Speechless!
Ok now that i am over my post-Himalaya-partum depression(..well almost!) maybe i can write about it a little. My trip was a 4 day affair wherein i visited 2 places, Binsar and Chaukauri. Binsar and Chaukauri are at approximately the same height of almost 2300 mts above sea level ( just as a frame of reference, Mt. Everest is at 8800 mts.), the only difference between the 2 places being that Chaukauri is 25km from Nanda Devi, the 4th highest peak in the world while Binsar is 35 km away. However, Binsar, which is situated in the midst of the Binsar wildlife sanctuary is atleast 4-5 degrees cooler then Chaukauri because of the heavy vegetation around the place.The whole area is blessed with a panoramic view of 400 km of the Himalayan mountain range with the major visible peaks being Nanda Devi, Trishul and the Panchachuli peaks. But, its tough to define the feeling when you see this majestic range standing right in front of you with awning acres of snow on them. The best season to go to this area is late October and early November where in the weather is the clearest and the mountains have a substantial ice cover.
Travelling through the region is restricted to taxis on primarily potholes masquerading as roads. However, what gives you the will to get through the drives are the awesome views that you come across while on these drives. The roads have been carved out of these mountain peaks and more often the not, one side of the road while be a steep rock face atleast 50 feet high covered with foliage. Its a sight that one has to see to believe. The sun's game of hide and seek with the plantlife is aided by these rock walls, with some regions of the road never ever seeing sunshine and being permanently covered by mist and fog as a result.
What hits you first when you reach Binsar is the desolation! There is hardly a human in sight for miles. The trails and paths of Binsar are a veritable treasure trove for nature lovers like myself with abundant birds and views to keep you engrossed for hours. This region also posses some quaint little houses which make our concrete laden monstrosities pale in comparison. Binsar also possess the highest view point in the entire Kumaon region which is called, quite ironically, Zero Point which situated at a height of 8000 feet above sea level. The 50 feet high iron tower situated here is not for the faint hearted but the views from it are simply fabulous. This is easily the best point in the entire region to catch the sunrise , the extremely low temperatures at the apex notwithstanding. The sunrise is the philosopher's gold of the mountains, no visit to the mountains being complete without it. Seeing the sky change its colors as the sun continues its dance behind the mountains is something that will remain with me forever. I tried to capture some of it on camera, but what i got was a fraction compared to the real thing. The 4:30 am trek for the sunrise view from Zero Point with Raju Guide(!!!) was made a whole lot more exciting by a scampering visit by a leopard(there are 16 of them in the Binsar region). It was too quick for me to capture on camera but i think if the leopard wants to remain incognito then the least i could do was to respect that. One of my afternoons, was spent with a cowherd who took me along a trail along with his 17 cows to a quaint temple by a brook and a field. No! I am not making this up. And at the end of this small excursion, all i had give him was a warm smile and a polite " Thank you". He parted ways by telling me how i seemed a little different from all the other city people he had seen cuz firstly, i had the courage to go up and down a trail which i obviously didnt know and secondly, because i wasnt drunk and abusive like the last bunch of city youths he had given directions to. I dont think my "apologies" for my ilk would have made a difference.
The nights in Binsar, brought with them darkness.....cuz there's no electricity in the entire region. I dont know why, but it also spread a blanket of tranquility which enveloped the resort, lulling the place to sleep by 8 pm. The night brought with it, the cold which penetrates to your very bones and makes any physical activity, other than chattering teeth, virtually impossible.
Chaukauri on the other hand presents you with plains full of lush fields wherein you can lie and gaze at the peaks. The place is full of all the modern amenities like cable and electricity so i wont talk about it much, but it does offer some wonderful treks which are worth considering.
In this post I am also providing a link to some of the photos that i took while in Binsar. My digicam conked out after 2 days and i had to subsist on film rolls after that so posting them would take some time, so for the time being i can only tempt you with some sunrises, some sunsets, a few clouds and a whole bunch of colors. The sunrise, wherein the sun's rays slowly bathe the peaks from head to toe, are also something that i have tried to capture, but its incomparable to the real scene.
The pics are located here .
Current Music : The Dark Aeons - Plan 9
posted by Nitish @ 3:42 AM
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