IN SEARCH OF THE ELUSIVE WILD BEAST

New Year Eve – 31^st Dec, 2014

People were busy planning for New Year eve celebration, few talked about year to be gone and a hope from the coming year and youths expecting night to fall early so that they can attend the rarely organized disco party.

But we were in our first day journey in search of the elusive wild beast in silent valleys beyond tree line. Towards the evening in our camping site in a  hut at base of Gangsa-gungsa pass, we made a bonfire not to celebrate but warm ourselves from extremely cold weather beneath clear sky. Meanwhile, we drank a brandy to relieve form exhaustion and talked about how joyfully we could have celebrated the eve, had we been back at home with rest of the family and friends.

New Year – 1^st Jan, 2015

Wishing: Few kilometers away from first camping site, we reached Gerkhu from where Sakteng valley was visible along with the snow capped mountain of Arunachal Pradesh behind it. B-mobile network was accessible and friends rested for a while busy calling their love ones to wish a New Year. They ringed from the steady position as mobile signal was quite weak and restricted to some position only. Since our New Year eve was in a field, friends were interested in talks about how their love ones made eve back at home in their absence. I saw a smile on my team member’s face, while being able to wish and get wished a new year (2015) from families and friends back at home.

At very moment, all were happy and forgot the hardship they faced climbing Gangsa Gungsa ( 4100 m asl)  passage the day earlier while journeying from Merak valley and more hardship to come when we further venture into the extreme border to the India.

Our next campsite for tonight was at Sukteng, a place several hours journey though the path cutting the mid valley of the rugged mountain. We split into a team of two groups, group comprising of three of us took a ridge top path and rest walk towards the Sukteng with extra luggage of ours carried by them. Team following ridge top was meant for surveying and looking for the signs of snow leopard and their primary prey like blue sheep.

Following the ridge top of the rugged mountains, we walked for entire day covering aerial distance of almost 3km. While looking for the signs along transect (ridge top), the feaces containing berries (Berberis spp), some red colored chili resembling fruits and at times undigested chili were in frequent encounter. Instantly we couldn’t identify the species and collected the sample.

Below, in the mid valley others friends reached our camping site but to their dismay , the hut was very far from the water source and neither there was any snow nearby to replace the water for cooking tonight. Though exhausted, they travelled to next suitable camping site at Thangpoche, which was literally located behind a mountain that was majestically overlooking the Shukteng valley. It was another additional 3 to 4 hours uphill journey for them with extremely heavy luggage without a proper lunch to eat.

When we saw them walking through a narrow steep path via our binocular from the apex of 4350m high mountain top, our heart ached and felt sorry for our struggling friends. But there was no way we could lent them our helping hand as we too were exhausted travelling rugged ridge top under windy atmosphere and with our little remaining energy we are left with another 2.5 km aerial distance  to be surveyed before reaching a camp.

Lungzang Nagtsog (4350 m asl): I was overlooking the majority of the peaks in pale yellowish color along with a trace of accumulated snow in northern aspect, and a home to a numerous frozen lakes  from the apex of the mountain were I was resting. The glaciered peaks of the India are seen sparkling on the strike of rays of scorching heavenly eyes behind from us.

Alpine scree characterized the dark boulders of varying size stacked flawlessly above the grassland was lying silently beneath my resting place which literally made me sense like a giant and mountains as a miniature toys.   

Twins of Lungchepa tso along with few huts and a Thangpoche tso in a frozen state were vivid from the apex.

Lartso: An hour later, we reached Tso Garbu Lartso a place with three different lakes situated adjacent to each other. They differ in size and a color, the largest among them is a Merakpa lartso, followed by Saktengpa and the smallest is a lartso of Botpa. But in terms of color, Botpa lartso is darker in comparison to other two. Local consider that color indicates the wealth and dark is the representation of wealthy nature.  

We watched Tso Garbu Lartso by resting on Papthra top, which I would consider as best vantage point for enjoying the scenario of the Lartso which were surrounded by the Alpine scree in three side and remaining north facing aspect with lush green Rhododendron scrub.

Peaceful was the wide open valley were we walked at our maximum pace to make at our camp before dark falls, so was the sun setting behind the mountain and moon in its early rise to illuminate the lifeless valley in their own pace.

Geology: Grasses were yellowish and dry, lakes frozen and hardly visited by any wildlife at this cold season, the valley was silent and lifeless but not charmless. Geological formation at such a high altitude has a variety to be showcased; on our way towards Thangpoche (campsite for tonight) the gentle sloped valley was full of a foot tall mud projection from the ground that resembles thousand of real miniature mountains lying in front of us. I couldn’t comprehend what was that feature all about and how they might have formed which was distinct from rest of the valley I have visited till date.

Exploration – 2^nd Jan, 2015

After a tiresome day long survey along rugged ridge top, I wished for a sound sleep at the night in silent lifeless open valley. But wishes remained as a wish only, when docile atmosphere in such an altitude (above 4000 m asl) is short lived and are unpredictable. Late night inside 8 men tent, we could hardly sleep with profound snoring made by the fellow mate and worsen by the ghostly gusty wind striking now and then on the tent pitched in open ground making a variety of loud banging sound.  The night was terrible except for our local guides who preferred sleeping inside a hut.

It was our second day that we didn’t wash our face as water was scarce in high altitude during the dry winter season and has to be fetched from quite a far distance but at least managed to waste a cup of water to brush our teeth thinking that it might stink.

On day break, we had a heavy breakfast as everybody was aware that no lunch will be served in a field and has to depend on 2 packets of Perli-G biscuit, a Wai Wai noodle and a bottle of black tea provided to individuals before dispersing from base camp.

This time, further the group was subdivided into three sub groups. Two subgroups were assigned to survey different grids which were in different direction and remaining group comprising of two members were assigned to guard the base camp along with other chores like fetching of firewood and water.

Sub group led by Mr. Jangchuk volunteered to survey the grids located towards Phothongkorong side and remaining towards Zere and Zeredonglok.

My group: Our plan for the day was to trek and survey ridge tops of Kateng –po Phodrang, a mighty mountain formed by the unstably stacked stones of Himalayan scree. After more than an hour walk, at around 8:20 am, we started our climb from the base (near to 4100 m asl). As mandatory, we marked the base as starting point of transect to be surveyed by recording necessary information in a provided format.

Just few meters move from the start point, we were thrilled to spot faeces of the secondary predator, which was quite new.  With hope of more signs to be encountered, our team happily started the survey through rugged ridge top.

It took us almost three hours to reach the apex of the mountain where climbing was started before the golden sun rays stroked the valley. During the three hours uphill trek and survey, we could come in direct encounter with a Pika and scats of secondary predators but still no signs of snow leopard or their primary preys despite a potential habitat.

Kateng-po Phodrang (4250m) was a peak of the mountain on which we were surveying. From that vantage point of the Phodrang, our base camp was visible alike to a blue spot in the middle of a pale yellowish surrounding.  Through the Bushnell binocular we could see camp guarding friends collecting firewood from the dead scrubs of Juniper. Owing to the extremities of the place and height, places like Shar Tenzin Ganng at Aurnachal Pradesh were visible without any visual aids. Indian mobile network was in full access but couldn’t make a call with our sim card.

On top of very rugged mountain any minute ready to compromise with the skidding of the unstably stacked stones if walking carelessly; Kateng-po (local deity) Phodrang ( Palace) was marked with Chorten like structure constructed by the herders with piling stones. Chorten of my height (5.3 ft) tall stands proudly overlooking the valley facing snowcapped Jomo kungkhor (Abode of lady Aum Jomo) range. Stone of several feet tall and vertically erected in the nearby surrounding resembles the standing army genuinely guarding the Phodrang from a distant view.

Several meter before we actually entered those erected stones, our local guide paid his homage to the deity by offering a tea and a biscuit from his bag on a flat stone as he belong to those locality and instructed us that dirtying of the nearby area of the Phodrang with any human waste is unacceptable and will bring in bad weather if done so. 

After a brief rest on the top, we started to descend in to ridge leading to other side of the mountain from where we can start surveying Zere and Zeredong-lok. With every vertical climb, every component of the nature is noticed changing.  Air becomes thinner making difficult to breath, depth of soil becomes thin with exposed rocky cliffs and screes, height of the trees becomes shorter and results to the growth of scrubs, mostly south facing aspect with dry barren grassland with rock outcasts, on other hand, northern aspect with lush green rhododendron scrub of more than a meter tall with very moist ground surface.

In most of the south facing aspect, sporadic growth of Juniper scrub is seen dominating the rest of the allied species like Rhododendron anthropogon (Balu) and R. setosum (Sulu) are found in this locality. They consist of Balu, Sulu (Rhododendron spp) and Adrung karpo (white scentless fungal).

While I was resting on a ridge top, I could not endure pain of witnessing the peaks without a snow at this time of year (January) and several lakes turned into a pool of stone chips later transforming it into a platform of wracked dry mud deprived of any vegetation. 

Zere:  A place which is equally divided into two different vegetation types right from the centre of the ridge line. It is amazing to see the role of the aspect in shaping vegetation types despite a same geographical location and identical altitudinal range.

South facing aspect has grassland right from the Fir forest down the deep valley several hundred meters below the ridge line and a mountain facing that grassland with northern aspect (probably same elevation) has a lush green Fir forest. Than other side of the mountain with grassland in southern aspect with same altitude but facing northern aspect harbors well cover of Rhododendron along with Fir down the valley and a deposit of snow underneath.

On trekking through ridgeline looking for the signs of wildlife, I was literally enjoying being able to touch two entire different ecosystem from a single position.

As we continued our search towards Zeredong-lok and Kebulungtsen, altitudes were declining with every footstep and vegetation transforming to a Fir zone and longitude gains one additional degree (i.e. normal 091^oE longitude become 092^oE while reaching there) on top of usually displayed 091^o E inside the Bhutan.

 Herders hut: They are constructed by stacking of the flat stone with wooden flooring and shingle roofing over it. Majority of the huts will have a small window but lacks in few. Although, the water could be the priority; all the grasslands are never blessed with all kinds of necessities. So, the locations of the Brokpa huts are seem to be generally prioritized based on the availability of grazing ground for their livestock rather than a constant drinking water source.  To address the problem of water scarcity in their daily life, Brokpas fetch water via rainwater harvesting while their stay in high altitude hut during warmer season.

Back to base camp: While returning to the camp, we took a mid valley trail as transect all the way from the Zere till our morning starting point at the base of mountain Kateng-po Phodrang. Trail was more than a 7 km long (ground distance) with narrow cutting through the mid valley of the scree mountain.  Either side of the narrow steep path was totally covered with unstably stacked boulders with no way to escape if any boulders accidentally roll against us triggered by windy atmosphere. 

Approximately with near to three hours walk, thank God, we could safely make to the end of the narrow trial without any accidents.

Exhausted without proper lunch, dehydrated and joints aching, finally we reached to the base camp while final sun rays were bidding farewell of the day to the majestic Kateng-po Phodrang.

Base camp: On drinking of sweet hot black teas served by the friends in the camp,it really regained our energy and so do was with other team who trekked on the way towards Phothongkorong. With little left energy and additional regained from the tea, friends were busy sharing their day long experiences and sighting. Bird enthusiast were existed about their direct sighting with Tibetan Snow cock, an some by the beauty of the landscape while few busy identifying their collected samples. But as a team we were content with the day’s survey as could add one more predator, an unidentified lesser cat in our list that was not sighted in yesterday’s survey.

Attempt- 3^rd Jan, 2015

Thangpoche camp to Phothongkorong: We woke up earlier than yesterday, as there was a long journey to be made to reach our next grid at Phothongkorong, which was intended to be our base camp for surveying next four grids adjacent to it.

But to my surprise, two of our eldest team members were suffering from acute altitude sickness which hampered their appetite and faces were swollen.  We were left with no other option than to send the sick members back to low land taking into account of their safety.    

Sending back of two members were a burden for remaining eight of us, since we have to carry additional luggage (mess item) that has been carrying by two of them till yesterday. Vigorously trekking for last three days and now with additional load, our journey was comparatively becoming quite challenging.

Sick friends and rest of us departed at 7:30 am from Thangpoche camp, they returned towards Merak and we trekked to Phothongkorong. Weather was fine as usual in the morning with clear sky.

Initial snowfall: At 9:30 am, after uninterrupted trek for two hours through narrow steep undulating paths notably used by the livestock and herder before their winter migration; we reached in the mid of Lungzang ridge. Engrossed in trekking, we forgot to notice the sky by then which was dark in color with heavy clouds overshadowing the sun. I was obvious that weather was going to change but did not expect to be so quick.

While we were taking a brief rest in the mid of Lungzang ridge, along with a wind a cold white substances settled on my warm checks which I couldn’t comprehend what it was. But on looking towards the wind flow, I could see that white flakes of snow ridding on wind and realized that it was snowing. 

 

It made us worried as we have yet not reached a half way to our final destination at Phothongkorong. A panicked local guide inform us that to reach our destination we have to climb few more mountain which may not be possible if snowfall continuous.

Lungzang valley: Hopping that snow will recede; I insisted we should keep going and started our journey again. But snowing became intense with time and forced us to take a refuge in the Lungzang valley. There was few numbers of Sakteng pa huts to take a shelter and a semi frozen lake for fetching water.

We took a shelter of the best hut among all and few of us started gathering fire wood for warming and cooking while other went for fetching water from the lake that was located near to 50 meters distance from our shelter for the day.  The valley was located above tree line with scrub vegetation and firewood was not available. So we have to use those fire woods that were hidden inside the Barberis   bush by the summer resident herders; in fact we were stealing their most difficultly gathered firewood. I can visualize that it might take a day to fetch backload of firewood in such area but we were left with no other alternatives. It was a matter of freezing to death or to maintain the pride of not using other property without prior permission.

After having a quick lunch, we attempted trekking to our final destination but in vain. Snow started piling over the ground surface now and then. Every single minute was valuable as more than a foot of snow pileup was there within three hour of snowfall and was still falling vigorously without any sign of improvement in weather.  Most worrying was that we still have a night to halt there before we can really retreat back to Merak.

That evening there was no ground surface left for pitching our tent due to snow; so we somehow manage to pitch inside one of the poorly insulated hut.

High altitude lakes look clean from a distant but on filtration using a cloth, lots of red minute bugs were seen floating over a cloth piece and nor water tasted fresh. 

Though vigorously snowing outside, we had a great chat during dinner time surrounding a dimly lit hearth to warm ourselves at the best. To distract from the anticipated hardship with tomorrows journey, friends keenly engaged in narrating jokes and their funny childhood incidents. Intense laughter prevailed in the hut until we dispersed for sleeping.

Night was comparatively peaceful than previous halt; wind couldn’t strike over our tent as it was pitched inside the hut.

Retreating day- 4^th Jan, 2015

We had an early breakfast hopping to start early journey to Shukteng. Colorful valley was turned into a monochromic smooth surface with constant snowfall throughout the night. Weather was windy and snowing still with no indication of any improvement.  With accumulation of more than a knee height snow over the ground surface, no traces of well trekked track or any route were visible. White surface looked fresh and fragile with least undulation which made the journey worse. With slight carelessness on making ones next footstep, probability of losing the life was extremely high while passing through the mid of the stiff cliff.

On other hand, trekking via ridge top to avoid heavily accumulated snows down the valley was further challenged with heavy snowfall accompanied by gusty high altitude wind that weakened our vision. At times, we were forced to take a support of each other and standstill lowering our face downwards to confront the painful beating from the ghostly wind along with huge flakes of snow.

For last three hours vigorous trekking and making a way over snow pile with not less than twenty kilograms of load in our rucksack, everyone were exhausted and few caught with altitude sickness. But distance to our intended camp was almost double the distance we could trek since last three hours.

Everybody was in desperate need of rest for a while and warmth from fire before attempting to cross the snowcapped pass ahead of us.

Team took a shelter in a hut located below the snowcapped pass ahead of us to rest for a while. With brief resting inside the hut, we comforted our self with energy supplement like glucose power and a biscuits along with a cup of hot tea from our hot water bottle. Some even had to take a medicine to relieve from acute headache.

Though exhausted and some sick, we could finally reach to our next camp after near to three hours walk via ridge and valley severely thrashed by the snowflakes driven  by the gusty wind.

Shukteng hut: Located at the mid valley of the mountain, hut was comparatively in better condition. It was spacious enough to accommodate eight of us with better insulation. But water was scarce in that area. We had to depend on the snow for cooking which landed up consuming more fire wood. Firstly we have to melt the snow to produce water by immense heating which later is use for drinking and cooking.

Still windy and snowing outside, that night I suffered from the altitude sickness. I even landed up vomiting that made others worried. I was deprived of sleep due to sickness and friends couldn’t rest well as I was sick and disturbed their sleep. That night I sort to every possible remedies right from a medicine to drinking of strong black tea, which is believed as a cure for altitude sickness by the local people.

Crossing Gangsa-gungsa pass– 5^th Jan, 2015

LHA GYELO: Gangsa-gungsa pass; which we had crossed few days prior to snowfall now look more alike a stranger with monochromic manifestation. Climbing the pass was extremely difficult and life risking with heavy deposition of snow and extremely gusty wind unlike the pass without snow while we were crossing few days back. To confront the difficulty and relieve from exhaustion while climbing the pass, friends took a solace of brandy.

On reaching the top we recited LHA GYELO for a moment as a gesture of victory over the final the pass.

Walking through the wood: Beautified by the accumulated snow on their canopy, trees resemble like a bride in her beautiful white wedding dress impatiently waiting for her groom with bouquet flower in her hand.  

Walking under such woodland was not only challenging but could also proof fatal any moment if branches break due to weight of the accumulated snow.

Jollification: Descending downward for another five to six hours via narrow path under the partially closed canopy of the snow loaded Fir; finally we reached Merak range office several minutes after the darkness of the night falling over the valley. 

Bukari was lit and rooms were warm. Fellow mates comforted with a cup of hot tea. Meanwhile we were more relief to see our fellow mates who went towards Jomo Kungkhor arriving safely. 

Over the dinner, sitting by the bukari every one was busy narrating about the journey in search of snow leopard and narrow escape from the death.

That evening, families of our local guide and porter also gathered at our place with a Tshokchang (tradition of bringing local brewages to meet the guest).  We drank and dance out of joy till late night. Everyone was enjoying the dance though totally exhausted by tedious day’s journey. None of us even bothered to take a rest though it was in genuine need by our body.