RFI: dog on an expedition

nyraghu

A couple of years ago, I read, somewhere on the Web, an interesting report on a British mountaineering expedition to Garhwal. They wrote that as they were approaching the base camp, a dog followed them, and sort of joined the expedition. Finally, the dog too reached the summit. However, while descending it had trouble with footholds, and would wait until at least one person reached a point below, so that another person could pass the dog down to him. I found the account rather interesting.

I have been trying again to locate the document but am unable to. Unfortunately, I don't remember the details anymore --- not even the name of the mountain. I should have done the right thing then, bookmarked the URL, and downloaded the document, but I didn't. I am posting this on the chance that the experts here have heard of the story and can provide me some details.

Thanks in advance,
Raghu.

gobbledegeek

You don't want to take dogs with you in India. We have a leopard problem esp in Uttaranchal and North Maharashtra and dogs are sure to attract leopards to your tent. They will sniff out every little place on the way where your dog peed and discover your camp. Save that dog ... and yourself.

Regards

nyraghu

No, I don't even have a dog with me to take anywhere, leave alone to Garhwal! As I said, I just read the report somewhere, and, out of curiosity, have been looking for it again. Yet, thanks for the caution; I do appreciate the wisdom of it.

By the way, in one of his books, Harish Kapadia writes about an ITBP soldier, in Mahidanda near Uttarkashi, who found a leopard cub walking alone and took it away with him. Apparently, the mother leopard besieged the army camp for two days, roaring continuously, until the cub was returned to her. (Harish Kapadia, `Across Peaks and Passes in Garhwal Himalaya,' chapter 10, p. 134)

Raghu.

Sadanand Kamath

In some of our treks, we had the company of a dog which joined our group from a village enroute and continued to give company for the next two or three camps. A dog accampanied us from Ransi to Madhmaheshwar and left us at Ransi on our return in Sept'92. See picture below.

I guess, it is common to see village dogs joining the trekking groups and giving them company for one or two camps .

Sadanand

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__________________
Sirf ek kadam utha tha galat rahe shauk mein
Manzil tamam umr hame dhunti rahi.

[Just one wrong step on the way of the quest
My destination looked for me all life long]

nyraghu

Thanks for the anecdote, and for the picture. It must have been fun to have a dog accompany one over long stages --- although the problem of feeding it does arise, I guess. I have sometimes seen friendly sheepdogs, the ones called Bhotiya dogs, come to a camp of an evening, and wait around for tidbits.

Apparently, Bhotiya dogs can be very fierce, and small packs of them have been known to kill leopards. Corbett writes, in `The Man-eating Leopard of Rudraprayag,' "I have known two of them to kill a leopard ... A case is on record of one of those dogs having killed a man who was attempting to remove a pack from the camp it had been left to guard."

I was told that these dogs don't survive if taken to the plains, but recently I read that they are popular as guard-dogs in city homes. It must be depressing for these imposing animals, so used to roaming freely in the mountains, to be held captive in a small compound. There is an article, `How to buy a Bhutia pup?' describing the sale of these dogs at Chor Pani near Rishikesh by the Jadh people, who come there from Dunda near Uttarkashi. Another article at the same site discusses recent changes in the Jadh lifestyle.

Raghu.

gobbledegeek

Wow what a story! I had the opportunity to obeserve cats very closely and keenly from the many pet cats at home during childhood , esp one that littered every year. I've seen the whole cycle from "deliver-raise-wean away" over and over (including tomcats killing newborns like lions kill cubs), and I have a learnt to respect nature and motherhood more from them than from humans (completely disgusted on seeing many human moms and their kids ).

This story only confirms what I believe and know about cats - they are amongst natures finest accomplishments with really strong survival and mothering skills.

Thanks for the heart warming story.

Cheers

gobbledegeek

nice doggie! it is fun the way they decide we can be friends and tag along ...

We had a stray join us on a full moon trek to Torna near Pune once. He chickened ou near the top and we couldn't grab him to hoist him up. poor thing had to scramble down all alone in the night after a 3 hour uphill effort ... hungry and tired.

Regards

gobbledegeek

On the same note, it is indeed pathetic to see some humans raise German Sheperds and other bug dogs in tiny apartments. The owners are miserably unfit and never walk their dogs properly and give it any exercise. I know a lady in pune who keeps her precious persian cat in a small cage all day long .. because she thinks it is so precious... sometimes humans are the creatures most unfit to deserve the privilege of living in this world...

What do you think?

Nick-H

I have no doubt that we all think it is dreadful, but the moderators are not going to allow this thread to become a general chat on man's mistreatment of animals.

__________________
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Just one member of the IndiaMike Mod Team

nyraghu

Finally, I found the reference I was looking for, and am posting it here in case people are interested. The first result returned by a Google search for "garhwal dog site:thebmc.co.uk" points to the article `High and light in the Himalaya' by Stephen Venables and Ken Wilson, published on the British Mountaineering Council Web site on 3 August, 2002. The article says,

This was the article that I read long ago. The years are indeed telling on my memory --- the mountain is in Sikkim and not in Garhwal as I said, and the expedition was German and not British; the only saving grace is that the article does talk about Garhwal, and appears on a British mountaineering Web site.

A photograph of Siniolchu (6887m, 22595 ft) by Vittorio Sella appears on the front cover of the book `Summit: Vittorio Sella, Mountaineer and Photographer, The Years 1879-1909.' John Muir's book about his dog Stickeen, also mentioned in the article, is available at the Gutenberg Project. There is a photograph of W. A. B. Coolidge's dog Tschingel, the other dog mentioned in the article, at http://www.alpine-club.org.uk/photolibrary/album.html

Raghu.

travel joy

Interesting article..In my recent trek to Kedartal there was a dog(a small one) which accompanied us from Gangotri till the last camp.The snow fields, scree zones, nothing seemed to deter him. But while coming down, we didn't see it any more.Perhaps it gained some enlightenment in that pristine environment and decided to stay back.

Sadanand Kamath

It is said that among Pandavas, only Yudhister with his dog could complete the path to heaven (Swargarohini). So there is a history of dogs accompanying the trekking/mountaineering groups .

Sadanand

nyraghu

There is a nice article by Sonal Panse, an IM member, about the Tibetan mastiff, of which the Bhotiya sheepdog so commonly found in Garhwal is considered a sub-breed:

Sonal Panse, `The Tibetan Mastiff,' Buzzle.com, 23 February 2004, http://www.buzzle.com/editorials/2-21-2004-50839.asp

The article also provides interesting references.

Raghu.

sandeepbwn

On our recent trek to sandakphu we do also hv dogs accompaning us from one location to the other. Specially to mention two dogs accomapnied us from the Tonglu trekkers hut to all the way through the jungle to Gauribas. They immediately returned back towards Tonglu (thru Joubari) as soon as we reached Gauribas.

alokeban

@ Sandeep
u've forgot to write that one dog has accompanied us from Srikhola to Sepy jeep stand also.