Chadani Thapa
After a 25 minutes bus ride, we stopped for breakfast at Balaju Bypass and resumed our journey to Jamacho Gumba. It was supposed to be a half-hour journey to Fulbari gate, but it took us more than an hour since we got lost on the way. We reached Fulbari gate at 9:12 am. Our bags were checked for speakers so that we didn’t blast loud music and scare the crap out of those wild animals on our way. We walked in, and the hike began with stairs. It felt so much better to climb up the stairs than to struggle up on a steep road. But this feeling couldn’t last for more than 5 minutes. Trust me, at this point, most of us had already realized that it was gonna be tough and we’d do anything but to hike on stairs was like a big no. To be honest, I felt like being in an army camp. Those long walks on stairs made us all sweat profusely. We all were hydrating ourselves to the point where we ran out of water. Also, how can I forget our all-time hiking buddies- leeches who didn’t leave us, not even for a second (for god’s sake). For most of us, It was our first time being bitten by leeches and it wasn’t a good experience. We realized that monsoon season was definitely not the best because of the slippery trail and leeches. But that doesn’t mean we didn’t have a good time. We had jokes cracked around, took some group shots, and enjoyed the spectacular view of Kathmandu valley.
Surprisingly, most of us did a great job hiking to Jamacho. We reached our destination – Jamacho Gumba around 11:25 a.m, after a two-hour journey. The peaceful surroundings of Nagarjuna hill, birds chirping, fluttering prayer flags, and caves and stupas on the hill made us forget about our sore feet bitten by leeches. The view from the view tower was breathtaking with the Himalayas including some parts of Annapurna and Everest range, Manaslu, Ganesh Himal, and Jugal Himal stretched in a panorama. The top of the hill also offered views of Kathmandu valley and neighboring mountain villages. We all settled for munchies after admiring the breathtaking view that Jamacho had to offer and took our time exploring and appreciating its beauty.
Finally, around 2:40 p.m, we all decided to head back and catch our college bus. After a thakali lunch break in Naxal, we returned to Deerwalk Complex at 3:30 p.m.
This hike has been the most adventurous hike so far. I realize the hike wasn’t about the destination, but about the journey we made and I am glad I was a part of it.
