OFF TO BEAS KUND

THE WAY AHEAD......BEAS KUND IS LOCATED AT THE BASE OF THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN IN THE FAR CENTRE OF THE PIC..... TO REACH THERE WE WOULD HAVE TO TRAVERSE THIS MORAINE( LOOSE BOULDERS AND ROCKS WHICH MAKE UP THE BED OF A MELTED GLACIER) WHICH WOULD TAKE US APPROX. 1-1 1/2 HRS........ FOLLOWED BY WALK THORUGH A MEADOW ( 1/2 HRS) .........ASSUMING WE STAYED THERE FOR 1/2 HR. ............THIS PART OF THE TREK WOULD TAKE APPROX. 3-31/2 HRS.......AND IT WAS NEARING 3 PM NOW.......SO WE COULD ILL AFFORD THIS ADVENTURE BECAUSE FROM BAKAR TACH WE HAD A WALK OF ABOUT 3 HRS AT LEAST TO REACH DHUNDI.

SO WE WERE IN A CATCH 22 SITUATION AND WERE PRESENTED WITH A HOBSONS CHOICE........WITH A HEAVY HEART WE DECIDED TO TURN BACK........JUST WHEN WE WERE IN SIGHT OF OUR GOAL......BUT ONE MUST ALWAYS REMEMBER THAT DISCRETION IS THE BETTER PART OF VALOUR.......AND I AM SURE WE TOOK THE RIGHT DECISION........WE KEPT ON LOOKING AT THE ROCK CLIFF .....WISHFUL THOUGHTS FILLED OUR MIND........AND WE REALLY HAD TO TEAR OURSELVES AWAY FROM THIS HEAVENLY PLACE......... 

OFF TO BEAS KUND

EUPHOIRC ..........ON THE TOP OF THE WORLD....... 

OFF TO BEAS KUND

AFTER THE PRIDE COMES THE FALL..... 

OFF TO BEAS KUND

CHEAP IMITATIONS OF GREAT MASTERS ARE AVAILABLE FOR A DIME A DOZEN. 

OFF TO BEAS KUND

I DID THE PRUDENT THING......CLIMBING ON THE ROCK WAS TOO DANGEROUS FOR ME....THE ROCK WAS THE PINNACLE BETWEEN TWO DEEP AND STEEP VALLEYS.... 

OFF TO BEAS KUND

THE ROCK AND LUDDER........WELL WELL WAS THIS A DISPLAY OF BRAVADO......OR JUST AN EXPRESSION OF JOY......NOT AT ALL...THIS WAS A SIGNAL.......AND SOON ENOUGH A BEAUTIFUL YOUNG LASS FROM THE CAMP ON THE RIDGE CAME TO MEET HIM.......... WE TEASED HIM ABOUT IT FOR THE DAYS TO COME.....BUT HE WOULD JUST BRUSH IT OFF SAYING "SAAB BAKWAAS HAI".....WELL WHAT SHOOK US WAS THE WAY SHE TRAVERSED THE ROCKY RIDGE.... SHE JUST JOGGED THE WAY THROUGH AS IF SHE WAS TROTTING ON LEVEL GROUND............JUST LIKE THAT.... 

OFF TO BEAS KUND

WONDER WHAT HE IS THINKING......WELL YOU R JUST ABOUT TO FIND OUT..... 

OFF TO BEAS KUND

THAT WAS THE WAY WE CAME..... 

OFF TO BEAS KUND

FINALLY WE SCALED THIS RIDGE.........NOW THE CLIMBING PART WAS OVER...........................................................................................................................................AND UNFORTUNATELY SO WAS OUR TREK.... 

OFF TO BEAS KUND

NOW WE ARE REALLY GETTING SOMEWHERE...... 

OFF TO BEAS KUND

THE SAME CAMP FROM A HIGHER ELEVATION......ITS PERCHED ALONG A SMALL RIDGE.....LOOKS PRECARIOUS FROM HERE.... 

OFF TO BEAS KUND

A SMALL CAMPING OF THE ADVANCED TRAINING INSTITUTE WAS LOCATED RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF THIS RIDGE........IF YOU SEE CAREFULLY IN THE LEFT LOWER PART OF THE PIC YOU CAN SPOT THE TENTS.... OHHH BOYYYY WHAT A PLACE TO PITCH A TENT..... 

OFF TO BEAS KUND

BEAUTY IN THE BLEAK LANDSCAPE......WELL AFTER THIS FLOWERS WE DINOT ENCOUNTER ANY VEGETATION....NOT EVEN A BLADE OF GRASS....... 

OFF TO BEAS KUND

UP UP AND STILL MORE UP WE GO..... 

OFF TO BEAS KUND

TAKING A BREATHER...... 

OFF TO BEAS KUND

WE ASCENDED AND ASCENDED....................... 

OFF TO BEAS KUND

THE WAY GOT STEEPER AND STEEPER 

TO BEAS KUND

THE WAY WAS BREATHTAKING ( NO PUN INTENDED.........) 

OFF TO BEAS KUND

AND WE BEGAN..... 

OFF TO BEAS KUND

AND FINALLY AFTER HUFFING AND PUFFING A LOT WE REACHED THIS RIDGE....IT LOOKS DAUNTING AND IS QUIET STEEP........AND BY THIS TIME ALL OF US( MYSELF, RISHIKESH, RAVI, SUHAS AND VICE CAPTAIN) WERE IN A BORDERLINE STATE OF MIND.....THE BODY REFUSED TO WORK BUT THE MIND WAS PROPELLING US AHEAD.

WE TOOK ON THE ROCKY RIDGE STEP BY STEP...HALTING FREQUENTLY TO CATCH OUR BREATH AND LOOK AROUND.....SOME PORTIONS WERE SLIPPERY LOOSE GRAVEL AND LOOSE SOIL...SO WE HAD TO BE CAREFUL HERE........BUT WE WERE DETERMINED AND SO WE WENT ON.... 

OFF TO BEAS KUND

THE PATH AFTER BAKAR TACH WAS STEEP AND TIRING.AND THE EFFECT OF ALTITUDE WAS SHOWING ON OUR PACE.....WE WERE GETTING SLOWER AND SLOWER ........FINALLY WE DECIDED TO STOP FOR LUNCH AT ABOUT 1.30-2 PM......AFTER LUNCH SEEMA DECIDED TO HEAD BACK TO CAMP....AND SHE WAS A SPORT ENOUGH TO RETURN ALONE... SO WE SET OFF AGAIN AND SUDDENLY WE WERE IN FOR A PLEASANT SURPRISE......THE VICE CAPTAIN HAD DECIDED TO JOIN US AND GO ON AHEAD......THAT REALLY BOOSTED OUR MORALE. 

BAKAR TACH

ENJOYING SARKARI HOSPITALITY AT THE ADVANCED TRAINING INSTITUTE. 

BAKAR TACH

FINALLY WE REACHED BAKAR TACH....IT WAS ABOUT 12.30 PM....AND WE HAD BEEN ON THE ROAD SINCE 7.30 AM.......WE WERE TIRED AND EXHAUSTED.
WE MADE OURSELVES AT HOME AT THE ADVANCED TRAINING CAMP AND SOME MEMBERS OF OUR TEAM MADE FREE USE OF THEIR HOSPITALITY.
HERE WE TOOK STOCK OF OUR SITUATION AND IN TRUE CHOOS SPIRIT (plz refer to our choos group on orkut and yahoo groups) DECIDED TO CARRY ON AS MUCH AS WE COULD.....CAPTAIN, VICE CAPTAIN AND HEMA DECIDED TO WAIT HERE AND WE SET OFF AGAIN AFTER A MOMENTS REST AND A SIP OF WATER....... 

NEAR BAKAR TACH

A MOMENTS REST.......LUDDER CONTEMPLATING OUR CHANCES OF REACHING BEAS KUND ON TIME......AND NOT LOOKING TOO HAPPY ABOUT IT..... 

NEAR BAKAR TACH

HOW DID WE END UP HERE...........