To The Land of Snow by Ahtushi Deshpande

0 0 srivathsan Saturday, July 25, 2020

To The Land of Snow, Brainy Director, Ahtushi Deshapande

To The Land of Snow

- Ahtushi Deshpande

Introduction:

Ahtushi Deshpande wanted to walk to the Milam Glacier situated on the edge of Tibet. She took veteran of the valley as a guide with her. Lakshmi, a sturdy porter accompanied the author and the guide carrying their supplies.

War-hit Villages:

The Indo-China war of 1962 had affected the villages and people had fled from Bhutia villages. The author could see the trial of the abandoned villages during her four day trekking. The villages appeared to be 'Ghost Villages'. They also saw the ghost villages of Burfu and Bilju before reaching Milam.

Challenging Whether Conditions:

It was the sixth day of their arduous climbing of the hill. It had rained whole night. At an altitude of 4000 m, it was neither easy to get firewood nor make oneself warm. Sun played truant throughout the day. They took shelter in a cave. Just outside the cave howling winds, dervish like clouds, occasional sunshine and hailstorms chased one another.

A Breath-taking View:

The author found the fascinating summit of Mandayo just opposite to their camp. It spiralled up the blue sky like a cock screw. It was slapped with steep cliffs on all faces. It seemed to be an insurmountable peak. To the author's right, There was a Nanda Pal Glacier. The author thought it could have been tried as a skiing ground. But it ended in a Dangerous snout with icy waters below.

Khem Nam's Expertise:

The author's hope of seeing the holy ponds was thinning out. She could see only snow miles and miles away. To a trained eye, the goal was near. Khem Nam had gone out previous evening to ensure the safety of the route and verify the correctness of their track.

Fascinating Discovery:

The author saw nine small glaciers feeding Milam Glacier system. Crevasses dotted their way. They had to walk very cautiously. Khem Nam being a wise guide, marked their routes with black stones to return through same route. As they reached dead centre of the glacier, the 80 m ice fall starting from the base of Hardeoli and Trishuli peaks came into fuller view. On a corner, the author found the twin ponds of Duth and Suraj Kund with stunning ice fall forming the magnificent backdrop. They were in a hidden nook sandwiched between two glaciers. The author bent down and greedily drank the holy water. It was the sweetest she had ever tasted in her life.

Conclusion:

The author was not very optimistic of reaching the destination in the beginning. Her patience and persistence pay in the end. The author's travelogue helps readers virtually travel in the land of snow.