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UTTARKAND

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Iwas working in Srinagar,Uttarakand (did u know there's a srinagar in UK?) on the Alkananda Hydro Electric project.Srinagar situated on the banks of Alkananda river is a picturesque little town in the Garwal Himalayas.The climate is hot in summer and cold in winter almost similar to Delhi.Srinagar is 106 km from Rishikesh. On completion of my project I went on a trip to Badrinath with three of my Garwali freinds Hari,Ravi Ramoula,Nari Satinder Singh from Srinagar.Haribai as we used to call him runs a TATA Sumo taxi ,he had offered to take us to Badrinath if we take the expense .We eqipped ourselves with a stove ,pressure cooker and blankets.We planned to use the sumo as our sleeping place bcose lodges are very costly in and around Badrinath and to prepare our own food .We had a trip of 4days and three nights .
I purchased a small digital camera since I had not brought my handycam along .In great excitment we stocked up with necessary cooking items ,prominent among them being Maggi noodles.

We set out from Srikot, 4km from Srinagar, where I was quartered, at 8.30 am on a nice and cloudy morning,it was fortunate that it was rainy so the day ahead would be cool,otherwise the heat in this area is really high in July and we would have to have borne it till around 100km from there.It is 206km from Srinagar to Badrinath.Srinagar is at around 600m above MSL and Badrinath at 3000m above MSL.the road winds along the side of the river Alkananda all along, with fantasatic views of the misty river all along.We reached the Shirobagad area 20km from Srinagar where the road is constantly sliding off the side of the mountain .We had to pick the rocks which was blocking the road .





Ravi and Nari picked the rocks and I was keeping a watch on the hill to see if any more falls down, Hari off course had to do the driving .

50 km from Srinagar is a place called Rudraprayag where the Pindar river joins the Alkananda.It is a medium sized town.Just past Rudraprayg town the road was blocked due to a land slide.The roads in Uttarkand are maintained by the Indian army's Border roads Organisation,who are very prompt in clearing blocked roads.Landslides and rockfall is a constant threat to traffic along these himalayan roads.We arrived at the land slid at around 9.30 in the morning and we could get past the block only at 4,30 in the afternoon.During the time we retraced our path and came back past Rudraprayag town and parked near to a waterfall ,where we cooked and ate our breakfast of Maggi noodles.























































After breakfast we spend some time in Rudraprayag town then returned to the road block and found it still closed to traffic. By now a long Que of vehicles had formed on both the sides. We also took our place in the que .We cooked our lunch on the road side.It was fortunate that we had planned for this ,the other travellers were finding it difficult to find food or drinks.
 We camped that night in Pandukeshwar cooking our dinner by the road side on our stove.We slept in the sumo .

The next morning we started very early to catch the checkpost opening at Hanumanchatti.In these areas no vehicular traffic is allowed after 8pm upto 5.30Am and the traffic from hanumanchatti is one way so weleft very early to be in the first convoy.
Past Hanumanchatti we passed by Apple orchards we stopped to pluck some.Reached Badrinath at around 8am ,Since we were early there were not muchof a crowd at the temple.There is ahotsprings right in front of the temple were hot steamy sulfurous water comes up from the earth we freshened ourselves at this spring and visited the temple.
    After the temple we went to Manna village which is the last village in India though the Chinese border is about 40km from here this is the last civilian out post .Beyond this point only Army personnel are allowed.This village and Badrinath is occuppied only during summer months from April to mid october due to the harsh winter condotions.

THEKKADY VIA MOOZHIYAR,GAVI,

VIEW FROM THE TOP
Kakki reservoir

On January 2nd 2010 we set out from Kollam on two bikes one my TVS Victor and a pulsar.We where four people.Satrted from Kollam at 8.40am after some delay,we had actually planned to start at 7am but one of the guys who was supposed to come with us could not get leave from his employer ,so we had to find some one to take his place.So in the morning at 7 Vipin and Unni went in search of their freind Firoz, they had to wake him up and get him ready at short notice.
We made good time via Kottarakkara to koni .We stopped for breakfast at Pathanapuram.From Konni I took a wrong turning and we went along this wrong road for seven kilometers through the Konni teak plantation.We saw a forest station and stopped to ask directions only then we learned that we were on the wrong road and that this road actually leads to Achankovil.Immediately we turned back and went along the road to Pathanamthitta bye passing the town we took the road to Malayalppuzha from there straight to Chittar.Chittar is the last town along this route where we can get food .So we purchased some porottas and curry and set off to Sithathode where the forest checkpost is located.
The forest guard on duty refused to let us through because two wheelers are not permitted along that road.I had already anticipated this and so had the number of forest vigilance officer with me .I called him and he told the guard to let us through on his personal assurance .While waiting at the check post form the guard to makeup his mind we saw some flying squirrels which are a plenty in this area.
Having passed through the check post we entered the reserve forest and wound our way through enchanting dense jungle along the side of a small river.We stopped a feww kms into the forest and were bitten by leaches all except me ,because i had not stepped off the tarred road onto the grassy verge where the leaches thrive.Around 12km s later we came to the Moozhiyar dam and the power house beyond that.There are five dams along this route and at each one there is a checkpost where the details of the vehicles and rider's license are checked and noted.The policeman at Moozhiyar warned us that a rogue elephant had been reported higher up near to Kakki dam which is some 20-25km further.



.Along each blind curve i was expecting the rogue elephant to appear in front of us .I had planned that if it did we should immediately make a U-turn and head down hill.After going up hill for about twenty five kms we reached the top.The forest along this area is very beautiful .We could hear the calls of many birds among the trees.
After Moozhiyar dam and power house the road begins to climb uphill in very steep hairpin bends through thick jungle.The road is very narrow and all the tarring has long ago vanished so it is very rough and stony.On the way up we saw the huge penstock pipes bringing water down to the power house.Coming down towards Kakki reservoir we saw an elephant drinking water ,far in the distance .many types of jungle fowl were visible.
Beyond Kakki dam we passed Anathode,Kochupampa and Gavi dams. and at each ther is a check post where we had to give our names,vehicle numbers and license numbers.In Gavi there is a forest guest house called green house which is for tourists .
we reached Kumily at 7.30pm and found our lodging in Benny's Bamboo village ,we had reserved the room in advance .THe rooms in this lodge is named after spices like ginger,pepper,cardamom etc.