Tosh Diaries
I had left Amritsar with an uncertain destination in mind. Three days and eight buses later, I was finally at Tosh, a small village wrapped in the arms of mountains in the Parvati valley in Himachal. My journey on the road is mentioned in this post.
The Kheerganga Experience
I spent my first day in Tosh recovering from the fatigue of the three day long journey. The buses I had taken were not particularly comfortable and the beautiful view induced a sense of relaxation. The only problem was the cold weather and my lack of preparation against it.
The second day was spent cooped up in my room. There was work to be done and some writing to catch up with. I put in a few extra hours so that I could have some free time the next day; I was planning to go to Kasol for some warm clothes. My only activity was walking from the room to the cafe and back. The cafe was a nice and cosy place run by the guest house staff. It was mostly full of people smoking up and listening to music. A limited staff of two was always busy cooking food for someone or the other. It was, as usual, the same old menu and only a handful of dishes justified their prices. But then I doubt any of the transitory guests at the cafe were in any state to complain.
Despite my plans for Kasol, I woke up to an unforeseen surprise on the third morning. It had rained in Tosh the previous night and the mountain tops sported a fresh white layer of snow. A few clouds still lurked like a bad hangover but soon they cleared away resulting in a beautiful and sunny morning with an azure sky. I decided to use the fine day for the hike to Kheerganga. Although I was a little late (it was close to 9 by the time I started) I double checked with the guesthouse staff about the feasibility of the day trip to Kheerganga and went ahead after getting an encouraging response. The lack of warm clothes meant that I would have to come back to Tosh by nightfall. Kheerganga had very basic camping facilities, as I had been told, but nothing other than that.
As I found my way out of Tosh, I got stuck between groups of school girls on their way to attend classes. They ran down the slopes, giggling and looking happy. I tried to remember a Tuesday when I was this glad to be going to school! After the forest area I asked two of the girls for further directions. I had been told to go to Kalga and thence to Kheerganga. They told me they were in unrelated directions and left me with vague instructions. Not sure where to head, I saw two school boys coming my way. I asked them for directions as well and, no surprises here, they gave me clear instructions. I took the shortcut they suggested to the dam below. It was quite an adventurous path that jumped over a boundary wall and went down an abandoned set of concrete steps with grassy overgrowth on either sides that had grown taller than my height! In no time I was at the Parvati dam asking for further directions. The dam is built on the confluence of two streams, one of which comes from Tosh and the other, Parvati. Here I was told to cross the Tosh stream and follow the Parvati upstream. As soon as I crossed the stream, I met a group (three men and a woman) at the base of the village on the other side. They were also headed to Kheerganga. We exchanged hellos and confirmed our common destination. But they seemed to be going for a night halt and had camping equipment with them. So I bid them adieu, stole the dog that was following them and headed on.
The path winded around the village perimeter and continued along the Parvati valley. The river tumbled below to the right ere Barsheni and the dam slowly faded away. The uneven beaten path was a leisure to walk on. There were no steep inclines or declines, just the gradually vacillating “straight” roads of the hills. I hit a herd of khacchars and could find no way to pass them. So I continued slowly, extremely uncomfortable with walking behind them fearing a kick out of the blues. I did exchange an interesting conversation with the khacchar-wala though. We discussed the time it would take to reach Kheerganga, the ongoing rates of apples, our native places, etc. Then I finally overtook him just before Nakthan when he and his beasts stopped for a break.
Nakthan is a major village on this route and a handful of restaurants and cafes have cropped up near the entrance of the village. I stopped for some tea and Parle G, the latter of which was shared with the dog. I met an interesting old man who had travelled quite a lot of the country and thought that a true Delhite was one who has been to the G.B. Road. There was another young man who was carrying two white mice in a cage. I was quite surprised when he told me they were pets. He opened the cage up and let them move around for a bit. They did not seem too keen on running away. The man told me that even if they do, they always come back. Interesting dependency, this.
I continued without the dog now. His former companions had just entered Nakthan and he decided to laze around a bit more with them. It was 11:00 and I had already spent a good half hour there. So I continued along the path that was still relatively “straight”. Kheerganga was 7 kilometers from Nakhthan and I had travelled a similar distance from Tosh. The route was quite well marked with arrows painted on stones or wooden boards pointing in the direction of Kheerganga. Though completely unnecessary, since there was just one way forward, this periodic confirmation was quite welcome. A little after Nakthan I started crossing travellers on their way back. I tried exchanging hellos with them. Most, though not all, of the foreign travellers would return or initiate the hello with a smile. There was one particular man whom I would end up greeting three times by the end of the hike! I love these simple pleasantries. They make the road less lonely and tiring. However, there was a bunch of Indian men, somewhere in their mid forties and quite apparently not in the habit of hiking, who utterly ignored my hello. I wonder why this is such a difficult thing to do — acknowledge that the person you are crossing is a sentient living being. Is it because of the inherent mistrust that we have for people? Acquired due to the many unsolicited hawking that we are subjected to on the streets? But the younger generation of Indians were a delight. They were quick to smile and exchange pleasantries. I have much hope from them.
A couple of kilometers beyond Nakthan there is a small temple at Rudranag. A waterfall bounces off a rock taking the shape of a cobra hood, hence the name of the place. I could see a few men disrobing and taking a bath in, what I suppose was, the cold waters of the waterfall. The crazy things that religion makes people do! Just after Rudranag there was a small wooden bridge that crossed over Parvati to the forest on the other side. Parvati is a boisterous river. Loud and wild. Just looking at her flow down the rocky bed gives you a thrill. No wonder Shiv fell in love with her! Anyone would. I spent a few minutes crossing the bridge back and forth, trying to capture the river’s wildness in my camera. But such things are not meant to be contained. I gave up and started walking up the forest on the other side. The rest of the 5 kilometers to Kheerganga were uphill in this forest. The sun barely penetrated the foliage and the air was chilly. Numerous streams ran down the slopes and made the soil damp. Walking through an autumn forest is a rather cheerful experience. The usual green of the forest is interrupted by shades of yellow and red. It is quite a beautiful sight to behold. I walked slowly, appreciating the yellowing creepers on the pines and watching the sunlight paint patterns on the forest trail.
I finally got to Kheerganga by 12:30, way before the estimates people had been giving me. I was quite proud of myself, and with good reason. I headed straight to the hot water kund. I had lost network after Rudranag and up here, I was expecting to find a remote place with a handful of campers. What I found instead was a narrow pathway full of cafes, the same old hippie ones, and a lot of people! There were tents pitched here and there offering overnight accommodation. Though it was a good camping site, the entire place felt too commercialized. The kund was at the end of this path. There was a dharamshala next to it and it had managed to keep its distance from the cafes. I wondered how beautiful this place would have looked without all those cafes and people around. But alas! You have to make peace with the presence of people in this country. The kund was not crowded though. There were a few people in it and the water let out a warm and inviting steam. I quickly undressed, washed myself and entered the kund. The pool’s surface was lined with algae which made it a little slippery. It was ideal temperature for biological growth I suppose. The water initially seemed too hot but my cold body adjusted in a few minutes and the kund was thence a delight. It was barely 3 feet deep and around 15 feet in length and width. Though the day was clear, a few dark clouds were making an appearance on the horizon. I spent a good 20 minutes in the pool, sitting, floating and swimming across it’s length and breadth. There was a pungent odour of sulphur but not as overwhelming as in Manikaran. There was a bunch of college kids from NIT Hamirpur who entered the kund the same time as me. I struck a conversation with them. They had a few days off and were travelling around. They even suggested me a couple of treks around the area. Talking to them, I started wondering why I had never travelled so much in my college days. Though I was financially constrained, I know I could have managed if I had tried.
After getting out of the pool I decided to head straight out of Kheerganga. I don’t fancy these cafes anymore. Had there been fewer people then I would have liked to stay for a while. I was on my way out by 13:15. On the way back, in the forest, I once again met the same bunch whom I had met near the dam earlier and stolen the dog from. They were quite amazed that I was on my way back. We managed to talk for a bit and they (mostly the woman in the group) told me of the adventurous trail they had taken out of Tosh on which they were forced to hang by mere stones. I could not figure out which path she was talking about. But she also told me about Kutla, which was only an hour ahead of Tosh. She highly recommended that I go there, it still being relatively undisturbed by tourists. It is interesting how such chance conversations on the road go. There are so many recommendations and every conversation adds to the ever growing list of places to see and activities to do. I had already picked up a few on this day hike.
I rushed down the rest of the way through the forest. Back at Rudranag there was a bunch of young men sitting playing music on some loud system, speakers or dock. One frequently comes across this category of tourist who always seeks his comfort no matter where he is. He will seek the same music, the same comfort in a bed, the same food quality even in the remotest of places. They never enjoy a place for what it has to offer. The rumble of the Parvati and the pattering of the Rudranag waterfall were drowned by their familiar music which blared out of the loudspeakers they carried along.
I crossed Nakthan around 14:15. I was making good time and that kept me going. I planned to have lunch in Barsheni in another hour. Just after Nakthan there was a bunch of youngsters going up, all quite visibly tired. Two heavy girls with quite a lot of baggage were loudly cursing themselves for taking up the task. One of them asked me.
“Aur kitna reh gaya hai bhaiya?” (How much farther?)
I wonder if they were able to make it before sun down. After them were more specimens of the kind of both genders. Tired, less than half way to the destination, late in the day and wondering how far Kheerganga was. Reminded me of the Triund hike; places that are easily accessible tend to see such a clueless crowd. Not that these people should not see the beauty of nature, it’s just that they have no idea what to expect. Which can be amusing as well as dangerous. Imagine those girls stuck in the forest after sunset!
I got to the dam around 15:00, crossed the stream again and climbed the stairs up to the road level. Then I walked in the direction of Barsheni. My legs were finally aching and I got into the first dhaba I found. It had thukpa to offer, so I took one. This was a very Indianised version but it was cheap, filling and not altogether bad. Once I was done, I walked back to take the abandoned stairs that led up to the forest trail to Tosh. Climbing up proved to be a difficult task on a full stomach but I had time on my hands. The sun wouldn’t sink for a couple of hours at least and I would reach well before that. So I slowly trudged along. I was in time for the returning school kids. Most of them ran past me. On the road a little before Tosh I heard some coughing which I ignored. Then came a loud “Hello!” to which I turned and saw the same girls whom I had asked for directions earlier. I checked the time and remarked that they had really long school hours.
“Bohot padhai karte ho!” (You study a lot!)
“Karna padta hai ji…” (We have to…)
I was back in my room well before sunset. The sun slowly sank below the mountain tops and the chill returned to remind me of how ill prepared I was.
A Morning in Kutla
Despite a few clouds loitering about in the sky towards the evening, the night sky was clear with an exceptionally bright half moon. The next morning I woke up a little earlier than the last, while the sun was still making it’s way up to the top of the towering peaks, but I stayed in the warm bed till the sunlight poured through the curtains. I warmed myself up a bit before resuming activity. The day was clear and I had plans to walk till Kutla, come back and wrap up some more work. So I set out with a packet of biscuits that planned to break my fast with.
The sun was up and shining strong, but the air was still cold. Once again the route was well marked and without diversions. The path was paved with stones and fenced, something of an improvement over the cruder dirt trails in Garhwal. I could see a beautiful snow clad mountain top in a distance. It looked gorgeous. This route was greener and less frequented than the Kheerganaga one but it was mostly an incline. I progressed slowly, without rush since I already knew the road would be a short one. The climb was not as easy as I had initially thought, perhaps my happiness at my fitness level the previous day was a little premature.
At length I crossed the Tosh stream. A shepherd had camped on the other side. His herd was sitting scattered all around and I had a tough time finding my way across it. They eyed me with suspicion as I passed them. I was clearly not a welcome sight. The path kept going up for another kilometer or so. The incline was rather stiff and sprinkled with pine cones. The conifers were the predominant trees here but not the only ones. It was not a plantation as I had seen between Mori and Purola. Consequently, the lovely smell of pine was not very strong, but this also meant that the mountains were solidly held by vegetation.
Just a little ahead the incline rested Kutla. This was an actual village. Just a tea shop proclaiming the place and a few rudimentary houses. There was a guest house here as well for the rare tourist. But unlike the ugly concrete ones in Tosh this was made of wood and looked breathtakingly beautiful. However, I do not think it was in use. The few travellers that I could see seemed to be staying as house guests with the villagers. I drank some water from the stream running in front of the tea stall and decided to go a little further to a vantage point beyond Kutla. It was not very tough to get to, though it involved a little more climb. I now had a mesmerising view of the valley below and the peaks on the other side, the very ones that were visible from Tosh but I could sense the increased altitude here. I settled down on a rock and took out the packet of biscuits. As the sun warmed me, I ate the biscuits and sketched the peaks in front.
I decided to head back after a while. As I was slowly making my way down, almost immediately I was called by a bunch of men sitting on a side. One of them was a firang (a German as I was told later), the other a modern pahadi and the third a traditional pahadi. The modern one did most of the talking. He warned me that there were guys from CID below (in Kutla) and that I should be careful if I had anything on me. I assured him that I had nothing. Then he told me about the fields that were up ahead, a little distance from where we were. Buddha Ban was just 15 mins away. The traditional pahadi offered me to come along. He would give me some fresh stuff then and there! As we were still talking, a man came from below. He said that he thought those guys were from the Narcotics department. They had asked him where he was going. He laughed as he told us that he had told them he was going to check on his herd of sheep. I bid them goodbye and thanked the traditional pahadi for making me the offer. Then I resumed my walk.
The three men were sitting right at the tea stall. Since I did not have anything to fear so I walked right up to the stall and ordered a chai. They initiated the conversation by asking me where I was coming from. I told them I was sitting right there up ahead. Then another asked me if I liked “smoking joints”. Of course these guys were not tourists. They had a very poor cover and it would have taken the locals very little time to see through it. I talked quite a lot with them. They asked me where I was from, what I did, etc. The usual questions. When I asked them the same questions in return, the answers were very vague. One of them was doing most of the talking. He said he was a lawyer in Simla. There was another who claimed to be a Junior Engineer in a hydro project on Parvati. He was the one rolling a “joint” which was very clearly plain. Just tobacco wrapped up in a paper. Even their attempts to blend in were half baked. The third guy never told me his profession. But I think he was a police man. He had that aura of a hard-ass about him. He was stuffing himself with food and even when he offered me a biscuit (my packet had been taken away by a dog!) he had an authority in his voice. Plus he was wearing a shirt over denims. No one in this place dressed like that! The lawyer involuntarily kept affirming their actual profession to me. He could not utter the word charas and kept referring to the entire “business” in a condescending way. He told me how the police surveyed and raided. He seemed to be very keenly aware of the difficulties associated with simply shutting the “business” down. Yes, they were definitely there to survey. None of them were high and I doubt had ever been. They were also quite pissed at the locals having figured them out for who they were. But if they thought they were getting away with their cover then they must have been quite foolish to begin with!
Anyhow, I ate a bread-omelette after the tea and paid my due. I shook hands with everyone and said my goodbyes. Then I started walking back to Tosh. The route back was easier, mostly decline. The sun had come up and the air was warmer now. A little before Tosh I met Mr. C again! He was on his way to the fields and offered me a delicious and juicy apple. I warned him about the narc guys and we bid each other farewell.
Winter’s Coming
The weather was getting colder by the day and I did not have many options. Either I would have to go to Kasol and buy myself some warm clothes, or I needed to get out of Tosh. Since I had done Kheerganga and Kutla and the other treks were rather long in duration, it made little sense to make a day trip to Kasol and return here. And since Kasol was not really my kind of place, I evaluated the options.
There was Kullu for the Dussehra mela. Dussehra was really big in Kullu with lacs of people pouring in from all around. But the cafe staff told me that the mela was a seven day event that would start the next day and the last couple of days were the main ones. So Kullu was not an immediate option. Another option was the RIFF music festival in Jodhpur but I would be spending two days travelling and three to four days attending the festival. I had some work to finish and I was looking for a quiet place to wrap it up, preferably with WiFi since my mobile data was reaching it’s limit. Back to Delhi? But the weather report showed a temperature of more than 30 degrees! Manali seemed to be a good option.
The next morning I woke up to the sunlight pouring through the curtains and my new neighbours playing loud techno music. I quickly bathed, settled my bills, packed up and left for Barsheni. There I caught a bus that would take me to Bhunter where I could catch another to Manali. This bus was in no particular hurry. We slowly rolled down the slopes that took us to Manikaran. There the bus halted for at least half an hour. Then we resumed the slow journey through Kasol, Jari and Shat, the bus never crossing the speed of 20. No one seemed to mind so I stopped worrying about it as well. Instead I tried to enjoy the view of the valley while the lady next to me dozed comfortably with her head falling on my shoulder. Early in the evening we exited the valley to Bhunter, where Parvati joins Beas. A couple of bus changes later I was finally on my way to Manali.
The five days in Tosh had been quite a refreshing experience. There was much more to be done in the valley but I would need to come back for it. Winters were approaching the valley. That night, when I would compare the temperature in Manali with Tosh’s, I would realise that I had spent those four nights in sub-zero temperatures.
