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Yatra : Day 6 - First day Trek - Destination Gala


Day 6 - Dharchula to Gala - 03 July 2008
Journey by foot starts today. Started around 7:30 a.m. from Dharchula guest house. Previous night it rained throughout the night. Initially couple of hours we had to travel by Bus to a place called Mangati Nala. From Mangati Nala we had to go on foot to place called Gala. Night halt was supposed to be in Gala. There were no motorable roads beyond Mangati Nala in 2008. When we started from Dharchula on Bus, there was no news of landslides till Mangati Nala. Bus journey was very picturesque with winding road beside Kali river.
After about an hour, our bus front tyre got punctured (there were many fallen rocks on the road due to rain last night). Fortunately there was a spare available. Everyone got down and enjoyed the light rain outside the bus.
As we went further, there was a big landslide with water gushing down on the road (a waterfall was formed). Fortunately bus could pass through that.  Meanwhile few folks had a nap, some took pictures and few of us spent time chatting and knowing other fellow passengers.
After we had not traveled for even 15 minutes, we came across another landslide. This time mud was still falling once in a while and there was unstable soil formation on top.It was decided not to take risk with Bus passing through it. KMVN personnel sent wireless message to other side. There were taxis on the other side which came to pick us up. We crossed the landslide walking with personnel items in hand while few kept watch for falling mud.We were supposed to get our luggage next day but with bus on other side, we do not know when will we get luggage. My shoes got wet as it is not water resistant at all. Spare shoes are in packed bag. I realized that it is a good idea to keep a lightweight shoe/slippers in handbag for such situation.As soon as we are about to sit in Taxi, GREF (Garrison Road Engineers Force) came and cleared the mud and landslide. Taxi plan canceled and Bus came to other side. Whoa ! what a relief and what a start on journey. We have not started on foot yet. Little further, we pass through a place with overhanging rock and road under it. Water is gushing down all over due to heavy rain previous night. Bus passes through it. It is like Bus passing undera water fall. Now I understood and realized the importance of water proof packing of luggage. Though Luggage was nicely covered with canvas etc., one can never trust absence of a hole in coverings.

We were about one km away from Mangati Nala and found that a big landslide which was still falling. It was not allowed to pass that stretch even by walk as rocks were falling. Liasion officer was contacted for further direction. There existed a walkway which will take 3 Km detour by foot. It was decided to take that. We disembarked from Bas, took our personal belongings and started the journey. Journey by foot had started. Out porters and Ponies were there to start the journey. My porter name was Devidutt and he was older than me. I did not feel like giving all load to him so we share load but he would not let me carry anything. At the end, he gave me a stick to carry and took all my luggage.
We took detour through "Tangati village" to reach Mangati Nala. At Merthi, we were given few plants each to carry and plant somewhere in hills. Aim was targeted towards increase forestation in the hills through this. I was carrying few of them and gave half of it to children in Tangati village. Children were cute and lots of them. I asked them where they go to study and half of it did not understand what I was asking. Then a little older one explained that not all of them go to school and the ones who go have to walk about 4 Km in hills to reach a government run primary school. They were very poor but well behaved. Some of them were working in small small fields (if you could call it field). It is very very difficult and quite a hard work to cultivate land there. I found them cultivating Maize and Wheat in most of the fields apart from vegetables (for personal uses) at places.
We reached Mangati Nala around 4 p.m. Rested for a while at Mangati Nala. Due to rain, few patches at Mangati were very Slushy. Horse stables were there at Mangati causing lot of smell. Some of had hot tea and fresh Pakora at one of the tea shops there. It had become sunny and humid by that time. From Mangati Nala to Gala it was continuous trek. My porter did not want to rest in between. It was uneventful (fortunately). Passed through couple of villages (Each village consisted of not more than half a dozen houses/huts). Legend was that local villages do not want roads to be made as that will kill the business of horse owner/Pony owners which is the main livelihood for many of them.
Reached Gala at about 7 p.m.
In gala we were provided with huts and igloos to stay. Just before reaching Gala, there was a small tent by ITBP personnel where they treated Yatris with Hot tea and Pakoras again. This became a trend throughout the journey on Indian side.
At Gala we were provided with nice dinner and asked that next morning we had to start early (about 4 a.m.) as it is the longest trek (> 21 Km) along Kali river to reach Buddhi. It was first night with so many people together in a tent after a tiring day. Walls among two tents were thin enough to let noise pass through. We got a good idea about who snores at what loudness level and who all had a good/bad tolerance towards neighbor snoring. In perspective thinking,  it is not a bad idea to carry ear plugs amongst other things to handle such scenario. By far the experience first day led to many decisions in subsequent night with respect to who all people could sleep together (e.g. snoring personnel could sleep together in same room while non-snoring had to have separate hut/room).

5 comments:

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