In the Valley of the Jadhs- June 2013

The Tale of the Jadhs of Jadhung

“They must have cooked the name up“ I thought when one of the officers of the Jadung post said…

(The Janka Taal - nestled pretty in the Jadung Gaad valley- June 2013)
"हहह हहह, हह हहहहहहहह हहह हहह हह हहहह हहहहहह- हहह हहह .”
When the names that one had been hearing all along the valley with such apparent Tibetan influence,
(Jangla, Kopang, Karcha, Nelong, Sumla, Dumku, Pulamsumda etc to name a few) how come such a
starkly hindu name “Janak”? the Sage-King and famed father of Seeta of “Ramayana”! I was looking
at the officer in silent bewilderment.

We had just reached the Jadung post in Central Nelang watershed, after a 50 Kilometer drive from
Bhaironghati along the fair-weather road off the national highway to Gangotri. In fact we were
thankful to have left the Gangotri highway, crammed up with intense pilgrim traffic….
 (The Jadung Village/ Post seen from about a kilometer)
A month later, scanning again through the research material on the expedition we had just finished, I
re-read the long transcript of an interview at http://mountainvoices.org The interview was with an old
Jadh lady- Shanti Devi who seemed to be happily answering questions on the Jadh sociology and
recalling the times when Nelong and Jadung had seen better days.

I remembered this document because this was the only document we had found before the expedition
that had any description of the terrain ahead of the Jadung village.

(A Jadh Lady from the Bagori village near Harsil)

After reading the full text of the interview, I realized, there indeed was a local legend about King
Janak. The beautiful blob of blue in Google Earth imagery had been a fountainhead of faith for a small
tribe of people. The Jadh villagers of Jadung perhaps used the name Janak Taal for many centuries!!

The ITBP surely had not cooked up the name of that pretty jewel of a lake!

Quoting Shanti Devi as interviewed around January 1997…

Upon being asked “ Who are Jaadhs?”
“There is a bridge near Lanka in Bhairon valley. This is across river Jaad Ganga. The story goes that
close to the place of its origin King Janak did his penance. There is a lake close by and its water flows
into this river. So the river is named Jaad Ganga. Our people lived near the lake close to
a khala (small stream) that is our village. We get drinking water from there. That is why we have
been named Jaad. Similarly all those living on the banks of the river Ganga are called Gangadi. In the
Garhwal area all those living close to the Jaad Ganga are called Jaad as well as the people of Mukhaba
and Dharali village, called Buderu in the local language. Our caste is not Jaad but Jat Merut. We are
called Jaad by virtue of our being from the banks of the river Jaad Ganga. We are originally the
dwellers of Jadung village. There were two villages - Neelang and Jadung.”

(Interview with Shanti Devi- Jadh Weaver from Dunda)

Upon being asked “ Why did you migrate from Jadung to this place?”

“Earlier we used to move up and down for six months from Jadung, and went up to Chorpani. We first
came to Bagori, then to Dunda and then to Chorpani. While we were away for six months the
Army jawans (soldiers) took control of our land. After taking over Jadung they allowed us to come
back and till our land for one year. There is no dearth of water there and it does not snow there in
summers. Since then, however, we have not been allowed to go there. It snows there from Paush
(December/January) onwards.”

The Jadhs of Jadhung (Jadh-Dung)

 (The ruins and remnants of the Jadung village- June 2013)

(Jadh ladies in traditional dress)

Somehow a mountain starts looking a lot more personal when one imagines a small human
representation in its list of ancient inhabitants; some ancient tribe living in perfect harmony with
nature; because indeed, such was the history of the Jadh Ganga Watershed- home to the Jadh people
of Jadh-Dung.

The name Jadung seems to have come from the compound word Jadh (name of the tribe that inhabited
the valley)- Dung (Mountain).

The British map-makers have mentioned it as "Jadhang" in the "Survey of India" maps. But all local
residents of Uttarkashi mention this village as Jadung (perhaps Jadh-Dung). The pronunciation agrees
well with the nomenclature explained at the beginning of the paragraph.

The Jadhs are a tribe of people who identify themselves with the Jadh Ganga valley. In the ancient
days, agriculture, livestock and commerce drove the economy of the villages of Jadh-Dung and Nelang
that they used to stay in. The Jadh population is estimated at around 2500 today of which more than
60% are residents of the Kinnaur valley in Himachal and the rest in the villages of Harsil and Dunda in
Uttarakhand.

(Farm land ahead of Jadung where we camped. Flock of sheep seen grazing here)

One could see about 50 odd acres of tillable land that was surrounding both these villages respectively
when we visited there in 2013. That can be considered reasonable for a village of about 30 odd
families, especially with additional income from livestock and commerce.

It appears, in spite of their Bhotiya origins, the Jadh people have elements of Garhwali culture and
ethnicity. They have the Garhwali Rajput surnames like Negi, Rana and Panwar.
 (A Jadh festival being celebrated)
Even though they have converted and follow Buddhist festivals and rituals of worship; the legend of
King Janak and Hindu festivals like Pandav Lila continues to live on in the Jadh consciousness. The lake
continues to be called Janak Taal.

If one wishes to delve deep into the history of the Jadh Ganga valley, the freely downloadable
documentation of Sino-Indian border discussions are a good starting point.

A good deal of insight into the region is also obtained from the book “The Raja of Harsil”, written by
Robert Hutchison. The book provides a biographical sketch of Fredrick “Pahari” Wilson of Harsil and
captures almost every European visit to the Bhagirathi valley in the period of 1840-80.
 (Fredrick E Wilson- Hulsyn/ Hodgesingh Saab of Harsil)

Apart form that, early European travellers to the Upper Taknore Patti during the early explorations to
the source of Ganges mention about the Nelang-Jadhang villages.
(The entire Bhagirathi Watershed upstream of Harsil including the headwaters of Jahnavi was called
Upper Taknore Patti or Malla Taknore Patti as per official records of the Garhwal state)

John Hodgson, J B Fraser, James Herbert, Prince Waldamer of Prussia, Dr Hoffmeister, Col Fredrick
Markham, C L Griesbach and S J Stone are some of those notable few who visited the area in the 150
years between the first European visit and the independence of India.

The Nelang watershed remained mysterious and obscure for a long time because of the difficulty in
accessing it from the Bhagirathi valley, the tall walls of the Nelang Gorge at Bhaironghati barring the
way.
 (Northern Garhwal - "Malla Taknore Patti" during Wilson's time)

The easiest access was from Tibet over the Tsang Chok La or Jelu Khaga as the Taknoris called it. This
may account for the influence of the Budhhist religion and customs that may have proliferated from
Tibet in the late 1600s and early 1700s during the time of the 6th Dalai Lama.

Fraser in 1815, mentions in his notes that, Tibetans used to carry out raids in the Nelang and Harsil
area and on one occasion destroyed a whole settlement near Mukhba village in Harsil valley.
Apparently, people from Bushaher and Supin valley also used to carry out similar raids in the Tibetan
areas East of Nelang watershed, sometimes all the way till Mana pass.
 (A Jadh villager with a Tibetan Lama-
below Jelu Khaga on the Jahnavi side, CL Greisbach-1883)
It seems, the Jadhs used to migrate downstream of Bhagirathi in winters and used to trade with
Tibetan goods there, thus inviting the right of revenue taxation by the state of Garhwal. Similarly in
summers, they had easy access to “Chaprung” district of Tibet when they used to trade in Indian goods
with the Tibetans. Thus inviting taxation from the Dzongpen of Chaprung! The poor Jadhs ended up
paying taxes and tributes to whoever could exert power and control over them in lieu of economic
support.

Apart from the above, as Gerard mentions in his book “An account of Koonawar” in 1820, armed
cavalry from Bushaher state have been said to cross into the Nelang area over a pass called Chunsa-
Khago to collect taxes and dues. State Archives of the 1700s indicate rift between the Bushaher and
Garhwal regarding matters relating to collection of taxes and tributes from the Nelang tract.
*******************************************************
A Note about the name Chunsa Khaga:

(The isometric 3D view of the probable location of "Chunsa Khaga"

as described by Wilson and Gerard)
In the written records of A Gerard (1820) and F Wilson (1860) a pass is mentioned that used to connect
the Nelang valley with the Kinnaur valley. Gerard writes the name to be Chunsakhago and Wilson
mentions it as Chungsa Khaga.

The Bushaheris and the Taknoris used the term “Khaga” for pass, more specifically “a pass over snowy
ranges” exactly like they used the term “Danda” for passes over lesser heights. . The other names of
the high passes that connected Bushaher with Upper Taknore Patti of Garhwal are Lam-Khaga, Chhot
Khaga etc.

Evidently the name Chunsa-Khaga indicates – The High Pass to Chunsa or Nelang. In fact Wilson
mentions the name “Changso Khaga” to be one of the most difficult passes between “Upper Taknore”
and “Kinnaur”. The description he provides of this pass matches exactly with that of Capt A Gerard.

Thus it may be suspected with reasonable conviction that Capt. Gerard or his publisher may have made
a typographical error by writing the name as “Chunsa-khago”.
**************************************************************
 (The end of the Anglo-Gurkha war in 1815. Signing of the treaty of Sagauli)
It is apparent from the accounts of Hodgson, Fraser and Herbert that, in the earlier part of the 1800s,
the villages of the Jahnavi watershed had a dual identity. The Tibetans called the entire area of Nelang
watershed as “Chounsah” while the Bushaheris and Taknoris called the two villages by the name
“Nelang” and “Jadung”.

Things took a dramatic turn in the second decade of 1800s after the British got involved in the Garhwal
affairs following the Anglo-Nepalese war of 1813-15. This is also the same year that the Russo-Persian
treaty was signed and the “Great Game” started between the British and the Russian Empire, which
was to last for almost the next 100 years.
 (Raja Sudarshan Shah of Tehri. The Garhwal state was divided into 2 parts after the Gurkha
war in 1815. Sudarshan Shah became the king of the newly formed Tehri Garhwal state)
After the Anglo-Nepalese war in 1815 the political boundaries in Garhwal got redefined and Garhwal
got divided into two parts. The British Garhwal was formed, which essentially included the Alaknanda
valley within its borders. The rest of Garhwal was consolidated under the Tehri-Garhwal State and
King Sudarshan Shah, the heir of the earlier King Pradhuman Shah, was reinstated as the ruler.

Around the same time, J B Fraser visited the Upper Taknore valley around 1815 in his search for the
source of The Ganges and documented his experience with records and paintings. Though he had to
come back from Gangotri, his documentations threw a new light on the topography of the area around
the source of Ganges.

He wrote about the existence of Chaunsah or Nelang and about the Jadh Bhotias. His was the first
record about the summer migration of the Jadhs to Harsil area.

(James Bailey Fraser- The painter who visited Gangotri and mentioned about
Nelang and its inhabitants in 1815 even ahead of the surveyors of SoI)
Two years later, on the 31st May 1817, Captain John Hodgson and Lt James D Herbert of the “Survey of
India” became the first Europeans ever to visit Gaumukh.

Lt Herbert returned to the Upper Taknore valley again in the August-September period of 1819.
Accompanied with the “Panda” of Mukhba village, he became the first European to traverse up the
Jahnavi River and reached Nelang on the 13th September 1819.

He mentions that the Jadh people of Nelang and Jadung were apprehensive of European incursion and
discouraged him from exploring till the pass to Tibet. Based on his interactions he established that The
Jahnavi originates much closer to Nelang and on the south side of the pass to Tibet; not from far off
Chaprung, as was previously thought.
 (John Hodgson-first European to see Gomukh in 1817
He went on to be the Surveyor General of India
His colleague Lt James D Herbert became the first
European to visit Nelang/Jadung in 13th Sept 1819)
During the 1840-83 period, the Harsil area saw the emergence of Fredrick Wilson – an officer in the
British Army who chose a life of enterprise and wealth. He settled at Harsil and started a business of
logging after getting a logging-license from the King Sudarshan Shah circa 1843.

He brought commercial logging to Upper Taknore Valley and supplied wooden logs and slippers to two
ambitious projects of the British- The Ganga Canal project and the Indian Railways. It is said that
“Hulseyn/Hodgesingh” Sahib (the local name for Mr Wilson) amassed a fortune of many crores of
rupees in just over 2 decades by circa 1860!

The British suspected that the pass of Tsang–Chok-La (Jelu Khaga/ Jeela Kanta) in Nelang valley could
be an easy gateway for attack by the Russians. They wanted pass well monitored and the accesses to
and from the pass to be a well-guarded secret. They used Wilson as the eyes and the ears of the British
Government spying on any foreign traveller who wished to travel up the Upper Taknore valley.
 (The crest of the Tsang-Chok-La or the Jelu Khaga. It is one of the easiest
access routes to Tibet from the Indian subcontinent)
In his early days of residence at Harsil, Wilson, in 1842, followed two Russian Army officers through
the Chorgad Valley of Nelang tract, over the Gundar Pass and reached the Bushaheri village of Chitkul
.

(Hutchison mentions Gundar Pass in his biographical sketch of Wilson- perhaps a Garhwali name for the
pass that Gerard mentions as Chunsa-Khaga. The start-end points and other geographical description of
the pass are exactly the same).

(The Chunsa Khaga- Detailed map. Access from Baspa to Nelang)

Shortly thereafter, in the July of 1845, Wilson played a pivotal role in preventing the party of Prince
Waldamer of Prussia to enter the Nelang Valley. This is bitterly recounted by Dr Hoffmeister, the
attendant of the prince, in his book “Travels in Cylone and Continental India-1847”.
 (Prince Waldemar of Prussia- His intended excursion
into the Nelang watershed was thwarted by
F Wilson successfully in 1847)

He (Wilson) was later appointed as the agent of the King of Tehri State in the Upper Taknore Valley
including the Nelang tract and was also given the responsibility of rehabilitating the area in 1849.

Wilson on his part helped establish the communication link between Harsil and Nelang by way of his
several architectural ventures and also got few Bhotiyas from the Baspa Valley to settle at Nelang. He
was credited with the construction of several bridges over the Jadh Ganga gorge, perhaps for the first
time ever, using both suspension and cantilever technologies.

There is reason to believe that the “Plank Trail” that one can see near Hawa Bend en-route Nelang on
the true right of the Jadh Ganga may actually have been a product of Wilson’s ventures. The trail
would have required huge amount of wood and ingenuous engineering.
 (Wilson's Jhoola over the Jahnavi river in 1850s)
Wilson readily fits that description. During and before that period, there is no other example of such
engineering venture in that area apart from those by Wilson who also held the logging license for
”Taknore Patti” and hence had almost unlimited access to high quality Deodar wood.

Remains of The Jadh Ganga Toll Bridge, his first venture in 1844, stand tall even today just by the side
of the modern day steel Girder Bridge over the Bhaironghati Gorge. The aforesaid Plank Trail leading
to Nelang is merely 3 Kms from this place.
 (The ingenuous plank bridge along the right bank of Jahnavi,
the ancient route to Nelang, perhaps strengthened by Wilson)
Let it suffice to say that Wilson indeed was in touch with the Jadh Bhotiyas on a regular basis. But his
spying errands for the British Administration had perhaps prevented him and other writers who knew
him, to write in detail about Nelang/Jadung, the route leading there and the marvelous piece of
engineering that provided a stable connect to those villages.

By this time of mid 1800s, the name “Chaunsah” went out of popular use. The Garhwali names-
“Nelang” and “Jadung” became more popular.
 (The route between Bhairon Ghati and Gangotri as seen in 1883 by C L Greisbach)
C L Griesbach from the Geological survey of India visited the Nelang valley in 2 successive years 1882
and 1883 and published his exploits in 1891. He made a detailed study of the geology of the region and
shot several pioneering pictures of the Jadh people and the valley they live in.

Griesbach mentions in his journals that, the Jadhs of Jadung and the Tibetan government were not in
good terms, at the time that he visited there. The Jadhs had murdered an overbearing Tibetan beggar-
monk and relations with the district headquarter at Chaprung were strained.

(The area between Jangla and Gartang Camp Ground on the Jahnavi as seen in
1883 by CL Griesbach during his tour to Nelang watershed )
He mentions this as one reason why he did not proceed to Jadhang from Do-Sindhu (Do-Sumdo) and
proceeded to Nilang instead. He was on his way back from Hop Gadh over the Tsang-Chok-La (Jelu
Khaga) in 1883.

He made an interesting crossing from the Naga over a 19000 ft pass into the Nilapani Gaad valley and
having crossed the Muling Pass, ended up surveying the Hop Gad valley that borders the eastern flank
of the Nelang tract. He documented for the first time that Muling La in the Nilapani Gaad (a tributary
of Mana Gaad) valley has been out of use from circa 1850.

(Tibetans and Bhutias photographed by CL Griesbach- 1883)

Marco Pallis in his famous exploration up the Gangotri valley in 1933 mentions about his intent of hiring
Jadh Bhotias for porters during his brief halt at Harsil. He believed that like other Bhotia tribes, the
Jadh Bhotias would also be strong and hardy and would make for good high altitude help. He mentions
that later on he was disappointed to see the unsuitability of the Jadhs for his purpose.
 (The Jahnavi at Bhaironghati- J B Fraser- 1815)

In the 1936-40 period the entire Nelang watershed was mapped with modern methods in which people
such as Lt JFS Ottley and JB Auden played crucial roles.

After the disturbances by the Chinese in 1956 and the subsequent clearing up of the valley, very few
civilians have visited the area.

Two notable Indian explorers Romesh Bhattacharjee and Harish Kapadia visited circa 1990 and
documented the Tirpani Gaad /Barreguda Gaad area and Mana Glacier respectively.
In 2012, a Himalayan Club team led by Ashutosh Mishra team went up the Mana Gaad valley and
opened the Basisi Col route to cross over into the Alaknanda valley (HJ-Vol 68); a challenging but
easier alternative to Kalindi Khal for going to Badrinath from the Bhagirathi valley.
 (Route of the Himalayan Club expedition by A Mishra and team in 2012. The route
leads from Mana Gaad valley to Alaknanda valley over the Basisi W Col)

However, during all these developments, geographical details of the Jadung valley remained obscure.
Most of the mapping and documentation focus of the British was on the passes going out to Tibet namely
Tsang Chok La/ Jelu Khaga, Thag La and Muling La.
Jadung was tucked away too far into the center of the Nelang watershed. For example the British Army
map of Garhwal in 1936 does not mention about any detail ahead of Jadung except for some vague and
inaccurate contour lines (including erroneous plot of the origin of Jadung Gaad)

(Romesh Bhattacharjee and team on the Plank Trail circa 1990)

 Today, nestled in that pretty valley of Jahnavi, the quaint little village of Jadung stands neglected,
ruined and forgotten. The intricate woodworks of old Deodar-pine houses mutely bear testimony to
years of persecution, hardship and eventual prosperity.

(The Jadung village as seen today- June 2013)

With a network of 100 kilometers of motorable road laid out and being home to as many as 6
permanent military posts, today, the valleys in Nelang watershed are perhaps lot more connected and
habitable compared to the days of the yore.
*************************************
Having been aware about the historically romantic story of the village of Jadung, it did not take much
to decide upon the expedition itinerary of 2013.

Add to that the fact that there is almost no documentation available about the geographical features
ahead of the village of the Jadung, which presented a powerful objective; a unique opportunity to
explore a valley and a peak that was truly virgin and document it in detail for the first time ever!

We were about to do something that was historical and pioneering. The lovely vista and centuries old
story of human perseverance that we might witness on the way would be an added bonus.

This was going to be extreme exploration and we had to be mindful of few things.
1. We needed a proven team
2. We had to have robust research backup for navigating through the terrain
3. We had to have as much support of weather and weather forecasting as we could manage
 (The Team- Jadung Valley expedition June 2013 L to R top to bottom-
Ashu, Kuntal, Bharat, Ravin, Kalyani, Arun, Atam, Sanjit, Anant)
The team that went exploring the Auden’s Trail the previous year in the same watershed was retained
except for one notable dropout- Anshuman (Bunty). Sanjit Bal and his better half -Atamjot (a qualified
doctor) joined in new. Apart from being regular “crossfitters” they came highly recommended from
Anant Khirbat (another key member of the team). Finally by the beginning of April 2013 we looked set
for the adventure with a team of nine- Anant, Arun, Atam, Bharat, Kalyani, Kuntal, Ravin, Sanjit and I.

The Four Valleys of the Jahnavi(Nelang) Watershed:

(The Nelang Watershed that gives rise to the largest

tributary of the Bhagirathi)

The Nelang watershed drains water from four major valleys. Three of these vales have a generally
North-South orientation and only one, The Mana Gaad valley, had a East-West orientation. The three
passes that have the International border and water parting line to the North and the Jadh Ganga to
the south are Chor Gaad Valley in extreme west, Tirpani Gaad Valley in the extreme east and the
Jadung Gaad Valley that lies plonk, in the middle.
The Tirpaani Gaad valley has seen trade traffic since centuries and was the traditional trade route
from the Hop Gaad valley area in Tibet over the famous passes of Thag-La and Tsang-Chok-La. I have
attempted a brief description of the valley in the narration of our adventure of the Auden’s Trail. The
history of this valley is well documented by Atkinson, Oakley, Heinrich Harrer, Romesh Bhattacharjee
and Harish Kapadia.

(Nelang Watershed- Chor Gaad, Jadung Gaad, Tirpani Gaad in North-South orientation in center frame
The West-East layout of the Mana Gaad at the bottom right frame)

Chor Gaad or “The Thieves’ River” had another interesting story. It was so named because the
harassed traders used to use this almost-hidden valley to evade the taxes imposed by the Kingdoms of
Garhwal and Rampur Bushaher. Romesh Bhattacharjee, Harish Kapadia and Tapan Pandit have already
written about this interesting valley.

It is the Jadung Gaad valley in the middle that bears little geographical description in the historical
records. Atkinson’s Gazetteer describes the village and carries data about its economic performance in
the late 1800s. Similarly, the documents referred to by the Government of India for boundary
discussions are essentially extracts from the archives of the Kingdoms of Garhwal and Rampur
Bushaher, most of the data is about the rights of taxation exercised by various administrations. None of
those documents bear any detail of what lies between Jadung and the bounding ridges of the water
parting lines.

In the age of Google Earth, NASA Worldwind and Bing Map it is possible to have a look at the
geographical features through satellite imagery and have a broad idea about the terrain by
superimposing the Digital Elevation Model of the globe, available almost freely on the Internet. We
utilized this modern-day technical advantage to the hilt while planning the route.

Route Plan:
Our initial research revealed a beautiful blue lake roughly 200X100 Meters in size, about 10 Kms ahead
of Jadung village. One can clearly see a well laid out track leading all the way to the lake and then on
along the Jadung Gaad for few Kms ahead. Perhaps the Jadhs of Jadung used it in old days and the
troops guarding the border use it in the current days, we surmised.

(Janak Taal area- 10 Kms due North of Jadung Village)

Just ahead of the lake, the main valley narrows down considerably and the track climbs high above the
gorge to finally terminate at a distance 10 Kms ahead of the lake near a major confluence of the main
river valley. Up ahead the valley narrows even further between tall cliffs before opening out wide into
a network of glaciers and reaches the final water parting line that defines the border with Tibet.

It looked difficult to follow the main valley to reach the headwaters.

However, hope beaconed to the true right of the valley near the lake where a dead glacier appeared
leading up to a high plateau ruled by a beautiful looking peak. The peak had shoulders on to its North
and South both of which seemed to have doable cols that could lead one to the neighboring valley to
the west, The Chor Gaad valley. Of the two cols the South Col was 200 meters less tall but had a much
steeper angle of descent. We decided to throw our lot with the South col.
 (The terminal Cwm of the Janak Glacier showing The Nakurche Peak, Nakurche North/ South Col)
We planned to explore this glacier, crossover to Chor Gaad using one of the cols and then proceed
north to the head of the Chor Gaad, crossover the Chunsa Khaga to the Baspa valley and exit at Chitkul
of Himachal Pradesh. The plan was an ambitious one.

Even the traverse over the Chunsa Khaga was a rare trek. Only one team has been recorded to have
crossed this in the last 200 years.. Tapan Pandit from WB carried out the traverse in modern times, as
late as the June of 2009, over this interesting and elusive pass.

We wished to execute the plan in the first half of June. Upon tracking the forecast for almost over a
week during late May, I observed one strange pattern! There was consistent forecast of the weather
going bad after the 15th of June with significantly high precipitation predicted in Himachal areas
compared to the Bhagirathi valley. That was a bit strange. Usually the June rains are due to the South
West Monsoon and the monsoon depletes into lesser precipitation as it moves west from Uttarakhand
to Himachal. Only later would I connect the dots after the massive cloudburst in the Kedarnath valley 2
weeks later.
 (The Jahnavi Exploration Expedition Route Plan covering Jadung and Chorgad - June 2013)
Our plan was to cross Chunsa-Khaga by the 15th of June and exit to Chitkul on the 17th morning. That
would have required us to cross the unexplored Nakurche South Col by the 10th of June – latest. With
all those constraints of terrain and weather we finally departed for Uttarkashi on the late hours of 31st
May.
 (The guesthouse by the banks of the Bhagirathi at Uttarkashi)
st
The day of the 1 of June breezed past at Uttarkashi with minimal hassle in getting the permits this
time around. (Last year was a pain! Running from one office to another!)

The guesthouse was by the riverside. The one thing that rankled in the mind was the sudden increase in
water levels that evening. I thought it must be the usual melt-water swell of the evening. But the
early hours of next morning proved the theory wrong. There indeed was precipitation upstream or
some seriously heavy snowmelt.

Day01- Uttarkashi(1100M)-Jadung(3650M): 125Km Drive, 6Hrs

With a mild drizzle providing us the wet cover, we started off lazily, at about 9 in the morning of 2nd
June, for Jadung. Soon the rain gave way to a dazzling sun and after a pleasant drive we were at the
gateway of the Nelang valley by 1400 Hrs.
 (The new signages at the entry to Nelang watershed. The old board, bottom left,
that got destroyed in the heavy winter snow of early 2013)
Many things seemed to have changed in just twelve months.

All but few of the gang-huts lining the entrance to Nelang the previous year had gone. The Blue-Red
board of the district police had been destroyed in the massive winter snowfall. At its place now,
announcing dire consequences for trespassers, was a new board of the district administration.

After the thrilling drive through the gorge country of the gateway of the Jahnavi watershed, the
landscape widened out gradually even as we approached the Nelang Post. After some minor formalities
with the post-commander we proceeded forth, seeing Naga and Do-Sindhu Bridge enroute. Finally
reached Jadung around 3 PM – just in time to negotiate another administrative hurdle.
 (Camp at barren fields of Jadung. Village and post in background)
Due to some communication issue within the ITBP system, the post commander of Jadung had not been
informed about our arrival through their official channels. A bit of a running around had to be done to
the office of the Asst Commandant nearby at Naga. Interestingly he turned out to be Asst Commandant
Santosh Kumar who had been our gracious host at Lapthal Post 2 years back.

By about 8 O clock in the evening the official hassles were sorted out and the day ended with a nice
and warm campfire in the wide-open fields of Jadung. The little solar-powered lights of the ITBP post
shone at a distance across a little stream. The silhouettes of the ruins of the Jadung village above the
post created an ambience that was surreal and ghostly.

With the biggest hurdle of red tape out of the way, our minds now focused on the easier part of the
adventure, the expedition that was to start next morning.

According to the plan, we were to reach Janak Taal in 2 days time. We had to find a campsite between
Jadung and Janak Taal.

“हह camp site हह 3 kilometer हहह . Lal Devta (हहह हहहहह) camp site.हहहहह 3 Km हहह camp
हहह हह हहहह हहहहह हहहह हहहह".. The soldier was pointing towards the serpentine bend in
the valley ahead.

Day02- Jadung(3650M)-Bharal Kill Point(3950M): 7.5Km, 6Hrs

We started off with an open mind to look for campsites on the way.
‘Whichever is the next possible campsite after Lal Devta, we camp there”, Vinod and I decided
together.
 (The lovely Laldevta Camping Ground)
After a steady climb and a reasonably fast descent we arrived at the lovely camping grounds of Lal
Devta. The Jadung Gaad curves in from the west here with a wide bed and a giant bend. The campsite
has two large terraced plains with an abundance of grass and shrubs with yellow flowers. At almost the
middle of the ground, there is an ancient place of worship and nearby are remnants of shepherd
shelters.

The route rises steadily thereafter to a raised plateau well crafted into tracts of terraced fields.
Towards the east almost on the high right bank of Jadung Gaad was a small temple with some figurine
inside and a timeworn brass bell.

(Reaching the Laldevta shrine area)

Ahead was a glen with a fast-flowing stream, coming in from the high glaciers to our left and beyond
that the route rose sharply above leading to another rocky shrine with red pennant atop fluttering
capriciously.

We had reached the Lal Devta shrine area.

Even while we were catching up on our breath and regrouping, we could see an ITBP party up above
near the red pennant beyond the glen. They were a group of 7 odd men who had gone to drop load at
Janak Taal in the morning at about 0600 Hrs. They were already on their way back to the post and it
was only 1030!!

(Crossing Laldevta Nala and reaching the rock temple of Laldevta)

We waved at each other from that distance and then proceeded ahead to meet with them, while
crossing the fast-stream in the middle of the glen. As we crossed each other near the stream, they
shook hands and wished us luck. Few of them handed over some tasty orange flavored chocolates and
some packets of fruit juice.
 (Rock temple of Laldevta where we saw the nest of Bumble Bees)
“हह हहहह 6 हहह हहहहह हह. हहहह हह tent हह camp load हहहह हह हहह हहह. हहहह
disturb हह हहहह”. Said the team leader. They had gone to dump load in advance for an exercise that
was to take place in a few days in the area ahead of Janak Taal.

After the tiring climb to the rocky shrine we regrouped. Arun managed to take some fantastic HD-
footage of a nest of bumble bees here.

(The Jadung-Janak Taal trail ahead of Laldevta area)

The route ahead eased out. We were now on a valley terrace which was a few hundred meters wide
with a sharp rise to the ridges to our left and a deep dive into the riverbed at our right, a few hundred
meters farther and a few hundred below.

About two hours later Vinod and I were still looking for a suitable campsite. Kuntal and Anant were the
advanced scouting party and they reported of a possible campsite by the riverside.

(The Bharal Camp near the snow-bridge- 3 Km from Janak Taal)

The campsite looked good for it allowed us a much lesser distance to be covered for the next days
trek. This was an advantage because it would allow us to have few additional hours the next day to
carry out a recee for the route beyond.

As the team approached the campsite a strange and ghastly scene awaited us. Right in the middle of
the potential camping area, there was a carcass of a Bharal. It appeared as if a predator had killed it.
Closer scrutiny revealed fatal teeth marks on its neck. One side of its face was eaten up and there
were signs of scavenging on his stomach.
 (The half eaten Bharal carcass)
“हहह हह हहहह हह हहहह हह Sir…हहहह हह हहहह हह हह हहह हह ” said one of the porters,
“हहहहह हहहह हहह हहहह हह हहहह?” I asked
“ हहह हह हहहह हह हह हहहह हह”..Quipped one of the Nepali porters.
Soon we established that the dump of black colored stool near the carcass actually could belong to a
bear.

It appeared as if the animal was killed by a leopard but had been eaten up partially either by a pack of
dogs or by a bear. The sequence of events that led to the misfortune of the poor animal could not be
ascertained for sure. One thing was clear. More than one predator, not belonging to the same species,
ruled the area.

We took extra care that night to discourage local carnivora by lighting up small fires near the camping
area. It was our first night on the trail. The team was bonding yet. The tiredness of the first day’s toil
hit us soon. The constant rumble of the rolling stones in the river nearby, the proximity of ferociously
flowing waters and the constant fear of the unknown Bharal-hunter did not allow a sound sleep that
night.

Day03- Bharal Kill Point(3950M)- Janak Taal(4120M): 2Km, 2Hrs

 (Starting off for Janak Taal from Bharal camp)
The next day, after a stinger of a climb from the Bharal-camp, the valley opened out wide and the
route eased off. Within an hour we reached a vast camping ground. The GPS indicated that Janak Taal
was still half a kilometer away, just east of the bend visible ahead. We stopped to regroup and called
the place “Janak Taal-Shepherd camp”.

At 1100Hrs we entered a wide-open amphitheater with a spectacular setting.

(The bridge over Jadung Gaad near Janak Taal

The ITBP recee route on the true left of river near center frame)
The Jadung Gaad tumbled down furiously from the north in easy steps from between narrow vertical
walls of the gorge ahead. A clear blue stream from the true right came in and confluenced with the
Jadung River in this open area.

As we proceeded further we could see the origin of the clear-blue stream. There it lay, nestled cozily
between two mountainsides, an aquamarine blob of nature’s marvel- “The Janak Taal”.

When we saw it for the first time, each one of us was wonderstruck by the vibrant blue of its waters,
as if someone had accidentally constructed an Olympic-swimming pool in the wrong place.

(The beautiful Janak Taal)

Initially we thought it was the color of the sky that was reflecting on the waters. By evening, as the sun
traced it route on the sky above, the theory was soundly disproved.

While it was difficult to even spot an insect or a butterfly at that altitude, the porters noticed a pair of
dark objects swimming in the middle of the lake. The mystery was unraveled in the next 15 minutes
when the Nepali porters actually managed to catch the object of our curiosity.
 (The Northern Pintail swimming graciously in the Janak Taal)
It was a pair of “Northern Pintails”- a species of goose that’s found over a large area in the Northern
Hemisphere. The strange thing was, they were the only sign of life in that secluded piece of heaven.
When released back into the water, the little bird dove in like a baby submarine! A fine swimmer he
was!

Constantly flowing water in the stream emanating from the lake indicated that there was a source of
water somewhere which poured into the lake. Soon we discovered the water source at the far end of
the lake. There was a large rock from under which crystal-clear spring water emptied into the Taal.

(The spring that pours crystal clear waters into the Janak Taal)

That explained it! The dead glacier to the west of the Taal had an subterranean flow of glacial melt
which appeared as the spring. Because of the underground flow, the melt water was automatically
getting filtered of the sediments before being accumulated in the Taal.
No wonder, it was a place of pilgrimage of the Jadh people in the days of the yore. The combination of
features that nature has on display at Janak Taal would have appeared nothing less than magical to the
simple Jadh community!

(The Janak Glacier, with the patch of snow, at far end of Janak Taal)
Janak Taal has an oblong layout and is set on a west-east orientation. The western tip of the lake is
adorned with the slope of a dead glacier coming in from the Southwest. This glacier was our object of
exploration. We decided to call this the “Janak Glacier”.

From here on our path departed from the well laid out track of the ITBP patrolling route. The camp-
load that the ITBP team had dumped the previous morning rested right near the entrance to the Janak
Taal area. They would be moving in soon because of a classified exercise that the forces were
undertaking in the entire Nelang watershed at that time.
 (The Shakti Temple on near end of Janak Taal)
The team went berserk shooting pictures of the pretty lake. Even as we were soaking the beauty in the
camera lenses, a recee team led by Vinod, Janak, Rajender and Kalyani left for exploring the route
ahead, ferrying load and identifying the campsite for the next day. We had to take advantage of the
short walk to Janak Taal in order to ease the toil for the next day.

Exploring the area near the lake we found an old little temple with figures of goddess “Durga”. Nearby
was a pile of flat rocks upon which was inscribed some prayers/writings in the Tibetan script. These
were “Mani” prayer-stones which had the inscriptions saying “Om Manipadmeham Namah” in Tibetan
script.
 (Old Mani Stones near Janak Taal)
The close proximity of the two places of worship indicated the religious influences that would have
impacted the Jadh people in the times gone by. Since Janak Taal was deeply revered by the Jadhs, it
appeared the Buddhists Lamas from Tibet also wanted to leave a mark here.

We took pictures of the inscriptions, which could perhaps be deciphered by our Tibetan friends in
Delhi. Some of the newer plaques were written in Hindi but a majority of inscriptions were in Tibetan.

The recee team came back at 1500Hrs. Their report wasn’t encouraging. They had climbed about 5
Kms up and had dumped the loads at a rocky flat. But the issue was, they had not found any water
source. Apparently the entire glacier was a dry desert. We took hope from the fact that there were
patches of snow, which we could possibly melt and run the kitchen.

(Panorama of Janak Taal camp area- pic by Kuntal Joisher)

"हहहह हहहह हहहह हह हहहहहह हहहहहह हहहह हह”- announced Dillip, who doubled up as
camp attendant cum assistant cook cum hardy-porter.

As the evening wore on, the rumble of the rolling stones in the Jadung Gaad nearby grew louder and
stronger. That night, it was a mixed bag of emotions- the joy of finding this paradise called Janak Taal
and the apprehensions in our mind for the route ahead in the barren Janak Glacier.

Day04- Janak Taal(4120M)- Tower Peak Camp(4600M): 5Km, 5Hrs

 (The sharp ascent into the Janak Glacier)
The route to Janak Glacier climbs steadily due South West from the extreme tip of the Janak Taal.
Slowly the lovely lake receded out of sight and we were deep in the middle of brown rock country.
Tall brown ridges capped with melting snow flank the rocky moraines of the Janak Glacier. As usual,
the North facing southern ridges had lot more snow-cover compared to the Northern ridges to our right.

While scanning the satellite maps, we had earlier noticed two glacial ponds of considerable size in the
middle of the glacier. One of these was in the center of the medial moraine and the other close to the
rock face on the true left of the glacier. I hoped to find one of these water sources so that we could go
easy on fuel consumption in these early days of the expedition. Melting snow meant additional
consumption of fuel.

(Water at last! Camp 01 at the feet of the dark rockface.The team gathering near large
snow-patch at bottom center indicates the location of the rocky camp site)
Soon we reached the site where the loads had been dumped the previous afternoon. We still had not
found water!

“हहहह हहहह! हहहह हहह हहह .. rockface हह हह हह हह ..” crackled Kuntal over the radio.
Kuntal and Anant had struck water just about 200 Meters ahead on the true left of the medial moraine
near a craggy rockface. The sat-image data was correct!
With the biggest problem of the day out of the way, we went about setting up our first rocky camp on
the barren moraine of the Janak Glacier.

(Anant Khirbat praying for good weather with Tower Peak in backdrop)

We had made good progress for the day; 5 kms deep and 500 meters high into the Janak Glacier. The
altimeter read 4600 Meters.

On to the true right of the glacier just opposite to our campsite rose a tall rocky tower capped with
snow. The striations of the rock strata towards the top made it look like a smaller replica of the Holy
Mount Kailash. For a rock climber it surely presented an interesting challenge.

Day05- Tower Peak Camp(4600M)- Jadung Kund (5050M): 3Km, 3Hrs

(Crossing the junction where glaciers from North and South col
of Nakurche Peak meet)
Continuing on a similar terrain the next day we proceeded for another 2 Kilometers to reach the
confluence of the glaciers coming from the North and South of the Nakurche peak. Our water woes
were over, for we noticed a multitude of glacial pools all along the way. The way ahead now was a vast
snowfield with a thin rivulet stringing through its middle.

About a kilometer ahead of the junctions as we proceeded towards the South Col of Nakurche, we
came across a large glacial pool, located close to the true left of the glacier. We called this Jadung
Kund,. We had already crossed the 5000 Meter mark. It was time to set up camp, our first snow camp!

(The Jadung Kund camp- Base camp at 5050M)

Our earlier plan was to attempt a go at the peak from this camp using the South –East Ridge. But the
route did not look very friendly from where we were camped, at the bottom of it.

The route ahead was through a vast snowfield with an easy slope. In the middle of it was a baby stream
flowing silently. About a kilometer ahead the valley bent towards the right rendering the Cwm of the
glacier invisible. But we estimated no more than 3 hours of walk to reach the head of the glacier where
we could setup the Advanced Base Camp.

Day06- Jadung Kund (5050M)- ABC(5300M): 2Km, 2Hrs

We decided to setup an advanced base camp at the terminal part of the Cwm of the glacier form where
we could carry out a simultaneous reconnaissance of both the Nakurche South Col as well as the
Nakurche Peak.
 (Route ahead of Jadung Kund camp. Cwm of glacier not yet visible)
The gently rising snowfields led us to the head of the Southern head of the Janak Glacier. After a
friendly snow trudge of about 2 hrs we set up camp near a half frozen large glacial lake at 5300 Meters.
We called the lake "Jadung Taal" and found a rocky patch on its high bank to set up camp.

The South Col and the Nakurche Peak were almost directly overhead to our left and right respectively.
Their imposing presence had an overwhelming aura over the camp all the while.

(Panorama @ head of Janak Glacier. South Col seen as prominent depression @ left frame. The easier ridge
towards right frame defines the summit ridge for the Nakurche peak- the prominent hump at center frame)
The South Col and the route to its top were looking dangerously steep. Towards our right, the route to
the top of the summit ridge of Nakurche wasn’t looking easy either. It was already the 7th of June. Bad
weather was closing in fast and we had to be off this high place within the next three days- either
exiting from Chorgad, over the South Col or back the way we came.

Day07- ABC(5300M): Recon of South Col (5500M) & Ridge (5800M)

The quartet of Vinod, Janak, Lakhpa and Rajender left for a reconnaissance early next day, which
opened, sunny and bright. Vinod and Rajender went for the col, and the other two for the summit
ridge.
 (Team leaves for the recee of the route to South Col and Nakurche Peak)

After about an hour the party for the col radioed back their successful climb from the top. Vinod
reported the conditions for descent to Chorgad.

“90 degree हह slope हह sir. .. loose rock हह. Load हह हहह rappel हहहह risky हह. Porter हह
हहह हहहहहह हह हहहहहह.”
“हहह हहहहहह meadow हह … valley हहह हहह हह.. हहह हह हह…" he went on describing the
descent into Chor Gaad valley.
“हहह हहह हहहह, ह हहह. Peak attempt हहहहहह ..” I radioed back.
 (View west of the South Col. The flat ground after sharp descent
visible in the foreground defined the white snows; Pic- Vinod Panwar)
The pictures that were shot from the top of the south-col confirmed our suspicion that if somehow one
could get across the shoulders of the Nakurche peak, the descent to Chor Gaad was doable. There was
a flat ground after a steep descent which led one into the valley below.

The issue with south-col is, it has a craggy top with loose rocks and a very steep line of descent which
would require rappelling to get down. This was all possible if one was considering the descent of
handful of people. But with a 24 member party and significant camp load and a steadily worsening
weather it was too risky an attempt.

It is always better to be in a known valley in unsafe weather conditions. I decided to attempt the peak
and then retreat back to Jadung having accomplished the primary mission of documenting the Jadung
valley, Janak Glacier and the Nakurche Ridge to Chor Gad.

(The craggy top of the Nakurche South Col: Pic- Vinod Panwar)
Janak and Lakhpa, the scouts for the summit ridge, did not return for another three hours. Just when
the clouds were rolling in around the noon, both of them came back to the camp. They reported good
news.

“हहह हहह हहह हह. हहहहहह हह हहह हह. हह rock हह हहहह . हहहह difficult हह हहहह
हह. हहहहहह हहह हह ..” reported Janak.
“हहहहह हह हहहहह हहहह हहहह, 4 हहह. हहहह rope up हह हह हहहहहहह”.. he warned.

Excitement was back in the camp. The apex challenge was drawing near in the next 12 hours! Everyone
was soon busy rounding up the personal equipment like harness, carabineers etc. Vinod went busy for
the next three hours adjusting and customizing the harness fitments for everyone.

Day08- ABC(5300M): Rocky Pinnacle -Summit Ridge 5852M, 8 Hrs

 (Starting off for the climb at 0400 Hrs from ABC- Jadung Taal camp)
We started at the appointed time of 0400 Hrs, loaded with gears and a headlight. The climb was
toilsome and became a bit risky when loose rocks started rolling down just when we were about 200
meters short of the summit ridge. After a steady climb of 3 hours we reached the top to have a
magnificent spectacle of the entire Garhwal Himalayas laid out before us.

As we looked down along the ridge we could see the hump of 5750 meters at one extreme- the point
that’s visible above the Jadung Kund camp. The top of it looked like a perfect Helipad!

(View south from ridge top)

Looking up we could see the gently rising but highly rocky ridge leading to the peak. As we trudged
ahead the North Col came into view to our below and right. This one looked perfectly doable! I
regretted having chosen the South Col for our attempt.
“May be on another occasion”. I mused to myself :-)

The walk on the summit ridge of Nakurche is a painful one. One has to continuously climb up and down
the many small pinnacles that dot the summit ridge while having in view all the while the steep slopes
leading down on both sides. After about an hour of such arduous labor we reached a tall rocky
pinnacle of about 100 ft height.

“ हहहह हह down हहहह हहहह हहहहहहह हह. Down हहहह हहहहह हह हह risky हह.” Vinod
was on the radio
“Side हह हहह हहहह हहहह?” I asked
“हहहह हहहह हहहहहह. हहह हह risky हह” crackled back Vinod.

(Ridge walk on the summit ridge of Nakurche peak)

It was already 0830 Hrs and any such detour would add at least three to four hours more, I calculated.
The weather was predicted to be nasty after 12 Noon. I had to take a call.

“We go down guys. Some other time; may be from the North Col someday.” I told the team. We were
about 158 Meters below the summit and perhaps less than 300 meters away.

The customary cairn was setup and a puja was performed. The team got busy for a while shooting the
lovely panorama around.
 (The pinnacle that offered the final and decisive obstruction)
As one looked along the ridge ahead, the pass over the Northern Chorgad Glacier to Baspa valley was
visible. We had originally intended to crossover to Chitkul over this pass, had we been successful in
crossing over the South Col into the Chorgad valley. At that time I thought, it was The Chunsa Khaga.
But I now I am inclined to think otherwise.

(The pass over the Northern Chorgaad Glacier at extreme left. Of the two
Glaciers visible, the one to the left is Northern Chorgaad Glacier)
Going by the descriptions given by Robert Hutchison, Wilson and Alexander Gerard, the Chunsa Khaga
was such a pass over which armed cavalry could crossover. The route went over a massive snowfield
spanning 6 days march.

In fact the Bushaheris stopped using the pass when around 1700 AD one such party of horsemen lost 18
lives in that snowfield, on their way back from Nelang and Jadung.

The pass over the North Chorgad Glacier is not one such pass where a cavalry can crossover, nor does it
have a 5 days snow trudge in good season. At best one has to manage a snow trudge of 2 to 3 days in
good season through that route- but never with a cavalry.
 (View of South Col from ridge top)

Such a pass exists at the North of the Dudhpani Nala in Chor Gaad valley, which does crossover a
massive snowfield, the entire route characterized by a crevasse ridden gentle slope, nowhere the
gradient more than 25%. This route ends at the snout of the Baspa glacier above the Gaundar Thach.
That could also be the reason why Hutchison mentions the name “Gundar Pass” for the same mountain-
feature.

I hope to make it one of my expedition objectives in the coming years.

Coming back to the lovely panorama one was witnessing, to all along the right was the boundary of the
Nelang watershed that gave birth to the Jahnavi.

At the 2 O’ clock direction one could see the headwaters of Jadung Gaad, a highly inaccessible and
desolate place strewn with crisscrosses of myriad glaciers. Slightly to its right were the extreme
northeastern borders of Nelang- Thag La and Tsang Chok La(Jelu Khaga) barely visible.
 (Hawa Mahal peak in foreground and Mt Leo and Reo Pargial in the backdrop)
Straight-ahead, between Chorgaad Glacier and the Jadung headwaters the giants of Himachal- Reo
Pargial and Leo Pargial were visible and so was Rangrik Rang.

To the right and till the 4 O Clock directions a massive rocky mountain adorned with many rocky spires
blocked our view. We called it the “Hawamahal Peak”.

To all of our left was a mesmerizing panorama. It was as if someone had offered an amazing gift of a
view of all the Garhwal giants in a single platter. The whole set of ranges bounding the Upper Taknore
Patti were visible- Shrikanta, Gangotri, Auden’s Col, Jogin, Thalaysagar, Bhrigupanth, Shivling, Meru,
Satopanth, Chirbas, Deo Parvat, Shri Kailash and far in the distance the Zaskar giants Mt Kamet and
Mana.

(Panorama of Garhwal Himalayas from ridge top at 5850 mtrs)

The campsite looked microscopic almost directly 2000ft below. It was time to start back, remembering
all the time the famous adage:

“Climbing is optional but descent is mandatory”.

The way down required a bit of rappelling and lowering down. The sun was getting harder and the snow
softer. After much struggle the entire team took to glissading one after the other. All of us reached
back camp safe by 12 Noon.
 (Team returning from the climb, seen as tine dots over the snow-slope)
As predicted by the “Accuweather Hourly Report”, precipitation started at 1230 Hrs. Maybe it was a
freak coincidence, nevertheless we were left impressed by the accuracy of forecast.

By evening it was clear that the weather was indeed turning for the worse. The decision was clear- we
had to exit the valley as soon as possible before the rain struck with full fury predicted around the 13 th
and 14th of June.

Day09- ABC(5300M)- Janak Taal (4120 M): 10 Kms, 4 hrs

(The Nakurche peak, hump to the right, seen from the glacier junction)
We had a painfully long walk back over the rocky moraines of the Janak Glacier. On the way back we
had a beautiful view of the peak and its attendant ridge from the glacier junction. Only then we could
see the peak in all its grandeur.

Around 1100 Hrs while we were resting near the “Tower Peak” campsite, we observed an interesting
spectacle in the sky. There was a bright round halo around the sun with all the colors of the rainbow
creating a perfect circle.
 (The strange halo around the sun seen near Tower camp at 1115 Hrs)

While we were busy clicking pictures of this interesting phenomenon, Joshi, one of the older Nepali
Porters said,

(Negi checking out the halo around sun with binoculars mear Tower Camp)
“हह हहहहह हहहह हह हहह. हहहहह हहह हहह हह हहहह हह हहहह हहहह हहहहह हह
हहहह हह. हहहह हहह हहहहह हहह हहह हहहहहह हह हहहह हह.”

Only later we realized how correct he was when the freak cloudburst over Kedarnath on 15th June
created the unfortunate disaster.

By 1300 Hrs we were ready to camp at Janak Taal. We were homeward bound and were in high spirits.
The lovely surrounds of the Janak Taal only helped in lifting the team morale further.
(The bridge over the Jadung Gaad had been washed away when we reached Janak Taal)
We were surprised with the changes in the water levels though. The Jadung Gaad had surely swelled up
compared to what we had seen on our way up. The rock bridge using which we had crossed the stream
of Janak Taal was now submerged in 6 inches of water. The Janak Taal had extended its boundaries to
the greens on its shores. The wooden bridge spanning the Jadung Gaad that we had seen on our way up
was no longer there.

For some reason waters had risen. May be too much sun for a whole week had created additional
snowmelt at the headwaters of Jadung. In fact, meteorological data from NRSC (National remote
Sensing Center) indicated that there had been unusually high rainfall in the higher reaches of the
mountain during the period we were in the highlands of Nelang.

We had to hurry down quickly.

Day10- Janak Taal (4120 M)- Jadung (3650 M): 10 Kms, 4 hrs

There were more

evidences of flooding as we started on our way back to Jadung. The trail had gone underwater at
several places before the “Bharal camp”.
There were little remains of the Bharal carcass. Only some fur and bones were left. Whoever was the
predator had a hearty meal the whole of the previous week.

After the “Bharal Camp” point, the route goes high up in the valley and consequently there was no
further obstacle from river waters till we reached Lal Devta.

(Remains of the Bharal carcass on our way back. We saw pug marks of a large cat around)

The waters of the Lal Devta Nala had also risen which necessitated a cold crossing, one in which one
had to take off shoes in order to wade through fast flowing icy cold water.

We spent some time regrouping at Lal Devta while some of us got busy capturing lovely pictures of a
flock of sheep ascending the mountain on the far side of Jadung Gaad.

One needs to catch up a bit on the Lal Devta shrine here which is set high above the river bank, on a
ridge of grass and rock. It seems the Lal Devta has always been an important deity worshipped by the
Jadhs. The shrine here is surrounded with almost 3 acres of tillable land cut in terraces. There are
some rocky remains of some dwellings that perhaps could be housing the priest of the shrine.
 (The Lal Devta shrine of Jadung- 3 Kms from Jadung post)

The seat of Lal Devta is usually installed at a high ground. Even near Bagori, where the Jadhs live
today, they have erected a shrine for Lal Devta, which one finds on the way up the Jalandhari Gaad
valley, on a rocky clearing, high above the river.

It seems thus that the shrine by whose side we were standing that moment was the original shrine of
worship of Lal Devta, which the Jadhs may have used for many centuries.

We reached Jadung Post in another couple of hours, just in time for a sumptuous lunch prepared by the
ITBP mess.

After the necessary briefing and paperwork telephone calls were made to respective homes and
logistics organized for the return to Uttarkashi the next day.

It was a moment of pride and a feeling of a strange camaraderie when the Officer-in-charge of the
post, most diligently, took down the coordinates of key camping and observation points.

By that time we had come to know that no vehicle can reach the last 5 Kms to Jadung and we would
have to trek to a “Jeep Pickup point” next morning. Apparently the rising waters in the Nalas had
destroyed the motor road at a point 5 Kms away.
The team had a grand time watching a dance performance by the porters. Its an experience watching
those hardy children of the mountain lost to the music of Nepali and Garhwali songs.

How easy for them to be happy with life, with so little of material comfort! I was wondering; watching
old Joshi dancing away to glory, ice-axe in his hand, with a raging campfire providing all the light for
shooting that absorbing scene.

Day11- Jadung (3650 M)- Uttarkashi (1100 M): 135 Kms, 6 hrs

(Age old structures with fine work on Deodar wood- Jadung village)
Next morning we had a lovely walk through time when we spent about an hour roaming through the
ruins of the abandoned village of Jadung.

It is a pretty little village set on the right bank of a Nullah that empties into the right bank of Jadung
Gaad. There are at least 30 odd houses in the village. There was a temple almost near the entrance of
the village and one somewhere to the back of the village.

Most houses have a wooden structure filled in with mud and slate. The roofs are wooden, covered with
slate. Most houses have multiple floors, the ground floor being reserved for use as a shed for the family
livestock.
 (Kalyani's sketch of the building at the entrance of Jadung post with fine woodwork)
Kitchens were well ventilated with chimneys. The houses were built with solid pillars or Deodar Pine – a
wood of the highest quality- and had many fine carvings on them.

The remains of the life of a people who used to live there could almost be smelt and touched. The
pillars with fine woodwork, the cold stoves, smokeless chimneys and the empty granaries told a story
of a time gone by. One still savors that feeling of nostalgic romance.

We had a final parting shot with the men of the Jadung post with a bright and proud Tricolor fluttering
over our head. The post reverberated with a spirited shout of "Bharat Mata ki Jai"!

(Bharat Mata ki Jai! @ Jadung post with the men in-charge of the post)
We started off early to catch the vehicles that were waiting for us about 5 Kms ahead of the Jadung
village. The road had been damaged by a freak flood of one of the many streams that crosses the road
from Dosindhu to Jadung. One of the ITBP personnel joined us for a lift back to the Gangotri highway.

While walking that near virgin terrain, the thoughts went back to Jadung in a strangely nostalgic way.
Somehow it felt as if this was not the last time I was visiting the valley. Hopefully sometime in future
there would be another occasion to explore further into this lovely valley.

(The long and lovely walk along Jadung Gaad to the Jeep pickup point 5 Kms away)
We had initially planned for a “Darshan” of Mother Ganga at Gangotri. But the intensity of traffic
totally discouraged us midway and we turned back for Uttarkashi.

On the way we could see the Bhagirathi angry and swollen. May be it was a condition of extreme
snowmelt and some rains somewhere we assumed.

Back at Uttarkashi, business was brisk and the local populace was happy with the pilgrim season.

“Season हहहह हह हहह हह Gulab Singh?”- I asked the old Garhwali from Chandan’s team.
“हहहहह हह हहह हह हहह. हह हहह हह season हहहहहह हह. हहहह हहहहहह हहह ”- he
replied with a smile.

Day12- Uttarkashi (1100 M)- Delhi(200 M): 450 Km, 14 hrs

Next morning we were a little exasperated when we did not find the appointed vehicle till about 0900
Hrs.

“हहहहहह हहह हहह हह Sir हहह हह हह हहहह हह. हहह Dharasu हहह jam हह हह
हहहह Maneri हहह jam हह. Land slide हह हहह हह. हहहह ह हहहहहह Sir हह हहहहहह
हह clear हह हहहहहह हह हह” said Chandan over the phone.
 (The Bhagirathi in spate near Uttarkashi- 12th June 2013)
Luckily the vehicle arrived soon and nothing untoward happened on the way subsequently. The Tehri
reservoir was filling up but ever so slowly. The waters in the reservoir were a foot higher now.

As we reached Rishikesh around late afternoon for a beer, Chandan gave the latest update- “Gangotri
हह हहहहहह हह हहह हह Sir. हहहह हहहह ह हहह हहह. हह lucky हहह”.

Two days later the news trickled in about the mammoth cloudburst over Kedarnath and the subsequent
tales of devastation. Only then the secret of the Accuweather forecast got unraveled. The forecast was
correct. In fact in a vague way it had warned us of the impending disaster.

Subsequent analysis of meteorologists revealed that two complex cyclonic cloud systems had collided
over the Kedarnath range on those fateful days of 15th and 16th June 2013.

The monsoon cloud systems from the south east was perfectly normal in the monsoon season, but the
freakish Western Disturbance was a strange occurrence at that time of the year. The Western
Disturbance explained the heightened precipitation predicted at Chitkul and Himachal.

The unaware swell of urban pilgrims who were there following a buoyant tourist season were just not
warned or prepared for a natural phenomenon so intense and gigantic.
 (The team under the shadow of Nakurche Peak and Nakurche South Col)
Trusting our guts and the weather forecast we had taken the correct decision of exiting the valley at
the earliest. The heart-rending stories of the disaster kept pouring in for almost the whole of next
month and many of the key roads remain closed even as I write this almost 3 months after our return.

While we thank the Good Lord above for having escaped the disaster by a freak stroke of luck, the
aftershock being felt by the poor and simple mountain folks reverberate even here and even today.

One can only hope that life return to normal as soon as possible and the economy of the mountain
primes up again, very soon; but perhaps in a lot more considerate way for the Grand Old Man- The
Himalayas.

__________________________________________________