Satopanth Tal Trekking

roy_supratim05

I took my digicam with me and nobody asked for it . Dilliwala is right, there is nothing mentioned in the notice at Mana or nobody checked me for any cameras.

So I think, just keep your camera inside your rucksack, and after crossing the bridge over the Saraswati river, you can start snapping. I don't feel any illegal activity in this, they by themselves don't care about cameras.

There is a quote by a famous writer that "Take nothing except photographs and leave nothing except footprints", so it is your right to carry camera .

About any other queries you can PM "Babuchand" - one of the forum members, they are starting on 26th from Kolkata, they are also going to cross the Alakananda river. They talked with Mannu ji (my guide for Satopanth in June 2008) and he assured them that it will not be a big problem.

Happy trekking.

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Supratim

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bhaskarghosh1965

Dilliwala,

After Mr. Sadanand now its you. I am really confused reg. carrying HandyCam or carry it and tuck it inside sleeping bag and move on.

Mr. Supratim,

Could you throw some light reg. photography beyond Mana. Whether there is some restrictions.

Bhaskar

Dilliwala

Bhaskar, I have made the local situation as clear as poss (as has Supratim) -

No ban on audio/visual recording-equipment posted publicly anywhere at Mana.

You're completely legal upto Vasudhara (certainly left bank, I'm not sure if this includes right-bank).

If you cross into an ILP-zone, in general an AVRE ban automatically kicks in. E.g. I've seen such a sign at the ITBP post at Gamshali (Niti valley).
But, NO SIGNS AT VASUDHARA VISIBLE ANYWHERE. NO POLICE CHECK-POINT AFTER MANA. In other words, a wholly anomalous situation here, the upshot being that people carry AVRE - to Vasudhara, and to ST.

If you want to be totally legal-legal, you cannot take any AVRE past the general vicinity of Mana once you're on the right bank.

Then there's your sleeping bag/rucksack.

bhaskarghosh1965

Thanks Dilliwala.

We think we have to use our sleeping bag. I have seen in another thread of Babuchand "Starting for Satopanth Tal" that the bridge to cross Mana has been swept away and Alakananda has to be crossed upstream. This is another bolt-from-the blue. Do you think after all this DM, Joshimath will issue permit for ST route ?

Bhaskar

Dilliwala

There's no reason to be refused permission becos of the missing bridge.
Btw, you have to apply to the SDM at Joshimath; the DM is at Gopeshwar.


P.S. It's only a small wooden footbridge, btw, nothing big.