The starting
29/07/2025 (Tuesday)
Chandanwari is a beautiful place in the lap of the Himalaya. It is an elevated point up to where we can reach by a four-wheeler. Surrounded by peaks of snow almost all months except summer, it appears to be a favourite place for those who like nature and its serenity. En route to Chandanwari we can also see the beautiful Betaab Valley (where the Bollywood movie Betaab was filmed).
We all reached around 5.40 am or so at Chandanwari. The entry point had every preparation for crowd control. Steel barricades restricted the direct movements. Under a well-designed tin shed, the yatris had to report and complete the required checks.
After completing the entry check, we all rushed towards the Bhandaras to eat something. All Bhandaras were ready to offer hot food and tea to yatris.
After finishing breakfast, with great excitement we started our first phase of the trek. Our goal was to reach Sheshnag (15 km) before 2 pm or so. In the meantime, we got a Pittu named Gurcharan Singh who agreed to carry our bags (a total of three bags weighing around 20 kg) for Rs. 1000. He requested Rs. 200 extra, and I agreed instantly to his request.
En route we had to cover two high-altitude points. The first point was Pissu Top (11800 feet). Our movement was not easy. Sanghamitra was slow. Seeing the enthusiasm of other yatris, our co-pilgrim from Bengal (Durgacharan Mall and his wife) slowly started moving ahead. Mr Das works at a college in Durgapur, and his wife is a nurse there.
We moved towards Pissutop. We could see the shepherd's sheds on distant slopes along the route.
A group of young students (may be from Delhi/Haryana) moved with a portable speaker on their walking stick and was ahead of us. Later we found a group of old-aged pilgrims from Rajasthan resting in a point. One of the ladies started singing a folk song, and it was echoed by others.
After Pissu Top, the next point was Zajibal. From Pissutop to Zajibal, it was somewhat better. After taking a short break in a Bhandara at Zajibal, we proceeded to Sheshnag.
The final lap of walk was towards Sheshnag for the day. We all were exhausted. I had a backpack (around 3 to 4 kgs) and a small handbag that contained two mobile phones and wallets.
We could see the lake Sheshnag at the distance. While reaching near, we saw the stretch is long, and we have to walk almost one plus km. The clouds hinted rain at any time. Sanghamitra was weak and tired. Before we reached Sheshnag, the rain started pouring. We got shelter in a Bhandara. We had some food there and waited for the rain to be over.
Once the rain was over, we found the base camp was further ahead by a km or so. After reaching Sheshnag, I also felt a headache and tiredness. Sanghamitra and Mrs Mall found a tent for rest and overnight stay. The charge was Rs. 2000 after a fair negotiation.
As the raindrops continued, we stayed inside the tent only. The clouds, showers and cold weather brought a disappointing evening. All yatris took shelter at various tents at Sheshnag, as no one was allowed to continue the Yatra after 2 pm from Sheshnag, as the weather may take a different turn.
We got into an old tent. After removing shoes, we rested for some time. Four people in a tent. The charges were Rs. 500 per person. There were blankets kept in a corner. We used three or four blankets to form a mattress.
There was no electricity, and the tent owner told us that electricity would be available at 7 pm.
The evening appeared to be dull, as we all were tired. Sanghamitra was badly tired, and she fell asleep quickly. There were some announcements on using tents, cautioning yatris to stay inside, as the temperature may further dip and it might lead to ill health.
With limited light, less oxygen at high altitude, and under a tent which might have been used by several hundred before us...
