by GAURAV PUNJ
The sacrifice of Tethys
Once upon a time, a long, long time back, even before the dinosaurs roamed the earth and the earth itself didn’t look the way it does now, a small piece of land rebelled and left home to see what lay beyond the sea of Tethys.
200 million years ago
Indian subcontinent separating from Africa/Gondwana
It took her some time, but she was young and headstrong and kept at it. As she approached Tethys, she felt a pull, strong and irresistible, from Asia, and at that moment she knew that’s where she had to be. Love came into existence.
120 million years ago
India approaching Tethys sea
Tethys, who had been close to Asia since she had known time, and had always believed he was hers, now realized what was inevitable. It let India plough through her to meet Asia and form a bond, strong and inseparable. From this union of India and Asia, rose Himalaya, their son, the reincarnation of Tethys.
50 million years ago – Himalaya rising from the collision (Tethys completely disappears)
25 million years ago – greater Himalaya formed
As the bond between India and Asia grew, so did Himalaya. He had all the qualities of his mother and father: strong, grand and rebellious. But most of all, like Asia, he was compassionate. As cold winds blowing down from the north ravaged India, Himalaya rose and took it upon himself to stop them, ensuring India prospered and fulfilled her destiny.
7,00,000 years ago – Himalaya rose grander. Shivalik and Gangetic plains formed
Himalaya acts as a barrier for cold winds from the north
As India became the cradle for the new order on Earth, human civilization, Himalaya fed her with water from his snows and from the monsoon clouds that would have otherwise blown over and exhausted themselves. And it continues to protect her and feed her till today. Tethys’ sacrifice didn’t go in vain.
Himalaya stops the monsoon clouds from blowing over
5000 years ago – the Indus valley civilization
Even today, on the windswept heights of the Himalaya, if you look specifically for it, you will find fossils of the sea creatures that lived in Tethys millions of years ago. In fact, this was the conclusive proof of the theory of how Himalaya came into being.
Himalaya rises
Himalaya is the common link between Africa, the Indian subcontinent and Asia, and pretty much the whole of mankind (considering that originally all continents were part of one massive continent assembled around Africa). When it rose, it didn’t rise in its entirety (covering 2500 km in length and 400 km in breadth), it did so in parts. And so we have many independent and interlinked chains of mountains (^^^^^ is a chain of mountains), which vary in height, structure, age, pretty much everything. But they are all Himalaya, and Himalaya is not one of them. Okay, I’m not trying to be philosophical; I just mean to say that these chains of mountains are collectively called the Himalaya. A few years back, just to avoid this sort of confusion, these chains of mountains were classified into four categories – lower, middle, greater and trans-Himalaya – based on certain factors, the most important of which were height and age. The following is an easy way to remember these four categories:
Disclaimer – This is the most rudimentary description of what is essentially 10,00,000 sq km of the most varied terrain on earth. But this is what you can think of as the ‘starting point of getting to know the Himalaya’.
Okay, so I’m assuming we now have a decent enough background to revisit one of my earlier statements – drive a few hours further on from the ‘hill stations’, and you will be in the other Himalaya. You can now see that you will most likely be in a wooded valley with flower-filled meadows, old villages perhaps, fruit orchards for sure and invariably surrounded by high mountains on both sides. You have the choice to chill there: go for leisurely walks along the river, drive aimlessly from one village to another, pluck fruits, read a book while lying in a hammock. Or, you can choose to be adventurous and all and go for a section of white water rafting on the river, or an even more enjoyable activity – trekking. There are hundreds of paths that locals and shepherds have used for centuries – some easy, some not so – which will take you to meadows, glaciers and even over passes to the other side. In short, you are spoilt for choices, none of which were available to you earlier, and remember, you can do all this in relative solitude, exactly what you wanted from your holiday in the first place.
The high five
Let’s get a bit more specific now and talk about the Himalaya of this book – the Indian Himalaya. There are six countries through which the Himalaya passes – Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Tibet, Nepal and Bhutan. Within India, the Himalaya passes through five states – J&K, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh. However, this is more of a geo-political distinction and a better classification would be based on the unique regions within these states that the Himalaya passes through. Again, I think it’s easier to understand this through a chart:
Indian Himalayan States (the high five)
Regions of the other Himalaya
Some important places
Jammu & Kashmir
Kashmir valley
Srinagar, Pahalgam, Gulmarg, Sonmarg, Amarnath
Ladakh and Zanskar
Drass, Kargil, Padum, Suru valley, Leh, Nubra valley, Pangong Tso, Chang Thang
Himachal Pradesh
Kulu and Parvati valleys
Manali, Naggar, Kulu, Manikaran, Shoja
Chamba and Lahaul
Chamba, Bharmour, Keylong, Killar
Spiti and Kinnaur
Sarahan, Sangla valley, Kalpa, Pin valley, Kaza, Tabo
Uttarakhand
Western Garhwal
Rupin-Supin valleys, Mori, Yamunotri, Gangotri, Kedarnath
Nanda Devi and surroundings
Badrinath, Auli, Niti valley, Gwaldam, Bedni Bugyal, Munsiyari, Nanda Devi east
Eastern Kumaun
Pithoragarh, Binsar Darma, Byans and Chaudas valley
Sikkim
Darjeeling and West Sikkim
Darjeeling, Kalimpong, Singalila ridge, Pelling, Yuksom, Barsey, Kewzing
East and North Sikkim
Neora, Rumtek, Gangtok, Lachen, Lachung, Yumthang and Thopta
Arunachal Pradesh
West Arunachal
Bomdilla, Dirang, Tawang
East and Central Arunachal
Ziro, Kameng valley, Miao, Namdapha
Of course this doesn’t come close to classifying all the places in the Indian Himalaya, but it is a good starting point. I have focused more on the middle, greater and trans-Himalaya, hoping you already know about the lower hills.
By design or by default, most of the other Himalaya still exists in a state that can be described as ‘untouched’ and I really hope that from the following stories you are inspired enough to travel there (and travel responsibly). But one last thing I want to cover in this chapter is ‘trekking’ – the often misunderstood key to really enjoying the mountains.
Trekking 101
So what exactly is a trek? Does it involve climbing mountains, using ropes and other technical stuff? Is it for the hard-core adventurers and the really fit and young? There are as many myths surrounding trekking as there are f
or, let’s say, avoiding carbs at night. And in both cases the culprit is misinformation. Trekking is not a technical term so it doesn’t have a ‘definition’ as such, but for starters, you can think of it as ‘a glamorous name for walking’. Of course, walking in a setting so out of the ordinary that the whole experience is lifted to a different level altogether.
From the time people settled in the Himalayan valleys, they have been rearing animals. As the shepherds, the Gujjars, etc. went higher and further in search of pastures, they found meadows full of grass where their flock could graze for the entire summer months. The paths they took, or created, were from years and years of exploring and experience. The path would usually be the easiest way from point A to point B, always close to a water source, with ideal camping sites and minimum stream crossings. When you and I walk on those paths, it’s called a trek.
And why would we want to walk on those paths? Now this is a philosophical question and there are some ‘finding yourself and getting in touch with the person inside you’ type of answers to this. But to keep it simple, and believable, you should trek because it’s the best way to enjoy the Himalaya. Driving through the Himalaya has its own charm, yes, but walking through it does give you a unique perspective. I am, of course, biased towards trekking, but would very strongly urge you to try it once and find the best answer to this question yourself.
Who can trek? If you can walk, you can trek. Since the human body was designed for activity and walking is the most basic one, so is trekking. So, age, gender, fitness levels, medical conditions are no bar. It’s for everyone to enjoy and experience. As an aid, with a big ‘optional’ in front, you can look at the trek difficulty grade and choose accordingly.
Trek grades: There are no official or universally recognized grades for treks (it’s just not possible), but there are some basic guidelines based on which one can grade treks.
a)Distance walked daily – The average walking distance (better measured in time taken rather than actual kilometres) is of course the basic indicator of a trek grade.
b)Terrain or altitude change – In addition to the altitude at which you are walking, it’s the ascent and descent in a day (in other words – the sum of height gained and lost over a day) that is a better indicator of how tough the trek is.
c)Duration – The total number of days spent trekking becomes a crucial factor. Easy trekking days spread over many days can push the perceived degree of difficulty higher.
Based on these factors, the following is one way of grading treks:
Trek grade
Daily distance
Daily altitude change
Duration
Easy
< 4 hours
< 500m
2-3 days
Medium
< 6 hours
< 800m
3-5 days
Medium-hard
6-10 hours
800-1500m
More than 5 days
Note 1: These figures are all averages and are based on data from treks I have done, and are representative of beginner as well as intermediate trekkers.
Note 2: A medium-hard trek could have some days that are easy or of medium level, but the overall rating is based on all three factors mentioned.
The horse-shit treks
Just in case you’re thinking that the other ten per cent of tourists in the Himalaya are real explorers and want to see new and different places, especially go on new and less crowded treks, time for a reality check. Five or six treks in the Indian Himalaya pretty much bear the brunt of this misplaced enthu. So much so that at various points of time, each one of these has been referred to as the ‘horse-shit trek’. Hundreds of trekkers accompanied by hundreds of mules carrying their luggage (and sometimes the trekkers as well) trample daily on these trails. Now, I am naming some of them, but remember I have nothing against these treks, they are all superb. It’s just the steadfast refusal of trekkers and trekking agencies to look beyond.
Valley of flowers (Bhayundar valley) and Har-Ki-Dun in Garhwal
Pindari glacier in Kumaun
Beas Kund in Himachal
Padum-Darcha and Markha valley in Ladakh
Give them a break people, you will not miss out on anything if you go on other treks, in fact, you will only gain from the uncorrupted trails, people and scenery.
Note: Harish Kapadia’s upcoming book is a collection of treks he did in the Indian Himalaya, and there are 120 treks listed in there.
A typical trekking day: It really is a big mystery for every first-time trekker. I remember the first time I trekked, I was shocked at how different reality was from what I’d imagined. So here goes, a typical day on a trek, from my perspective of course:
The day starts very early, sometimes as early as 5 a.m., but usually by 6 a.m. The reason being the settled weather conditions in the first half of the day. You brush your teeth, answer nature’s call (amidst nature or in a dry pit toilet covered by a toilet tent but away from a water source) and get ready for a heavy breakfast of aloo parantha, toast with peanut butter and jam, eggs, cereal, milk, chai, coffee, etc. Stretch and start walking with your day pack. Porters and mules will carry the luggage and a guide will accompany you, describing the terrain through which you are passing. Everyone walks at his/her own pace and there is no hurry to finish the day’s walk in any specific time period. After a couple of hours, stop and have a portion of the packed lunch, probably a boiled potato, juice, egg and parantha or puri bhaji. You will also carry your own snacks – peanuts, dry fruit, chocolates, etc. The idea is to eat small meals throughout the walk. Finish the day’s walk by afternoon and do cool down stretches on reaching the campsite. The cook will prepare a hot meal or evening snacks of pakoras with tea, etc. depending on what time you finish. Chill for the rest of the day. Play cards or sleep or read as you please. The day is wrapped up by a heavy hot dinner by 7 p.m. After dinner, a round of gossip, games or songs and off to sleep by 9 p.m. latest.
Trek preparation: Can safely divide this into mental and physical conditioning.
Mental preparation: The most important characteristic required for trekking is a sound temperament. I would any day rate it higher than physical fitness. By its very nature, trekking is an unpredictable activity. You are at the mercy of nature and have to be prepared for everything: fickle weather (can be very sunny, then windy, then rainy and sunny again, all in less than thirty minutes) and pre-conceived notions. The thing to know (and understand) is that no matter how easy the trek grade, you are always going to be out of your comfort zone. Once you make peace with this, trust me, you will fall head over heels (figuratively only) for trekking.
Physical preparation: If it’s an easy or medium grade trek, basic fitness levels, that is, an ability to walk (and enjoy it) is all that you need. Of course if you are working out, running or any form of exercise, it will surely make trekking effortless and more enjoyable. For hard treks, it’s perhaps better to be prepared, especially by following a well-rounded training programme. This will usually be a mix of strength training, cardio-respiratory fitness and core strength and balancing.
And just before you get pakaoed from all the gyan, let me wrap up the chapter with the top five trekking quirks – remember, you read them here first:
1.Trekkers have wild mood swings. They cry, they sulk, they scream, they exult, they hug, they laugh like they have never laughed before, the whole jingbang. You can apply your own expertise in psychology to explain this but I think they are just overwhelmed.
2.Never listen to a returning trekker. They will massively ex
aggerate the difficulty of the trek and will directly/indirectly imply that while they have been able to finish it, you don’t stand a chance. They feel invincible and you are a mere mortal now.
3.When on a trek, existence is reduced to the bare basics, things that are essential but ignored in our daily lives. For example, it’s pretty common on a trek to have hour-long discussions (passionate ones, too) on the colour, consistency and smell of your potty. Arguments break out over who snores the most or people share their deepest secrets about how often they actually bathe, brush, etc. back home.
4.Men whine much more than women while trekking. Oh boy, I have put this in writing now, so no going back, bring on the anti-generalization brigade. But seriously, women are much more flexible in mind, much more adventurous, and believe it or not, much stronger.
5.If someone says they do eco-friendly trekking, slap them; okay, at least laugh to their face. Are you the type to litter while walking at home or outside on the streets or break rules for fun? If not, you won’t do that on a trek either, right? So why should someone else get the credit for your good habits. Trekking by default is an eco-friendly activity; you can only make it ‘non-eco’ by being inconsiderate.
