Uttarakhand - II

 The second and third days.

It was just traveling that day. We had to climb to Tungnath peak the next day. So, we had to go and spend the night in a city closer to the mountain. There are camps and tents in places very close to the mountain but they are very pricey. And moreover, the demand was huge due to the holidays. So, we stayed in a lodge in Ukhimath. From Rishikesh, it took us almost 9 hours.

And I got some good pics on the way.

(River Mandakini. Canon 1500D. f/10. 1/400 s)

(Somewhere near Rudraprayag. Canon 1500D. f/10. 1/400th s)

(We also got to witness a nice sunset in Ukhimath. Canon 1500D. f/8. 1.3 s)

 

 

That night in the hotel we met a person with whom we had a nice, long conversation. He was so humble the whole time. He told us that he has traveled almost 90% of India. And he was talking about the dishes in Karnataka! Goes to show you that the more you see the modest you become.

The next morning we left for Tungnath. The morning was nice. The first rays of the sun on the Himalayan mountains are just magnificent. It took us an hour and a half to reach Chopta, the base of Tungnath. The road and the views were awesome.

(Himalayas. Canon 1500D. f/10. 1/160 s)

(Sunrise in Ukhimath. Mi A3. f/1.8. 1/450 s)

(Canon 1500D. f/9. 1/500 s)

We started climbing Tungnath at around 10.15. The climb is more of a hike rather than a trek. The path is paved with stones. There isn't much difficulty in climbing the mountain. Make sure you have eaten properly and keep some chocolate bars and biscuits. It takes 2.5 hours to climb and 2 hours to descent.

(The Himalayas from the mountain peak. Canon 1500D. f/8. 1/2500 s)

(A helping hand. Canon 1500D. f/8. 1/1250 s)

We also played on the ice. Throwing it around, sliding on it, falling on it!

 It was already 3 pm by the time we came down. And it was 4 pm by the time we left after eating. Driving at night is not at all recommended in these areas. And well, something had to go wrong.

The clutch plate of our tempo traveller broke down and we were stranded in the middle of nowhere. And we had already booked a return flight from Delhi the next day. We were barely getting a network to even call anyone. But somehow we called the hotel that we stayed in the previous night. They arranged for some mechanic and we were saved. We were there without any real hope for an hour.

(Sunset from that place. Mi A3. f/1.8. 1/105 s)

We drove till Srinagar and stayed the night there. This all feels like it's scripted.

(Near Devprayag. PC: Bharath. Oppo Reno. f/1.7. 1/370 s)

And the next day was all about the road journey to Delhi to catch that flight. Thankfully, we made it in time. The final picture:

(A light painting from inside the plane. Mi A3. f/1.8. 5.18 s)

And thus, ended our journey and with it this blog series. Hope you liked it. Let me know your opinions and feedback. Whatever pops into your mind. Thank you! Have a great week ahead!