Diary extract – the Hampta Pass exploratory trek - Arjun Majumdar

This diary was written everyday of the trek, sitting in our tents or on a grassy patch by a stream. The writings are my thoughts at that time -- often with a biting wind blowing, or a snow storm outside the tent. The conditions made writing difficult and therefore my thoughts are often jerky and staccato. Most lines are rarely 8-10 words long. Paragraphs extremely short.

I have not edited the trek diary at all. Indiahikes wanted the diary the way it was -- to give readers an idea of how things are on the Hampta Pass slopes. I hope my trek mates are not too annoyed if they find a few disparaging remarks about them.

-- Arjun Majumdar, Trek Leader, Indiahikes Hampta Pass Expedition May 2010.

Day 1, May 11, 2010.

Manali to Chikha. 19 kms by road. 4 kms by walk.

We are met at the Manali bus stand by Rakesh, Polu and Shyam. I am meeting Rakesh for the first time, our future trek leader. I like his natural youthful looks. He’ll make a good trek leader, I think to myself. Polu surprises me too. Gone is the shy hill man who had met me in Delhi. Here was a rugged strapping young man with stubble. He looked handsome!

We are met by our last participant, Sriram. Now, the full team is together. Rakesh and Polu look efficient and quickly guide us to the hotel room where Sriram is staying. We don’t have much time.

We freshen up while Rakesh and Polu head towards the bus stand to book our return tickets.

We sort out Srilakshmi’s and Poorvi’s woolens. Amongst them they have enough woolens but they seem light. Poorvi is not adequately prepared for the cold trek. I feel Poorvi is short by a sweater and I advise her to buy one from the market.

We have a quick lunch of local Thupka and head out to Jobra. Our vehicle is a 10 seater.

Slightly outside Manali, near the mountaineering institute, we pick up our gears and our porter team. It is nice to have a trusted team who sets up things in advance for you. Our team of porters is young, good looking and dynamic.

The route to Jobra is over a series of steep hairpin bends, right over Manali town. Manali gets smaller and the entire valley comes into view. 40 hairpin bends and an hour later we are at Jobra. It is the site of the Allain Duhugan hydel project.

A security guard with a gun approaches us. He is relieved that we are trekkers and helps with local information.

It is already 3.30 pm. We need to reach Chikha in another 2-2½ hours. It takes half an hour for our team to gather equipment, food and ration together.

At 4.00 pm we start our trek.

We start the trek by stepping into a mixed forest of Deodar, Toss, Oak and Maple trees. The beauty is stunning. We cross a makeshift wooden bridge over the Rani Nalla and gently climb over a bump to enter a forest of Deodar and Maple trees. The setting is out of a fairytale. On one side tall Deodar trees rise to a height of over 150 feet. They are so dense that light doesn’t reach the forest floor. We trek through a clearing with Maple trees on the other side.

The trek is gently ascending skirting the edges of the Deodar forest. We cross numerous streams. Water is not a problem on the trek.

Half an hour later, we come to a stone outcrop that juts out over the open valley. We climb on to it and the view of the green valley below opens up. The change in scenery is dramatic. The Rani Nalla spreads out over a wide valley.

It is rocky at the river bed, but lush green on the sides of the valley. Beyond, the high snow lined ridges of the Dhauladar range looms over the valley. On the left sheer cliffs rising over 3000 feet towers over the valley. We are in a small amphitheater surrounded by majestic settings of the great Himalayan ranges.

We get down to the river bed and take a trail that snakes through the boulders. The river splits in many branches and we hop and skip over them, careful not to get our feet wet. A little later we cross another makeshift bridge, more ramshackle than the first and finally move to the right bank of the Rani Nalla.

I notice Poorvi is slow and so is Srilakshmi. Sriram is not fast either but he is steady. Srilakshmi stops every now and then, taking off her backpack.

Poorvi is very careful and hesitant of any movement downwards. It is clear she hasn’t hiked much. I give her a few tips on how to tackle descending trails. She tries out my suggestions and feels more confident. I make a mental note to take a small session for them later.

After crossing the Nalla, Chikha is barely half an hour away. It is a short steep climb over a grassy ridge.

By 6.00 pm we reach Chikha making good time. We are surprised to find a Gujrati group with a large setup of colourful tents. They are 71 of them with more than 25 support staff.

We set up camp a little distance away from them.

Our team is efficient. Within an hour the kitchen is setup and tea with biscuits served. At 8.30 we have dinner with Rice, roti, dal and sabzi. It is delicious. At 10, the kitchen surprises us with a round of coffee. We decline them and only Rakesh opts to take a cup.

Our new tents are big and cozy with ample room for four. We are tired and everyone retires to their tents by 10.30 pm.

I share my tent with Rakesh and we spend some time discussing our Rupin Pass plans.

Day 2, May 12, 2010

Chikha to Balu-Ka-Gera. 6 kms. Via Juara.

The morning is brilliant. Not a speck of could in the sky. The sky is a hue of clear blue.

By 7.00 am, the camp slowly comes alive. A cup of warm tea and the first rays of the sun touch the tent.

Everyone seems to be in good health and spirits. We set out at 9.00 am from Chikha. A little late but I think we can manage.

The trail crosses a little stream and starts an upward climb towards the closed end of the valley. The trail jumps over boulders climbing steadily but never too steep – and always staying on the true right bank of the Rani Nalla (also known as Allain Nalla).

The scenery changes rapidly. The valley narrows and a short curve to the right, Rhododendrons adorn the opposite slope. They are the dwarf Rhododendrons and just blooming. Below us, snow patches on the Rani increases in frequency. Ahead, the snow covered slopes of the Hampta Pass reveal themselves. Everything looks snow covered. I spend some time trying to figure our options. The snow looks ominous. I put the thoughts away from my mind and resume the trek.

A while later I stop to rest. I notice Srilakshmi and Poorvi have fallen behind. Srilakshmi’s backpack looks heavy. She needs to correct this. I stop her and lift her backpack. Much as I feared her backpack is indeed heavy – much too heavy for her. I get her to remove her jacket and pass it on to our porter. Sandhya attends to Poorvi’s backpack – it looks lopsided. She makes some adjustment and gets her going.

A while later we come to a rushing stream. It is wide and we need to take off our shoes. I don’t like the idea and think of ways of crossing the stream without wetting my shoes. I think of a few possible routes, but none seem without risk. Reluctantly I take off my shoes.

The water is freezing and I can feel it to my bones, but stepping carefully I make it across. Others wade across similarly.

The Rhododendrons on the other bank are replaced by Silver Birch trees. They are sometimes singular and in the dark background of the cliff faces, their brightness stands out.

A short climb over boulders we reach the open grasslands of Juara.

Juara makes for an excellent camping grounds and it is no surprise that trekkers head straight to Juara from Jobra, bypassing Chikha. For the first time the hills on the left open up – the views extending all around.

Rivulets gurgle through the meadows of Juara with yellow marigolds sprouting around their edges. Sheep and horses graze unmindful of the trekkers. Snow patches on the other bank make a sharp contrast to the green. We spend time taking in the view.

The climb out of Juara is again even, sticking to the true right bank of the river. The trail is now grassier snaking through boulders. Sometimes we have to climb over boulders but it is never difficult or tough.

I can see we have climbed considerably. The air is thinning. Poorvi is finding it difficult. She is lagging behind increasingly. Sriram and Rakesh is with her – I am not unduly worried. But thoughts of next day’s Hampta Pass crops up and I wonder how Poorvi will manage.

We gain more altitude and the Rani Nalla has continuous snow bridge over it. We loose sight of Poorvi and others. Srilakshmi, Sandhya and I keep to the trail.

15 minutes later the trail flattens out to reveal a large open flat valley. The river spreads across the boulder strewn valley. This is Balu-Ka-Gera. We make our way hopping over little streams and reach our campsite. It has taken us five hours. It is 2.00 pm.

The scene ahead of us is inspiring. Snow slopes stretching from one end of the valley to the other climb upwards towards the Hampta Pass. Tomorrow’s trek looks very inviting and exciting.

The team catches up a while later.

Without taking rest Rakesh and Polu decide to explore the Hampta Pass trek options. They want to see how difficult the snow is and how much of it is fresh. Fresh snow spells trouble – especially if it is thick. It has been raining for the past 10 days. Rakesh and Polu expect a lot of snow.

Without lunch, they start with a few chocolate bars.

They are back in 2 hours – bearing good news. The snow is very manageable and the fresh snow is only ankle deep. We will not need any extra equipment to cross the pass.

The wind picks up after lunch. From the valley below dark grey clouds start to climb towards us. Streaks of lightning flash in between the clouds. Half an hour later the first snow drifts hit us. It gets cold outside but everyone is excited to see their first snow. The snow drift lashes our tents for a while but die soon after.

With the setting sun, the temperature drops. In the night just before going to sleep I record 4°C outside. With the wind it feels colder.

The night is cold and I don’t sleep well. I should have added an extra layer. At 5.30 in the morning I record 2°C outside. Inside the tent it is a comfortable 8.5°C. The day looks bright. I can’t wait to get to the pass.

Day 3, May 13, 2010

Balu-Ka-Gera to Shiagoru via Hampta Pass

We have plans to start by 7.00 am. The pass days are always long. I want the team to use the snow early when it is nice and hard.

Wrapping up breakfast takes time. We start only by 8.15 am, much to my disliking. The team is in good spirits and we quickly step on the snow in 10 mins. It is all snow from this point. The Rani Nalla is now beneath the snow that stretches across the narrow valley.

The first few sections are on flat snow. Poorvi, Srilakshmi and Sriram taste their first footsteps on snow and they are rather thrilled. The snow is hard and we make good in a bit of progress. After a while we stop to rest. We indulge in a bit of snow fight.

The serious climb on snow starts and immediately there is a fracture in the team. Poorvi and Srilakshmi fall behind. Sandhya marches ahead with the porters. I spend time clicking photographs. The slope is not a challenge.

The two girls – Poorvi and Srilakshmi are finding it difficult. They are increasingly slowing down and it worries me. We get to the section where fresh snow has fallen over old snow. What was a brown tinge on snow is now sparkling white. On my right I notice an ice column in a small cave. The ice column has a striking green colour. I photograph it and join the main trail. I decide to make it in one go to the top. It takes me 10 minutes to climb to the top. I gasp for breath, but I am happy with my performance.

The top of the climb is a small plateau. It opens up a new view. There is another long climb to a ridge about 500 feet above us. The terrain is all monochrome. It is only snow around us. It is clear no one has been here earlier. There are no trails or footprints. There has been fresh deposit of snow over the last week. The snow is soft and crunchy to walk on.

We make a fresh trail along the sides of a gully. Sandhya follows close behind me. Sriram has gone ahead and is being very careful to place his foot over the foot steps of the guide. The slope is steep for him and I can understand his apprehension. He stops to rest often. I catch up with him soon and then break a fresh trail to the top of the ridge. It feels exciting. Others follow behind.

The top of the ridge is another plateau, this time opening up a towering flank that needs to be climbed. I am met by Polu at the top of the ridge who points out the top of the flank as the Hampta Pass. It is another 400-500 feet of climb. Polu doesn’t wait for long and starts preparing a trail for others to follow. He chooses a straight path up the flank. To my eye it doesn’t look a good idea. It seems too steep for our team members.

The wind picks up and I feel cold as I wait for the others to catch up. Alone at the top of the ridge, I take a few photos of the swirling snow. Soon Sandhya shows up. After a few minutes rest we start on our way to the top of the Hampta Pass. We have to climb the steep flank to do it. At the back of my mind I am curious to get there. I have been waiting for this moment for many years.

The trail to the base of the flank is a short descent and a long winding curve to the left of the valley. The Hampta Pass is not really at the centre of the top of the flank, but to the left, closer to the valley wall.

Sandhya breaks an excellent trail, moving fast and smoothly over Polu’s footsteps. I blindly follow her. I am surprised at her dexterity at some of the steeper sections.

A while later, Sandhya feels a bit winded and asks me to take the lead.

Meanwhile, our porters are making a new trail from the northern side of the ridge. They call out to me. The gesticulate me to move towards the left of the valley hall. It makes sense to me. I break away from Polu’s trail and forge a new trail directly to the extreme left of the pass. This seems to me direct, quick and less steep. I look back and find Sandhya only 20 steps behind me.

I look further behind and find Sriram has arrived at the top of the second ridge. I still don’t find our girls. They still haven’t made it to the top of the second ridge. I was expecting the girls to have arrived by then.

I soon catch up with our team of porters. They look exhausted after the long climb. I look back and find Sandhya has fallen behind a bit but was making steady progress. Meanwhile, looking back at the top of the second ridge I find more team members on top. It is too far down to see clearly but I think Rakesh and the girls have arrived.

From the spot where I meet the porters, it is a short steep climb to the top of the pass. I can feel the effects of the altitude. Even though it is a short climb, I can’t make it in one go. I have to stop twice to catch my breath before I make it to the top of the pass.

The pass is a wide plateau. On its eastern flanks are the towering cliffs of the mountainside. It is closed on the eastern side. On the west, it curves to the left and drops down to Spiti.

At the top of the pass, Polu is excited to see me. The porter who is carrying the sleeping bags follows closely behind me.

The wind suddenly picks up and the chill gets to me. I find shelter behind a boulder. Polu and the porter join me in the huddle. Snow drifts starts falling and the wind strengthens. Sandhya reaches the pass and quickly joins the huddle. There is no celebration. The wind changes direction and we move to another corner of the boulder. It is of no use.

The snow quickly covers up my grey jacket. It is getting very uncomfortable. Meanwhile our other porters and Shyam Sharma joins us as well.

I ask them to erect a tent so that we can take shelter from the snow and wind. They are reluctant to do it, but eventually agree. A tent is quickly up minus the outer cover and all of us get in, including the porters. I can sense they are equally relieved to be inside a shelter.

We have a quick lunch of bread, potato, egg and cheese. We wait for the rest of the team. It takes them about 45 minutes to get there. They arrive in a flurry of snow. They join us in the tent and are grateful for the shelter. They have their lunch as well.

At 1.45 in the afternoon we record a temperature of 11°C with the weather looking bad. We need to get out of the pass quickly. We fold up the tent and start our way to descend from the pass.

The descend is not quite what I expected. Polu suggests a glissade down a gully with a steepness of almost 80 vertical degrees. It is so steep that even when I peer over the corner I cannot see the end of the descend.

Polu and I discuss options of using ropes to get down. We don’t have enough ropes to get to the very bottom. Polu suggests we get down in stages. I am not for the idea. Finally, we abort the plan and choose a less steep section towards the western wall of the mountain. Even this looks daunting to me, but we don’t have any other option.

The soft snow makes walking down easy even though the gradient is steep. Holding hands for about 50 meters the team use their heels to dig in to the snow and step down rapidly. After a while the gradient is too steep to walk down and one by one the team gets down on their bottom and gingerly slide down. The girls are scared and so is Sriram. But the porters, Polu and Rakesh lend a hand and everyone is down to a small ledge. We move to the extreme end of the ledge and touch the western wall of the mountain. There is a rough trail over boulders followed by another steep descent over snow.

I ask Rakesh to use the ropes to traverse the section. I fear the girls may get scared looking down the emptiness over the edge of the snowy slope. Using the ropes everyone crosses the section. It takes time but the team is safe.

Over a series of switchbacks the team descends over mud and scree that veers back again to the centre of the flank directly below the pass. After a while the mud and scree ends. It is again a steep descent over snow. The steepness is too much to walk down, we have to slide.

The porters make a path and I take the lead to slide down first. It is a joy to slide down and I join the porters within a minute. Sandhya, Rakesh and Sriram follow immediately.

We are now in Spiti.

It is a wide valley covered in snow. A small stream snakes it way down towards the western opening in the valley. On the right the valley climbs rapidly and merges with the Dhauladar range. The sky is dark and looks threatening.

I can’t spot any possibility of a camp site in the snow. It is a long walk to the end of the valley where there is no snow. I don’t think the team can walk that far. I notice a snow field a little beyond and discuss the possibility of camping there. Polu is against the idea. We need water to camp and the snow field has no water source.

Poorvi and Srilakshmi are fatigued beyond their means and they can hardly walk. Sriram is exhausted too. Sandhya tells me she feels disoriented.

We are now in an endless valley of white. The only change in the landscape is the grey of the boulders, the grey of the stream and the grey flanks of the mountains. The sky is grey too and gentle snow starts to drift down. The landscape is utterly desolate.

We walk on unsure where our camp is going to be.

Poorvi sticks to Sandhya and me. Srilakshmi is with Rakesh. Rakesh drags Srilakshmi’s backpack behind him like a sledge. Srilakshmi is utterly exhausted and is flopping about.

I hear the sounds of thunder over me, the rumbles echoing through the valley floor. The wind picks up and the snow starts falling in pellets. Just then I spot our team of guides and porters setting up our tents in a small grassy patch next to the river. It is provident find. It is the only available grass patch. There is room to pitch only two tents.

I dive into the tent just when the snow starts to fall heavily and wind is whistling through my ears. It is very cold.

Sandhya, Poorvi, Sriram and Srilakshmi are inside the tent in the next ten minutes. All of them throw themselves down. The girls are in a bad shape. They don’t have strength to remove their shoes. Rakesh and I help to take off their shoes and socks. Everything is soaking wet.

There is more disturbing news. Unknown to us Srilakshmi had vomited a few minutes earlier on the trail.

We quickly get her inside a sleeping bag and wrap her in as much warm clothes as possible. She is shivering uncontrollably. She gets into a huddle and stays there.

I get inside my tent and quickly change out of my wet clothes. It was a mistake to wear two layers of track pants and now both of them are wet. I had been lazy.

I am called urgently from the girls’ tent. I rush to see Srilakshmi throwing up inside the tent. I don’t want to think of mountain sickness but the symptoms are there. These are symptoms of dehydration as well.

We give her a pint of electrolyte water. She is barely able to drink. But I am glad some of it has gone in.

She is still shivering. I wrap her up in my arms and hold her in a bear hug. It helps and slowly her shivering reduces. She likes the comfort as well. A while later she gets back into her sleeping bag. It is not for long. She retches again. It is getting worrying. I know she is affected by mountain sickness but I want to rule out all other possibilities.

Even before we can administer any medication she vomits again. This is the 4^th time. I give her an anti-nauseating pill – only half a dose. It should take 20 minutes for the pill to take effect.

20 minutes pass and Srilakshmi is still calm. My hopes are raised. I hope too soon. With a jerk she gets up to vomit yet again. My worst fears are confirmed. She has altitude sickness and may need evacuation. I have a quiet word with Rakesh and ask him to prepare a team for evacuation. He slips out of the tent noiselessly. I like his quiet efficiency.

The prospect of evacuation looks daunting. Outside the temperature has fallen to 2°C and it is snowing heavily. Any rescue in these conditions is harrowing. The rescue team meets me and want to move immediately. It is getting dark and if rescue has to be attempted, it has to be done immediately.

I ask them to wait. I want to administer a course of Diamox. At 13,000 feet Diamox could help her acclimatize quicker. In the uncertain terrain I don’t want to put Srilakshmi in more danger – it could take more than 7-8 hours to reach Chatru. In the fading light with the trail covered in snow I am reluctant to send her down. In the next hour Srilakshmi throws up once more but the frequency is reducing. She is calmer too. I call off the rescue.

Outside it is still snowing. It is dark now and we have an early dinner. Every few minutes we tap the underside of the tent to shake off the accumulating snow.

The team retires and the tents are quiet. Poorvi has problem sleeping and she tosses about all the time. Sandhya and I are awake too unable to sleep. At about midnight, we give Srilakshmi the second dose of Diamox. She is stable now and the worst seems to be over.

I wake up couple of times in the night. I find Srilakshmi still. She seems asleep.

At 5.00 am Srilakshmi is moving about in the tent. She is normal and full of buzz – and hungry too! We heave a collective sigh of relief.

Day 4, May 14, 2010

Shiagoru to Chatru

The last night’s snowfall has left everything covered in snow. Including the top of boulders. The mountainsides have turned more white.

It is still cloudy and grey. Outside, it is still 2°C.

We set out at 8.15 am towards the opening of the valley. Srilakshmi is in good form and is moving fast. Rakesh is with her.

Poorvi seems to have lost her spirits and even on the gentle walk on snow she is slow.

The walk on snow is a gentle descent and very refreshing. We lose altitude gradually and within 2 hours are at the end of the valley. Polu decides to stick to Poorvi.

The valley opening leaves little room for a trail. There are narrow ledges over mud and scree that must do for a trail. Sometimes the trail hugs the side of the mountain with no room to maneuver. Some of the participants have used that route. Rakesh feels it is risky on that trail. We drop down to the valley floor. It is on snow that covers a stream. Making a fresh trail over snow covered stream looks a little dangerous to me. I am aware my feet can sink in an hidden gap. I don’t want to risk an injury here.

But the snow holds firm and is hard enough for our weight. We reach a safer embankment. It is again a steep climb up to the main trail. Sandhya and I make it easily. Rakesh throws down a rope to Poorvi.

We make our way down on the loose trail of mud and scree. Our footings slip now and then but we recover. Looking down into the glaciers below, a slip looks like a bad fall. We try not to think about it.

A bend in the trail and the entire Chatru valley opens up. The scenery is different. I was expecting it to be barren, but surprisingly the slopes are green – but they are boulder strewn. Another surprise is Chatru itself. It is just a settlement of 7-8 houses. I was expecting it to be bigger.

Our plans for Chandratal are over. Even from our vantage point we can see the road is blocked by a big snow patch.

I want to pitch camp on the grassy slopes of the upper valley, overlooking the entire valley. The view is magnificent. But there is no water source. We decide to camp at the valley floor.

On the valley floor, a large glacier blocks the trail. We need to cross it to get to our proposed camping grounds at Chatru. Even from a view point above, the glacier crossing doesn’t look easy. It is steep and falls directly on to the river.

Rakesh, Shyam, Polu and others head down quickly to cut steps and force a trail on the glacier.

I lead the participants down, particularly Poorvi. Slowly, we make our way to the valley floor. From a distance we can see Rakesh and Polu cutting steps on the glacier.

We reach the glacier to find the step cutting done. I wonder how the team would have crossed with the steps cut on snow. With the help of others, holding hands, the team gingerly crosses the glacier.

After that, there are two other smaller glaciers to cross and they don’t pose any challenge.

We decide to camp at a lovely grassy patch sheltered by one story high boulders. A clear brook runs through it. Along the side of the grassy patch are snouts of huge snow patches. Water melts out of them to form the brook. The setting is magical. It is our prettiest campsite. We have reached by 1.45 pm.

Day 5, May 14, 2010

Chatru to Manali

It is a lazy morning. At 6 am I record 1°C. It is funny but I don’t feel that cold. I make quick plans with Rakesh.

Rakesh would go to Chatru with Polu and see if they can organize any vehicles to come to pick us up. Last evening they had been to Chatru and learnt that the highway until Chatru was closed. Vehicles were plying only until 6-7 kms ahead of Chatru.

I ask Rakesh to firm up plans so that a vehicle could be organized to pick us up at the last point where vehicles were plying. We would walk down to that point.

Rakesh, Polu and Shyam form a team and set out to Chatru to make calls.

It is a bright sunny morning. We bring out our wet clothes and set them to dry. The sun is fierce and it doesn’t take long for the clothes to dry. Even my leather boots dry quickly. The temperature climbs sharply. It is a pleasant 21°C by 9 am.

The team takes this opportunity to stretch and laze. Sriram shaves and he looks transformed.

Rakesh comes back with uncertain news. The driver that they had fixed earlier was not reachable. His home informed that he had left. To where – no one knew. Perhaps to Chatru?

The local drivers at Gramphu were not available – their phones not working.

Polu is confident that the Manali driver would come to get us. He knows him well and their plans were confirmed.

With uncertainty we set out of Chatru at 10.00 am. Rakesh, Sandhya and I walk together. We discuss our plans for our Rupin Pass trek.

I spend time explaining to Rakesh about the likely situation he may face on the Rupin Pass expedition. We don’t notice the pace we have set up. I look back to find Sriram, Srilakshmi and Poorvi a lot behind.

Rakesh is curious and asks question about Indiahikes and his work. I am beginning to like him a lot.

The road is deserted. It feels strange that high up in the Himalayas, three of us were walking alone on miles of deserted highway. At 11,000 feet and snowscape around us, the isolation was complete.

We stop at a grassy knoll and spend time firming up our organization plans. I explain to Rakesh about Indiahikes and our philosophy. He is surprised at some of our stance – but I sense he appreciates them. I give him a rough direction to his future career possibilities.

We set out again. The road weaves in and out of the mountainside, climbing steadily. More and more snow patches cover the road, some of them very large, as large as half a football field. I smile to myself thinking of the foolhardiness of our Chandratal plans.

We spot a chorten by the side of the road. I am uncertain about going ahead from this point. Gramphu the next village is 9 kms away and we have already walked 8 kms. Our porters are nowhere to be seen. The team is far behind too. We are hungry as well and it is 1.00 pm. The grassy slopes around the chorten looks a good place to camp.

Polu and Sriram join us 20 minutes later. I ask Polu to go ahead and recall the porters. He is strangely silent and reluctant. I don’t understand why. Shyam lumbers in with Srilakshmi and Poorvi another 20 minutes later. I ask Rakesh to plot out a course of action as soon as possible. There is a whispered discussion among them that I can’t hear.

Rakesh informs me that we have no option but to walk down to Gramphu, 9 kms away. We have no food or fuel left. I am stunned. But I don’t want to create any fuss. The team needs to work together and any scene from my side will create a tension. Already, it is 2.00 pm and all us are hungry.

I quickly pick up my backpack and start walking. I want to be alone for a while to re-group my thoughts. I think of various options but none seem to be bright. It is a long walk to Gramphu and it could take 3 hours.

Around a bend, where workers are clearing the highway of ice, snow and rockfall, we learn that a vehicle has indeed come up to get us. The vehicle was waiting for us around a bend. This was the best news of the day!

We quickly navigate our way to the waiting vehicle. We have to jump and scamper over dumped snow. In 10 minutes we reach our vehicle. It is the same driver from Manali – our old vehicle.

Without a word I pass on my backpack to the waiting porters. I walk a few feet further and sit on a grassy patch by the side of the road. Sandhya joins me a few minutes later. Quietly, we savor the sights of the Spiti mountains one last time.

In three hours we are back in Manali and civilization.