Travel scribbles

Day 0 - Delhi to Rampur I was thinking on my way to the bus station, why bother writing about Day 0? It's always just me traveling within Delhi to reach ISBT. But then, I also realized how much my expectations vary vs reality. Well, not always, sometimes I'm on top of the future and my predictions are accurate.. but.. where's the fun in that. I have very little information about Charang La. I know it's a pass in Kinnaur region of HP. I know it starts at somewhere near Reckong Peo and ends at Chitkul. I know the Max altitude is 5200m+ That's way less information than I'm used to. I guess I should thank my trek partner for that. He's an experienced campaigner and I trust his judgment.  I spent a lot of time in getting my backpack together today. Finally bought a sleeping bag, the efficacy of which is a question mark at this point. Ditched the stove too, going for dry food, whether it's the right decision remains to be seen. I'm also fe...

Prelude I had no intention of hiking anywhere in November. I had taken leaves for Saptkund not so long ago and although I always want to be in the mountains but my wanderlust hadn't overcome me. But.. I got an impromptu week off from work, now I was in the peculiar position of needing to go somewhere. Sitting at home for a week was just not a possibility for me. To be honest, this trip wasn’t my preference, I had been mulling over just chilling in McLeod for a week but even that seemed wrong. I was in the peculiar position of having a random week off. Let's just say I was stuck between a rock and a hard place. I couldn't stay home for a week. I just couldn't. People in my office would literally kill for a week off and here I am getting it served on a platter. It was not only my chance but my responsibility to go, otherwise, I wouldn't be doing justice to who I am. Also.. I couldn't resist the urge to explore someplace new. Har ki dun was an au...

Day 0 - Delhi to Rishikesh I reached home from work around 7 pm. It took me an hour of packing and arranging things, which had me ready by 8. Unlike previous times, I chose to take the metro. The new shortcut via the Violet line ensured I reached the bus station exactly on time. Also unlike previous times, I felt calm as opposed to jittery. Maybe I'm finally at that point where I'm confident enough to know, deep down, "I've got this". Nevertheless, taking each day on its own merit has served me well in the past. No reason to abandon that strategy. I'm about to reach Rishikesh and meet the other two people of the group. Day 1 Rishikesh to Pairi This was quite a roller coaster of a day. We eventually decided to drive all the way to Pairi. I had a tough time dealing with the twists and turns. Spent all day throwing up every single thing I dared to eat. Around 1 pm, the car tire got slashed by something and got a 1 inch cut. Already tired from the...