Munsiyari another jewel in the crown has a significant enough placement compare to other places of kumaon. The town hosts a firm reputation for bolstering tourism due to its captivating view of the himalayas range. You can cite a number of Himalayan wonders like Panchachuli , Nandadevi to name a few.
It does acts a stepping stone for mindful and solid treks across the himalayas.
One such captivating and cumulative adventure seems to be always awaiting ,somewhere or everywhere I must say in khalia top.
9 km before City the trek witnesses its first stepping stone. Any local would confirm the mighty presence some 8 to 9 km from the start to reach the vantage point.
The trek showcase different behaviours across the seasons while on summers you might get a good picturesque view of the forest wilderness and seamless visibility of himalayas in clear sky , on the other hand innwinters it might ask more from you in term of grit and stamina as it transitioned to summit.
On one such occasion when the mountains are snow clad I happen to be there. Trek from the start becomes a little weird as I started bit late around 3 30 pm from bottom. Though aforementioned , a guest house would act as halt for the very first day , the three kms amidst the forest in dark with profound inclination does not seems to be as exciting as it sounded earlier. For the interested trekkers my only advice would be to start trek as early as possible if you do not intend to halt in between. Though temperature was low ,continuous push against rough terrain made body burn like engine. And as you might be aware of it ,darkness has a very gentle relation ship with the jungles ... as in they go hand in hand, that too winters. Curves were steep and stones were slippery due to the black ice formation. Torch was/is must to carry. I felt the presence of some animals like fox within 10 m radius . I conclude the encounter was not even near to fatal as I did not observe any retaliation. I met many fellow trek mates in between returning claiming the path ahead to be quite dangerous and slippery.
Some 2 .5 hours of effort I managed to reach the premises of guest house from where in it seems the summit has to have serious start as it was heavily covered with snow.
Fellow beings were expecting snow fall which did not happen unfortunately. That's the good part of any trek I must say you got to meet people from different realms of life.
Night rest seems to be the next challenge due to the expected perspiration /dew which makes it tough to sleep at times. So all's well that's ends well , only in that case as it did started. Morning were punishing , tea was hot and toilet was not working as expected .😝😝😝 Around 8 I started with the sole intention of ,expected hovering around , zero point sooner. Gosh the aura was kind a cinematic. Glimpses of Panchachuli were plush. I was able to cite some other peaks as well. The entire himalayan range was traveling parallel with me, across me or towards me , such was an aura. The citings on single lane route with no snow were becoming rare. I measured the depth of snow several time through my trek stick and it was quite deeper I must say around half of my hip region.
Several of the footsteps crossings has made the succession towards zero point quite confusing but not impossible to explore. The areas where the snow was fresh violated the attempt to make solid grip, and this becomes a challenge when the route is to be done between to adjacent peaks narrowly carved out. Though it's not fatal but then it might give you casualty if you fail to somehow retain the balance. One wrong foot placement and you are rolling down like drum . 🤪🤪🤪 Mountains are not to be climbed but experienced, I felt this thoroughly standing at turns and smelling the peace and tranquility. Breeze was generating a whistle sound when it passed through the holes in your trek stick. Standing at one turn amidst pin drop silence you expect somebody to meet on the next ,why and how , very much unclear but I have felt delusional moments at time , mountains/Nature does it to you and for you.
Minutes later Zero point was infront of me but on standing inclination of around 1500 ft. Worst part was the fluffy snow which tried to make you become part of it. It's a clear case of you vs nature or nature within you. Whatever it was , it was full throttle secretion of adventuregasm within mind and body.
"Mountaineering is the art of mind and body co-ordination "
I made several attempts from multiple sites as I felt that even after minutes of struggle I am not moving any further. Several such unsuccessfull attempts leads me to the trail 👣 which directly pushed me to the point, no further zig zags thereafter.
360 degree view from any place hoisting zero point is worth enough, frankly speaking , and it's the same case here. It also confirms the amount of time and grit you have shown from the start ,if you ask me practically. View from top is mesmerizing and there is no substitute for it. Zero point or Khalia Top also holds high significance due to the holy shrine of Lord Shiva ( A trishul on top witness everything )
"Shiva is not just a name,
it is a sentiment, an emotion.
Shiva is all that there is and there is beyond him.
Shiva is the physics of this universe, the sacred void which is endless "
"From up there the world seems small
We can sit together It's so beautiful In the great outdoor Forever free"
And there I was standing with a logical statement that if you want to get the real meaning of freedom observe the bird or look upon someome standing atop mountain.
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