The journey start on May 2nd from Chennai with a 35 hour Grand Trunk express train to Delhi. Warm hospitality by a Rajesthani family sharing home cooked food. In Delhi we met up with Prerna, one of India’s leading female mountaineers. From Delhi we took a 12 hour bus to Haldwani. We stayed overnight in small hotel. From there we took a 10 hour share taxi to Dharchula in the Sharda river valley which seperates India and Nepal. A bridge across the river crosses into Nepal. We stayed overnight in small hotel.
In the morning we took a maruti suzuki share taxi to Tawaghat where we left the Sharda valley and continued upstream along the Lassar Jankti river into the Dharma valley. From here we took another share taxi to Dar from where we hitched another ride to Sela. At Sela there are two shops cum dhabas. A number of snow glaciers extend across the road which had been recently cleared by bulldozers.
From Sela we proceeded on foot and met up with Jaman who offered to host us at his home in Datu. He told us that in his childhood the glacier in the Dharma valley extended till Baling and had since retreated till beyond Datu 10km upstream. At Baling there is an ITBP checkpost. A prior permit needs to be obtained from Dharchula to cross. Thanks to Jaman we were able to proceed without permit.
Jaman was one of the first villagers to return home after the winter. Every year the villagers from all hamlets in the Dharma valley migrate downstream early November and return back early May. For the next two days we enjoyed hospitality and food at Jaman s home. We camped near the temple above the village with beautiful sunrise view on Panchajulla, 5 beautiful snow peaks.
Next morning we hiked further into the Dharma valley. A JCB was clearing fallen trees and landslides from the road. We hiked tilll the main ITBP checkpost were the road end. From here a trail proceeds to Tijiang and Sipu, the last hamlet in the valley. As the trail beyond the checkpost was still blocked we could not proceed further.
We took a U turn through the deserted hamlet of Dakar and crossed the Lassar Jankti over a bridge where there is another ITBP checkpost. One trail proceeds left into the Dhauling Ganga side valley from where one can cross the Sin La pass (5400m) towards the Kuthi Yankti river valley flowing near the Tibet border.
Another trail turns right and proceeds downstream the Lassar Jankti through the deserted hamlets of Goe, Philam and Baun. Houses in the hamlets in the Dharma valley have been built in traditional style using rocks with handicrafted doors and windows. After Baun the trail winds down steeply to the river and one can cross over a bridge. From here we returned back to Datu to spend the night.
Next morning on May 8 we returned back to exit the Dharma valley. We hiked downstream along the road to Sela from where we took a share taxi till just before Shoba. From here we entered into the side valley towards Teezam village. Here one can find several shops and food before proceeding to Sungdom, the last hamlet in this valley.
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Great description. I am thrilled. Surely visit once the bloody pandemic is over.