With gear loaded into our packs, we headed up the mountain from McLeod Ganj, following our leader Aneil-ji. Over the course of 4 hours, we walked about 9km, at a seemingly brisk pace, though Aneilji’s wife and family soundly beat us to camp. Our time may have been lengthened by several stops for passing cows and the rain-turned-hail storm that caught several of us huddled under a tree, as well as a few chai and snack breaks – for the all important “chai-dration.” Arriving at camp, we were pleasantly surprised by our homey accommodation and the warming pasta, soup, and as always, chai. Surrounded by spectacular mountain views at 2800m high, plus a shifting flerd (herd/flock) of sheep and goats, several cows, and plenty of barking mountain dogs (plus Pup! – see pic), the Shiva group gathered for the “Walk the Circle” activity, ending in a discussion about perspective. Exhausted at the end of our long day, the girls readied our shared room, laying out our 4 sleeping bags across the bed, and climbing in, nearly all passing out even before our late dinner. We ate a delicious meal with a sweet hot chocolate ending (surprise! no chai!) before heading off to sleep. It should be noted that the boys (only two of them) did not fill up their bed, though our poor leaders slept on mats on the floor.
An experience we feel must be shared with you all, our dear friends and family, is that of the poop tent. It is what it sounds like. “Going to nature,” necessary in outdoor travel, is relatively straightforward, particularly in India where we are all beginning to master the “Indian squat,” but is complicated by the rocky terrain when wandering around in the night with headlamps. Unfortunately, one cannot just go to nature anywhere… hence the more protected poop tent.
Anyway. Everyone woke early on Tuesday morning, having gone to bed early despite the non-stop barking outside. We again packed our bags but moved only a little further up our mountainside to our next cabin, where we stored our packs for the day, taking only our considerably lighter day packs on our continuing hike. A much shorter distance than the previous day, we hiked 3km to the Snow Line Cafe, passing through boulder-scattered green fields, with an earlier stop at a shrine where we each received a tika on our foreheads for luck. Stopped in a small valley between impressive mountains (with visible snow patches), we had a snack and enjoyed some solo time and games before eating a packed vegetable biryani lunch (and of course chai), just in time for the rain to start. As the rain turned to hail, we stayed cozily tucked under several wool blankets inside the cafe tent and played Crazy 8s, Bang Bang, and Black Magic (and completed our first round of “Lover”) before quick naps, again leaving just as the rain stopped. We made it quickly back down to camp where we had more chai with biscuits and layered up to disperse across the mountainside for solo time to create our “Life Maps” (note that the beautiful sunset as well as another passing flerd were a tidbit distracting). After dinner we did another group activity, impossible to describe other than we gathered around a bowl of dark chocolate peanut m&ms under a clear starry sky, during which we were passed another round of chai. Again, we all fell asleep to barking dogs, though this night became more interesting when horses and donkeys swarmed camp, ending in two donkeys attempting to eat Lilia and Margaret’s tent in the early morning and Grant being summoned to save them (including a pajama-clad Grant kicking and then pelting rocks at a donkey’s ass – tehe).
People enjoyed some more solo time before eating a delayed banana pancake and porridge breakfast and heading back down the mountain to McLeod Ganj. Taking a different down than up (longer but less challenging), we walked for awhile along the the top of the mountain (see other pic) and then down over occasionally sliding rocks, stopping for lunch and fresh water refills. The last leg of our hike took us over the river streaming from a beautiful waterfall we had heard and seen long before (this involved tossing over our packs and jumping a boulder). Back at Daramkot, we left our borrowed gear with Aneil-ji, said our appreciations, and walked further down to find McLeod Ganj. REALLY tired, we showered and got our things ready to meet our host families – saved midway by Avy’s inspired idea to bring us sustenance in the form of hot samosas, energizing us just in time to part ways to our individual homestays.
Hi to everyone at our various hometowns in the States! Everyone here is adjusting and doing well!
Jake, Shayna, and Julia (plus hellos from the rest of the group)