Mysureans trek to Himalayas in a big way

Enthusiasts from Karnataka, especially from Mysuru, are often taking part in the trekking expeditions to the Himalayas, thanks to the city-based Tiger Adventure Foundation. Of the 17 youth who explored the Himalayas in Himachal Pradesh between July 21 to 31, 14 are from Karnataka and nine of them are from Mysuru.

“The green cover on the mountains mesmerises any soul. The clouds capture one’s imagination. It was a different experience trekking amidst clouds, sometimes giving contentment and jittery at moments, especially when I didn’t see my co-trekkers,” said Dr Dhanya Soodana Mohan, a pediatrician, who was on her first trekking expedition to the Himalayas.

Youths from Mysuru (9), Bengaluru (4), Kodagu (1), Madhya Pradesh (1), Gujarat (1) and Himachal Pradesh (1) explored the hazy paradise in Himachal Pradesh, amidst apprehensions in the minds of the parents, at a time when there were reports of falling stones and bad weather in Manali, said D S D Solanki, founder of the Foundation. He has led more than 50 expeditions to the Himalayas so far.

“The team left Mysuru on July 21 for Manali via Delhi and reported to Zenith Sarsai Base camp and acclimatised by going to a height of 1,000 feet to Roerich Art Gallery in Naggar town. The team started the trek from Zobru Nala or dam, amidst showers, and reached Chikka camp site. The next day, the trek to Balu ka Ghera was a challenge as one had to cross the nala or streams which are knee-deep to waist level. The temperature of the waters, gushing down the stream from melting glaciers could be measured up to minus degree Celsius. It used to freeze the blood, especially in the legs,” said Deeksha Janardhan of NIE.

“We had planned to summit on Mt Hampta Pass on July 26, but the rains deterred our plans and we had to stay back in Balu ka Ghera for an additional day and confined ourselves inside tents, playing some games. The rains were a blessing in disguise. When it stopped, the skies became clear and we could see the snowfall and also different mountain ranges like Indra Kila and Indrasen,” she said.

“On July 27, we left the Summit camp at 7 am for Mt Hampta Pass, amidst sunshine and showers. Sometimes, clouds surrounding us gave us a jittery feeling of losing the fellow trekker. It gave a sense of insecurity among fellow trekkers, but the organisers had the radio walkie talkie, covering from one end to the other. By the time we summit at 1 pm, it was a grueling 6-hour trek from the Balu ka ghera. The showers exposed the hot scorching, piercing heat,” said Palak Mehta.

“As we descended, we were in Spiti Valley and reached Shea Goru camp site near the Shea River. The beautiful landscapes and formations like Ganesha in gravel are visible from the camp site. Heart symbol, gate way to heaven and some imaginary formations in glaciers are worth watching from there,” said Kushal Shankar of NIE.

“On July 28, we started our descent to Chatru, which was another adventure of crisscrossing Shea River and streams. It was freezing, but, by this time, we had acclimatised to it. We reached the Base camp amidst heavy drizzle and rain. The bumpy ride in the SUV gave an insight of the ride on hilly region. Due to the rains, we could see waterfalls from as high as 80 feet. Milky waves were flowing down the stream to the River Chandra,” said Devendra Tiwari, deputy team leader, from Gwalior. The other team members were Yash Mehta, Yesha Rathod, Shaurya Pratap Singh, Vishal Kothari, Saloni Singhvi, Nellamakada Ria Bopanna, Sanjana Khanter, Paavana Srinivas, Harshavardhana, Vibha Prasad, and Rithu Jain.