I’ve been away all month working for a schools expeditions company, taking a bunch of Australian school kids on an adventure, trekking in India. The journey out to the mountains was perhaps the hardest part of the trip! A whirl wind journey from where I met them at Delhi airport, then a 12 hour bus ride to Nainital, a brief stop here to get them to buy some nice fake North Face down jackets (its colder in the Himalaya than Melbourne apparently!) followed by a super rough 10 hour jeep ride left us in Loharket, in the foothills of the Himalaya, in the Indian state of Uttarakhand…
It was a baptism of fire for the kids, and straight into the trek! Starting from a modest hight meant there were no altitude related problems, but with a lot of up hill on the first day, made for slow going. Our first 10,000ft pass on the first day was reward for the group from the toil. Cracking views up the Pindari Valley and to the glacier at the foot of some really big hills were had. Our destination was to be “Point Zero” near the toe of the Pindari Glacier, and a week of trekking through Rhododendron forests and in to the higher mountain area awaited.
Walking through the trees towards the bigger hills…
Over the next few days we moved from the forests, where we would see many Langus and Eagles, to the barren Glacial run off river bed. We had one particularly long day where the path had recently been washed away, making for lots of detours and crossings, usually via a decent wooden bridge, from one side of the river to the other, back up the bank, then down the other side again! Day 2 left some of the team more than a bit tired to say the least! Days like the bring the team together better though, at least afterwards! A good tough shared experience and they were soon all seasoned trekkers!
One of the many well made bridges… River crossings – one of the joys of trekking in India!
Must have crossed this river 20 times…
Once we left the monotony of the tumbling river bed, and were in the more open hill sides, the landscape was transforming with each step towards the big Himalayan peaks. With it too were different animals, Mountain Goats and Flying Foxes being a highlight! Each small village we encountered meant a welcome stop for Chai, and a chance to get to meet some of the super friendly locals. This trek was well set up for hikers, but being slightly out of season, we had it to ourselves, and most places were deserted…
The big Mountains coming into view as we ascended.
The nights were getting cold, but soon the suns rays warmed us as we trekked during the days. A steady routine was reached by the team. Wake up early, have breakfast (always delicious thanks to our amazing cook team!), take the tents down and help load up the ponies, before a day of trekking, drinking tea and snacking… One early arrival to camp gave the team the opportunity to have a much needed wash, the trouble was the guys hadn’t anticipated just how cold a glacial river could be! A very brief wash was had!
Walking towards our high point..
Once out in the open the views to Nada Kot and the other surrounding high peaks were just awesome. The team were by now a well oiled machine and trekking in harmony. A tough day up to nearly 4000m and the “Point Zero” that was once the terminus of the glacier (now heavily receded though), was a huge highlight for the guys, with the views of 6000m+ peaks all around, glaciers and dramatic scenery. A fantastic effort from all the team to get to this point, and all that remained was to repeat the long walk back and retrace our steps back to Loharket.
The team at “Point Zero” on the Pindari Valley Trek.