This is not exactly a review...but more of a memoir.Please read it in that way only.
It was the first time I was going to see real mountains in my life and I was very excited. Yes, 12 years ago when I had just got finished with my board exams, four of us (me and my friends from school) decided to go to Yamunotri for a trekking trip. I had never heard of the place before but for one of my friends who was deeply into traveling who mentioned this place and said that it would be a prefect getaway for us. So we packed our backpacks and off we went.
Yamunotri is a glacier in Himalayas (in the Shivalik range) and is the origin of the holy river Yamuna. It is one of the four sacred dhams of the Hindus in North India (along with Gangotri, Badrinath and Kedarnath). All these four dhams are located in the Shivalik ranges and lie between the heights of 3300 to 4000 meters above the sea level. If one decides to go by bus then Rishikesh (another holy town) near Haridwar is the place where all these buses to these destinations ply from. The ideal time to visit Yamunotri (or any of these dhams) is between May and July when the summer is at its peak in North India. It?s too cold till early April and too unsafe in the rains which start in July.
There is a lot of chaos and rush on the bus adda in this season and it is recommended only for people on a show string budget (like we were at that time). The best mode of journey is by a private taxi. The 10-12 hour long bus journey takes you through the most scenic villages in the mountains that you could have imagined. One is intrigued by the beauty of Himalayas and wonders why is there such a hue and cry over diminishing natural resources and beauty around the world because there is no dearth of either of those in this region.
Most of the way you will witness mountains neatly cut into step farms which transforms the whole wilderness into shades of green. Paddy crop is the most you will come to see in this region. The roadside tea stalls seem nothing short of temples if the weather happens to be cold and it?s a real joy stopping for tea 2-3 times during the journey to unwind and simply adore the scenic beauty that envelopes you. Narrow winding roads though will nauseate and frighten you if you are a first time visitor and its true that buses/taxis falling into deep valleys is not that unusual an event here as a lightening striking you in the city.
We were told that the bus goes to a point called Hanumanchatti beyond which there is only a trekking route to Yamunotri and were also warned that since it is a very small place it will be very hard to find accommodation in the peak season. So we got down on a place about 5 kms from Hanumanchatti called Sayanachatti and managed to find good accommodation in half the price after bargaining. That time it was Rs. 300 for a 4 bed room in a neat and clean lodge.
The view from there was breathtaking. We for the first time could see the snow clad peak called Bandarpoonch on whose foot is located the actual Yamunotri temple. As the night fell we ventured out in the moonlit winding roads as none of us wanted to sleep early in such scenic surroundings.
The Yamuna flew in the valley and looked liked a silver yarn creating a very enchanting ?kal kal? sound. We had our dinner nearby in a dhaba and went to sleep late in the night excited about the day that lay ahead. The next day we decided to walk our way to Hanumanchatti since the buses that early in the morning were rare. It was about 5 kms and we totted along the long winding roads. We could not help but ogle at the immense natural beauty that surrounded us and furiously kept taking the photographs on the way. The morning air smelled so fresh and the sun was out in full glory.
We were a bit tired when we reached Hanumanchatti and dreaded the idea of embarking on the 14 kms long trek right away. So we relaxed a bit, had our breakfast and bought some walking sticks which are a great aid while climbing the steep and rough terrain. Unluckily it started raining suddenly out of nowhere and all the trekking route got soaked.
We started our journey however (since we were getting late and had to reach and return to a place where we could stay for the night) on the slippery, steep and rough track however which was marred with the very foul smelling droppings of the mules that were carrying pilgrims and there luggage to and fro. This was one thing which I absolutely resented in the whole trek since the smell was awful. That however did not last very long as the trekking route unfolded into great sceneries and the pilgrim crowd eased up a bit.
The entire route one can see Yamuna flowing in the valley with great fury and the noise of the water can sometimes be deafening if the track gets too close down to the river. The water was chilled even in the month of June as we discovered to our delight when we got tired and sat for a while to relax and regain our breath. I was too excited and was walking very fast ahead of my partners thinking why people were walking so slowly.
There were some spots where the track narrowed down considerably and one gaped right in the deep valley which was a rather frightening experience. At one place the track had totally subsided due to landslide and there was a 2 meter gap beneath which one could see deep valley. I could not sum up courage to jump over it since it was slippery like hell due to rain and decided to take an alternative but longer route over a hill.
We finally reached a village called Janakichatti, 5 kms from our destination, which was the only major stop over on the entire route. Then I came to know why people had been walking slowly as my legs had totally given in due to walking at a rapid pace. I sat down and I just could not stand up. As they say ?slow and steady? wins the race. That is one thing you got to remember when you trek anywhere ? do not hurry yourself uphill or else you will tire quickly.
My agony was further aggravated when I learned that the difficult part of the journey as to start now with extremely steep and rough track. We had our lunch and one more guy in our group felt that he could not go on. But somehow we continued through all the pain and reached there in about 6 hours (from the start). The last leg was indeed very tiring and tough.
The destination, though not as picturesque as the trekking route, holds great meaning for the religious minded for the Yamuna Devi temple. It is located right at the foot of the hill Bandarpoonch and one can see the snow clad peak and the glacier right there. There is a hot water (sulphur) geyser nearby whose water is stored in a small pool and it is very relaxing to take a dip into it (one would never imagine taking a dip in a cold water pool in such chilling temperature). After an hour or so it was finally time for us to get back to Janakichatti before it was too dark.
That trekking experience is still fresh in my memory as if it happened yesterday. That magical and divine experience will linger on for life.