It was a bright, lovely autumn day. I woke up early for my trek from Vashisht towards Bhrigu. My friends had ditched me last minute and I was in no mood to waste a free day. Although I felt anxious the night before, I decided to go ahead with my plans anyway. En-route, Vishal, my friendly, well-mannered driver chatted with me about various treks in the area. He was also quick to caution me about any ‘druggies’ that I may meet along the way. Apart from that, there was no danger, he said.
Feeling confident and raring to go, I was unperturbed by this little piece of information. The trail started from alongside the Vashisht temple where I asked a little girl for directions. I started to climb up the stone steps, stopping every few minutes to catch my breath. As I stood outside the last house in the village wondering which of the two paths to take, an old man magically appeared as if to guide me on where to go.
From there, it was a steep uphill climb. Little did I realise that it would only get steeper as I climbed higher. The morning sun rays, birdsong, and sweeping valley views of the snowy mountains kept me captivated. Steps carved out of stone soon turned into a steep dirt track with loose stones and rocks strewn all around. While I would want to catch a breather every now and then, I had to keep a firm grip on the ground to avoid rolling down the mountain! The path did flatten out at times, however, too few times to count. Leaky pipes along the way made for a muddy adventure. It did come in handy when I had to wash my hands from all the holding onto rocks, bushes and tree branches to carry myself up precipitous corners.
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Starting out from Vashisht village
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| A verdant green mountainside |
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| Navigating rocks and loose stones en-route |
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| Breath-taking views |
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Jogini waterfall
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| One of the flat sections on the trail |
I enjoyed walking at my own pace without a destination in
mind. For a change, I was actually taking the time out to enjoy the journey and
the beautiful surroundings. With no one around, I had the cool breeze in my
hair and chirping birds for company. It was so quiet that at one point I could
hear the sound of rustling leaves and spotted an oriental turtle dove foraging through
them for any light bites. Further on, I was lucky to catch a glimpse of the
colourful Himalayan Monal, its electric blue coat glinting in the sun.
Throughout the way, I only came across two villagers making their way down for
supplies. Apart from that, it was just me and nature in all its glory. I have
never felt more at home.
My friend had told me that I might get bored alone. On the
other hand, I had the most magical time being in the moment – bird-watching,
filtering through happy memories and gazing at the mighty Himalayas. I went on
a trek alone after many years. Generally, I am always trying to keep up or
catch up with someone, oftentimes missing the lovely views and the journey. This
time it was different. Every step felt meditative. I feel like I came back
stronger, except the minor aches courtesy a few slips along the way. Perhaps,
that’s what makes the journey even more worthwhile.
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| A happy poser |
