Burans, Bugiyals and Bhotias - A Trip to Chopta and Tungnath
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| Burans blooms at Chopta |
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| Burans blooms in countless shades of red and pink |
Carmine, coral, crimson, pink, mauve, scarlet… yes the
human eye can distinguish ten million colours. But it was my mind that was
boggling at the countless shades of 'burans' (rhododendron) blooms that covered the steep
mountainsides. I was dizzy and light-headed, drunk on the sheer beauty of nature…
Deep blue skies with powder-puff clouds, verdant green 'bugiyals' (high-altitude meadows), lofty mountains
topped with pristine snow… and then there were the 'burans' trees, huddled
cozily on the slopes and weighed down with flowers in every possible shade of
red, pink and mauve. The sensory overload was extreme and being at a height of 12,000
feet above sea level added to the stupor. But wait… let us rewind a bit to the
beginning of the journey that brought us to this piece of heaven on earth.
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| Starting off |
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| On the road near Shivpuri |
The KDMIPE Campus at Dehradun, which is usually peopled with
serious looking ONCGians, was abuzz with excitement at six in the morning of 19
th
April 2013. 25 families of ONGCians in 20 cars were all set for the ONGCHA (ONGC Himalayan
Association) Car Rally to Chopta in the Chamoli district of Uttarakhand. With a
distance of 255 kilometers to be covered, all of us were rearing to leave as
soon as possible. As the yellow flag waved us off, our green Ford Figo along
with the other cars purred out of the campus gates. The yellow stickers on
the windscreens identified the rally cars and the convoy snaked through the
forests of Lachhiwala, Dhalwala and then touched NH 58 at Rishikesh. The highway
followed the sinuous curves of the Ganga and we could see its blue-green waters
and the colourful rafting camps on the silvery beaches.
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| 'Alu-parathas' at Teen dhara |
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| 'Dhabas' at Teendhara |
After Kaudiyala, the road parted with the Ganga for a while
and rose steadily up till we were on top of the ridge and could see range after
purple range of the lesser Himalayas. Breakfast at Teendhara, 60 km from
Rishikesh, was a leisurely affair, with yummy 'aalu parathas' and 'dahi', washed
down with hot, sweet tea. 10 kilometers ahead, Devprayag was teeming with
colourful pilgrims offering prayers at the confluence of the Bhagirathi and
Alaknanda which merged to form the Ganga.
It was nearing lunch-time and our group decided that we’d
stop for lunch somewhere after Rudraprayag. But as the 'yatra' season had not yet
started, most of the 'dhaba's we came across were closed. Finally we found a
delightful GMVN hotel at Chandrapuri, 25 km from Rudraprayag by the banks of
the Mandakini. While the staff was busy preparing fresh dal-chawal and sabzi
for our group, we sat by the river side and the kids, delighted to be out of the
car, splashed about in the cool waters of the river.
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| GMVN at Chandrapuri |
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| A Crested kingfisher at Chandrapuri |
Lunch over, we hit the
road again which followed the Mandakini flowing gracefully through a lovely
valley peppered with white 'kachnar' blooms. 15 kilometres further at Kund, the
road bifurcated – the one along the river leading to Gaurikund and thence
Kedarnath and the other ascending up the mountains towards Ukhimath.
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| Road washed away by heavy rains |
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| On the dusty alternative route |
Heavy
rains in 2012 had washed away a kilometer long stretch of the road a little before
Ukhimath and we had to traverse a roughly hewn, dusty track, clinging
precariously to the steep mountainside, which formed the alternative route.
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| Road after Ukhimath |
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| Through the forest |
Once
past this bumpy and dusty stretch, our tired eyes beheld a vista of emerald terraced
fields interspersed with quaint village houses and the
towering massif of the Chandrashilla at the head of the valley. The kids,
excited to see snow on the peaks ahead, stuck their heads out of the windows
and took in long breaths of the pristine mountain air. Soon the fields gave way
to forests and the golden evening sun filtering through the trees lent the
scene a surreal touch. Blood-red rhododendron petals carpeted the road in
places and we felt that we were being lovingly welcomed by Mother Nature.
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| Villages along the way |
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| The sign for Magpie Resorts |
22 kilometers after Ukhimath we came to a solitary board in
the middle of the jungle proclaiming that the Magpie resort lay 200 metres off
the road. Rhea and I walked up to the resort to check if we were to be
accommodated there or at Mayadeep resorts, the two places where the group was
to be lodged. The paved track through the jungle opened onto a gently rolling
meadow, edged by a row of swiss-tents and towering, snow covered peaks
standing guard behind them. We were awestruck at the superb view and hoped
fervently that we’d be lodged here.
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| Magpie Resorts |
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| Mayadeep Resorts |
But the lists had already been prepared and
Dignata’s family and ours had been assigned a large, comfortable room at the
Mayadeep resort, which was half a kilometer ahead. A wide path led down to this
resort, which faced a small dell with a tiny stream flowing across and rocky
cliff-face topped with a thick jungle. As it was around 5:30 in the evening and
the sun had already hidden behind the mountains, the air was full of the
chirping of birds returning to their nests, preparing to roost for the night. I
was thrilled to spot a group of Yellow-billed blue magpies and a couple of
Eurasian jays apart from the raucous bunch of Large-billed crows. An ideal location for bird-watching!
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| Duggalbittha |
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| Our Maggi 'dhaba' |
After settling our stuff in the room, we trudged up to the
main road and had a round of tea and Maggi at a cozy little dhaba. Apart from
two resorts and a couple of makeshift dhabas lining the main road leading to
Chopta, Duggalbitta boasts of a PWD rest house. As we slurped the chilly-hot Maggi,
the velvet sky was soon dotted with thousands of twinkling stars… so numerous
that I could hardly distinguish the constellations that were so familiar to me
in the city. But the nippy wind prevented too long a session of star-gazing and
we hastily returned to our cozy room.
Soon dinner was announced and we all
gathered under the bellowing circular tent by the resort building for a simple
yet sumptuous meal. Rajeev, the team
leader briefed the members about the next day’s plan which was to drive to
Chopta at 8 the next morning and from there start the trek to Tungnath
shrine. Lights would soon be out (no
electricity… so the generator is switched on only from 7 to 9 in the evening)
and the day’s tiredness was making itself evident. Soon we all snuggled into
our cozy quilts and it wasn’t long before we all were walking in slumber land.
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| Verditer flycatcher |
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| A pair of Scarlet minivets |
Early next morning, Rajesh and I decided to do a spot of bird-watching before the others got up… and we didn’t have to venture out too far. The entire
area around the resort was abuzz with avian activity. Scarlet minivets,
Verditer flycatchers, Green-backed tits, Blackbirds were all frolicking in the
crisp mountain air. Though it was a little cloudy and we could not see the
perennial snow ranges, it seemed like a good day for trekking. Fortified with a
hearty breakfast of 'aalu-sabzi' and 'parathas', the group was soon ready the hit
the road and by 8:30, the convoy of ONGCHA rally cars was zipping up to Chopta.
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| Sheep grazing on the hillside |
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| A 'bhotia' with it's neck-band |
The 8 kilometer drive took us through a bucolic landscape of small meadows sprinkled
lavishly with sheep grazing serenely under the watchful eyes of shaggy 'bhotia' dogs. All of these hardy mountain dogs had spiked metal bands around their necks... a protection against leopards which attack the neck of their prey to bring them down.
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| Road to Chopta |
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| Start of the track to Tungnath |
As we parked our car at Chopta, our eyes opened in amazement at the
numerous 'burans' trees that were in full bloom all around us. The
entire mountainside was cloaked in a mantle of red and pink flowers and the
non-stop sound of camera clicks bore witness to the fact that all of us were
equally bewitched by this grand show of nature.
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| Trekking to Tungnath |
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| Along the way... |
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| 'Burans' blooms |
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| 'Burans' blooms |
The initial part of the 3
kilometer trek was through this flowery paradise and it seemed we were walking
in a Japanese painting… complete with blossoms and stone-flagged paths. The 'burans' trees soon gave way to rolling green 'bugiyals' with stupendous views of the
valley below and the peaks ahead. Small patches of snow now lined the path in
places and Rhea and Riyan were soon engrossed in a snow-ball fight along with
the other kids.
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| Near the 'bugiyals' |
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| The track to Tungnath |
A friendly 'bhotia', unanimously christened Jackie, assigned
himself as our group’s guide and trotted along with the kids, waiting patiently
whenever they stopped to catch their breaths. A solitary 'monal' with its iridescent
feathers glowing in the sunlight foraged placidly on the grassy slopes, oblivious to the mass of humanity trudging up
and down the path.
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| Meeting Jackie |
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| Taking a break with Jackie |
The sky suddenly darkened with clouds and, much to the kid’s
excitement, flurries of snow began floating down and settling on our hair and
clothes. We were now above the tree-line and though the tip of Chandrashilla
could be seen in the distance, there was still around a kilometer and a half of
steep ascent to Tungnath. Thankfully the weather cleared and by the time we
reached the temple, bright sunlight was bouncing off the snow that lay all
around us.
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| Trekking to Tungnath |
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| First view of Tungnath with Chandrashilla in the background |
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| Helping the kids over the slippery patches |
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| A pony at Tungnath |
Slipping and sliding on the snow-covered path we finally reached the
‘dwar’ to ring the massive brass bell, grateful for our safe climb. The
bright yellow door of the massive stone temple was sealed as the idol was still
at its winter abode in Mukunath and would be brought here in the first week of
May. The 2 kilometer path up to Chandrashilla (12,008 feet) was buried under a
thick layer of snow and so the sumitting of the peak was not possible… giving
us an excuse to return to this enchanting land another time.
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| At the 'dwar' of the temple |
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| Tungnath temple |
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| 'Burans' blooming all over the mountainside |
The walk down, though more punishing for the knees, was
easier on our lungs, giving us ample opportunities to soak in the lovely views.
At a small tea-stall with a picturesque view, approximately midway on the
route, we stopped for tea and the ubiquitous Maggi. Sitting by the path, with the
cool breeze ruffling our hair and the bright sun beaming benignly on us, I felt
rejuvenated and at peace. The crisp mountain air made visibility so good that
we could see fields and villages that were miles down in the valley. The lofty
peaks with their mantle of snow stood majestically behind and the rolling green
'bugiyals' lay invitingly below. Wanting to
savor this beauty a much as possible, we sipped our sweet teas slowly and tried
hard to delay our departure. But leave we had to, and as we trundled down the
path I felt sorely disinclined to return to the humdrum of city life.
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| 'Dhaba' midway down the track |
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| View on the way down |
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| Trekking down to Chopta |
We passed a ‘sadhu’ on his way up to the temple. With all
his earthly possessions on his back and a beatific smile on his face, he seemed
supremely content with life. Next we came across a group of locals, trudging up
the steep path, supporting enormous asbestos sheets on their heads. This
was in preparation for the ‘yatra’ season when hundreds of 'dhabas' and shacks
would mushroom along the trail to serve the multitude of pilgrims that visit
the Panch Kedars. Then came our only sighting of wildlife on this trip… a cute Large-eared
pika peeping shyly from it’s burrow in the embankment.
By 3 in the afternoon we reached Chopta and after a
refreshing cup of tea at one of the 'dhabas' along the main road, returned to
Mayadeep resort.
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| Volley ball match at Magpie Resorts |
A friendly volleyball match between the Mayadeep ONGCians and
Magpie ONGCians was organized in the evening in the sprawling meadow near the
Magpie resort. This was followed by some singing and dancing to local Garhwali
tunes. An early dinner was arranged by the helpful staff at Mayadeep Resort so
that we all could snuggle into our beds early.
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| Snow-capped peaks - view from Duggalbittha |
The morning dawned bright and clear offering us a stupendous
view of the Chaukhamba, Banderpoonch and Nanda Devi peaks. It had snowed in the
higher reaches during the night and we could see the Chandrashilla covered in a
fresh blanket of snow. After a sumptuous breakfast, we all piled into our cars
and soon the cars were snaking down towards Ukhimath.
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| Entrance to the Omkareshwar temple |
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| Omkareshwar temple at Ukhimath |
The Omkareshwar temple
at Ukhimath is the winter abode of the Kedarnath and Madhmaheshwara idols and
we stopped here to pay our obeisance. Next stop was at Tilwara, a few
kilometers before Rudraprayag for tea and Maggi and then we were back on the NH
58, winding along the Alaknanda.
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| On the way to Rudraprayag |
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| Jacaranda blooms at Rudraprayag |
At Kirtinagar we stopped for lunch at a
spanking new restaurant on the highway. Kaudiyala
was chosen for a tea break and by eight in the night we were back home in
Dehradun... a roundabout journey of over 500 kilometers!
Dehradun to Rishikesh – 46 km
Rishikesh to Devprayag – 71 km
Devprayag to Rudraprayag – 71 km
Rudraprayag to Chandrapuri – 42 km
Chandrapuri to Ukhimath – 18 km
Ukhimath to
Duggalbittha – 22 km
Duggalbittha to Chopta – 8 km
Chopta to Tungnath – 3 km trek (3 hours)
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