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The exhaustion of the past 11 hours of walking weighed heavily on me as I wrote in my journal. We had encountered only two people during our trek: two shepherds and their fierce-looking dogs guarding a vast herd of 5000 sheep. Their god was tucked away safely in a small box within their tent.
The previous night, we had rested in Dumak village, a historical gem nestled deep within a dense forest. Mobile phones were non-existent here, the lack of a tower a testament to the village's small population. Despite its isolation, Dumak held a unique charm, a stark contrast to the bustling cities.
Ajay, a villager we met on our way, had told us about a secret path used only by shepherds to reach Pancha Ganaga camp, the last stop before Rudranath. Bharat, unfamiliar with the path, led us on an adventurous journey. We started early but soon lost our way, coming face-to-face with a wild boar just as confused as we were.
Bharat instructed me to wait in an open field while he sought Ajay's guidance. Soon, they returned, Ajay leading us to a water stream that powered the village's hydropower plant. After a short break and conversation, we began our climb, crossing the bridge and navigating the boulder-strewn stream before entering a majestic forest. Towering trees, reaching a hundred feet, blanketed the sky, their leaves forming a breathtaking carpet on the ground. The only sound was the rhythmic leap of monkeys from tree to tree.
As the Himalayas unveiled their diverse tree lines with changing altitudes, we found ourselves amidst smaller trees. The vegetation transformed with our ascent, the scenery becoming even more stunning. Around 1 pm, we stopped for a simple yet heavenly meal of alu paratha and achar, fueled by which we continued our trek.
Three hours later, we arrived at a campsite where two shepherd boys from Dumak, entrusted with a large herd of sheep, had been camping for weeks. The sheep, raised for their winter wool, grazed freely in the vast field. The boys, accompanied by their fierce guard dogs, offered us tea brewed on a small stove set up near their tent. They shared stories of their life as shepherds, the challenges and beauty of spending months in the wilderness with their animals. They even showed us the small box where their god resided, a symbol of their faith amidst nature's vastness.
As we continued our journey, the Indian sunset painted the sky in hues of orange and purple. With limited light remaining, I inquired about Pancha Ganaga camp's distance. Bharat's estimation of half an hour stretched into an hour, leaving us amidst wildness and towering mountains, our only guide the shepherds' instructions. The dense fog soon covered our trail, adding another layer of uncertainty.
Suddenly, a steep uphill climb loomed ahead, shrouded in fog and covered with grass. Bharat suspected the camp lay above. We began our ascent, clinging to the weak grass for support. The dense fog swallowed the light, offering only glimpses of the crescent moon. The sound of a nearby waterfall filled the air, a moment of beauty amidst our precarious situation.
Then, Bharat's urgent whisper jolted me back to reality. "Dada," he said, "there's a leopard very close, maybe a few hundred feet below. See those langurs making strange noises? They've spotted it. We need to hurry."
I spotted the langurs, their calls a warning sign. While leopards are typically shy, an encounter in our current situation was far from ideal. We quickened our pace, reaching the ridge in mere minutes. But darkness stretched before us, the only light the faint glow of the moon. Panic gnawed at me. We had no tent, only a sleeping bag for me and Bharat's thin jacket. The cold was already biting, and the night promised unbearable temperatures. Food was scarce, just a few biscuits remaining. No wood for a fire, only the wet grass around us due to the fog. Despair threatened to engulf me.
"I think the camp isn't far," Bharat offered, a glimmer of hope in his voice. "Can you lend me your headlamp?"
Headlamps, lifesavers in the mountains, were beacons of hope in such situations. Light, traveling at an astonishing speed, could reach where our voices couldn't. Bharat swept the darkness with the headlamp's beam, and within minutes, we saw blinking lights a few kilometers away. Relief washed over us. "Let's go there," we exclaimed, our voices filled with newfound energy.
With the headlamp guiding our way and the language of light bridging the distance, we ran towards the blinking lights, grateful for the technology and the hope it offered. In the vast wilderness, we had found a sanctuary, a promise of food, warmth, and a safe haven for the night. The last rays of the setting sun painted the sky in hues of hope, mirroring the light.