Lekha Top, Jakhol / Hidden New Paradise

Almost after 2-3 months have passed, and now today, I decided to write the travel account for my trip to Lekha Top in Jakhol (Uttarakhand). Was I too busy? I introspected myself and dwindled in between yes and no for quite sometime. Anyway, the fact is I am ready now with all the memories coming back again and again. All I am left with to decide which of them to include here. There were too many. Raju, whom I met first during my Kedarkantha trip in late December 2008, was in Delhi for his own reasons. And I begin to plan a trip with him to Har-Ki-Dun, leaving with him only from here.

I called up Saurabh and Manu, enquired with them, if they want to accompany. Both instantly gave their approvals. And the same day we trio gathered at my place and left for ISBT Kashmere Gate, Delhi. Raju was already there, and after one hour we took the bus to Dehradun.

Purola

We chatted and enjoyed our way in quite much cold night that was, when we stopped for a sip of tea midway, wind blowing through our hairs.

We packed ourselves well with all we could get out from our bags and the bus resumed its journey. We reached erstwhile bus station of Dehradun around 5 A.M, and are now waiting for bus to Sankri. The Uttarakhand Roadways started at 6:30 A.M for Purola. I remember having seen the private bus going to Sankri opposite the bus stand some 200 meters away. But we did not take that fearing that he would stop frequently and we might get late.

Mori

The roadways was certainly the better decision in the sense that it reached Purola well in time, taking some 3 ½ hours covering some 110 kms.

Sankri Kids

While Saurabh was completely dozed off to sleep, me and Manu would also at times surrender to sleep and other times would simply gaze through the half-closed window. It got better when sun streamed in with full force, warm nice feeling it was.

During winters, transportation on Hills could get worse limiting the choice and mode. From Purola, we took shared jeep and reached Mori. Few songs that were played on that beautiful jungle road, I’ll never forget. A Nepali song, as I was told, looked to me composed brilliantly. The stretch of some 30 kms between the pines and silver birch on a smooth road was good enough to keep us going.

Sankri

From Mori, we took another shared jeep and completed the last lap of our journey to Sankri, approximately 30 kms, from place called Netwar. Saurabh wasn’t feeling well. He would vomit and had severe sleep during the rides. The last few miles were disaster especially after Netwar. The road was in poor shape but the valley view was quite something.

Sankri atlast, I said to myself stretching my body wide. One needs doing this until the rattling sound of bones opening up is not heard. Saurabh vomited again. Manu was eagerly looking at the place very hungry and so was I. And, we ate our so called meal at 4:30 PM around.

We checked in at GMVN (off-white building in the pic) which had no lights, no geyser leaving us no scope for a hot bath. We managed with little warm water at the eating joints, thanking Manu, for he carried a thermos with him.

The water in the thermos kept us warm whenever we sipped it. Rest was the light of the three candles in a room with 5 beds organized neatly. We had the deal paying for 2 beds instead of required 3 placed in the dormitory, since GMVN was not fully functional. In the evening we went for a stroll further along the road towards Taluka to freshen-up, the snow was all along the road-side and few patches over the road itself. The night we retired without much conversation and barely manageable meal.

Road to Taluka, Snowed

Saurabh still looked tired and down. Though he boasted of doing Kedarkantha or Har-Ki-Dun trek, but to us, he did not looked fine. He vomited again after the tea in the morning. Raju then advised to do Lekha Top, pointing at the small flat terrain on the hill top over the other side of Sankri. It was the first time Saurabh looked in bad health after arriving here.

At 8 A.M we decided to do Lekha Top. Raju suggested booking the cab till Jakhol, as we might not have any bus now. Some 18 km from Sankri; Jakhol is certainly a my kind of place.

Supin River

Enroute however we did spared some time sitting along the Supin gaad (name for the small river/stream) clicking some nice views and self pics.
Supin and Rupin are tributaries of the river Tons near Mori. At Jakhol, we were being seen as some aliens from outer space with all village children hovering around us. We had maggi cooked by Raju’s acquaintances there. Soon after we started walking towards uphill for Lekha top.

Jakhol

Reaching Lekha top was not a pain, some 5kms trek, is quite manageable but snow made it a little tricky and we three would slip on it quite often. We met a villager enroute who was suffering from ‘hangover’, who’d eat snow believing that snow could help him get rid of headache. Strange and pitiful sight it was.

All along the way, I was thinking, why do I want to go back to Delhi? Who awaits me there? Family, Job… but my mind is here, my soul lives here. And I wished only if I was born here. But maybe, then, I would want to be anywhere but not here on the hills. I have seen poverty on hills. It’s the only reason why you’d find people pouring into big cities like Delhi, leaving things behind, which they never had wished.

Mahusu Devta Temple At Jakhol

Lekha top was a flat terrain not much big with a slight slope like view and surrounded from the front side with parts of Himalaya.

Kedarkantha, as Raju pin-pointed in the front, looked massive and all filled with snow that filled me with proudness that I did that trek earlier praising my fortune.

Wooden Houses At Jakhol

The place Lekha Top was certainly not a place for regular trekker but for a amateur trekker like us who would want to sit-back all day long and do nothing but just observe the sight and think nothing, speak nothing. Manu took refuge around a rock covering him from the hard blowing air.

I laid down next to villager to warm up my body in the soothing sun. And Raju and Saurabh were chatting up and clicking the pics.
After a while, Raju interrupted breaking the silence. He said “we will go down from here” pointing to the steep rough small path leading downwards. Manu instantly objected to it citing reason that it may strain the knee and hurt legs. He suggested rather we go the same way, from where we started the trek via Jakhol. But Raju reasoned with him giving justification that taking his way will reduce the distance to half and we could reach Sankri even if we don’t get transport.

On Way To Lekha Top

He added “and who knows we might get lucky enough to catch the bus from Jakhol that comes down around 4 pm”. His argument looked right and Manu and I agreed to go down using his way.

Manu was right. We could feel the strain but our hope for transport had kept us going. We waited for 15-20 minutes for bus along the roadside eating the snacks that Saurabh was carrying. Our prayers were not answered so we decided to walk but not without hope that we might get something on the way.

Saurabh, Manu, Raju and Hangover Guy (in the order)

We walked along the serpent-looked road, down and then up crossing the Supin.

Reaching Lekha Top

Now that we our hopes for transport was gone and it became clear that we have to walk to Sankari. Suddenly the experience became pleasant when Raju declared only 2 more kms pointing at the small path leading upwards straight, to Sankri but at its sight it looked unpleasant to walk.

We were dead tired now that. Around 6 pm we finally reached Sankri and found ourselves placed at a table for tea and biscuits.

Kedarkantha Top

It was chilling with wind blowing through our sweat body. We speak nothing, just sipped through our tea. It just got dark suddenly with stars all over our heads and moon shining high, playing in between the passing-by clouds.

As we came back to our GMVN dormitory to rest before we comeback again for dinner, we took out a moment to gaze at Lekha Top from Sankri. We passed smiled at each other and said “what a day it was”! Not knowing in what sense it was understood by each one of us.

Trio...At The Lekha Top: L to R(Himanshu - Manu - Saurabh)

Some pictures below for reader's understanding of the surronding place plus the video of the steep slope following which we came down... straining our knees... :)

Front View from Jakhol

Kedrakantha Top

Manu (taking refuge around the rock)

Saurabh

Itinerary Followed:

Day 1 (Night): Delhi-Dehradun (240 Kms; 6 hours)
Day 2: Dehradun-Purola-Mori-Netwar-Sankri (180 Kms; 6-7 hours)
Day 3: Sankri-Jakhol (30 Kms; 1 hour)-Lekha Top-Sankri
Day 4: Sankri-Vikasnagar/ Dehradun (full day journey)
Day 5 (Morning): Delhi

© Himanshu
For more pics, visit www.flickr.com/myth_drinker