Can you see the rainbow in this picture? ..... It seems to bridge the Har-Ki-Dun (Valley of Gods) and the Swargarohini mountain!
I reached Sankri at 4:00PM on 7th July 2007 (yes on 07/07/07 !) after a long, multi-stage ride starting from Mussorie - first a Bus from Library Chowk to Naugaon (6:00am - 10:45am) and then a Share-Jeep from Naugaon to Purola (10:45 - 11:45am), another Share-Jeep from Purola to Mori (11:40-1:30pm), another Share-Jeep from Mori to Naitwar (1:40-2:30) and finally yet another Share-Sumo from Naitwar to Sankri (3:00-4:00pm). Tired, I checked into the GMVN TRH, situated on the hillside above the taxi-stand. The Sankri GMVN caretaker, was a chain-smoking and garrulous Kedar Singh Rana. He talked continuously to me for next 1 hour (while I was captive, drinking Tea on his TRH porch) about Politics of 80's - 90's. Kedar is pro-Congress, says he knew late-PM Indira Gandhi personally, her late son Sanjay Gandhi even more personally and is now a great admirer of Menaka Gandhi and her son Varun! This was a GMVN Caretaker .... with a Difference!
Kedar helped me hire a Porter-Guide for my trek to HKD - Tikkam Singh - who he said, was an experienced guide and actually a resident of Osla village on the route. Caretaker Kedar also decided the Guide's daily rate at Rs 250/- per day without asking me or consulting Tikkam Singh! He said Tikkam was a frequent trekker on that trail and I could travel and return safe under his care. Over the next 6 days, I was able to confirm for myself that Tikkam Singh, indeed, was an excellent guide and very knowledgeable about every aspect of the trail and the local villages, the people, their customs and their struggles for survival. He knew every one of the 30-40 local villagers, we met on the trail or in the villages, over the next 6 days and stopped to chat with most of them, for 3-4 minutes over a Beedi.
Tikkam Singh, of Osla village, my porter-guide and an expert on this trail to HKD. Tikkam is pretty knowledgable about the people of this valley, their occupations, customs and struggles.
Morning view of Taluka .... from GMVN-TRH balcony.
Around Noon we passed the Gangor Village ... seen from the trail.
The suspension Bridge to cross to true right .. just as we leave Seema.
Immediately after crossing the bridge a half-hour vertical climb up the hill is waiting; quite a bit of bit of that trail in water flowing from a waterfall that can be seen in the picture below. Pic left looking down after climbing.
Finally, at 2:30PM we were nearing the HKD GMVN the green-white hut on left, next to PWD RH to right. Tikkam Singh ahead on the trail.
In the evening a drizzle produced rainbow that appeared to bridge the HKD Valley and Swargarohini (6252M) range.
This beautiful view of Swargarohini and the HKD valley.... next morning framed in the the GMVN's porch doorway.
Dhaula Dhar range to the north of Har-Ki-Dun
View from top of HKD valley... looking down toward GMVN
This waterfall on way back to seema .... some 2 hrs from HKD
The point where the trail from HKD turns west (see pillar, pic left) and Seema becomes visible, still 6 Kms ways .... in fact, in my orginal picture, I could zoom this pic all the way and see the bridge piers & GMVN
This is a Log (bridge) we had to cross .... if you lose balance you got a 30 feet fall into a ravine below!
This is one end of that log... it doesnt end on firm ground! ... you have to make 2 feet jump! Not too bad from Log to Ground ... but Ground to Log?
This village girl we passed on the trail ...... as we near Taluka.
After reaching Sakri at 9:00am we found that the share-jeeps are not going to Netwar as there the road had collapsed 3 kms from Sankri. We had to take a booking-jeep, for Rs 100, to that landslide point. Tikkam came along and helped me cross that landslide on foot. And then we got another share jeep that took us to Mori. I arrived at Mori at 10:30am. There I said bye to Tikkam Singh .... paying him Rs 1500 i.e. his 6 days wage at 250 per day plus a bonus of Rs 300.
Then I caught a bus going to Uttarkashi via Barkot; I got off at Barkot at 4:00PM. My plan was to go to Yamunotri next day after a night' s rest. Luckily I got a nice double-room at GMVN-Barkot, for Rs 300 per day. The Manager there was helpful; he explained how if I started early, I could make a day trip to Yamunotri and get back to stay the night at his GMVN.
****** End Har-Ki-Dun Trek ******
