India travelogue

Jeroen

I just finished working on my India travelogue, covering five months of travel from March to August 2004 from Delhi - most of Rajastan - Agra - Varanasi - Khajuraho - Ajanta - Orchha - Mumbai - Goa - Hampi - Mysore - Kodragu region - Kochin - backwaters - Periyar - Munnar - Delhi - Uttaranchal treks - Shimla - Spiti & Kinnaur valley - Leh - Ladakh trek - Nubra valley. It also contains some observations on aspects of Indian travel. I hope this helps some of you plan or relive your trip, it certainly entertained me immensely to travel about in India and jot it all down for friends, family and you View it at www.travelpod.com/members/jeroen.

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'To see the world in a grain of sand; and heaven in a wild flower; to hold infinity in the palm of your hand; and eternity in an hour'

leem

Jeroen, enjoyed your description of this area in your journal. I am heading there soon myself to do the Pindari glacier trek. I am hoping I may ask a couple of questions?

Is it possible to camp at Zero Point or stay in the "lodges" mentioned in the Lonely planet guide? Some of the literature suggests that Phurkiya is the last place to stay before the glacier, other that it is possible to stay just before Zero Point. We'll have tent, stove etc so can camp independently. What did you notice?

Is the Milam Glacier trek significantly different or longer to do? how would you compare or contrast them?

I have previously trekked in Uttaranchal and really like the forests and villages, so while I would like to see one of the glaciers, we intend to spend most time hanging out in the lower areas. Any village on one of the treks you would recommend for this?

thanks again for your journal.

leem

AvidTrekker

Jeroen... you have a very "understated humour" style which I enjoyed immensely!! Particularly the sections where you said "we were their only entertainment" and "they even wrote my father's first name diligently" and "they wanted to ensure that we did not invade China!!" ...... not your exact words... but you know what i am referring to !!

Here.. i went thru the motions and fished out your exact words!

Some of your words were a revelation to me.... showing that i am guilty of "taking things for granted". For example..

And something about not re-incarnating as a fish!!!

Thank you, Jeroen..... very nice, very entertaining!

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Jeroen

Hi Leem, glad you liked it. I have some notes on the Pindari and Milam treks that I'll post here when I find them in my rucksack (let me know if you're going soon)! In the meantime:

>Is it possible to camp at Zero Point
Yeah, at Pindari, at the northernmost point of the trek (where you stand on a ridge and see the glacier 200m away across a huge glacial ravine) there is a green field where a group was camping. Water is nearby, and it's 30 mins beyond the Pindari valley guru's house (he serves tea to hikers and likes to talk about religion and digital cameras!). The group we met there did a daytrek from the campsite to the top of the mountain to the right/east of it, 4200m I think.

>or stay in the "lodges" mentioned in the Lonely planet
I never use LP, but if they mean the KMVN resthauses, yes they're there for you, at about 50Rs/night a good deal. Thali is always available at smokey shacks nearby, and tastes great.

>Phurkiya is the last place to stay before the glacier
It's the last place with a resthouse.

>Is the Milam Glacier trek significantly different
I'd say yes. Milam....
- is harder to get to (much longer trip by jeep/bus)
- starts lower, ends just as high
- has some steeper paths and deeper ravines to fall in
- has less forest but more pretty wild tree-free areas
- has more locals wandering up and down as there are more villages + the military/border post traffic
- is more impressive
Some people don't like hiking in Uttaranchal as it is 'too much like Europe' but I had the best food and great company with the mountain dwellers up there, and it is beautiful. It's also very quiet - most people up there are locals, I only saw a handful of foreigners and Indian hikers. Also, the hash/Enfield crowd that hangs out in HP is completely absent.
I did Pindari first, then Milam, and I think that's the right order as Pindari is good for warming up and still is very worthwhile if you have the time.

>while I would like to see one of the glaciers
Pindari you only see from the distance (but still impressive), adn with an extra day hike you can reach the Kafni glacier where you can walk right up to it if you are mad (boulders coming down!). Also at Milam you can wal right up to it. Beware: glaciers from up close are not pretty - the last metres/kilometre is rubble-covered ice. You have to hike past this (tricky) to get to the blue/white classic stuff. At Milam, if you have a tent you can walk up from Milam village, take a track high to the right of the glacier and camp at a glacier lake a few hours up - supposed to be nice but I was hiking light.

>Any village on one of the treks you would recommend for this?
Martoli, on the upper Milam trek, wins! A semi-ruined place set high on a plateau in the middle of the 3500m valley... very beautiful. get up early and walk to the temple above the village to glimpse the Nanda Devi peaks... walk to the holy birch forest nearby to sit in the sun and sit in the sun and read (out of the wind) on one of the heather-covered terraces... bliss. In Martoli you can camp in any of the gardens of the ruined houses and eat at the 'Nanda Devi hotel', no problem. On the Pindari trek, Kathi is the only village, and is pretty nice - cute kids. 200m above the village there's a nice sort of basic logcabin (at only 100rs/night) that you can rent from the guys also running the private guesthouse in Kafni... it has a big grassy lawn so you might be allowed to camp there too.

happy hiking! Jeroen

Jeroen

Thanks Avid!

It got better - on my way down the ITBP asked if by any chance I had spotted three Bulgarian hikers that had registered on their way up and disappeared. I was pretty sure I saw or had heard about every foreigner in the Pindari valley, and said they weren't up there... consequently they ITBP people did not look happy as now they'd had to take some sort of action invol;ving moving around and not drinking chai all day.

AvidTrekker

I can guess the reason "Bulgaria invades China"!!! Now where does that place our "endless cups of tea" ITBP policemen

radz

Jeron Nice travalogue,good to get chance to read your views about India.
Thanks for sharing with us.

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leem

Thanks Jeroen and Avid Trekker for your useful information. You have helped a great deal.