Day
1 : We started our day one of trek almost on time. The starting point was a
small village called Taluka where we reached on a jeep with our backpacks
carrying all the essential things which we were going to require. And the most
interesting part was that, for me at least, at the end of the journey, it came
out that the only thing I used from that backpack was my toothbrush. And I
thought, that bag was carrying most essential things. Gods must have been
laughing at my innocence. From Taluka, we started our march towards Seema which
was going to be our halt for the night
nearly 8 k.ms away from taluka. It can be named in retrospect as ‘The
long march to Seema’. The weather was fine. The sun was shining brightly giving
us no reason to worry and we were walking. But this is not a fairy tale of
tourism industry which we have heard or read many times in glossy English about
beauty, nature, will power, and mental peace. This is a bikat tale. Here you
will not find adjectives and synonyms about snow clad peaks, and rivers and
sunset and sunrises. It is about experiencing the experienced in a new way, in
a different way, in a bikat way. After all, this is what bikat adventures is
all about. So, we were walking and walking. We walked so much that we lost
track of the time, became oblivious to the space in which were walking and were
possessed by a different body which was simply not obeying our orders. In fact
we forgot to give orders itself. We showed all the signs which are generally
associated with meditation, a sign of senselessness. And we were rewarded too.
The reward also came in two forms in two days. The first was in the form of
pilgrimage when the abode of deity was visible and we were drawn towards it. On
day one the village of Osla, visible from far away but near our halting point
served that purpose. We walked with our sight on the village. Infact we were
pulled by it. Walking always imply a sense of discretion and we had no
discretion at that time. We reached there very late in the evening and we
reacted very calmly. But somewhere inside us , we all were brimming with
emotions which are very difficult to communicate but can only be sensed. A sort
of ecstasy. What did we do to achieve that state? We did the simple act of
walking some trivial distance.
Day
2 : Technology extends limits but also amputates the being. Its easier to blast
mountains but difficult to walk on them. We realized it on day one. Day two of
the trek was the final stretch. Here again we started on time. Previous day’s
walking had tired us but also habituated us with the terrain. First half of
this trek was all inclined and most of us climbed it more or less on time. When
we had climbed the first part, the weather changed drastically for the good and
it started to snowfall. We were walking in the snowfall and the terrain was
almost plain. I was witnessing snowfall for the first time. We walked almost 2
hours in snowfall following into each other’s footsteps since the trail was
covered in the snow. Unlike previous day, the site was not in sight, and we
walked for 2 hours thinking that we were 15 minutes away. It was playing on our
patience and we were just walking without any consolation in sight. Same state
of senselessness.
As
it always happens, it appeared from nowhere catching us unawares. We couldn’t
imagine such a shift in terrain separated by few trees and mountain blocks. It
was like a revelation, a sudden appearance when one is rewarded for meditation.
I will not try to describe Har ki doon since I cannot. What is more important
is the receptivity of our senses to make it over lasting and enchanting. Senses
which bind us to the charms of beauty. Trekking is a ritual performed on the
body just like any other traditional ritual. Rituals are always performed on
the body and by the body to make the engravings on the mind. Body is not
subordinate to mind. It is the soul of mind without which mind ceases to
function. The philosophy of the bikats is the philosophy of body.
Day
4 : It can also be written as day 4 Race against time. We had to travel the
distance in almost half the time we took on day 1. It was a seeming
impossibility since we had to board our jeep at around 2 in the afternoon. So
realizing the situation we started very early at around 7 in the morning. We
walked the entire route in just one or two brakes. Walking would be a mild term
to use here, we were cantering. And to our satisfaction, we almost made it on
time. We were relieved that we were not late but somewhat sad about leaving the
place. But we leave only to come again. We know that the enchantment of the
betaal would be too strong to resisted by us. We may not know it, we may not
remember it, but it is there somewhere in the corner of our minds convincing us
to return. Vikram is not complete without Betaal. Maybe this story is not
completely mythic. Perhaps we enact it everytime we return.
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