рд╕рдкрдиреЛрдВ рдХрд╛ рд╢рд╣рд░ рд╢рд┐рдорд▓рд╛

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рдЙрдореНрдореАрдж рд╣реИ рдЗрд╕ рд╢реНрд░рдВрдЦрд▓рд╛ рдХреА рдкрд┐рдЫрд▓реА рдкреЛрд╕реНрдЯ рдЖрдк рдХреА рдЙрдореНрдореАрджреЛрдВ рдкрд░ рдЦрд░реА рдЙрддрд░реА рд╣реЛрдЧреА. рдЪрд▓рд┐рдпреЗ рдЕрдм рдЖрдЧреЗ рдмрдврддреЗ рд╣реИрдВ……. рдЬрдм рд╣рдо рд▓реЛрдЧ рдЗрд╕ рдЯреВрд░…

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Khecheopalri – The Holy Lake of West Sikkim

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Siliguri to Pelling in West Sikkim is 131 kms and takes approximately 3 hours for straight drive. Needless to mention that the drive is subjected to imponderables like traffic snarl, road repairs and broadening work, tea and meal breaks. As such it is safe to plan approx 4 hours for the drive. Pelling to Khecheopalri is 32 kms and takes about an hourтАШs drive along a graveled road. As usual the condition of road from Siliguri to the lake can best be described as тАЬthe good, the bad and the uglyтАЭ. Last year at a chance meeting a MLA from Jorthang told me that this West Sikkim road is being turned into a four lane highway, insallah.

Road from Siliguri to Sevoke is a smooth broad 2 lane highway (NH 31) that knifes through the neat sevoke Military Cantonment and Sevoke Forest. From Sevoke Bazaar to Coronation Bridge (3 kms) is another smooth, well carpeted road snaking along he mountain curves runing almost parallel to Teesta River. This road is adorned with good highway signs; however, unfortunately this stretch is marred by delays due to railway gate blockage and heavy traffic from/to North East, Dooars, Sikkim and Kalimpong. From Coronation Bridge to Teesta Bridge near Teesta bazar (37km) NH 31is forever in the making and subject to traffic jams & delays caused by repairs and expansion; as such, it can be dusty and slushy depending on the season.

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Ghumakkar Digest – June 2014

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I have talked about my love for winters quite a lot. And it is no secret that I hate summers. But this post isn’t about how bad summers are. No, sir! It is in fact about the little blessings of summers, and when I think about it, it wasn’t so difficult to come up with the list. I only had to ask myself “what is it about summers that I don’t detest?”, and the answers poured like a soothing monsoon upon the sun-dried earth.

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рдХрд╛рд▓рдХрд╛-рд╢рд┐рдорд▓рд╛ рдкрд░реНрд╡рддреАрдп рд░реЗрд▓ – рдПрдХ рдЕрджреНрднреБрдд рд╕реЮрд░

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рдШреБрдордХреНрдХреЬреА рдХреА рд╢реБрд░реБрдЖрдд рддреЛ рд╣рдордиреЗ рдзрд╛рд░реНрдорд┐рдХ рдпрд╛рддреНрд░рд╛рдУрдВ рд╕реЗ рд╣реА рдХреА рдереА, рд▓реЗрдХрд┐рди рдЬрдм рд╕реЗ рдШреБрдордХреНрдХреЬ рддрдерд╛ рдЕрдиреНрдп рд╡реЗрдм рд╕рд╛рдИрдЯреЛрдВ рдкрд░ рдпрд╛рддреНрд░рд╛ рд╡рд░реНрдгрди рдкрдврдиреЗ рдХрд╛…

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To 13800 ft and back on foot – Sar Pass – I

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The Sar Pass Trek itself is for 11 days with 3 days at base camp, 4 days climbing and 3 days descending and breaking on the last day. It costs around Rs. 3000/- per head including accommodation in tents at all base camps, Rucksack, Sleeping Bags and food for the entire 11 days (Vegetarian). Participation is very heavy averaging about 55-60 per group at the rate of one group per day for 30 days.

So, I duly made my bookings got the necessary permissions from the Office and patiently waited for D Day. In the mean time preparations were on in full swing тАУ medicines, winter wear, rain wear and most important – Shoes. I did so much research on shoes to wear тАУ Hi Tec, Action, Bata Hunters, Merrel, Woodlands тАУ There were so many brands and so many recommendations on so many websites. I finally zeroed in on Weinbrenner from Bata and I was not disappointed.

Kasol is located about 30 km from Bhunter which incidentally is the airport nearest to Kullu. Any of those numerous Volvo buses from Delhi to Manali will drop you at Bhunter. From there an hours ride to Kasol which is just 5 kms before Manikaran. The camp is located just outside of Kasol with the Parvati river flowing right beside it. The camp is made entirely of tents. There are bout 18-20 tents for the participants, Ladies on one side and gents on the other, A big lounge tent, Reception tent, Kitchen tent and the Camp Directors and other camp staffs tent. The only permanent buildings are the toilets. Each tent is large enough to accommodate 14 individuals тАУ bit of a crush actually but the company is really good.

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Ride to Kibber

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ad astra per aspera
which literally means, “a rough road leads to the stars” and this pretty much came true for us when we started our ride from recong peo to tabo. recong peo was a let down. i am being honest in my criticism…it was a disappointing place and the only thing that was worth remembering is the sight of the mighty kinnr kailash. I am feeling blessed to have seen it.
post recong peo, we were heading towards Tabo. en route we stoppd at nako and we were simpy bowled over by the place… the place was so quite and peacful…
we had a sumptuou tibetan meal followed by a hot cup of tea. here we also fulfilled one of our long pending wishes- tieing prayer flags on our bikes..so each one of us picked up a prayer flag and tied it to our bikes. the old lady at the shop told us to write our names in the flag. we also met this vry nice kid by the name of Ajay who ofered to take us on a guided tour of the nako lake and the monastery..

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рдШреБрдордХреНрдХрдбрд╝ рдХреА рджрд┐рд▓реНрд▓реА : рдЧреБрд░реБрджреНрд╡рд╛рд░рд╛ рд╢реНрд░реА рдмрдВрдЧрд▓рд╛ рд╕рд╛рд╣рд┐рдм

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рднрд╡рди рдХреЗ рдмрд╛рд╣рд░ рдЖрдХрд░ рдкрдВрдХреНрддрд┐ рдореЗрдВ рд╣рд▓реБрд╡рд╛ рдХрд╛ рдкреНрд░рд╢рд╛рджрд╛ рд▓рд┐рдпрд╛. рдкреНрд░рд╛рдВрдЧрдг рдореЗрдВ рдХреБрдЫ рджреЗрд░ рд╢рд╛рдВрддрдЪрд┐рддреНрдд рд╣реЛрдХрд░ рдмреИрдареЗ рд░рд╣рдиреЗ рдХреЗ рдмрд╛рдж рдкреНрд░рд╢рд╛рджрд╛ рдЧреНрд░рд╣рдг рдХрд┐рдпрд╛. рдЧреБрд░реБрджреНрд╡рд╛рд░реЛрдВ рдореЗрдВ рдорд┐рд▓рдиреЗ рд╡рд╛рд▓реЗ рдкреНрд░рд╢рд╛рдж рд░реВрдкреА рд╣рд▓реБрд╡реЗ рдХреА рд╡рд┐рд╢реЗрд╖рддрд╛ рд╣реИ рдХрд┐ рдпрд╣ рд╢реБрджреНрдз рджреЗрд╢реА рдШреА рд╕реЗ рдмрдирд╛ рд╣реЛрддрд╛ рд╣реИ рдФрд░ рдкреВрд░реА рддрд░рд╣ рд╕реЗ рдШреА рдореЗрдВ рддрд░ рд╣реЛрддрд╛ рд╣реИ. рд╣рд╛рде рдореЗрдВ рдкреНрд░рд╢рд╛рджрд╛ рд▓реЗрдХрд░ рдЦрд╛рдиреЗ рдХреЗ рдмрд╛рдж рд╣рд╛рдереЛрдВ рдореЗрдВ рджреЗрд╢реА рдШреА рдХреА рд╕реБрдЧрдВрдз рдФрд░ рдЪрд┐рдХрдирд╛рд╣рдЯ рдмрд╛рдиреА рд░рд╣рддреА рд╣реИ рдФрд░ рд╕реНрд╡рд╛рдж рдХреА рддреЛ рдмрд╛рдд рд╣реА рдХреНрдпрд╛┬а‘рдЧреБрд░реБ-рдкреНрд░рд╕рд╛рдж’┬ардЬреЛ рд╣реИ. рдмрдЪреНрдЪреЛрдВ рдиреЗ рднреА рдкреНрд░рд╢рд╛рджрд╛ рдЧреНрд░рд╣рдг рдХрд┐рдпрд╛ рдФрд░ рдореЗрд░реА рдмрдбрд╝реА рдмреЗрдЯреА рднреВрдорд┐рдХрд╛ рдХреЛ рдЗрддрдирд╛ рдкрд╕рдВрдж рдЖрдпрд╛ рдХрд┐ рдкреНрд░рд╢рд╛рджрд╛ рдХреА рд▓рд┐рдП рджреЛрдмрд╛рд░рд╛ рд╕реЗ рд▓рд╛рдЗрди рдореЗрдВ рд▓рдЧ рдЧрдпреА. рдкреНрд░рд╢рд╛рджрд╛ рд╡рд┐рддрд░рдг рдХрд░рдиреЗ рд╡рд╛рд▓реЗ рднрдЧрддрдЬреА рдиреЗ рд╕рд░ рдкрд░ рд░реБрдорд╛рд▓рд╛ рди рд╣реЛрдиреЗ рдХреА рдХрд╛рд░рдг рдереЛрдбрд╝рд╛ рдбрд╛рдВрдЯрддреЗ рд╣реБрдП рдкреНрд░рд╢рд╛рджрд╛ рджреЗрдиреЗ рд╕реЗ рдордирд╛ рдХрд░ рджрд┐рдпрд╛ рдФрд░ рд╣рдо рджреВрд░ рд╕реЗ рджреГрд╢реНрдп рджреЗрдЦрддреЗ рд░рд╣реЗ.

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Solo Travel, Himachal Tribal Circuit тАУ Lahaul Valley

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During this stretch, a car had a flat tyre in the middle of a stream. The traffic had halted and the passengers of our bus, helped in changing the wheel. We started crawling forward, for being blocked once again by the same car, which was ahead of us. This time the car got stuck in a stream having big boulders. Again the passengers and staff of the bus came to the rescue of the car. Stones were planted strategically in front of the car tyres to provide some friction and the car was literally lifted out of the stream by the passengers.
We descended to the valley at Batal and from there we moved in the valley, literally on the river bed up to Chatru, which was our mid-day meal stop. Trekkers going to Chandratal from Manali or Keylong can stay here overnight. Chatru was the smallest village I have seen in terms of population, with a population of just 20 people. In fact there are no houses here, just 3-4 eateries catering to needs of the entire spectrum of passengers.

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Exploring AP – Nagarjun – Suryalanka – Vijaywada

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My favorite, never take the route back which you take to reach a destination, thus maximizing the opportunity to explore and know more. There are so many places in AP to Visit, so it was a week long plan to make a trip. I had 3 days in spare and almost 700-800km or budget based on my car’s milage. We were longing for Suryalanka beach from long, its the nearest beach from Hyderabad, not much advised in summer but still a beach is my attraction. We listed down, bora caves, bellum caves, warrangal, vijaywada, srisailam, nagarjun sagar, suryalanka, vishakhapatnam and many more. Finally, friday afternoon I decided for Srisailam, a piligrimage with just 200 odd km away from my home in Hyderabad. So, I texted my wife and my brother in law (he was on a short visit to our place) that pack your bags we are going to “Suryalanka”… that was an inadvertent mistake. Which I did not realize until I reached home from office. I was surprised to know that my family was apparently happy to know that we are going ot Suryalanka. I spoiled their excitement admitting the mistake.

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Solo Travel, Himachal Tribal Circuit тАУ Spiti Valley

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Next morning brought a very pleasant surprise. In the morning, I was having tea in the hotel balcony, clicking pictures of the serenity of Spiti valley. One youngster arrived in the compound of the hotel on a bike. It took me a while to recognize that he was one of the two boys from Mumbai whom I had met three days ago at the time of land slide traffic hold up near Karcham. Thus far, I was thinking that the bikers must have turned back from Nako village, where the road was totally destroyed. I was curious to know, how they had crossed that stretch. He [Alok} informed me that when they reached Nako village, being a Sunday, there was no BRO labor at Nako. So, they took a night halt in Nako village and next morning, with the help of BRO labor, they lifted their bikes across the steel girder. Hats off to these adventurous souls.

In Kaza also, I had to hire a car for visiting Key monastery and Kibber village [highest altitude village in the world- accessible by road}. In these valleys, government buses to remote villages go in the evening and return early next morning. Thus, 4-5 hour trip by car would take two days by public transport. We went about 7 kms. on the highway towards Manali and then took a right turn uphill for Kye monastery. It is an old monastery some 15 kms. from Kaza and the uphill road is good. But this monastery is not considered as important as Tabo and Dhankar monasteries by the Buddhists. The monastery is in much better shape, compared to the Dhankar monastery.

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