Notes for Dharma valley - a summer trek to the Panchachuli base camp

Note # 1: Not all those who wander are lost… 

Many of us relate to this symbolically, it’s even part of my tattoo, but Tolkein’s famous quote from Lord of the rings really hold true for the people of Dharma Valley. They are the migratory Rang tribes also known as Bhotias (The six categories of Bhotia tribe are: Rang, Johari, Tolcha, Marcha and Jad)…they are Indo Tibeteans, of mixed ancestry, and are hardy cheerful people. They speak excellent Hindi, are educated; and even the remotest village boast of a doctor or engineer in each family thanks to the government reservations and facilities. I was happily surprised to see that albeit living in such remote and inaccessible terrain, they understand the value of an education, have taken advantage of it, and are prosperous. 

They are migratory because of the patterns of the weather. As a cold bitter winter sets in, it makes the Dharma valley inhospitable, so they leave their high altitude dwellings to come down to the town of Dharchula or other villages; and as the summer sun warms the valley and melts the snow, they trek back up to the village, cattle, luggage, provisions and babies in tow. These treks can take from 4 to 5 days one way. 

 It inspires me. To live this life of transition. I for one, try and live out of a suitcase as much as possible. All my things can be packed into a suitcase and a bag of books. In the last five years I have bought a guitar, a bookshelf, and a cupboard as a possession (the latter three in the last few months by my mom). It’s nice to live simple and sparse. Keeps the thoughts clear, helps see the many possible futures, and of course no baggage. Something also to do with our cavemen days I’m told, when physical objects could potentially block our view of predators. Or it’s something to do with my nomadic life living in different army cantonments, making new friends, adapting, shedding, adding, and an early understanding that everything is temporary. 

 Summer is also the time to plough fields, sow buckwheat and potatoes and tend to livestock… and to trade. Dharma valley is situated in the Pithoragarh district of Uttarakhand and is inhabited by a population of 1000 spread over 12 small and remote villages inaccessible by road. Before the Indo China wars they were thriving on trans-Himalayan trade of legal goods like salts, raw material, wool, etc. and illegal trade of animal parts and other such. Post the war in 1962 the legal trade came to a stop rendering the otherwise prosperous villagers without much. But the illegal trade survives. The borders of Dharchula are very porous and a hop skip jump over the river will land you in Nepal. And further ahead there are passes into Tibet. The ITBP (Indo Tibet Border Police) is vigilant but more can be done for stopping trade in animal part and poaching. 

 Summer season is time to collect the ‘KEEDA’ or the caterpillar fungus. This creature thrives in the alpine slopes once the snow melts. It is a fungi spore that enters a caterpillar and devours it and turns the caterpillar into a fungus. There is high demand for it the Chinese medicine market and a kilo of this is prices at Rs. 4 Lakhs to Rs 5 Lakhs. this is how it looks...iv copied it from the internet to give you a more graphic morbid picture:)

So Keeda collection is big for all families. I am told that this fungus produces strong steroids and many hinted that the success of Chinese athletes in the past decade has something to do with this as this is one steroid that is not detected in human test samples. Well it’s alleged so; I haven’t done any investigations to prove it 

 This is a thin line….where my values and beliefs conflict with my empathy for human survival. I do empathize that 4 lakhs could mean a fortune to this people and ensures them smiles throughout the year…but yes I do feel this is wrong not only for its illegal, but when going Keeda collecting, they also hunt Himalayan bear for its Bile and other smaller animals to trade in the Chinese medicine market. So not all but maybe some of us who wander are kinda lost…

Death by Demand draft

The demand draft is a stealthy killer. It looks harmless…lurking behind old harmless bank counters. One hardly encounters them in everyday life and if one does it passes off as a benign happy smartly turned out cheque.

But it waits for you…in its tarantula-en web. Zen like… sharpening its claws, checking its traps, and estimating your naivety. Like a sniper it waits…amongst cheques, notes and coins.

The first attack is subtle… at the form filing itself…it wills you to make a mistake, in the payee name or the amount. If you pass that the next mistake usually is fatal….losing the demand draft: by yourself, by the receiver, or in transit.

It’s got you in its web. And as you struggle hard to retrieve yourself…you are pulled further down into the dark labyrinths of the nether world. A world where you will encounter rites of passage like…NOTARY, FRANKING, AFFIDAVIT, INDEMNITY, COUNTER SIGNATORY etc.

People you barely glanced at assume large proportions…you will meet bank managers, paan chewing random lurkers in bank, security guards, helpful advisors, service managers, tellers, advocate, other banks, franking machines and may be even the police and of course other customers with other purposes for conversations as you wait in endless lines.

For a demand draft is a promissory note. Like cash.

So here is the process for canceling a demand draft and reissuing it.
Frist…cry at the misfortune…get it off your system. Prepare for an adverse experience by disembodying yourself and numbing yourself.

1. Now write a letter to the bank manager explain the loss, and the draft details.
Get an indemnity form with a franking of Rs.200/- (some banks need a notary letter from an advocate)

2. get a third part guarantor to sign the indemnity form along with his pan card details.

3. If draft is lost by third party, a letter from them saying they have lost it in transit.

4. If you want to reissue a draft fill another demand draft request form and a ‘ to yourself’ cheque if it’s from your own bank.

5. Take it to the bank manager…breath and smile. Fingers crossed that he will accept.

6. It will take upto 15 days for the bank to contact the ‘payee’ get their signature and confirmation that they will not encash this draft, and then create new demand drafts for you.

7. In the event that anyone encashes this draft within six months of validity the bank will deduct it from your account.

You are usually dead by the end of all this…born again, wiser, calmer, sympathetic, and more appreciative of all that’s going well in life.

So my advice is as much as possible get away with a cheque…

Sorry, why do I travel?

Not just to see places…or to douse the restlessness that lurks inside. Not just to satiate the culture vulture nor to kill my curious gene. I don’t travel to expand my horizons or to realize that the best thing is in coming home. I don’t travel to feel free or express my independence in this standardized world. It’s not a drive of my individuality, my personality, my airy sun sign of Gemini, or a long ago promise to my angels. And it’s definitely not just the need to take off from everything for a while.

I travel because only in doing so I feel I am moving…somewhere, anywhere… For, to stand still is to die.

Silent heart attack

These are the deadliest. Doctors would tell you this is by far the most damaging myocardial infarction (AMI or MI). Twice as many people die from a silent heart attack as compared to those that experienced a myocardial infarction with chest pain.
But some don’t die…they just live afresh.

It often happens unannounced, around the unlikeliest person, in the safest environment, when you least expect it or even want it. It creeps up with everyday meetings, builds up with inane jokes and laughter, gathers force in comfortable glances, and explodes in ordinary settings.

You very often miss it, even dismiss it.
It’s mistaken for other afflictions like camaraderie, comfort levels, even friendships. But soon others warn you, they can see the symptoms, a happy air, flushed cheeks, a spring in the step. They can feel the temperatures rising; they can hear the heartbeats racing, and see the erratic scratchings of the ECG.

Then you suspect it. And try hard to justify it… ‘it can’t be, I’m not so weak’ ‘I practice self control every day’!!!

Finding out that your heart is seriously damaged because you did not act right after a silent attack can be devastating.

something stole the thunder off the biannual problem

What itch!
Ask for excitement and they send you a war.
Well war like were the last month and half…battling hospitals, fears, forms, presentations, work, weather, fever, travels, delays, doubts, worries, reports, heartbreaks, and dousing, others fears, franctic relatives, inconsolable friends, impatient clients, landlord, self doubts whew!
The lull after the storm although welcome, takes the wind out of the sail.

Biannual problem solution part 2

The itch had become chronic since the last time I wrote and required some desperate measures.

The initial spasms and attacks subsided when I decided to go on a trek by myself to har ki dun in Uttranchal. Having calmed down to it I saw anything and anyone as an enemy…work, fitness, clothes…. and I wasted no time and immediately checked out routes, maps, agents, guides...

Nothing in October…. 'oh yes things can be arranged’ …..that is if you are willing to pay Rs.37000 for a lone trek by myself…along with 5 porters, 6 mules and a guide.

Net result: nothing.

There was a bigger conspiracy here.

Right around this time my brother was planning to take off as well. Which meant my mom will be left alone. Which now meant more options given the trek to har ki dun wasn’t working out. Having been mesmerised by Spiti valley all my life, I decided nows the time. Its not a trek but a road trip, can be done in a week and will have company. And i will experience free range....endless mountains, vast cold lands, monastries and lamas, sheep and pastures...hmmmmm

So that’s the plan…have taken off the week before diwali and am planning as we speak.

A biannual problem

I am beginning to itch…it’s not a stranger to me. I know the beginnings. It starts with contentment, the very contentment causes discontentment.

It slowly creeps up my leg and messes with my head. I wait and watch…and wait and watch. But nothing out of the ordinary happens. No new challenge, obsession or curiosity comes around. No new troubles.

A sense of irritation starts to develop…things dull out, lose colour. Friends seem alien and unavailable. It’s me and the dry road…and I am not even travelling on it.

Nothing inspires me. I am unable to jump into the lives of the characters in the movies I watch. I invite delays, road jams, wrong meters, losing money and getting late... I’m no longer on top of things.

I am putting on weight…clothes don’t fit and in the last three weeks I am dressing to hide. Skirts, loose tops and jeans. I have morbid thoughts of turning into a sumo wrestler in my 40ies…unable to get into my brother’s car.

I do good work…in the last 2 weeks not because I want to but at times because I have to. I have become easy… at times cheat on myself. I think I am getting soft…and that scares me.
I am delaying my pleasure to avoid all fears. And the delay has become status quo in many things…I am getting comfortable in the delay.

I know I have to get out…but I am waiting for the water to go over.

I know what it is. I know what I have to do. But like sweet pain I keep poking it and feeling it but not healing it.

I have to go to the hills. Soon.