Day Two
We woke up at the tea-call of Anand Singh around 6 in the morning and a look outside dampened our spirits. It was raining profusely and the dark black clouds with its roar were looking ominous. Our guide however was consoling us that the rain will stop within 2-3 hours. We did paid heed to him, being a person of the hills and we kept ourselves ready to start. The pouring did lighten by 8 and completely stopped by 9 with a nice sunny sky smiling at us.
We started at 10.30. Our destination today is Jatoli, being a trek of 10 km. We bypassed Khati village to lessen our distance. Entering Khati is mandatory for only Pindari & Kufni Glacier route. This trek was very eye pleasing. We met Pindari river shortly and then the confluence point of Pindari & Sunderdunga rivers. Thereafter, the trail was all along the Sunderdunga river. We traversed through lush green jungles, wooden dilapidated bridges across river and steep cliffs. Snow capped mountains all along played hide and seek with us until we reached Jatoli around 3 in the afternoon.
Jatoli at 3200 mts, is the last inhabited village in the Sunderdunga route. It houses 18 families. But has decent self-sufficient economy of livelihood. People are either occupied with farming or tourism by way to being guide, porter to running eating place or giving rooms on hire for trekkers. But KMVN has build a rest house and is ready to start, which will hit the villagers income for sure. The village also has a government funded primary school with all amenities. The school is managed by its sole teacher for classes I to VI, Mr. Ramesh Mishra. We spend an hour with him and learnt that he is a resident of Rudrapur and is working there since 6 years. Apart from being the teacher of that school, he is its manager, cook, care-taker, accountant, and store-in-charge all folded in one. The school I must say is very clean and impressive. Mr. Mishra, a science graduate with a B.Ed. degree seemed very happy with his government job with a good salary after 6th pay commission and looked somewhat authoritative in the village, being the only inhabited educated person in that village. He was even satisfied with government supply of grains and vegetables for mid-day meals for students (six differenet menu for six days according to chart painted on school wall).
Development is on fast pace in that Kumaon region. Even though health centres are rare there, I did came across villages which seems self-sufficient, economically stable. Schools are not very far across and roads for vehicles being laid out a a very fast pace. Speaking of roads, one of my friend had an opinion that vehicle roads would pose economic problems for the local. His view was that, if vehicles will come at the door-steps, trekkers will not come and that will end earnings of the guide and porters. I strongly believe how wrong he is. Luxury should not be equated with necessity. Trekking is luxury for people like us, while transportation is a bare necessity for the villagers. I am sure a sick old villager will not hope for a trekkers to come to his house, but rather would want a jeep to take him to a nearest hospital for his treatment.
Lush green
The passage
Clouds, hills and the sky
Pindari river
Sunderdunga river,a little more rocky as compared to Pindari river
Man-made destruction of trees witnessed on the way
KMVN Rest House, Jatoli
Jatoli Govt. Primary School and Mr. Ramesh Mishra, all-in-all of that school
We started at 10.30. Our destination today is Jatoli, being a trek of 10 km. We bypassed Khati village to lessen our distance. Entering Khati is mandatory for only Pindari & Kufni Glacier route. This trek was very eye pleasing. We met Pindari river shortly and then the confluence point of Pindari & Sunderdunga rivers. Thereafter, the trail was all along the Sunderdunga river. We traversed through lush green jungles, wooden dilapidated bridges across river and steep cliffs. Snow capped mountains all along played hide and seek with us until we reached Jatoli around 3 in the afternoon.
Jatoli at 3200 mts, is the last inhabited village in the Sunderdunga route. It houses 18 families. But has decent self-sufficient economy of livelihood. People are either occupied with farming or tourism by way to being guide, porter to running eating place or giving rooms on hire for trekkers. But KMVN has build a rest house and is ready to start, which will hit the villagers income for sure. The village also has a government funded primary school with all amenities. The school is managed by its sole teacher for classes I to VI, Mr. Ramesh Mishra. We spend an hour with him and learnt that he is a resident of Rudrapur and is working there since 6 years. Apart from being the teacher of that school, he is its manager, cook, care-taker, accountant, and store-in-charge all folded in one. The school I must say is very clean and impressive. Mr. Mishra, a science graduate with a B.Ed. degree seemed very happy with his government job with a good salary after 6th pay commission and looked somewhat authoritative in the village, being the only inhabited educated person in that village. He was even satisfied with government supply of grains and vegetables for mid-day meals for students (six differenet menu for six days according to chart painted on school wall).
Development is on fast pace in that Kumaon region. Even though health centres are rare there, I did came across villages which seems self-sufficient, economically stable. Schools are not very far across and roads for vehicles being laid out a a very fast pace. Speaking of roads, one of my friend had an opinion that vehicle roads would pose economic problems for the local. His view was that, if vehicles will come at the door-steps, trekkers will not come and that will end earnings of the guide and porters. I strongly believe how wrong he is. Luxury should not be equated with necessity. Trekking is luxury for people like us, while transportation is a bare necessity for the villagers. I am sure a sick old villager will not hope for a trekkers to come to his house, but rather would want a jeep to take him to a nearest hospital for his treatment.
Lush green
The passage
Clouds, hills and the sky
Pindari river
Sunderdunga river,a little more rocky as compared to Pindari river
Man-made destruction of trees witnessed on the way
KMVN Rest House, Jatoli
Jatoli Govt. Primary School and Mr. Ramesh Mishra, all-in-all of that school
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