit & togetherness. One can happily live without materialistic comforts all we need is the right attitude. Where wheels cannot reach, your feet can; Just trust them!

Few suggestions:

           

1. Include 02- 03 rest days in the itinerary so that unprecedented situations can be managed.   
2. Prefer staying with villagers and help them earn; you also get to experience their unique culture and absolutely warm hospitality 
3. Seasoned trekkers may try the alternate routes and enjoy the serenity of un-explored trek routes & en-route villages.
4. Best season to conduct this trek is July & August. Prior to making final plans to trek, do check up with KMVN for the inward and outward camping dates of Kailash Mansarovar Yatra so that accommodation is available at the higher camps.