Comments for Roopkund Trek article

ks_bluechip · Jul 21st, 2008, 00:16

Quote:

Originally Posted by kmalik

KS and SK -

Wonderful trip and trip report. Enjoying it vicariously reading your account. My wife was so impressed with the pictures you and earlier trekkers included, she has now prioritized on our to-do list

As I read your troubles with the glacier crossings and deep soft snow, I am wondering if it was loosely packed dry snow or slushy mixture of water and snow. If it were the former, either having snowshoes or creating make shift ones might have helped a great deal.

Trying to think back now ... I think it was kind of both

; but more of latter perhaps. SK will remember exactly. Will check out that wikipedia link you gave; it might be of use for my Jan-Feb snow-trek!

PS: Your snowshoe link is extremely useful! ... Thanks!

kmalik · Jul 21st, 2008, 00:23

Indeed it should help with the snow trek. The whole idea is that your weight is distributed over a significantly larger surface area - allowing the loosely packed snow to support your weight.

Do keep us posted on your snow trek plans, as our personal challenge is that we rarely visit India outside of winter and the trekking possibilities during that period are limited. So, always on the lookout for winter treks...

ks_bluechip · Jul 21st, 2008, 00:31

Quote:

Originally Posted by kmalik

Indeed it should help with the snow trek. The whole idea is that your weight is distributed over a significantly larger surface area - allowing the loosely packed snow to support your weight.

Do keep us posted on your snow trek plans, as our personal challenge is that we rarely visit India outside of winter and the trekking possibilities during that period are limited. So, always on the lookout for winter treks...

kmalik; Thanks .... your snowshoe link is very useful indeed! I am planning my first snow trek for Jan-Feb-09 in Dhakuri-Khati area. I have pre-booked Debu (my guide) for that

. He will call and let me know, when the snow is pretty good and thick! He said mid-Jan to mid-Feb, may be best time for that. Lets see.

Sadanand Kamath · Jul 21st, 2008, 12:36

Quote:

Originally Posted by kmalik

KS and SK -

Wonderful trip and trip report. Enjoying it vicariously reading your account. My wife was so impressed with the pictures you and earlier trekkers included, she has now prioritized on our to-do list

As I read your troubles with the glacier crossings and deep soft snow, I am wondering if it was loosely packed dry snow or slushy mixture of water and snow. If it were the former, either having snowshoes or creating make shift ones might have helped a great deal.

Thanks. I am glad that you liked the report.

It was more of a soft snow than the slushy one. It was only when our legs were sunk about knee-deep at the time of crossing first 3-4 glaciers, we could see the snow-water mix.

Later on I found that I could avoid sinking my feet in soft snow by walking faster than my normal pace. Probably, by adopting this strategy, I was not fully transferring my body weight on my legs.

Sadanand

somnath biswas · Jul 21st, 2008, 12:44

Thanks SK for the nicely portrayed description. I also want to know trekking upto Bedni from Wan is possible with my family. The greatest moment I enjoyed in your story is the commitment of the boy who came from Chandigarh to look after his old parents. In city, we sometime read story, that son after married, do not care for their old parent's well being. I have no opportuniry to look after them since I lost both of them in my early age.

To see those lovely and honest faces, we love to go to Himalaya

ks_bluechip · Jul 21st, 2008, 12:46

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sadanand Kamath

Pathar Nachauni - Kalu Vinayak Trek

.... For such trekking situations, I have been following a standard walking procedure. I reduce my pace of walking to one normal step per second and walk 30 to 40 steps before I stop to take a deep breathing exercise for one minute. I have found this strategy to be immense help to me in reducing breathlessness and fatigue. The slow walks also helps in better acclimatisation at higher altitude.

Oh! so that was that special walk you were doing on the climb up to Kalu Vinayak?! I had wanted to ask you about it, at that time, but forgot. Looked like Nazi Goose-Steps in Slow Motion to me

Sadanand Kamath · Jul 21st, 2008, 12:57

Quote:

Originally Posted by somnath biswas

.... I also want to know trekking upto Bedni from Wan is possible with my family...

Yes. Wan-Bedni Bugyal-Ali Bugyal is an easy trek. You can also hire ponies/horses in Wan for Bedni.

Sadanand

Shyamal Mukherjee · Jul 21st, 2008, 23:35

Sadanand Sir,
What a trip report!!!! Excellent information, depiction and what not!!! Your photographs are as I said earlier 'Asadharan'.
KSB Saab,
Yesterday I checked out all the photographs of the trek in your site. I do not know how to say any words about the appreciation. Still congratulations to both of you.
Both of you had been a constant source of courage, stamita and the judgement to each and every trekkers.
Shyamal

Sadanand Kamath · Jul 21st, 2008, 23:51

Shyamal,
Thanks for your compliments.

Now I am waiting as to when you graduate from 'trip' to 'trek'

.

Sadanand

Shyamal Mukherjee · Jul 22nd, 2008, 00:38

Sadanand Saab, Just to add something with both my hands in my ears--- You probably know the area of our office and the surroundings. We used to organize some local trekking with our crew members to the higher ups of Aravalli (Surrounded by river Chambal), carrying the raw material for preparation of food, some music players and some drinks. We used to leave our scooters/cars at a place, used to climb up, then down and finally used to settle at the bank of river. The so called trek used to be for max two to three hours one way. The return journey was really pathetic.
This we continued for some ten episodes. I know it is nothing as compared to the treks performed by you people which really needs planning, courage and will power.
I know I am just at the 1st standard of the definition ‘trek’ what you mean. In fact when I go through the blogs of real trekkers at IM I really wonder. And finally I can not think of two nearly sixty years aged persons doing Rupkund and considering one who had a major accident to fracture his leg bones few years back…… Nothing to say Sir, Hats off.
Shyamal

ks_bluechip · Jul 23rd, 2008, 11:00

Anybody interested in seeing the *Bulls-Fight* on the grand Bedni-Bugyal meadow, at 6:10PM on 18-June-2008?

Checkout that video on YouTube at:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-pRm4QTpcdY

PS: This happend in the evening when rain stopped and the sun came out a bit ... and so the *bulls* got excited.

Of course, Sadanand has more eloquently described that magical moment: "The porters/guides and other local shepherds also came out in the open to rejoice the occasion. Even horses seem to enjoy the sunny weather by galloping and running wildly from one end to the other end of the bugyal. In himalaya, fine weather brings enthusiasm, optimism and exuberance in everybody but incessant rains and snow conditions brings gloom, pessimism and inertia in the people."

Sadanand Kamath · Jul 25th, 2008, 08:46

Editor's Note:

This post has been promoted to the Article section. You can read it in it's entirety here:

Roopkund Trek Report by Sadanand Kamath

ks_bluechip · Jul 25th, 2008, 10:48

SK: again a good trip report.

To add some pictorial evidence to your story ... and to show how even the local Uttarakhand Ladies brave Shail-Samudra glacier treks, for supplementing house-hold income, I added two pictures to IM's members galleries.

Men's Group at Kalu Vinayak top

Women's Group at Kalu Vinayak top

In one, you can see me sitting with the male-group and over-hearing their casual talk of Shail-Samudra trips! The men while resting at Kalu Vinay were talking loudly, laughing and smoking Bidis (they gave me one to smoke too).

The Ladies were more quiet and praying at the Temple door. I was told that the Ladies have keener eye-sight and find the Kida-ghass more easily!

- KS

Sadanand Kamath · Jul 25th, 2008, 12:01

Quote:

Originally Posted by ks_bluechip

... The men while resting at Kalu Vinay were talking loudly, laughing and smoking Bidis (they gave me one to smoke too).

The Ladies were more quiet and praying at the Temple door. I was told that the Ladies have keener eye-sight and find the Kida-ghass more easily!

- KS

Yes I remembered. In fact when I asked them whether they were talking in Kumaoni-Garhwali mixed language, they said yes and stopped talking among themselves for a while perhaps thinking that I will understand what they spoke

.

I did not know that ladies have keener eye-sight to pick up the keedha gass

.

Sadanand

somnath biswas · Jul 25th, 2008, 12:37

Thanks KS and SK for your story and photo. I have three questions for you.

1. I read in a book that Swami Pranabanad made the shelter where you stayed at Baguabasa. He made that in the year 1965. The writer said that he again went there in the year 1971 and the condition of the shelter was in bad shape.

2. What is the charge of seat reservation from Wan to Debol, per head.

3. Can one take alcohol on this trip?.

Jul 23rd, 2008, 11:00	#71
ks_bluechip Maha Guru Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Mumbai, India Posts: 1,323	Bulls Fight at Bedni Bugyal on Roopkund trail, India Anybody interested in seeing the Bulls-Fight on the grand Bedni-Bugyal meadow, at 6:10PM on 18-June-2008? Checkout that video on YouTube at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-pRm4QTpcdY PS: This happend in the evening when rain stopped and the sun came out a bit ... and so the bulls got excited. Of course, Sadanand has more eloquently described that magical moment: "The porters/guides and other local shepherds also came out in the open to rejoice the occasion. Even horses seem to enjoy the sunny weather by galloping and running wildly from one end to the other end of the bugyal. In himalaya, fine weather brings enthusiasm, optimism and exuberance in everybody but incessant rains and snow conditions brings gloom, pessimism and inertia in the people." Last edited by ks_bluechip : Jul 23rd, 2008 at 11:11. Reason: added PS:

Jul 25th, 2008, 08:46	#72
Sadanand Kamath Maha Guru Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Mumbai, India Posts: 1,044	Roopkund Trek Report : Part-6 Editor's Note: This post has been promoted to the Article section. You can read it in it's entirety here: Roopkund Trek Report by Sadanand Kamath Last edited by nadreg : Aug 2nd, 2008 at 20:18. Reason: spellings, corrections.

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Jul 21st, 2008, 00:23	#62
kmalik Maha Guru Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Ohio Posts: 672	Indeed it should help with the snow trek. The whole idea is that your weight is distributed over a significantly larger surface area - allowing the loosely packed snow to support your weight. Do keep us posted on your snow trek plans, as our personal challenge is that we rarely visit India outside of winter and the trekking possibilities during that period are limited. So, always on the lookout for winter treks...

Jul 21st, 2008, 12:44	#65
somnath biswas Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: KOLKATA INDIA Posts: 388	Thanks SK for the nicely portrayed description. I also want to know trekking upto Bedni from Wan is possible with my family. The greatest moment I enjoyed in your story is the commitment of the boy who came from Chandigarh to look after his old parents. In city, we sometime read story, that son after married, do not care for their old parent's well being. I have no opportuniry to look after them since I lost both of them in my early age. To see those lovely and honest faces, we love to go to Himalaya

Jul 21st, 2008, 23:35	#68
Shyamal Mukherjee shyamal Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Rawatbhata, Rajasthan Posts: 311	Sadanand Sir, What a trip report!!!! Excellent information, depiction and what not!!! Your photographs are as I said earlier 'Asadharan'. KSB Saab, Yesterday I checked out all the photographs of the trek in your site. I do not know how to say any words about the appreciation. Still congratulations to both of you. Both of you had been a constant source of courage, stamita and the judgement to each and every trekkers. Shyamal

Jul 21st, 2008, 23:51	#69
Sadanand Kamath Maha Guru Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Mumbai, India Posts: 1,044	Shyamal, Thanks for your compliments. Now I am waiting as to when you graduate from 'trip' to 'trek' . Sadanand

Jul 22nd, 2008, 00:38	#70
Shyamal Mukherjee shyamal Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Rawatbhata, Rajasthan Posts: 311	Sadanand Saab, Just to add something with both my hands in my ears--- You probably know the area of our office and the surroundings. We used to organize some local trekking with our crew members to the higher ups of Aravalli (Surrounded by river Chambal), carrying the raw material for preparation of food, some music players and some drinks. We used to leave our scooters/cars at a place, used to climb up, then down and finally used to settle at the bank of river. The so called trek used to be for max two to three hours one way. The return journey was really pathetic. This we continued for some ten episodes. I know it is nothing as compared to the treks performed by you people which really needs planning, courage and will power. I know I am just at the 1st standard of the definition ‘trek’ what you mean. In fact when I go through the blogs of real trekkers at IM I really wonder. And finally I can not think of two nearly sixty years aged persons doing Rupkund and considering one who had a major accident to fracture his leg bones few years back…… Nothing to say Sir, Hats off. Shyamal

Jul 25th, 2008, 10:48	#73
ks_bluechip Maha Guru Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Mumbai, India Posts: 1,323	SK: again a good trip report. To add some pictorial evidence to your story ... and to show how even the local Uttarakhand Ladies brave Shail-Samudra glacier treks, for supplementing house-hold income, I added two pictures to IM's members galleries. Men's Group at Kalu Vinayak top Women's Group at Kalu Vinayak top In one, you can see me sitting with the male-group and over-hearing their casual talk of Shail-Samudra trips! The men while resting at Kalu Vinay were talking loudly, laughing and smoking Bidis (they gave me one to smoke too). The Ladies were more quiet and praying at the Temple door. I was told that the Ladies have keener eye-sight and find the Kida-ghass more easily! - KS

Jul 25th, 2008, 12:37	#75
somnath biswas Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: KOLKATA INDIA Posts: 388	Thanks KS and SK for your story and photo. I have three questions for you. 1. I read in a book that Swami Pranabanad made the shelter where you stayed at Baguabasa. He made that in the year 1965. The writer said that he again went there in the year 1971 and the condition of the shelter was in bad shape. 2. What is the charge of seat reservation from Wan to Debol, per head. 3. Can one take alcohol on this trip?.