Pindari Glacier : seeing the unseen world

Last week, I left you with the famous Zuckerberg temple (as it is called nowadays) of Kainchi Dham in the Uttarakhand State of India. This week, I travelled a bit deeper into the State and reached a very small though original district named Bageshwar.

There are many places where you see either mountains or rivers, and other places with snow. But there are very few places where you see all of the above mentioned natural features together. Bageshwar is one of them. This place is known for its scenic beauty, glaciers, rivers and temples. It is situated at the confluence of the Saryu and Gomti river.

Before the Indo-China War of 1962, Bageshwar was a major trade mart between Tibet and India. This district was frequented by Bhotia traders. who used to sell wool, salt, borax in exchange for carpet and other local products. But today, it is mostly known as a starting point for the world famous Pindari Glacier.

The trek is rated as easy to moderate but from a Mauritian perspective, it is not easy, in fact it’s hard to travel so much. But if you are healthy, this adventure is worth it. It is not just seeing a river of ice, but it is something like seeing an unseen part of our planet."

Most Mauritians rarely get a chance to visit glaciers. The Mauritian routine hardly allows us to go on an adventure holiday. All we have is Le Pouce mountain or the hardest trekking of all, the Pieter Both mountain. So, glacier trekking can be a new experience, if anyone wishes to explore the world and especially India. 

First, let me tell you what glaciers are. “Glacier is a mass of ice that moves slowly down a valley. Or you can also call it a river which is frozen.” This is a dictionary definition of glacier. My own definition or preferably an impression, after seeing a glacier for the first time in my life was: “Glaciers are like beautiful thoughts that are moving and changing their shapes constantly, yet they remain beautiful and pure all the time.”

Yes, you tend to become philosophical when you are at such a place but it’s not that easy to reach. The road to this beautiful abode is hard. So, for the Mauritians who are facing the summer heat, let me take you on a virtual glacier trekking.

First of all, the journey starts from Mauritius to Delhi. From there, you reach the nearest airport, Pant Nagar, in one hour from Delhi or railway station Kathgodam in Uttarakhand State, which takes around six hours from Delhi. The road journey will give you breathtaking views of mountains, waterfalls and even clouds below you, if you travel during Indian winter like me. But I would advise travelling during the months of March, April or May for this trip, as in winter, it can be deadly for those who have never been into such harsh conditions.  Sometimes, the pass is closed due to heavy snowfall. After crossing Bhimtal Lake, Kainchidham, the beautiful hill station of Almora, we reached this small district of Bageshwar. 

If you are not in hurry, you can stay one whole day exploring all the above mentioned places and believe me, the beauty of all these places is so breathtaking that you won’t regret staying. 

Adventure tour packages

It is advisable to take a tour package for this adventure. There are hundreds of tours available online, ranging from 10,000 to 15,000 Indian rupees. Find one with a good guide. The plus point with the package is that they provide all the essential gears necessary for this adventure. It is also safe to travel with someone who has been on the road hundreds of time. My guide met me at this Bageshwar district, as I already knew my way to this place. 

Day 1: We started in morning at10:00 am and reached Loharkhet at 1:00 pm, where we had our lunch and later, we explored the nearby villages. We stayed at the guest house overnight.

Day 2: The morning sun comes and spread its splendid beauty all around. The snow white mountains shine golden with the sun rays. The destination is not important; it is the diverse parts of the journey that turns you into a different person. After breakfast from the roadside ‘dhabbas’ (roadside food stall), we left from Loharkhet to reach Kharkia, which is a 3-hour drive. Here, we had to leave the vehicles behind and all we had were our two legs and one stick, on which the new journey started. After a one-hour beautiful trek, we reached Khati, the last village on this trek. We had a short break, as it is exhausting to go into a valley and then mount a hill. We had our lunch, which was arranged by the tour agents and we made ourselves comfortable with the new surroundings, where we could see greenery into infinity. Greenery may not be new to any Mauritian, but the snow-peaked mountains behind this greenery is breathtaking. Khati is a nothing like the last proof of inhabitation, but opposite this place is a colourful, full of life habitat, with smiles and unconditional hospitality from the small village with a big heart. Unlike the big tourist places where everyone is expecting a tip from tourists, these villagers don’t even know the meaning of that word. This place is splendidly beautiful inside and out. Sleep was dreamless that night.

Day 3: I wanted to spend more time in this village but since we were part of a whole group, nobody could stay behind in any condition, so I had to move on. But that doesn’t mean that I left all the beauty behind. The beautiful nature accompanies you once you leave from Kathgodam railway station and start the inclination towards mountains. 

After leaving Khati, we had a bit of walking to do so, we made sure that we had a full breakfast so that we won't feel hungry later. We started the day early as the distance to Dwali is approximately 13 kms, which would take around 6-7 hours, depending on our pace. The weather here is unpredictable, so it is important to start the day early just in case if it starts raining. On this trail, we passed across a stream, which was the first water point of the day.

We were instructed to make sure that we get our water bottles filled at this spot. I had hot water in my thermos filled at Khati. 
As we walked ahead, we saw the whole of Khati village in the background. Eventually, we reached Dwali from where we were able to see the Pindari Valley on the left and the Kafni Valley on the right. There was a camping ground where we stayed for the night. Each coming day, one layer of cloth increased on everybody's body, as the temperature kept dropping. Exhausted with a lot of walking, sleep came as early as 7:00 pm that day. 

Day 4: Dwali to Phurkia: We had to walk for a short distance compared to the day earlier, as it is a 3-hour walk, which is approximately 5km. After having a hot cup of tea and breakfast, we headed to Phurkia through some of the most beautiful rhododendron forests, which was a treat to the eyes. You will get to see the Pindari river flowing below. On clear days, you'll be treated with views of Mt. Nanda Khat and Nanda Devi right in front of you.

You will see the final two stream crossings, which are layers of hard snow. We found hard snow here, where we required the help of an ice axe, microspikes and crampons provided by tour guides. As we reached the Phurkia campsite, we were served hot tea with some snacks, which were a godsend in such freezing temperature. Later in the evening, hot dinner was served and I realized that coming with a tour was such a good idea. 

Day 5: Phurkia to Zero Point (Pindari Glacier) and return to Phurkia. From Phurkia, it takes three to four hours to reach the Pindari Glacier, which is called ‘zero point’ in guide terminology. So we started early so that we can get more time at the zero point.
Now while trekking, it felt like we are walking on a green surface surrounded by snowy mountains. As we reached zero point, it seemed as if our hearts were not there anymore and our minds were empty, like we have really reached zero point of life. Then, slowly the heart and mind came back in the body and everyone around started commenting on different things that came to their minds, such as ‘breathtaking’, ‘paradise’, ‘awesome’, ‘rejuvenating’, ‘refreshing’. And the word that came to my mind was ‘Alive’. 
Imagine a scenic paradise which has breathtaking views of snow-clad peaks playing hide-and-seek with each passing clouds. Then there are gushing streams, waterfalls and lush green meadows that make you fall for its beauty instantly. The trail to the glacier is a mesmerizing walk in itself; as you reach the destination, it feels like a live painting.

The trek is rated as easy to moderate but from a Mauritian perspective, it is not easy, in fact it’s hard to travel so much. But if you are healthy, this adventure is worth it. It is not just seeing a river of ice, but it is something like seeing an unseen part of our planet.

Brief Itinerary provided by the tour agent

Day 01: Kathgodam to Loharkhet 

• Altitude - 5,500 ft.  
• Distance - 180 Km. 7-8 hrs  
• Overnight stay in Guest House  
• Pick up time 6:00 am at the parking of Kathgodham railway station. 
• Route - Kathgodam - BhimTal – Almora- Bageshwar- Kapkot- Loharkhet
• network available

Day 02: Loharkhet to Kahrkia (Drive) and Trek to Khati

• Altitude – 5,500 ft to 7,300 ft (Kahrkia – 7,400 ft.)
• Drive - 3 hours  
• Trek - 4 km (1 hour)  
• Reach Khati before lunch  
• Accommodation in tent 

Day 03: Khati to Dwali 

• Altitude - 7,300 ft to 8,600 ft 
• Time taken - 6-7 hours 
• Distance - 13 km

Day 04: Dwali to Phurkia 

• Altitude - 8,600 ft to 10,500 ft 
• Distance - 5 km 
• Time taken - 3 hours

Day 05: Phurkia to Zero Pint Pindari Glacier and return to Phurkia

• Altitude - 10,500 ft and 12,300 ft 
• Time taken - 7 hours 
• Distance - 16 km

Day 06: Phurkia to Khati via Dwali

• Altitude - 10,500 ft to 7,300 ft 
• Time taken - 7-8 hours 
• Distance: 18 km

Day 07: Khati to Kharkia and Drive back to Kathgodam

• Altitude - 7,300 ft to 7,400 ft 
• Time taken - 1 hour trek 
• Distance - 4 km
• Drive - 180 km