Trek to Bada Bhangal: Part 2: Bada Bhangal - Vitha Thapa - Dhardi village - Nayagraam Village // English Version

I meet you again for telling you the second part of our trek. It finally snowed too much on the second pass (what we already knew at the beginning of the trek) so we have to change our plan :(.  Instead of reaching Kalihuin Pass, we will go through a side valley, named Vitha Thapa, along a ''hunter'' pathwith lot of ''danger points'' and other strange thing of this kind. Some trekkers become grey, I've got a wide smile!

But before leaving Bada Banghal, I've to come back to my military duties and play the medic (even if it only is about leaking blisters out, it's nothing I know...). Evening full of ''Euhh, will it hurt?'', lightened only by my frontal torch, enjoying it as a 10 years old child!

Other interesting thing: Bada Bhangal products ''some stuff'' and villagers refuse to open an access road to protect this business :)

Waking up very early, because the day will be long and difficult. We will have to go through rocky area and some danger points. Mostyl all the group has never faced such conditions. So let's go for 14 km of walking in this rocky parade with my beloved mountain converse.

Steep slopes

Birbal

Birbal was one of our porter, who was like the camp's mumma. Always asking about my plate,about drinking weird alcohol (and going blue with other guides :) ) etc. Typical conversation:

- ''Matiu, you want more?'' (my plate is still full)

- ''After, after...'' I answer.

Other sentences: '' Matiu, ciapatti?'',  ''Matiu dissie (weird alcohol) ?? '', ''Matiou...''

Path in the cliffs

You say ugly?

After some hours of walk, we finally find a good and friendly place to stay: some flat area on the bottom of a small valley, tightened between two mountains. We meet a small shleter where local people stay at night.

The shelter

From this point, things are more difficult. The path is less and less well-drawn, the slopes are steeper and rocky parts more impressive and frequent. We actually go through a huge steep rocky slope. We feel the difference between Alps and Himalya, where everything is 15 times bigger, I let you imagine why some fellows were impressed.

We finally reach the camp. I discover that my shoes have just broken! Hurra! Everybody is happy, this day was very difficult. We will sleep under the starts, only protected by a kind of half cave. We only have few space, so we bring back the habit of our first night together.

Dharmpal, Ritesh and Sartek

Night full of aches... hopefully the forthcoming day will be short. We only have to go through the last ''dangers points'' and join Dhardi village, where we will spend the night.

Upper upper

The... ''path''

Rocks everywhere

We finally cross the last danger point. We will have to walk for 3 more hours until Dardi village, where we will be welcomed by a local family and find some ''civilised'' stuff (biscuits and candies :D). We also meet the hunting officer and his bodyguard (the hunting officer weighting close to 50 kg...), both totaly high. Bada Bhangal ''stuff'' seems to be well-consumed in the area :p . Dinner at our host house, quiet strange atmosphere, but nice although. Night as tight as usual in a very small hut.

Manish, Dharmpal and Sartek

Loose at poker? Bakchod?

We hear the rain on the roof all night long, the forthcoming day will be humid! We wake up under the clouds, rains has stopped. The colors of the landscape have changed, Brace yourself,winter is coming!

View direction Bada Bhangal

Yogindra is a dragon

It's the last walking day, only few hours trip. We will have to reach Nayagraam village, a magic village where you can find magical thins like chocolat! One the road we drink chaï in a small sheeper house.

Before Nayagraam village

We see the theoretical last bend, and... crac,hill syndrom! Or abyss syndrom, because this time we will have to walk to the bottom of a valley and come back at same level on the other hillside. We reach Nayagraam few time after this, rob all the chocolat, eat a few and then take the bus to Chamba, a small city. The road is like the path: goig trought the cliffs. But the driver is confident and travels fast.

Nayagraam, back to the ''civilisation''

At Chamba, we take à night bus. The driver was totally crazy, going very fast in huge bends, without braking. This night looks like a very long attraction in a big roller coaster, but not such good for sleeping...

Presentation for a religious fest at Chamba

Last day at Chandigar, we went to a big restaurant and eat as much as possible. Then 14h train, sleeping all the time, to go back to Kanpur.

Aaaaaaand it's gone!



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kH3sS3F77kk

Trek à Bada Bhangal: Part 2: Bada Bhangal - Vitha Thapa - Dhardi village - Nayagraam Village // Version Française

Je vous retrouve donc pour vous conter l'épic deuxième partie de notre trek. Comme il avait beaucoup neigé sur le deuxième col, il a fallu changer d'itinéraire :( . Mais bon, on le savait déjà au départ de notre trek... Donc au lieu de passer par Kalihuin Pass, on passera par une vallée latérale appelée Vitha Thapa, par un chemin ''de trappeur'' composé de plein de danger points et de trucs louches du genre. Certains indiens virent au gris, moi j'ai un grand sourire !

Mais avant de partir de Bada Bhangal, je dois reprendre mes mauvaises habitudes de soldat sanitaire et jouer au médecin (bon ok, il ne s'agit que de percer des cloques à quelques potes, c'est nul je sais). Donc soirée en ambiance médecin de cambrousse à la lueur de ma frontale et au rythme des ''Euhh, will it hurt?'', 'm'amuse comme un gamin de 10 ans!

Autre fait intéressant: Bada Bhangal est un village producteur de certains substances, raison pour laquelle les villageois refusent l’ouverture d'une route d'accès :)

On se lève de nouveau très tôt car la journée qui s'annonce sera longue et pénible. Il faudra traverser des zones totalement rocheuses (par là entendez de la progression sur rocher facile) et quelques ''danger points'', ce qui sera une première pour la quasi totalité du groupe. En route pour 14 km de défilé rocheux dans ces converses de montagne que j'affectionne tant.

Pentes raides, rivière au fond

Birbal

Birbal était l'un de nos 3 porteurs/guides, il faisait un peu office de ''maman de camp''. Toujours occupé à s'enquérir de l'état de mon assiette, à me proposer de boire des alcools louches (et accessoirement à se prendre des cuites avec un des autres guides :) ) etc. Exemple type de dialogue:

- ''Matiou, you want more?'' (alors que mon assiette est encore pleine)

- ''After, after...'' que répond-je.

Autres phrases types: '' Matiou, ciapatti?'',  ''Matiou dissie (alcool de chose) ?? '', ''Matiou...''

Chemin creusé dans la falaise

L'endroit est pas moche...

Après quelques heures de marche, on tombe finalement sur un petit havre de paix: un replat encaissé entre deux montagnes. Cerise sur le gâteau: on trouve un abri utilisé par les locaux pour passer la nuit.

L'abri

 Mais c'est à partir de là que les choses commencent à se corser. Le chemin devient de moins en moins bien tracé sur certaines parties, les pentes plus raides et les passages en rocher plus fréquents et plus impressionnants. En effet nous progresserons désormais au milieu d'une énorme pente bien raide. Rappelons que la principale caractéristique de l'Himalaya est que tout est 15 fois plus grand que dans les Alpes, je vous laisse imaginer pourquoi notre aventure du jour en impressionnera plus d'un.

Nous atteignons finalement l'endroit où nous passerons la nuit. A noter qu'au passage, j'éventre mes converses de montagne, celles-ci se transformant soudainement en GEOX (la chaussure qui respire... dans les deux sens!) Tout le monde est content, car la journée a été éreintante. Ce soir, activité spéciale, on dormira à la belle, protégés par un pan de falaise/demi grotte. La place faisant défaut, on reprend nos bonnes vieilles habitudes de notre première nuit. 

Dharmpal, Ritesh et Sartek

Nuit pleine de courbatures... heureusement la journée qui vient ne sera pas trop longue. Nous devons franchir les derniers ''danger point'' et rejoindre le village de Dhardi où nous passerons la nuit suivante.

Par en haut

Le... ''chemin''

Du caillou partout

On sort finalement des difficultés. Il ne nous reste que 3 heures de marche avant le village de Dhardi, où nous profiterons de l'hospitalité d'une famille de montagnards, ainsi que d'un retour à la civilisation (autrement dit ils ont des biscuits et des bonbons!). On croise également le ''garde-chasse'' et son bodyguard (le garde-chasse devant peser 50 kilos tout mouillé), les deux totalement déf', comme quoi la marchandise de Bada Bhangal s'exporte plutôt bien :p . Souper chez nos hôtes, ambiance un peu bizarre mais simpa quand même. Je vous laisse deviner l'espace qu'il y avait pour dormir dans la cabane (depuis le temps vous devriez être capable de trouver tout seul).

Manish, Dharmpal et Sartek

Perdu au poker? Bakchod?

Nuit bien au chaud, on entend la pluie, la journée de demain s'annonce plus humide que prévu!

Levés sous un ciel plus que couvert, toutefois la pluie s'est arrêtée. On voit qu'il a neigé en altitude et on est bien content de ne plus y être. La couleur du terrain a changé, la montagne arborant désormais ses couleurs d'automne.

Le matin, vue direction Bada Bhangal

Yogindra fait le dragon

Nous partons pour nos dernières heures de marche. Le but de la journée est le village de Nayagraam, un village féérique rempli d'échoppes vendant du chocolat. Sur la route on s'arrête prendre un chaï dans une petite maison où vit toute une famille.

Peu avant notre arrivée à Nayagraam village

On voit le théorique dernier virage avant l'arrivée, et crac syndrome de la bosse. Enfin cette fois syndrome du précipice plutôt: il faut encore descendre au fond de la vallée et remonter de l'autre coté. Finalement on arrive au village de Nayagraam. On dévalise toutes les échoppes (CHOCOLAT!), mange un coup et ensuite tout le monde dans le bus pour redescendre sur Chamba, une petite ville. La route est similaire au chemin de trappeur: à flan de falaise. Mais ça n'a pas l'air d’impressionner le chauffeur qui roule d'un bon train.

Nayagraam, retour à la ''civilisation''

A Chamba on prend un autre bus, de nuit celui-là. Ce qui explique certainement le fait qu'il roulait comme un malade sur des routes avec virage en épingle (sans freiner donc). Un beau mix entre le Silverstar et le Bluefire d'Europapark, mais pas top pour dormir...

Spectacle en l'honneur d'une fête religieuse à Chamba

Dernière journée à Chandigar, on se fait littéralement péter le bide et go pour 14h de dodo dans le train jusqu'à Kanpur.

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Spéciale dédicace à: mes converses de montagne

Portrait de chaussures

Converses de montagne: cagues à semelle, ayant pour seule utilité de ne pas marcher pieds nus dans les montagnes. La ''chaussure'' est composée de deux parties: la semelle, et un bout de toile sensé tenir le pied. Sauf que la semelle est en chewing gum fraîchement mâché et que la partie en toile ne maintient quasiment pas la cheville. Résultat, le faux pas est vivement déconseillé, tous les petits cailloux du chemin viennent vous titiller allègrement la voute plantaire et la semelle se désolidarise dès que vous commencez à faire le zouf dans les cailloux. Mais bon, je les aime quand même :) et elles m'ont couté 3 CHFr.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kH3sS3F77kk

Trek at Bada Bhangal: Part 1: Kothi Khor (2300m) - Thamsar Pass (4800m) - Bada Bhangal (3000m) // English version

//Good, nice, cute, pure English version below//

You thought to get ride of me, sending me in India for one year exchange??(Epic) Fail! I'm still alive and also have some stories to tell! Because you read this article in English I suppose this time we will speak about Himalaya instead of Alpes.


With the ''Sports and Adventure'' Club of IIT Kanpur, we went for a one week trek in Himachal Pradesh, near the Nepal border. We will face two pass, one at 4800m high and the other at 4200m high.

As all Indian story, it begins with a long long travel by train and then a long long travel by bus. Nothing so interesting, instead that I met my fellows for the first time. I'm the only ''Gora'' (white people), Bakchot!

In the bus

Ritesh

After a  too long journey on heveanly cahotic roads, we finally reach our departure place: Kohti Khor. From there, we follow the bottom of a valley until the shepherd's hamlet of Palachak. We onyl meet few local people that go down the valley with their caravan and some ''Elvis Presley''/punk goat with fancy hair styles.

Kothi Khor

Elvis is alive

At the villlage's entrance we meet... this:

Welcoming committee

 Call the animal protection! But after some discussion with the shepherds, they tell us that it isn't a strange ritual to avoid foreigners, but only a way to get ride of crows. They were too many so they killed one to make ''an example'' and use it as sarecrow... and it works! And when you know how a crow can spoil your whole dinner, you prefer if they stay far from your plate...

We spent the evening near the stream and the night in a small hut for travelling people. Altitude make some people crazy.

???

Ajeet

We spent the night squezzed one against another, as a recently married couple, we have to wake up earlyearly and walk in until our campment at 4200m high.

Shepherd awakening

First we go up in the valley, with nice views on the stream but small slopes. We crosse some waterfall, what amaze some of my fellows (I think because waterfall are very rare in Ganga plain)

Vue sur le fond de vallée, on vient de loin!

The ground becomes more and more steep. Clouds are coming on us, everything is withe. Only the path guide us, but suddenly we reach the first (and more or less only one) snows.

A porter explains to Himanshu the rest of the way

Crack on the snow

Lonely trekker ( and late! :p )

We finally reahc the camp. This time we will have to build the tent and put warm clothes. We can fill the lack of oxygen. I also meet some new friends when I rmove my ''mountain convers'', shoes bought only 2 dollars and shitty as hell (Some pamphlet about them will come later ).

Awake before the sunrise, departure at first sunlights. We have to reach the Thamsar Pass before noon to avoid being trapped by the bad weather. The slopes is at the steepest, the progress is hard and I'm know appreciate to get up at 5h30 everyday for one month to get conditionned.

The landscape is more and more rocky as we rise.

 We can see the summit! Only few more effort! Hourra, we are on the top, we're ont the top, we're... at 1h30 of the top. Probably one of the more beautiful hill syndrome of my life.

Hill syndrome: Syndrome found in mountain environnements, in which you thnk you will reach the top on the next hill but you discover with a non hidden joy that the top is one hill farther, higher, *******er that the one you just climb.

Hopefully, we can have some rest, fill our bottles and eat some aloo paratha near a small lake. We also meet a young sheep that the guide capture. He will take care of it until Bada Bhangal.

We rise 100 more meters in rocks and finally reach the Pass (the good one). Choked shouts of joy, difficult laughs, shortened dances of victory: yes, we are at 4800m, that beats.

Imanshu and Ajeet at top

Winners on the top (and an ice axe)

The wind chase us from the top and we begin a long and endless descent until the last camp before Bada Bhangal. Small walk on a glacier, some learn to ski, others to make sled (againt their will).

View on the  Pass (on the right ),still rocky

View on the camp

 I finally reach the camp. The height gave me some headache and I go to sleep. Some pills later, I'm going better and  finally join my fellows.

Other people are at the camp: whites! (a bunch of them). Nevertheless, after some problem with their guide (such an ass...), we won't have any contcat with them, even if they often star at me, probably asking themself what a white man is doing in the middle of all these indian boys.

The ''non meeting'' feels me quiet strange. The way the ''tourists'' where travelling in such a remote place (nothing to do with the Annapurna trek for exemple) surprise me. I was expecting to find some rough bearded man, closer to bear than human, wearing almost all their stuff by their own with only one or two porter, not people with small cutte 40 liters bags and 12 horses to wear their stuff. Moreover, we met two other trekking women (20L bags, 8 porters) that take a dangerous goat path just to avoid saying me ''hello'' :s. But I loove trekking women, stop running away from me! In conclusion, I was expecting to find something more ''warm'' in this kind of place and was quiet disappointed on this way.

Good dinner with my friends, good night and the next day small (but painful, because of the stony road and this ****y shoes) walk to Bada Bhangal. We camp near the village school, some play football with the kids, the chief speak with us.

I leave you in picture and see you soon for the second part of the trek, full of unforeseen, of sweat and great moments.

Evening

View on Shiva's (or Vishnu) homr on the right (snow)

Sameer,happy to carry his big backpack

Bada Bhangal in the bottom of the valley

Bada Bhangal

Village school

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// Good English version//

It was a nice trek!