The First Day Trek
We started from Lower Loharkhet at 6 in the morning with a cup of tea and biscuits. We had to obtain an entry permit from Kumaon Mandla Vikas Nigam (KMVN) Forest Office at Upper Loharkhet, which also has a newly built swank Rest House. A small chit-chat with the forest officer made us realise that he is anything but a forest officer, since he was completely casual and indifferent on any discussion of forest conservation. Forest, however is very thin in this locality, maybe for the obvious reason of this indifferent attitude of both locals as well as government officials. Its seems for afforestation the matter is same, be in metro cities or up there in hills.
An uphill trek mostly along stone peeved path of 11 kms took us to Mata Chilta Temple and a further 1 km downhill trek, to Dhakuri which we reached by 1 in the afternoon. At 2700 mts., Dhakuri is somewhat a plateau-like hill top and very picturesque. The mountain ranges of Kumaon are clearly visible from here. Dhakuri has all amenities of decent lodging. It has three rest houses and half a dozen eating place. A few years from now, I guess Dhakuri will be a crowded hill stop.
A small pause near Mata Chilta Temple
Dhakuri Top
A post-lunch rest on the Dhakuri meadow
We resumed our trek after an hour of rest. Now the trail is downhill. We walked through many sparsely inhabited villages enjoying little and mighty creations of God alike.
Step Cultivation
God's little creation
An 8 km trek finally took us to a hamlet named Jaikuni (2300 mts). Jaikuni is 2 km preceding Khati, the most important village of that region. A one sight of Jaikuni, made us fall in love, especially with "Hotel Annapurna", a small trekker's lodge. A white chart paper was pasted on the wall of it, inconspicuously written in most disregard as Hotel Anpona, both in English and Bengali. Our Bengali hard ego easily cropped-up at once, but we had to pardon the mis-spelling due to two reasons: One because of the affable character we saw in the owner, Anand Singh, but mostly due to the beauty of the view we see in front of that lodge. Just across the lodge was the village path and further across to it is a cliff flowing on to the Pindari valley. Maiktoli range was on the left of it and Pindari range was on the right and a hill stands in middle as if moderating a shake-hand between the two ranges . A dream scenery, no one could afford to not fall in love.
We off-load our rucksack at once in awe of that place and vehemently decided to spent a night there. That moon-lit, star-gazed, electricity-less night will be hard for me to forget ever.
"Hotel Anpona"
Views from "Hotel Anpona"
Khati village from Jaikuni
An uphill trek mostly along stone peeved path of 11 kms took us to Mata Chilta Temple and a further 1 km downhill trek, to Dhakuri which we reached by 1 in the afternoon. At 2700 mts., Dhakuri is somewhat a plateau-like hill top and very picturesque. The mountain ranges of Kumaon are clearly visible from here. Dhakuri has all amenities of decent lodging. It has three rest houses and half a dozen eating place. A few years from now, I guess Dhakuri will be a crowded hill stop.
A small pause near Mata Chilta Temple
Dhakuri Top
A post-lunch rest on the Dhakuri meadow
We resumed our trek after an hour of rest. Now the trail is downhill. We walked through many sparsely inhabited villages enjoying little and mighty creations of God alike.
Step Cultivation
God's little creation
An 8 km trek finally took us to a hamlet named Jaikuni (2300 mts). Jaikuni is 2 km preceding Khati, the most important village of that region. A one sight of Jaikuni, made us fall in love, especially with "Hotel Annapurna", a small trekker's lodge. A white chart paper was pasted on the wall of it, inconspicuously written in most disregard as Hotel Anpona, both in English and Bengali. Our Bengali hard ego easily cropped-up at once, but we had to pardon the mis-spelling due to two reasons: One because of the affable character we saw in the owner, Anand Singh, but mostly due to the beauty of the view we see in front of that lodge. Just across the lodge was the village path and further across to it is a cliff flowing on to the Pindari valley. Maiktoli range was on the left of it and Pindari range was on the right and a hill stands in middle as if moderating a shake-hand between the two ranges . A dream scenery, no one could afford to not fall in love.
We off-load our rucksack at once in awe of that place and vehemently decided to spent a night there. That moon-lit, star-gazed, electricity-less night will be hard for me to forget ever.
"Hotel Anpona"
Views from "Hotel Anpona"
Khati village from Jaikuni
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