I Continue from here: Gulabi Kantha Trek - Day 4 | Summit day
Gulabi Kantha Trek
Highest Altitude: 4023m (13200ft)
Location: Uttarkashi District
State/Country: Uttarakhand/ India
Base Village: Hanuman Chatti
Trek Open: Year Round
Total Distance: 26km
Number of Days: 4 Days
Difficulty Level: Easy - Moderate
Day 04 - Kandola Chhani (2700m/9800ft) to Hanuman Chatti (2100m/6800ft) and back to Dehradun.
Distance (Time): 5km (2H)
At around 8AM, we were ready and down at the kitchen for breakfast. Govind bhai and his help were frying hot pooris for us. He had already prepared the Channa masala. I must really appreciate Govind bhai for all that he has done for us during this trek.
People do not come to your house because of your affluence or power. They visit you because you offer friendship, kindness and affection; and I believe that cooking for someone is a form of kindness and care.
Govind bhai, our cook during the trek, invited us to stay in his farm house, sleep on comfortable beds, under thick razzais, and cooked absolutely delicious food for us in his small and simple, but neat and cosy kitchen.
I could have easily tipped him in return, and I am sure, he would have happily accepted it. But money would have reduced such a noble gesture into a mere transaction.
Therefore, I carry lots of sweets and snacks from the city, not easily available to mountain dwellers, and distribute them before returning. When I offered him a pack of sweets, he quickly grabbed it and set it aside, perhaps to be carried for his family back home.
After a tasty breakfast, we left Kandola Channi and walked towards Hanuman Chatti. The descent was a bit tiring as my leg was hurting from the previous day’s steep climb to the summit. My toes hurt too as I was descending.
We reached Hanuman Chatti, freshened up, changed clothes and collected our extra luggage and left to Barkot.
At Barkot, we met Pankaj, the local trek organiser who had arranged this trek for Himalayan hikers. He took us to a local restaurant to try dahi samosa. After which, he dropped us near the Shared taxi service. He had booked three seats for us in a local taxi that takes villagers to Dehradun.
In the taxi, there was a Nepali boy and a girl. The driver asked them where had they gone and where were they to be dropped. The boy answered - Our parents got rid of us. We were staying with our uncle. Now, we are going to meet a friend in town. He told that the girl was his half sister. His father married her mother and now they are brother and sister. It was a bit funny, the way he spoke. Almost everyone giggled at first.
Someone asked if he was lying and he answered - I don’t lie sir. After that, nobody smiled and realised that it might have been true. The driver asked why would he not work somewhere. He replied - "I am too young - only 17 and she is 14. Who will give us job?", he answered.
I was a bit surprised by his back to back answers in a calm and composed manner. Only someone who has faced several hardships in life and had the intelligence and time to introspect could respond in such a zen attitude.
At a coffee stop, I offered the teens the last few chikkis that I was carrying. They happily grabbed it and started fighting over it even though there were enough for each. Somewhere on the way, the two teens were picked up by the family friend. They happily walked away with only a small backpack with them. I wondered what would become of them. I guess I would never know.
The three of us got off at the Clock tower in Dehradun. Manan and Bhavya left to explore Dehradun before leaving to Delhi that same night. I directed them to some popular local places. I then booked my taxi to Rishikesh.
We did not find snow on this trek as we had hoped, but this trek was special in its own way, just like every other trek has been. Staying in a village house, eating delicious food, campfire and enjoying beautiful views all by ourselves weren't any less of an experience.
Trek Video:
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