Wikipedia Treks Kalindi Khal/Report

A few many cups of evening coffee, 9 mountain crazy souls gathering at Dibyendu Da’s house one year ago and a sheer whim of Let’s go Kalindi Khal. It all started with a casual discussion and soon we realized that we are really passionate about this route. Finally condenses to reality of ‘Kalindi Khal Trek Expedition’ on 11th September 2015. The en-route of Wikipedia backed Kalindi Khal Trek Expedition 2015 was Gangotri to Badrinath across the Kalindi Khal, a 99kms rigorous trek programme.

The prime charm of this route is passing through the most breath taking (I do mean the low oxygen level too!) mountains scape under the shadow of mighty sky-kissing peaks of Garhwal Himalayan region. This mesmerizing place is a grand feast for the eyes and a spiritual heaven decorated with gorgeous snow crowned mountains and the grandeur of wide –spread nature- an encircling lively panorama.This High Altitude Trek (HAT) programmed was a bit different from other trek. This trek was organized by Wikipedia. Hence, apart from devouring the inexplicable beauty of mountain nature with two mortal eyes, this Wikipedia Trek had some other special purposes. We had to gather and record and documented different types of subjects appertaining to that periphery and their encyclopaedic value.

The said trek expedition was a 23days programed (11th Sept’15 to 3rd Oct’15). The curtain rises on 11th Sept at Howrah Station with 9 enthusiastic members of the trek team Dipankar Sen (Leader), Dibyendu Nandy, Asish Das, Santanu Chandra, Sujay Chandra, Prasenjit Datta, Anupam Mondal, Abhishek Sutradhar and I Ananya Mondal, the sole female member and the youngest of all. Members and great load of goods boarded Upasana Express nicely and we had a go.

The 1305km train journey passes through discussions, planning, sharing previous trek experiences, pranks etc. When the train rambles on the river Ganges at Varanasi, I mumble a prayer for all of us and our success of mission Kalindi. On reaching Haridwar on 12th Sept, we arranged our overnight lodging, booked car for the journey to Uttarkashi and did other tit-bits.

Day 1 & 2 [The Preparatory- Permit, Packing and HAPs]

Next morning at 7:00am we drove 155km through the serpentine hilly alleys to Uttarkashi (1352m). We crossed the Tehri Dam which is the highest dam in India. While having a short break at Taheri for photo session, we suddenly spotted a Sikra bird (Accipiter badius) on flight over the dam with a prey (probably mouse) in its claws.

This mountain district town is the preparatory base for numerous trekking and mountaineering expeditions in the Gangotri valley. Here, we had a flurry of activities- somewhat boring but essential for the whole mission. We lodged ourselves at ‘Bhandari Hotel and Restaurant’ near the bus stand and started all preparatory businesses like booking High Altitude Porter (HAP), purchasing and packing provision, getting Inner Line Permit from the concerned authority etc. 2 days passed in Uttarkashi in multi-faced requisite activities. We were also waiting for our High Altitude Mountain Friend team Mohan Singh, Tara Singh and Narendra Singh who were coming from Bagheswar. They are young and amazing guy…… so expertized!!

Day 3 [Offering to Goddess Ganga and Acclimatization]

Next day, we moved off to Gangotri (3048m) by a Traveller (90km) with our bag and baggage, High Altitude Mountain Friend team and our guide Sarvan Kumar. We felt very relaxed on the way as all preparatory business was over and we had our trusted new friends with us. Our inquisitiveness and knowledge was healthily fed by the awesome and vast experiences and wisdom of our High Altitude Mountain Friend team and our guide. Talking blows on, the rivers flows on and the journey goes on through NH108.

We had our breakfast at Harsil at about 10:30am. Placed at an altitude of 2620m by the bank of Bhagirathi, it is a picturesque village with acute serenity reigning all around. This hamlet mainly inhabited by Bhutia tribes has its fame for the numerous apple orchards surrounding the area contain large red, green, golden color apples. Harsil has its important as many trek routes open from this place of which the most prestigious is the trek route to Lamkhagra Pass. Interesting enough, this tribal hamlet hosts an ATM.

Finally we reached Gangotri and that bring an end to our car journey. Hence journey will entirely rely on our feet. Trek is about to begin and the countdown was started.

Gangotri is one of the major four Hindu pilgrimages of Uttarakhand. This Gangotri town is centered on the temple of the Goddess Ganga which was built by the Gorkha General, Amar Singh Thapa in the early 18th century.

After lunch at Gangotri we had an important schedule- a short trek for acclimatization. This business, as usual, is something of immense importance for HAT program. Six of us Asis Da, Prasenjit Da, Sujay Da, Santanu Da, Dipankar Da and me set out- having crossed the Gangotri temple we took left side route. We had no target destination except walking to acclimatize and enjoy natural beauty. In an hour of enjoyable plodding, purposed being served, we trekked back by the route back by the route passing beside Surya-Kund and took numerous snaps throughout the journey.

By late evening, the rest of the HAPs emerged and the entire team including HAPs and guide enjoyed the evening, prayer at the Gangotri temple and offered ‘Puja’ to Goddess Ganga for the success of our expedition.

Day 4 [Trek begins]

After a hearty breakfast at about 8am we flagged off our trek. The first part of the trek was up to Bhujbasa via Chirbasa. Every member was puffed up of spirits and enthused beyond description. The route moves through the right bank of Bhagirathi with the snowcapped Mt. Sudarshan (6507m) beckoning yonder. It was an easy ascends with favorable steady gradient and packed with vibrant scenery on both sides which unfolds itself at every step.

Before reaching Chirbasa we had to cross the different tributary brooklets of Bhagirathi at some places. The bridges were merely makeshift wood log and tin construction crossing of which tested our balance and presented a scary feeling with the trilling sight and roaring sounds of the torrents vertically under feet.

A 5km jubilant journey took us to Chirbasa (3400m) across the Chirbasa Nala (stream) where we had our lunch under the shade of a grove of chir trees (Pinus roxburghii), Spruce (Picea smithiana), Silver Fir (Abies pindrow), Blue Pine (Pinus wallichiana), and Himalayan Cedar (Cedrus deodara). Chirbasa, the land of Chir trees, presented herself with its screen beauty which instantly refreshed us for our onward journey.

From Chirbasa we sailed our 9km way to reach Bhujbasa (3658m). The route laid up gradual ascent through alley and gulley’s with occasional greenery and multi colored floral decoration. We had to cross carefully a rock-fall zone on the way excluding which the journey was almost pleasant.

By late afternoon, we stepped at Bhujbasa, named after the abundance of Bhuj trees or Birch tree (Betula alnoides) in that area. The Garhwal Mandal Vikas Nigam (GMVN) Tourist Rest House, Private Rest House, Tent House and Ashram are located for night halt in Bhujbasa. The night at Bhujbasa rendered a refreshing sleep which abated all stress and strain of our first day trek.

Day 5 [In the Paradise]

Next day I rise up with our High Altitude Mountain Friend Mohan Singh (Mohan Bhaiya’s) Tea ready call at 6am and put my jacket on. Half – entering the tent, Mohan Bhaiya handed me the smoky tea cup, but I desired to have it out. As I crawled through the tent gate was to wear my shoes, I lifted my head to look in front- beauties stuck where my eyes!! The mighty majestic marvel of three snowy sisters- Bhagirathi II, III and I peaks enthralled my senses- virtually I was capsized, mesmerized with my mouth wide open.

At about 8:30am we set out for our next destination Gaumukh considered by the Hindus as the holiest place on the earth. The trek route is a bit steeper ascend at the beginning, but the gradient become gradual later on and we had an almost smooth journey towards the source of our sacred river Bhagirathi (The Ganges) enjoying the ecstatic beauty that surrounded us.

Gaumukh(3892m) is towering gigantically in front of us stand Bhagirathi group of peaks and on the right was Mt. Shivling. The dark cave (snout point) and the overhanging mighty peaks seem to give the place a weird and mysterious character. Water with chunks of ice floating on it, was gurgling out of the dark cave. Here silence, accentuated by the gurgling water, looms large in the region which presents a sense of grander and reverence and awe all around. One has to move on and we too were off to Nandanvan, our next destination.

Up till Gaumukh, the route was a well-defined track. But the scenario changed as we trudged towards Nandanvan. Literally no track was there and our journey continued through arid zone of scattered large, medium and small boulders. We were virtually hopping from one unstable boulder to another equally unstable one. Every second we had to keep our balance okay to prevent from tumbling down. The experience appeared to me like riding wild horses which have an instinctive tendency to throw off the rider. Those boulders, as soon as we stepped over them, behaved like the wild horses; started quivering, as if, trying to flung us off their surface. We followed the general trick to move somewhat comfortably and safely in such a condition, i.e. to transfer body weight immediately to the next boulder while we stepped on the first. There is no question of standing or exerting entire body weight on a boulder. Thus we tripped from boulder to boulder.After crossing the moraine zone and Gangotri glacier, we finally reached a point where we confronted a steep rocky and craggy upright projection, crossing which we will reach Nandanban. Consequently, a steep uphill climb followed with our HAPs.

This Kalindi Khal trek is an admixture experience of trekking, mountain and rock climbing, boulder hopping and glacier traversing. While dancing thus upon the boulders, rocks on hurtling down the mountains walls; occasional landslides greeted us with a shiver in the spine. We had to trudge on and on, because there was no license to stand and rest a while.

More than a one hour had climb took us to Nandanvan. Since Goumukh we had to move through craggy barren zone with extremely gray, brownish, muddy, slate color, on all sides. Reaching Nandanvan the sudden outburst of green lash with occasional yellow and reddish tinge soothed our dried up sense and eyes. Nandanvan is a small grassy valley at the confluence of Chaturangi and Gangotri glacier, full of exquisite and ecstatic beauty and calm. The place is literally surrounded by snowy peaks like Bhagirathi II (6512m), III (6454m) and I (6856m), Kedar dome (6830m), Sumeru Parbat (6331m), Karcha kund (6632m), Shivlinga (6543m). Nandanvan is an enchanting alpine meadow with a small stream flowing through it.

It is a paradise, as if very close to the heaven (4337m) and Nandanvan is 3kms in length and 1.5kms in breadth. Of the aforesaid peaks, the most stunning one, dominating over Nandanvan is undoubtedly Mt. Shivling. It is too hard to believe that a 6543m high peak could be so rocky, devoid of snow mass. It is solely characterized by its strange features and the odd man out among the other peaks. We are fortunate beyond measure that we had so clean a view of this fabulous peak.

Four of our team mates were yet to arrive on the spot. I was cozily seated on a small boulder sipping my cup of hot garlic soup and enjoying the crimson panorama on Kedar dome and Shivlinga. The orange tinge of the setting sum cast its magical splendor on the two peaks and created a divine beauty quite indescribable.

I felt the truth in one popular saying-its heaven on earth, Interpose. We were almost carried away by a sense of serenity, complacency and beauty combined, when the catastrophe struck unexpectedly. Looking on my left I found the rest of the team mates and HAPs trudging in at some distance. Santanu Da and Prosenjit Da moving in front and Dibyendu Da supported and almost carried by two HAPs a few meter back. We got an instant shock-wave anticipating some fatal accident and rushed towards them. Within half an hour Dibyendu Da was comfortably placed and bedded down inside the tent.

He was beyond the zone of talking and was exhausted and writhing in intolerable pain. The two assisting HAPs broke the silence for him and let us know that he fell into a deadly crevasse on the way; while stepping over a small boulder; the boulder it gave way to and made the mouth of the crevasse open. The demon was just about to swallow our Dibyendu Da,but his instant alertness and sound training and experience let him arrest the fall by placing the walking stick crosswise at the mouth of the crevasse. Oh! God what a hair-line escape… we all breathed a prayer to God and hailed the spirit of Mountain. He got severe injury in his left knee and needed total rest. In course of on metamorphosis of Dibyendu Da accident the rest of us was appealed to think that like Dibyendu Da we all had to step on that fateful bolder to cross over, but the Goddess of fate was happy on us except our unfortunate Dibyendu Da. However we went on all our business nicely and got ready for our requisite rest and repose.

Midnight at Nandanvan on that day brought an unwelcome but expected scary experience for me. At midnight the oxygen level usually went down and I was feeling totally out of breath and exasperated. Lying in the pitch black tent and undefined scary feeling and loneliness was devouring me. The temperature -10°C as recorded the following day was seemingly beyond my tolerance in spite of the requisite aid of feather sleeping bag. Dibyendu Da and Santanu Da were comfortably sleeping and snoring and the same for the others, only I was out of wit to tracheal the condition.

A negative thought started peeping in my mind weather I shall be able to move ahead to materialized my long cherished dream of touching and crossing Kalindi Khal. Thoughts were flying scattered through my mind while sudden I recalled those touching words of an old sage whom Anupam and me meet at Gangatri check post just 2 days ago. In answering of his queries where we were going and what for, I let him know about our programmed to cross Kalindi Khal to reach Badrinath. The old sage with a smile told us to keep mind two things every second-‘Stick to determination and have faith on your potential’. His magical words played a spell on my mind, I had my mental strength back and all the word of negativity vanished from my mental horizon. After that I had a sound sleep.

Day 6 [Legendary Vasuki, foul weather followed]

Next morning as I stepped out of the tent a clear deep blue sky hailed me. Lifting my eyes, my sight and soul become transfixed with the glanderous beauty of Mt. Shivling. In a second, the beauty, the magnificence and hardness of Mt. Shivling made my mind more and more determined towards my target. Standing before the mighty peak with his glanderous presence I felt that age-old lesson once more- how high and big is the nature and how small are we- the mighty mountain are calls for our obedience and reverence.

However, our prime concern that morning was not the mesmerizing Shivling; but the present condition of Dibyendu Da. We had a short team meeting and the outcome of it was that Dibyendu Da was in somewhat better condition to move apart. He made a short trial with the aid of two walking sticks and that worked.

In addition to that, we met a team who were on the way back after successfully completing the Bhagirathi-III peak summit. Their Bhagirathi-III expedition was done under the collaboration of Indian Mountaineering Federation (IMF) Pathajatra National team. The expedition was First Indian Ascent of the peak by North ridge. In the team, there was a Bengali named Mr. Debabrata Mukherjee who informed us that the weather condition of the adjacent zone was likely to be worse by the next day. Mr. Debabrata Mukherjee is a prolific climber who scaled Mt. Everest through the China EBC North Col-Ne ridge route on 24th May’2014 .Hence, it was decided that it would be better for us to leave Nandanvan and move to Vasuki Tal as early as possible to avoid inclement weather.

After one hour of rushing pack-ups and a heavy breakfast, we left the meadow of Nandanvan and made our 7kms weary way through high ridge. Our next camp would be at Vasuki Tal under the shadow of Vasuki peak. The track onwards till Kalindi Glacier lies on the left lateral moraine of Chaturangi Glacier, a 16kms long colorful and most beautiful Glacier. Chaturangi Glacier is called so for the four different color of stone (White, black, red and yellow), found in it. While moving over the ridge, looking down we are attracted by the greenish blue (or Turquois green) colored glacier pools with verglass or glaze ice forming on the water.

When we got to the mid portion of the ridge, the weather condition deteriorated suddenly. We were caught in a mild type of blizzard. Snow fall started like downy flakes which spread everywhere covering the stones and boulders which ultimately presence a white out setting. The site was what words can describe. It seems to me that I was transponder to a fairy land.

My heart began to throb heavily the excitement of my first snowfall viewing and mentionable at the height of 4798m. We reached the meeting point of Basuki Bamak and Chaturangi Glacier. Walking at such a height is a tough business and then remains the crossing of last ascends before Vasuki Tal. We had first to slide down on a stiff descend too full of loose stones, mud, melted ice and scree zone. We got down on Basuki Bamak. There were big moraine zone, so we carefully crossed the Basuki Glacier. We had to dodge our way very carefully to start another stiff ascend, which places us at the feet of an almost rocky wall to reach the ridge of Basuki Bamak. Then we had around 50ft stiff roped up climb. After the rigorous climb another descends followed and our tired body and soul virtually reached the fabulous Vasuki Tal. While trekking down the descend we had a magnificent view of the bluish green Tal and more importantly the sight of our cozy and comfortable blue tent, embroidering the Tal.

Having well placed in the allotted tent we had our refreshing coffee. Snowfall started heavily all around with a promise of emerging white out. We cut a trench round the tent. After digging the trench, we were having pop-corns inside the tent. I sat by the tent gate and was peeping out to watch snowfall. So many times I have enjoyed pop-corns in my life while watching a movie; but having pop-corns, watching live snowfall was just an unbelievable thing. I sat and munched and watched mesmerized.

On that day everyone was tired beyond measure and we had no special business except sorting and preparing the final luggage of four of our member (Asis Da, Abhisek, Anupam and Dipankar Da) who would move for Kalindi Khal and rest of us , as per schedule were to go back to Gangotri. We went to bed earlier and prayed heartily for a good weather for the next day.

Day 7 [Weather improved, route check for Kharapattar]

Waking up next day, we sadly felt that our last night prayer had gone in vain. The bad weather condition sustained with a total white out all around. Verglass or glaze ice formed on the surface of the Tal. Consequently we had no sight of the peaks towering over that zone. The peaks found here are- Manda (6568m), Bhagirathi group, Vasuki Parbat (6792m), Mt. Chaturangi (6304m),Chandra Parbat (6728m), Mt. Meru unfortunately we missed the views of all of them.

In the latter part of the morning, the snowfall decreases bit by bit and the weather become to some extent favourable. So, being spirited, we plunged to crack our schedule of the day. We had a journey for route checking towards Kharapattar, next destination of our final Kalindi Khal team. We had gone through the land of white with no defined route as snow mass had settled all through and over the boulders, rocks. We then trekked back to our Vasuki Tal tent, had our early dinner and went to sleep.

Day 8 [Final team marched to Kalindi Khal]

Next morning Vasuki Tal and the surrounding greeted our sleepy eyes with all their splendors. We had clean and glanderous view of the Tal and the towering peaks. Before breakfast, we had a regal banquet for our sight and senses. While having breakfast of steaming noodles we saw many Alpine chough (Pyrrhocorax graculus) surrounding us for food. Then it was our team to start our back journey first and our four members Kalindi Khal team would start their advance journey next. We embraced hearts to hearts and bade our team ‘Best Wishes, success, happy and safe journey’. I had once more a longing lingering look at the beckoning peaks which as if whispered in my ears the invitation of coming back again in future. We started then with reverence and took our long way back to Gangotri where from we started trekking.

We had to rappel down the steep wall which we climbed previously with some difficulty changing runner twice. Having rappelled down we climbed and traversed through ascend to reach the ridge. We walked on the ridge for some time. It was a pleasant walk with eyes roaming from marvel to marvel on both the sides. At about 3:00pm we reached our campsite at Nandanvan. Having pitched our tent we relaxed with coffee and pakora sitting outside the tent. All of a sudden we spotted at our left, not far away, a good number of Bharal or Himalayan Blue Sheep ( Pseudois nayaur) grazing by.

Day 9 [Back to Bhujbasa]

Next morning, after breakfast, we started for Bhujbasa. We almost sang our way except at a steep descend where Dibyendu Da had great trouble to move down words. But with help of Tara he cracked the way down. One thing needs to be mentioned here, while walking back on the same route it often appeared to be a new one; as if we haven’t gone through this route just a few days ago! A pleasant journey brought us back to Bhujbasa.

Day 10 [Prayer at Gangotri and transfer to Haridwar]

On the following day we marched to Gangotri in a sing-song mood and reached there at around 4:00pm. We relaxed the entire evening sitting on the steps by the river Ganga and also prayed to the temple for the safe journey and success of our Kalindi Team.We had return tickets to Kolkata in Doon Express from Haridwar. In course of our journey, next day when we reached Venaras, the grand news came to my mobile- Our team has successfully crossed Kalindi Khal and safely landed to Badrinath via Mana village. The news elated us beyond measure and we started celebration with the ‘Peras’ that we were actually bringing for home.