HARSIL: an off seasonal trip.

Harsil, a less explored place in Gangotri valley.

As I listened a lot about the place i decided to go a so called 7 lakes treks in Harsil and Dharali. In early march harsil receives no snow as usual but on the tops, snow can be find in abundance.

the day 1;

As we started journey from Delhi at 10 pm and reached Rishikesh till 4 pm. There are plenty of government buses for Uttarkashi as well as private minibuses and shared taxi. There is a bus leaving at 5 am but we missed this. Finally we got a private bus and leaved Rishikesh at 7 pm. Govt bus is better than private. Due to Chaar dham road construction we hardly managed to reach at 1pm to Uttarkashi. In off season it is the latest time when anybody can find share taxi to Harsil in season you can find shared taxis till 4pm. We got taxi to Harsil which is about 70 km far from Uttarkashi and finally we reached the destination at 4 pm. The village Harsil has not more about see. The Wilson banglow is the major attraction and the story about it is really fascinating.

Anyway we were tired, we started the place for tent pitching and decided to pitch tent on the bank of Ganga. Ganga is very beautiful here. At the upper reach of Ganges you can not find such beauty, deposition of sand and fragmentation of streams make her pretty stable and slow.

We hypnotized to see this form of Ganga. As we can not pitch tent everywhere because many factors work behind the pitching place of a tent like wind shelter, woods etc.

we moved with Ganga and found a Bhotia village which was uninhabited then because they are shepherds, in winters they descend to Rishikesh with their goats to prevent them from cold. There was only 2 or 3 persons left behind for watching the village. The village was full with apple orchards.

I have travelled a lot in Uttarakhand but I have not seen a Tibetan influenced culture specially in Garhwal region. this village was a tribal village who involved in Indo-Tibetan trade before 1962 via Nelong.

However we found a place to pitch tent which was not too scenic but having good wind shelter in bank of Ganges. We cook some massala oats and eat by hands as we forgot spoon. We boil some water and fill it in flasks and went for sleep. We got extremely tired and had a good sleep.

IN morning we woke up early and see an average hilly sunrise and march back to harsil village and have some bread omelette and started a trek to lakes o f Harsil. The route of lakes is very confusing and there are no any visible marking or indication and in winters there are a very few people so that one can ask them about route. So we stranded about 2 hrs and then we reach the place where the trek starts. This point is a apple orchard and there is a narrow gali to start the trek.

After trek around 3 hrs (5 km) we reached at the first and the most beautiful lake surrounded by a lot of snow and pines. it take us a lot of time to travel because hard snow on the path and path was hidden by snow at many places. this was a hypnotizing view the reflection of snow and pines in the water makes our efforts meaningful. we rest hare for one hrs and had some bread and peanut butter. we put our gears on there and decide to explore more and return hare at evening to camp. So we put the bags hare and leave the place.

the other lakes was not so significant as they are petty and shallow, at that time there are almost frozen and marshy. We could see only marshes instead of water and honestly this was pretty disappointing as the climb was too steep and we managed to climb via hills not by the created pathways because of a lot of snow. But at the second lake place was really beautiful.

It was like alpine valley with a pretty depression in midst surrounding by lofty peaks filled with snow and Bandarpoonch glacier. Now we decided to pitch tent here but it was a difficult task cause our stuffs was bellow 3-4 km and climb was about 60 degree via 2 hills and it was 4 pm. However we managed to go there and bring our bags.

The place we select was having a bamboo structure and metal sheets was scattered everywhere Ithik it was a summer pastoral ground of shepherds. We renovate the structure by metal sheets and made a cooking spot and bring a lot of water from nearest lake.

After arranging every thing the time passed till dusk. While accumulating fire woods for night we observed a very scary thing. Around the hut there there was a lot of tantrik rituals was performed. There was limes, deepaks decorated on a design, shrubs were marked with sindoor and haldi, bottles of wine, some dogmatic design on the earth and most scary there was a scythe type weapon with pretty sharp edge. It seems funny now but at that time it was very very scary. My friend even speculated that it was a plan of sacrifice to someone. He thought to go back but it had got some dark and we had worked a lot to renovate the place. So we take the scythe and decided to spend night here.

We set the big fire under the hut and pitch the tent also under it. As we have big fire we boil a lot of water and cooked oats with skimmed milk powder. The fire was big and soothing on the temperature about -2 or 3. The valley was looking like heaven like a fairytale.

But challenge was yet to face; pass the scary night with the lot of scary presumptions. We kill the fire at 9 pm and got in the tent with the weapon. There was a attack plan also; if anybody come, one person go out and talk and another one would prepare with weapon, by indication he will emerge like SPARTANS. How funny but it seemed realistic then. It was warmer than last night in the tent although outside temp was far lesser but we got advantages of a shelter and fire. At 12:30 in night suddenly a scream heared like a big animal cought a dog or fox, it seemed the vice was coming nearer . It was realy scary our heart was pumping very fast buri fatt gayi. The screaming continued about 10 minut but it feels like 1 hrs. After this event there was neither any hurdle occurred nor we woke up till 5 o clock. This was the only pleasant part of that scary night.

Early morning before sunrise we set fire and got some warmer and make coffiee with milk powder. After getting fresh we waited for sunrise and then the best time of the trip had come the golden mountains. Peaks continuously started growing red to golden. I think sunrise and sunset is the best part of a Himalayan trip.

We enjoyed the morning and danced. The day was pleasant so was the place but we ran out of food and had to descend towards Harsil village and have some cheap food as dal chawal and camp aside ganges.

The next day after enjoying the sunrise at ganges we took a shared taxi towards Uttarkashi and then a bus to Haridwar. we managed to reach at 8 o clock. At haridwar we drunk a lot of Rum because we don't drink while trek.

Hence our beautiful journey was finished. It was the one of the most memorable trip of my life. Thanks to season off there are no other tourists in the valley. It feel really fortunate when you found Himalayas so lonely that's why I prefer to travel in off seasons, although it deprives me to get the climax of the place but the solitude I use to find in off seasons is greatest for me. And a major thing: THE JOURNEY COSTED US ONLY 4500 FOR TWO.

AND THING TO REMEMBRE THERE ARE NOT SEVEN LAKES IT IS JUST 4 TO 5.

O solitude, if I must with thee dwell.