Day 08
We had been sleeping in a typical ladkhi house made of sand and was freezing cold inside. We had a wood fired heater but the amount of wood available is scarce and porters go kms together in search of them to get us warmth. Their lives and the profession is indeed demanding and challenging. They had fired up the heater and was keeping the room warm for an hour or so. But, soon enough the warmth gave up to the super might Himalayan winds and temperatures were unbearable. The agony the pain the cold was more, as we rose in the morning things got easier as there was a full fledged kitchen fired up to cook for many camps around and the heat was restored to our bodies easily and after a long time we did have the luxury of a toilet finally! Things were better certainly but the temperatures were still dropping.
I come out and I see a few hikers going to a nearby village for the morning warm up
The sun was out, it was so soothing to finally see it shine bright
The clouds started the foul play and we did need to hurry up
This was the room where we slept, the heater was fired and we were in for breakfast, our teas and breads were kept on the heater to keep em warm
Every one was out and getting ready, few were still lined up try calling up a few numbers
Well, I have to say, this was the most scenic loo I have witnessed till date
We come back to the frozen water fall, we had gained quick pace to cover up the distances
The scenes were totally different and it never felt the same
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The water was half frozen and half flowy the scenes were completely different on the return leg
Yamzor trying to steal a few puffs while the rest of the group was catching us up
The other groups guide waving me off
The sun was almost down and we retired for the day
Also, remember there was a lady with the broken hand? There was a lot of calls made and few of them tried with the army if they could air lift her. But they did not barge, she was very brave and determined. It was really nice to see her spirits high even after the mishap. The lady along with a couple of other trek members and a porter moved at dawn and started the return leg. They wanted to reach the start point in 2 days and there was a vehicle there at end of 2nd day to pick them up. So, as to get her the required medical aid in leh city.
Day 09
So we start off yet again, I will save the cold bitten sourness and pains at the bay and start off with journey, as usual with the yummy breakfast! But 4 members and porter less our troop got smaller.
We were off, we were walking under the shadows of the magnificent mountains
there was sun right in front of us and we were chasing it, it took hours to finally get out out of the shadow of the mountains
There are all the forms of it out there
We covered a good ground and at a terrific pace. In ages we got time to relax at our camp, where we could bask in the sun for hours and get some leisure time for ourselves
The shadows are happy too
There was no stream of water here few days back (yes it is the same base where we had camped on the way the nerak) and now you see
Everyone just dumped their luggage, even the backpacks were demanding rest now
few carried on, to camp at a further distance
Well, the streams which did not exist few days back were plating around with the reflections of the mountains
Day 10
Well, the previous day was very relaxing and our bodies got a little room to stretch. By the way it was still cold, even though the previous day had sun, it meant more ice was melted and more water was available to freeze, added to it the temperatures dropped lower as the wind carried out the lower temperatures as the ice was melting!! (Confusing ain't it) This meant there will be a good chadar formed (Sheet of ice if you have forgotten it by now) and we could pick up the pace like the previous day and cover more ground.
We woke up to another sunshine and this could be the last day on chadar if we trek at good pace and there were 2 other groups who confirmed they will be reaching the starting point and had sent porters ahead of them to make a call and get the vehicles in by evening (Porters travel at speeds which are faster than the BSNL internet in India).
We came across this and the flow was a little lesser than prior
A little play around with the trapped bubbles
The surroundings were getting harsher
The chadar was very well formed and there was no fear of thin sheet of ice, we could have sprints and runs on these acres of lands, oops I mean river
After a while when I see this, a hilly fort like structure I realize we are close to the starting point, at the mid of first day we had reached here
We were exhausted and we were almost there, but it was a half day trek ahead, we decided to reach the starting point instead of camping mid way and have some leisure time at the start point