Awe-inspiring Himalayas

Reporter Anasuya Kesavan was warned by a friend to 'expect the unexpected' before departing on a family trek to the Greater Himalayan ranges in the Indian state of Uttarakhand. The two-week trip called 'Chardham Yatra' (journey to four shrines) is the most sacred of all Hindu pilgrimages and has been undertaken by devotees and travellers for centuries. Her group included her father, Govinda Rao, now 76 - who made the same journey on foot in the early 1960s - mother Radha, banker husband Kesavan, and daughters, Sreedevi, 16, and Madhavi, five.

THE four major stops on our itinerary were Gangotri and Yamunotri, the sources of two of India's mighty and most revered rivers, Ganges and Yamuna, followed by Kedarnath and Badrinath, two of the holiest destinations dedicated to Hindu gods Shiva and Vishnu.

Located at oxygen-starved altitudes between 3,042 and 3,548 metres above sea level, the four destinations, inaccessible during cold weather, are only open between May and October. They are hypnotic in their rich natural beauty and can be treacherous during the monsoons, which generally abate by the end of August. However, this year, with excessive rains throughout the sub-continent, things were different.

The excitement and adventure of the entire visit included a test in perseverance and patience and respect for the forces beyond human control.

More than anything, the whole journey firmly established the might of nature and proved to be a humbling experience.

Our trip began on a sunny day in Delhi and weaved past the foothills of Himalayas in Haridwar and Rishikesh, where the Ganges first touches the plains. As we continued to Yamunotri, located at an altitude of approximately 3,235 metres, rain remained our constant companion.

While it cooled the weather and cleared occasionally to give a glimpse of the lofty snow peaks, it gave an extra energy to the water features that flowed all around us.

Enraptured by the beauty of the coniferous forests we were left spellbound by the intensity and power of the mighty Himalayan rivers that form the lifeline of north India. As the route snaked past it was amazing to witness the power of waterfalls falling mercilessly and forming streams on every other rock face.

The region is a botanist's paradise and I just wish my eyes were a camera recording every shade of green and blue I saw on the way.

The monsoons had a miraculous effect on the greenery and it was as though every bit of flora including wild grass had woken up and blossomed.

On the other hand we were left speechless by the havoc and destruction that water can cause on these impenetrable mountains.

We witnessed at every other curve a landslide or a rock fall that had been cleared away by the authorities to allow access for motorists.

By the fourth day we no longer complained, resigning ourselves to unexpected delays and surprises.

We spotted the wreckage of several vehicles, large and small, which had been abandoned after being hit by falling trees, or rocks, or whose drivers had lost control due to the conditions or having encountered an unexpected flow of water.

In these terrains such falls are disastrous and offer limited chances of survival.

On the first leg of our route we were delayed by the above examples as well as loaded apple trucks whose wheels had got stuck in the slushy mud alongside a huge trailer loaded with steel rods which had somehow managed to get a huge rock lodged between its wheels.

Reaching Yamunotri was probably the toughest part of the trek as we abandoned our vehicle to delicately step over rocks on a stretch that was once a road and rode uphill on slippery dung-covered narrow hillsides on mules for around 10km - all the while getting drenched to the bone by the incessant rain.

We took innumerable sharp U-turns, dodged jutting rocks dripping water and thorny outgrowths and tried not to look down while maintaining some kind of balance on the back of these unfamiliar animals.

Snow jackets, rain wear and expensive water-proof trekking shoes simply failed the 'keeping out the rain' test. Plates of Maggi, which we discovered was a hot favourite among travellers, and cups of tea kept us going.

On the way back a bigger surprise awaited us as we discovered three roads that forked over one another had all been washed away by a mudslide.

Dusk and a rain cloud forced us to slither down a mountain path by the side of a water stream.

We then had to take our shoes off and walk through the marginally-cleared mudslide, which was ankle deep in slushy water full of sharp stones and rocks.

I still do not know how all of us survived that evening.

A team of drivers manoeuvring heavy earth movers, the staff of the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) and the Indian Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) were our superheroes throughout the journey. They worked selflessly as we waited, guided us as we walked and helped all those on the journey along the trickiest of routes. A million thanks to them!

Nothing seemed sweeter than getting back to safety with a warm bed and a plate of hot food.

Getting to Gangotri was easier as the sun and luck shone on us and roads got cleared as we moved along.

We met mountaineers, army men, pilgrims and locals on our way. Most remarkable were the local Garhwali women who carried over 70kgs of grass on their back over several kilometres. They store it for feeding their cattle during the snow-covered winter months. Children also walk miles to reach their schools and we gave a silent salute to the people of this region whose life seems to be forever on the edge.

The powerful Bhagirathi River, which is called the Ganges after merging with several other tributaries, roars her way through and makes an impressive sight on the Surya Kund falls. We slept listening to the sounds of the river and felt totally at peace after an overnight stay at this splendid location.

Further landslides foiled our plans to trek 18 kms to Gaumukh, on the Gangotri Glacier. Nevertheless, we were full of hope and cheer as we moved on to Kedarnath.

This is the highest of the four peaks at 3,548 metres and requires a 14-km trek from the base. To save time and energy we went up on mules but walked all the way back to enjoy the sights and sounds of this majestic mountain and the elegant River Mandakini.

It is here we got a glimpse of the snow-covered Sumeru mountain peaks and visited the famous Triyuginarayan temple. Legends surround the undated Kedarnath temple believed to be more than 5,000 years old but we didn't have the time or energy to visit all the lakes and caves just a short distance away.

Our last destination was the Badrinath temple. We arrived on the 11th day of our journey. Nature reigned her head once again as we encountered bridges that had been recently washed away, smashed vehicles that had rolled down the hills and risky stretches of mountain road. We also witnessed the BRO dynamite a huge boulder that had rolled down to block a road on the previous night.

This is another scenic location next to the River Alaknanda with the towering Neelkanth peak in the background. The temple was founded in the eighth century by Adi Shankaracharya.

It was beautiful but we were all ready for home after spending 13 nights in tents, hotels and inns.

Despite the challenges of our journey I don't think I would have traded this experience for anything else. It took me and my family back to our roots and reminded us clearly of the superior power of nature that we so often take for granted.