Sangharsha Bhattarai

Sunday morning I woke up at 6 pm with full excitement of my first hike. I was so excited that I reached D2 at 6:30 without having a cup of tea. We started our journey from D2 to Surya Binayak in D2 van at 7:00 am. At Surya Binayak all of us had hot and sweet breakfast (Jerry Puri and tarkari ) there and at 8:10 am we started to walk. Everyone scared me that hiking with Rudra will be very tough. As I was in my first hike and had some fear of whether I'll be able to walk so long or not. Vishnu was leading the way and we all were enjoying our hike vigorously. We all were also enjoying the green views everywhere and such fresh air to breath. In our team we three (Jeevan, Shankar, Rajesh) were on our first hike though we were much more excited walking up the hills. After a walk for about 1 hour Rajesh found himself not used to be on that kind of journey. But we all wanted our team to take the high pace to cross the hills. So we all were boosting up Rajesh to take the pace. AnupB (the giant man of that day) was trying to boost up Rajesh saying "When going gets tough, Tough gets going". Another hour of walk Rajesh changed his mind and turned around before reaching Naichual. On the way, we met some local people going to Naichual. We all were having great fun talking to them and crossing the high hills. They asked us in their native language ( Khe Pa Tee Nee De Waa ?) means where are you going. We kept talking to them and reached Naichual. We all were enjoying our hike (esp. the beautiful views with colorful flowers) and Charu (Single lady of the day) kept on with pace. Shankar and Suresh were busy with their cameras while they walking. After a walk of about one and half hour from Naichual we reached Khalchowk. We spend some time talking to a woman to know the way that we have to follow. We also met there an old woman (of 80 years) lifting a heavy bulk of wood. Shankar took her photo also. As we have already walked a long way we are little bit tired and we were taking water for routine as all hikers do enroute. Following walk for another hour we reached at Bastole. Picking and eating fresh oranges from the orange trees added more joy to our journey but there was a long way still to follow and with empty belly. At 2:30 pm we reached Asapuri (a temple) where we had small pause then climbed the hill for ten minutes stopped for munch. On ascending we bought some fresh new potatoes from a farmer who was harvesting them. We carried them all way up to Banepa. At starving state Vishnu pushed us to go to Zero Kilo at Sharmili’s Restaurant and after a drive of 35 minutes in D2 Van we reached there. We ate a lot. Kapil and I enjoying the local chicken as well as Phaphar Ko Dhido. After having that delicious meal we returned back at 7.00 pm. On the way, with both eyes closed, I was remembering all the sweet memories of my first hike. I've never walked so long (approx. 27 kms) and never had enjoyment of walking. This is the first day I had enjoyed walking in my life. And to me hiking with Rudra was a great fun and adventure rather then a tough hike. I fully enjoyed my first hike and I've decided to go for hiking whenever I can manage time. SangharshaB: My second hike in D2 started with a 30 minutes wait under Ghantaghar, in a cold morning, with Charu. Once started, I never thought of the tiring wait again, as the hike went real smooth and pleasant. All the way from the base of Surya Binayak, with hot 'jeri' in our pouch, we headed towards Banepa through the outskirts of southern Bhaktapur. Walking along the dry fields, sensing the smell of freshly cut rice shoots, we walked along the grazing cranes. The trail was not clear all the time, but we often interjected the gravel road and jungle trail and sometimes no trail at all. The trip, however, seemed to be a little tough for Rajesh, who had resumed walking after around one and half decades. It was fun to watch Anup and Suresh chatting with the local Tamang ladies who shared the walk for few minutes before we reached Naichual. Through Naichual to Khalchowk, we reached Ashapuri, a Mahadev temple residing in the bank of two rivers coming from Bhaktapur and Lalitpur, forming a delta. Our walk continued after a short break near Ashapuri, and we moved towards Dhulikhel. It was interesting how the estimation of villagers changed as we asked them for the time to reach Dhulikhel. Initially our destination was Dhulikhel but later due to the trip distance, was changed to Banepa. Walking down the hill, intersecting the gravel road, just an hour far from Sanga Bhanjyang, we reached Banepa at 4:15pm. I am fairly impressed with Rudra’s interest in walking, always choosing the steep and upward trail rather than the easier ones.“I thought I was unlucky to face the ups and downs of this hilly life, but now, seeing you guys intentionally searching for tough trails and walking through the hills, I feel I am lucky enough to have this in my life.  ” After Banepa, we headed towards Zero Kilo (where the road to Melamchi starts), for meal, as Vishnu insisted. It was indeed a good place with delicious food, especially local chicken, fried potatoes (which we bought on the way from a farmer, a drop out of army, who was harvesting the potatoes to sell it in nearby market), and of course the faapar ko dhido. The trip for me ended at 8.30pm when I was dropped at home, with a tired body but my mind still circling the trails that I had walked all the day. I really enjoyed the solace and the rural touch of the entire trip, crossing through yellowish field of blooming mustard and colorful buck wheat. The trail reminding me of my trek to my ancestry villages, where I used to visit in my school vacations, with classical Nepali houses, farms and the scene of farmers plowing the fields. I don’t know how fine the images can be captured with my 2mp camera, but it’s well imprinted in my memory. It was, once again, a great hike, a not-to-be-missed one. Now don’t blame me for being poetic. …