SUNDERDUNGA TREK

A couple of things that I would advise all trekkers to follow; one have a day in spare and two start your day early. A trek in the forest and mountain is not devoid of unexpected problems in terms of bad weather, illness, accident, tiredness and such likes. One has to be able to take them in stride. As regards starting early, walking from 6 am in the morning one gets to see the freshness of the day, enjoy the softness of the morning sun, and cover long distances when your energy levels are high and reach the destination at noon to rest and have fun.

There is a mass of data available on Sunderdoong trek on the internet but I shall keep my writing informative and very specific to my experience. Situated in Bageshwar District, Sunderdoong is at the end of valley parallel and to west of Pindari valley. Sunderdoong is approximately 24 Kms from the village Khati which falls on the Pindari trek. Situated at an altitude of near about 3800 mtrs above sea level it is uninhabited for most part of the year. From summer in June till the advent of winter in November, this place is occupied only by shepherds and their livestock. The best time to go to Sunderdoong is October. It is necessary to take a guide for this trek even for experienced and regular trekkers.

From Khati one has to come down to the confluence of the Pindari and Sunderdoong rivers, cross over these rivers and begin to ascend. The trek becomes very difficult from this place onwards. Immediately after the village ‘Return’, the trekker comes across a walled passage which is stewed with rocks, soil and water from the frequent landslides that occur in this region known as ‘Wacham'. One has no alternative but to walk on top of the wall which is narrow and has a deep gorge on the other side for about 150 mtrs. A couple of kms before Jatoli, there is a very steep climb of about half a km which is also taxing.

Jatoli is the last habited village on this route with about 25 households and beautiful fields. There are three hotels providing basic (rough) facilities for trekkers in terms of food and stay. From Jatoli trekkers could organize food stay and porters if required for the onward ascend to a place called Kathaliya. Mules and horses do not go beyond Jatoli. Kathaliya has three huts only which remain locked since their owned by the hotel owners at Jatoli. The trek to Kathaliya is also very dangerous as trekkers move through landslide regions, jumping on loose rocks and ice under many waterfalls and climbing on rocks with sharp perpendicular movement. This route is not for those who have a weak knee

Sunderdoong in the Pahari language literally means “Beautiful stones”. The current glacier has moved back and the erstwhile glacier bed where currently the two streams from Maiktoli and Sukhram meet is an awesome sight. Two huge rocks ravaged by ice and water into beautiful shapes over the centuries currently stand sentry to the start of the Sunderdoong River. The feeding glaciers of this valley are Maiktoli glacier and Sukhram glacier and main peaks are Tharkot (6100 M), Mrigthuni (6856 M), Maiktoli (6804 M) and Panwali Dwar (6663 M).

My journey started from Nagpur on the 1^st of June to Delhi and onward to Katgodam by train. I changed my route plan atleast four times based on suggestions from my guide, weather condition and my own body response. The final shape of the trek was like this;

From	To	Day	Date	Km	Ht (Mtrs)
Katgodam	Bageshwar	1	3/6	170	975
Bageshwar	Loharkhet	2	4/6	44	1760
Loharkhet	Dhakuri	3	5/6	9	2680
Dhakuri	Jatoli	4	6/6	15	2440
Jatoli	Kathaliya	5	7/6	15	3210
Kathaliya	Baloni top	6	8/6	4	3800
Kathaliya	Jatoli	7	9/6	15
Jatoli	Khati/Dao	8	10/6	8	2210
Dao	Zhuni/Gora	9	11/6	10	2500
Zhuni/Gora	Bageshwar	10	12/6	78
Bageshwar		11	13/6
Bageshwar	Katgodam	12	14/6	170

Day 1: The first taxi took me from Katgodam to Almora. Road from about 25 kms before Almora which were washed away by cloudburst in September 2010 still have not been fully repaired. On the trip from Almora to Bageshwar sighted the only factory chimney puffing black smoke into the atmosphere, it is either a cement or manganese factory at Kafligaid. Taxi drivers fleeced me since enough passengers were not available to share the road fare; therefore bus from Haldwani is a preferable option for next time. Spirits slightly dampened at Bageshwar with news that it has rained and snowed for a few days till the 1^st June in the upper regions. KMVN staff had obliged by arranging a guide for me; Dharam Singh a Pahari from Zhuni village, we met and discussed the route schedule.

Day 2: Day was sunny and we started at 7 am in the morning, walked into the Bageshwar market to take a share taxi for the 41 kms till Song. We had food at the road side hotel at Song. The taxi goes up to Loharkhet but I preferred to walk the remaining distance of 3 kms as an acclimatizing trek. The climb was steep (about 500 mtrs) and the KMVN rest house at Loharkhet was a welcome sight. Loharkhet offers a beautiful sight of green mountains on all sides, with tiny villages and their terrace farms. It took me two hours to climb this 3 kms path and we reached at 1 pm. The Forest Dept employee at Loharkhet registers the names and other details of trekkers, collects charges from them and issues a receipt. Having procession of this receipt is very important during the entire period of the trek. The Forest Dept also has a guest house at Loharkhet where charges are lower than those of KMVN.

Day 3: We start early at 5.30 am and climb to Tala Dhakuri by 7 am where Bir Singh has a small tea and food shop for trekkers and sheppard’s. We breakfast on Maggi and eggs and then tea. A few sheppard’s discuss about risk to their lives and livestock from wolfs and black bears. Though these wild animals don’t attack humans, but a surprise encounter could be dangerous. They advise me not to run in such a situation and I laugh nervously. The lower Khumaon valley is breath taking with thick forest and water streams flowing from many places. Resuming our journey at 8 am we once again began climbing to reach the summit near the Chilta Mata temple gate at 11.30 and then climbed down to Dhakuri at 12 noon. My first sighting of the snow capped Panwali Dwar was invigorating and placated the tiredness; however the other mountains were covered by clouds. The KMVN guest house is occupied, and I took the PWD guest house and decide to rest. There is also an independent hotel (temporary structure) serving hot food (breakfast, lunch and dinner). It rained hailstones in the afternoon but weather cleared in the evening to offer beautiful scenery of the entire snow covered range in the evening sun as far as the flat topped Nanda kot behind the Pindari glacier.

Day 4: My initial plan was to break at Khati but Dharam Singh persuaded me to trek to Jatoli. We started from Dhakuri at 5.30 am and reached Khargiang which is the village below Dhakuri at 6.30 am itself. The motorable road is being extended from Loharkhet up to Khargiang, it is freshly cut this season and therefore most unpredictable but I saw a couple of four wheelers stationed at Khargiang. From the next year trekkers can travel from Bageshwar to Khargiang by share taxi and then trek onward to Khati which is just 4 kms away. We reached Dao the village 1 km before Khati at 7.30 am where we stopped at a hotel for breakfast Maggi and eggs. Resuming again at 8.45 am we reached Jatoli at 12.00 noon. From Dao we moved down left to the Pindari River without having to go to Khati. We crossed the Pindari and went on to meet the Sunderdoong River. This amazing junction of about one sq km at the mouth of two adjacent valleys holds the confluence of both these rivers coming from each is a beautiful sight. At Jatoli I was extremely exhausted. I again rented a hotel room and requested local menu. They served me local leafy vegetable (phawar) and local dal (malka) along with rice and roti. I slept the rest of the day after having tumbled down 400 mtrs and then climbed 300 mtrs covering 15 kms in 6 hrs was a like chewing a bit too much. It rained once again in the afternoon.

Day 5: The next morning was fairly clear and I felt fit too. We started at 6 am along with a team of shepherds, their dogs and about 200 goats and sheep towards Kathaliya. The shepherds carry their warm clothes and food ration along with them whenever they come up to these levels in summer. They return to the plains below to their homes in the winter after 4 to 5 months. When in these mountains the shepherds life in caves, cook their own food and often kill from their livestock to feed themselves and their dogs. Their animals climb easily but need frequent rest to eat and regroup. So while I reached Kathaliya at 1.30 pm the shepherds arrived two hours later. I also took a lot more time to cover 15 kms because it was all uphill today. A number of waterfalls line this route, as you go higher the winter ice on them can still be seen in June, though thin and dissolving fast. At one spot it was in the shape of an umbrella with water flowing from below. To walk on these loose rocks at the waterfalls requires only a prayer on the lips and nothing else. If your karma is good they will hold. Of the three huts, two had no occupants. The only working one was full with trekkers and no more sleeping space, so I pitched my tent for the first time. Dharam Singh had pre-mediated at Jatoli, the availability of food for both of us at this place. It rained once again in the afternoon and the mountain tops were dense with clouds. The evening became clear, the night was clearer. The moonlight shined brightly on the snow covered mountains and they too reflected the light. The landscape below the snow also was very clear and bright. It was an awesome sight, cool, bright and very beautiful.

Day 6: The next morning I left my tent and other baggage at Kathaliya and climbed to Baloni top up to a height of 500 mtrs in about 4 kms. This one was also very steep. We rested at a flat surface and enjoyed the surrounding sights. Maiktoli was playing hide and seek with the clouds, Panwali Dwar was clear and so were Tharkot, Baljouri, and Panchauli. Devikund and Sukhram caves lay ahead of us within about 5 kms more but the weather was not reliable. After a while we returned down. It rained again in the afternoon. A group of mountaineers from Kolkata who were well equipped and wanted to cross over from Khumaon into Gharwal through the snow covered mountains returned unsuccessful due to bad weather. I had a day in spare to stay and explore the Sunderdoong glaciers region but decided to return the next day back to Jatoli.

Day 7: Once again I started at 5.45 am and this time the road was downhill. Uphill seems tough but downhill is tougher. There is more strain on the legs and back and more tension not to slip and fall. However we reached Jatoli at 11.30 am itself without any incident. Later I learnt from the Kolkata mountaineers who returned down after me that a temporary wooden bridge near a place known as Dhungia Dhaun (about 8 kms from Jatoli) which was tied between two ledges of a length of about 4 mtrs fell into the valley below because of the rain and landslide. They had to use ropes to cross this small stretch. I thanked my life. No wonder mules are not used on this route because at spots it is sheer 90 degree; also so unpredictable and unstable. At Jatoli I sat near the hotel kitchen which was in front of the house. A number of local travelers who move up and down the road, stop at such hotels for tea and snacks. They offer interesting stories about the local people as if right out of a ‘R. K. Narayan’ novel.

Day 8: This morning we started at 6.15 am and reached Khati at 9.15 am. I stayed at a hotel at Dao which is stone throw distance from Khati. The local delicacies were a treat. Dao also offers a spectacular view of the Maiktoli peak which shines in the moonlit night sky. It rained heavily again in the afternoon.

Day 9: I changed my route once again. Instead of going to Dhakuri we decided to go to Zhuni the village to which Dharam Singh belongs. While on the left side of Khati is Pindhari river valley, on the right of Khati behind the mountains lays Zhuni. One has to climb the mountain to reach a camping spot known Bazzerling Dwar and then climb down on the other side of the mountain to Zhuni. Bazzerling Dwar falls on the local trek to a place called Pankhu Top which offers a beautiful panoramic view of all three glaciers Sunderdoong, Pindhari and Kafhni. Zhuni is marked on some of the maps as Gora or Gwara and it falls on the trek to Sodhara (a religious spot) and Namik glacier. The distance from Dao to Zhuni must be about 12 kms, we started at 6 am and reached Dharam Singh’s house at 1 pm. The forest during the upward climb behind Khati is magnificent and gives an impression of being very noble. Dharam Singh introduced me to his family and other villagers. His hospitality floored me. I stayed in the house of the village Pradhan Mr. Amar Singh that day.

Day 10: The next day we were in no more hurry. After a session of photos with Dharam Singh’s family and breakfast we started at 8 am and walked down 6 kms to a village called Supi which is connected by a motorable road to Bageshwar. We were lucky to get a taxi immediately, stopped briefly for lunch at Bharadi and reached Bageshwar at 2 pm.

Day 11: My spare day was utilized for resting. Slept and recovered the whole day at Bageshwar.

Day 12: Took an early bus to from Bageshwar at 5.30 am which dropped me at Katgodam at 2 pm. My return train was at 8.30 pm to Delhi.