Monsoon trek - Day 2

...continued from here

today was better...got up early - reached the base - started the trek. due to lack of time, we had to ditch one peak (Ratangad). We decided to trek through the pass and scale the other peak.

The pass was one of the most beautiful places I have ever been in my life. It was lush lush lush green all over. The entire valley was green with stream running from everywhere to everywhere. We walked down and up the slopes of the green hills. It was raining all the time and we were trekking right through the rain. I have lost the count of how many streams and springs we crossed - sometimes across, sometimes against and sometimes along the flow. At one place, when I looked around, I could count 15 waterfalls on the hills around me.!!! I was carrying 1.5 liters of water in my bag but I was drinking right off the spring. It tasted like heaven!!!

On a couple of instances, we had to get our trekking ropes out to cross rivers on foot. after every few kilometers, we came across a small village - and when I say small, I mean really really small. just 5-6 huts and that's it!!! We halted in such a temple in such village for the night. Even the temple was not a concrete structure - it was just 4 mud walls covered with a thatched roof.
Food supply with us was very very scarce. somehow that part of the plan went for a toss. We survived the entire day on cookies and chocolates. So at night, when the villages made some black tea for us, I felt it was the best tea I have ever tasted in my life. Then he cooked simple rice and dal (lentil curry) for 25 of us. We just couldn't thank him enough.

Again, we are way behind our schedule. We had to struggle with river crossing twice and that did cost us the summit. Now again change of plans. Tomorrow morning, we need to get up and move towards to the highway to find our way back to the train station. For us, it is pretty much the end of the trek - or maybe not :-)

to be continued...