Chhitkul... The emerald green Valley!
Chhitkul... The emerald green Valley!
15
Jul 2014. Early morning... the place looks divine! The mountains look down at
us from their imperious heights cloaked in wisps of ephemeral clouds as if
wondering what new creatures have wandered in?? The rush of the river is heard
right in the tents, so furious is the current...
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| The Mountains behind the camp |
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| The Baspa River |
There
are flowers blooming everywhere. There are huge swathes of beautiful yellow
blooms, more captivating as they seem to be haphazardly flourishing without the
predictability of a manicured garden. These are Evening Primrose I am told.
They have a lovely mild fragrance... also known for their therapeutic
properties. There are profusely flowering wild rose bowers and daisies and many
other flowers I know not the names for!
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| Our tent with the Primroses and the Apple tree in the foreground |
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| Wild Roses |
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| Primroses |
The
camp is surrounded by orchards of apples, pears and apricots. In fact, the
entire valley seems to be one big orchard. In these idyllic surroundings I
wander down to the river to find most of the group already there taking delight
in the splendorous sights!
A
delicious breakfast complete with a variety of homemade preserves and relishes
later, we are all off to Chhitkul, the last village in this valley towards
China border.
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| Banjara Camps |
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| Diners delight! |
The
route to this village through the Mastrang Valley is mesmeric to put it mildly! Every few yards, we stop to
marvel at a gurgling brook, some picturesque bridge, a quaint hamlet tucked
away round the corner or just the unfolding panorama of snow clad peaks with
lush green terraced fields in the foreground and the beautiful Baspa flowing
beside it. Heaven!
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| Panoramic Vistas of the Mastrang Valley |
There
are streams crossing the road many times and the vehicle splashes through those
freezing waters. We stop at one such crossing and spend time just enjoying the
gentle murmur of the crystal clear waters and the predominantly rocky landscape
with a carpet of fresh green grass under it. The serenity of the place is a
balm to the harried urban soul.
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| The stream running across the road |
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| Road to Chhitkul |
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| Rocky terrain |
As
we near a hamlet, two women hail us for a lift. We oblige them. They are a
Grandmother – granddaughter pair off to the fields. They grow Ogla which is
buckwheat which will be harvested in early September. These areas have only one
four month growing season in the year. Rest of the time it is too cold and snow
bound. At this time, there is frenzied activity of sowing, growing and
harvesting before the quiet of the cold months sets in. The women alight near
their fields and we move on.
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| Green terraced fields with Snowy peaks in the background |
The
HPPWD Guest house is on the outskirts of Chhitkul. The road meanders through
the village of a few houses and some new guest houses which have come up for
tourists and then into the fields beyond.
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| HPPWD Guesthouse, Chhitkul |
Birds
are hyperactive all around. A cacophony of birdcalls is heard, each individual vying
for a higher perch to call from and a louder decibel level than its rival. A
vast flock of Fire fronted Serins alights at the field nearest the car. We are
mesmerized! I have dreamt of seeing this beautiful bird and always dipped on
it. Not only are they found in this place, they are locally very common, in
their scores at any given time! But this is only near Chhitkul, not lower in
the valley near say Raksham or Sangla. I guess altitude has a lot to do with
it. Chhitkul is at 3450 meters and Sangla at 2680 metres though only 24 kms
away. A big difference!
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| Fire fronted Serin foraging |
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| Fire fronted Serin in nest building mode |
There
are the ubiquitous Rosefinches calling from the tree tops with nothing but
procreation on their minds! The Yellow billed Choughs are gliding and catching
the wind currents to circle the fields from high up. The White Wagtails are
numerous. A Vareigated Laughingthrush peeps out of an apricot tree and there
are Rock Buntings everywhere. And all this without moving an inch!
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| Common Rosefinch |
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| Rock Bunting |
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| Vareigated Laughingthrush |
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| White Wagtail |
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| Yellow billed Chough |
The
drive down to the river is a very steep path full of loose stones making
driving difficult. The breathtaking vistas though make up for any other
inconveniences many times over!
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| The steep path running down towards the river bed at Chhitkul |
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| Near the Baspa at Chhitkul |
We
realise that time is flying and we need to head back. Pooh is our destination
for today. We have to leave Banjara camps post an early lunch so we can enjoy
the ride to Pooh without having to go tearing round corners and zipping all the
way there.
We
turn back but not before I promise to come back to Kinnaur and Sangla - Chhitkul with definite time for bird
watching too. This is just a recce trip and we’ll be back for a more leisurely
stay sometime soon.
The
drive back is quick. The valley widens out substantially as we cross Raksham
and towards Sangla. The Baspa snaking along surrounded by orchards and small
dwellings is one charming picture.
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| The valley widens towards Sangla and is full of Orchards |
Back
at the camp, lunch is served. The cool fresh mountain air and the jaunts of the
morning have whetted our appetites and everybody tucks in with gusto. Not only
has the location of this setup been fabulous, but the food has been marvellous.
A place one can just relax in without any requirement for stepping out of the
premises.
The
wheel barrows are out and the staff comes around collecting the larger pieces
of luggage. We troop out to the parking and settle into the designated
vehicles. Before departure, Doc calls all the help and some from the other camp
nearby and does a proper half hour presentation of the dos and don’ts for AIDS
prevention. Hopefully it is of some value to them.
And
then we are off... destination Pooh!
The
journey continues...
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