WHIMSICAL VETERANS’ TRAVELOGUE

TREK RAJPUR (DEHRA DUN) - BENOG SANCTUARY (MUSSOORIE) & BACK

7^th of April 2024

(Shahanshahi Ashram – Barloweganj – Library – Clouds End – Benog Top and back)

(Trek ascent from 2,300’ to 7,300’ and round distance of 53 kms in 15 hrs)

 

“There is something in the air of the Doon Valley that makes it ideal for the veterans to laze around under the sun or in shade depending on the season of the year, imbibe heady spirits, and undertake quirky adventures from time to time, all in like-minded company. In other words, just being whimsical.” – Col RS Sidhu

“They (veterans) have more ‘to strive, to seek, to find and not to yield’ as they pad up to go one more time in their second inning. How dull it would be to rust! What thrill awaits those who seek newer horizons in travels across the unknown worlds...” – Ganesh Saili, noted author, in his foreword to ‘Laddakh Through The Eyes Of Whimsicals’.

 

The Whimsical Outlook

I have inherent power to understand true self,

And in so doing understand nature itself.

The Whimsicals view life as God given opportunity to exploit the body, mind, and soul, to the hilt, by constantly dreaming up and executing varied ways and means to bring exhilaration into life. This releases endorphins into the blood stream, enhances oxygen saturation of the body, regenerates cerebral power of the brain, sharpens the sixth sense, and increases overall shelf life. The last is a critical factor, as we are well into the last quarter of our shelf life.

Generally, our body stays at rest, in sync with Newton’s ‘First Law of Motion’ – a body at rest shall remain at rest till application of an external force. A call to arms from the ‘Lady of the House’, and a new challenge, are surefire and first of the two external forces needed to push our body into motion. The second, of course, is the ‘pleasure’ of the ‘Lady of the House’! Coaxing, cajoling, and innocently being a nuisance around the house, quite often begets the desired consent, with a success ratio of near 1:3.

 Prologue

I have the power of choice,

To exercise or abdicate this power is my choice.

The Shahanshahi Ashram – Benog trek is an amalgamation of four treks, Shahanshahi Ashram – Barloweganj (8 kms), Barloweganj – Library (7 kms), Library – Clouds End (7 kms), and Clouds End – Benog Top (5 kms). The above distances double when done to and fro. These to and fro treks normally would be undertaken over three days as, apart from the distances involved, the treks have several long stretches with steep inclines.

Ravi, - an ex-naval whimsical veteran, ardent adventurist, poetry and reading enthusiast - in a conversational tone, proposed to the other three Whimsicals to undertake the trek in one day. Engrossed in mundane routine of generally being the man around the house, it took a while for the effort involved in executing this venture to sink in.

Nandan, nursing his ‘planter fasciitis’, ‘squeezed Ravi in caustic soda’ - a caustic response! - for not being compassionate enough to his plight! Anoop, practically night blind and recouping from a major hip injury, turned it down with the remark, “14 kms is Ok, but 14 hrs, No Way!”

We were a bit disappointed at the prospect of missing the company of the duo due to their temporary physical infirmity, but did not press further as they had barely adequate time to limber up into shape for the forthcoming, and a more exciting, extended odyssey.  The onerous responsibility to execute this idea now fell on our shoulders. Our previous success in undertaking the Kedarkanth trek in a day despite the initial misgivings of Gajji, our Guide for that venture, and his subsequent backhanded compliment of declaring us afflicted with the Himalaya virus, gave us heart.

In accordance with the military norm of ‘Je butha khole so kunda khole,’ Ravi, the originator of this exciting idea, was promptly appointed as the friend, philosopher, and guide, for the trek. H hr, D Day, and RV were fixed as 0600 hrs, 7^th of April, Shahanshahi Ashram.

Shahanshahi Ashram – Barloweganj (8 kms)

I have the power to succumb or reject pain and pleasure,

To retard or progress journey on the chosen path.

Rajpur road, the main arterial road axis of the Dun city, is clear of traffic during early morning hours. It runs from Clock Tower, the hub of Dun, to Rajpur along a narrow ridgeline, which is also the geographical watershed between the Ganga river basin to its east and Yamuna river valley to its west. Shahanshahi Ashram is located 4 kms from Rajpur, on the Old Mussoorie road which takes off from Rajpur village to Kolhukhet. After a preliminary ‘pow-wow,’ we commenced the uphill climb at sharp 0620 hrs. 

This trek is also known as the ‘Kipling Trail’, after the noted author and poet Rudyard Kipling. It also finds mention in the book ‘The Kipling Road’, authored by another famous author Ruskin Bond, who has made Mussoorie his home. Incidentally, Landour Cantt Mussoorie, is an authors’ paradise, with the highest area wise density of renowned international authors of international repute, residing here; higher than even New York!

During the pre-independence era, this route was the sole path to Mussoorie, and still has vestiges of British era signages. The British had also intended to join Mussoorie with Dehra Dun by a narrow gauge railway line, following the general alignment of this trek route. A bridge on the Old Mussoorie road, midway between Rajpur and Kolhukhet village, and a few tunnels now overtaken by thick undergrowth, are the only remnants of this engineering effort. The project had to be prematurely terminated when an accountant of this turnkey project siphoned of its funds! The sports stadium of Oak Groves School, Jharipani, founded in 1888, was to be the designated Mussoorie end terminus of this project. This school is, incidentally, governed by the Indian Railways.

The trek crosses Oak Groves School, the nearby Halfway House Jharipani, the St Georges College, and ends at Jaypee Residency Manor, Barloweganj. The Barloweganj Tea Stall, run by Mahender, is the favoured haunt of Ravi. We reached it after a vigorous uphill walk, in 10,000 steps count walk in 2 hrs.

Barloweganj – Library (7 kms)

I have the power of thought to be what I think,

Pauper or king, scholar or soldier is for me to define.

After a quick fifteen minutes breakfast halt we commenced our move towards Library. From Barloweganj, the easy left fork goes around the lesser known, but historical structure of Sikander Hall. The claim to fame of this building lies in it being the residence of the descendants of Col James Skinner, the legendary founder of 1^st Horse (Skinners), the oldest armoured regiment of the Indian Army. But rather than taking the easy left to Sikander Hall, we took the hard right detour up towards Wynberg Allen School, Himalayan Club, and then coming down to Picture Palace on the Mall Road.  

From here we switched to the Camel Back road, now officially renamed as Baba Hardev Singh Marg, where our attention was caught by a signage, ‘Religion unites…’ We wondered aloud that were we back in our teens, and had crayons, we would have loved to add ‘…but religions divide!’ What an irony of faith! We also thanked the Almighty for the blockage of Camel Back road to through motor traffic, due to ongoing sewage line work, which added to the joy of walking on this erstwhile nature trail.

Another point of interest that we noted on the Mall Road was the shop timings. While the opening time for all shops was displayed 11 AM onwards, the ‘Chilled Beer and Liquor’ shops displayed 10.30 AM as opening time. More interesting was that the two liquor stores, we passed by between 9 and 10 AM, already had a smattering of customers present on their premises.

The route taken by us had been meticulously chosen by Ravi, with his deep knowledge of the streets of Mussoorie and its surroundings. It enabled us to avoid the unpleasant hustle and bustle of tourists, and motor vehicles, as well as the pollutants generated by them. It also gave us the pleasure of admiring the wooded green slopes to the north of Mussoorie.

We rejoined the Mall Road around 500 mtrs short of Library. The step count and the time were more or less similar to the earlier phase, that is 10,000 steps count walk in two hours.

Library – Clouds End (7 kms)

I can never be put down as I have the power to rebound,

I can move mountains such is the power of faith at my command.

Library, at the western end of the Mall road, is the transportation hub of Mussoorie. It has roads branching off down south to Dehra Dun, up west to the Clouds End, down west to the Kempty Falls and beyond to Yamuna Pul, and to the east the Mall Road itself. The bus and taxi stands, narrow roads, and crowded market place add to the hustle and bustle, making it prone to prolonged traffic bottlenecks.

The famous 1843 vintage Library, at the west end of the Mall road, is a veritable treasure trove of old manuscripts filled with glimpses of 19^th century history of the region, and one of the most prominent landmark of Mussoorie.

We commenced our walk from Library near 1030 hrs. We crossed the nearby Savoy, one of the oldest heritage luxury hotel of Mussoorie, and the adjacent Kapurthala Palace Hotel, which to us gave a haunted appearance. We continued with our road ascent till we came on the downturn, just before convent of Jesus and Mary. Leaving the Guru Nanak Fifth Centenary School 500 mtrs to our south, we continued downwards to Hathi Paon.

At Hathi Paon, the first road to the left branches south to Dehra Dun, with the second road going downwards to the nearby George Everest Estate, while the road going straight carries on towards Clouds End. Hathipaon shall also be the intermediary station on the upcoming Dehra Dun – Mussoorie cableway. A natural mountain stream water at this junction is a major attraction. To drink this water with cupped hands, and wash the sweat, dust, and grime from your face and hair, refreshes a trekker like nothing else. This natural water is any day much superior in quality and healthier than the bottled ‘mineral’ water on sale.

After a short rest, we carried along on a gently ascending road, more a track than a road, to reach Clouds End. The trek from Hathipaon to Clouds end passes through Deodar, and Oak forest bordering the Benog Reserve Forest. Walking under the shade cast down by these trees is a pleasurable experience, but greatly diluted by the regular flow of tourist vehicles throwing up dust clouds in their wake.

It was 1230 hrs, by the time we reached Clouds End, again accomplishing this portion in near 10,000 steps count in 2 hrs.   

 

Clouds End – Benog Top (10 kms)

I have the power to fly straight as arrow to chosen mark,

Or meander meaningless on destinationless journey.

Benog Sanctuary, curving around Clouds End, is home to Leopards, Deer, Himalayan goat, Barking deer, Flying squirrel, Langurs, and hosts of bird life. Benog Top, a conical height which dominates the surrounding landscape, offers a magnificent view of the Yamuna river valley to the west, and of the Kalanag, Swargarohini, Gangotri I, II, III, Bhrigupanth, and Kedarnath Himalayan peaks to the north.

Apart from the panoramic view, Benog Top is renowned for the Jwalaji Temple. The Jwalaji temple is a small structure, with a very attractive statue of the deity Durga, which envelopes you in an aura of piece and calm. A large ‘ashtdhatu’ bell, when rung, generates ringing tones which last for several seconds, and the vibrations can be felt for several seconds more, even after the sound is no longer audible.  

The trek from Clouds End to Benog Top traverses downhill for the initial kilometre or so, before it starts ascending in a series of switchback trails. The surface is covered with a layer of dried leaf mulch, giving it a slight cushioning effect. The Clouds End feature and the Benog Top, at their middle, are connected through a 100 mtrs long narrow ridge. Here a forest check post is located to regulate entry onto the Benog Top, and for collecting a fee of INR 200 per head.

The ascent was steady, with overhead shade. Blooming ‘buransh’ flowers added a dash of red colour to the green surrounding. We reached the apex by 1400 hrs, and spent the next hour admiring the view of the Yamuna river flowing to the west, the Himalayan peaks to the north covered in light haze, paying obeisance at the Jwalaji shrine, eating our lunch, and stretching out lazily on the thick natural grass to relax our spinal column, in the given sequence.  

At 1500 hrs, refreshened and rejuvenated after a bite and rest, we commenced our return.

The Return Trek

I am unique and can neither be recreated nor destroyed,

I do change form to flit from dimension to dimension.

The return trek was by and large uneventful. The darkness had settled around 1900 hrs, and we switched on our torch lights. While descending from Barloweganj, we had a mesmerising view of the twinkling lights, of Mussoorie uphill, and the Doon valley downhill. The track from Jharipani downwards proved to be a bit tricky to negotiate in the torch light. The broken surface had fist sized loose stones lying on it, requiring all concentration on placing the next step. The need to concentrate on the steps, coupled with prolonged physical exertion, impacted the flow of conversation. It was in near, but satisfying, silence that we reached Shahanshahi Ashram at close to 2120 hrs.

Google had titled it as a ‘morning walk!!!’ and logged the total distance covered as 53.69 kms, with a gain of 2546 mtrs in elevation, in a walk time of near 11.51 hrs, after deducting about 3 hrs of intermittent rest periods enroute.

But our audit of steps count threw up an interesting learning. While going up we had logged a steps count of 37,500 steps, but the return journey steps count reflected 34,500 steps only. The mystery of 3,000 less steps count on the return journey was attributable to the length of our strides, longer on the down slopes, and shorter on the ascent. The onward journey had more stretches of ascents, with obverse being the case on the return journey.

Our odysseys to Laddakh and the Northeast, albeit on motorcycles, had also thrown up an interesting related aspect. The return route being the same as of onward journey, the average fuel economy was in sync with the average achieved in our rides in the plains; the ups and downs evened out as far as fuel economy was concerned.

Velapanti Discourse (Victor Delta)

JOURNEY OF TIME…LIFE AFTER SIXTY

Listen to hear my whispers in the Wind,

Look into Time to see my footprints in Sand.

The whispers and footprints merge in Time…

 

We came across multitude of x-roads during our trek, where it was our call to take the hard right or easy left or vice versa; quite akin to decisions we take on reaching x-roads in our life. The choice was with us, to shorten the journey but heighten the rigours, or to lessen the agony but prolong its duration. To enjoy the longer duration of a scenic environment or to walk in a shorter but polluted stretch. The how and why of these decisions gave us the most valuable insights about ourselves, and the decision matrix viewpoint of our fellow traveller (s).   

While taking a short break at Clouds End, we got into a generic discussion with a visiting family, comprising middle aged husband and wife, their teen age son, and their pet beagle named Milo. We felt sorry for the beagle, who looked forlornly at the beautiful landscape to run around freely, but his mistress held him at the end of a short leash. With their half-hearted consent we unleashed Milo, and good enough, he shot off down slope merrily, refusing to heed their commands to return. The father and son duo made half-hearted verbal attempts to retrieve Milo, but were reluctant to pursue him down slope. So we offered to retrieve Milo. At this instance we overheard the relieved lady instructing her son, “Beta niche mat jana, aur Papa ko toh bilkul mat jane dena. Agar Milo wapas nahin ata hai to usko bhi ko jane do. Yeh uncle ko dhalan par chalne ki aadat hain, inhe jane do!” The beagle of course was safely retrieved by us. Rather, he willingly responded to our call and nuzzled us happily, probably his way of thanking us for his five minutes of freedom!!!

During the first part of the journey, while we still had enough wind to ruminate, Ravi enlightened me on the naval term ‘Full Power Trials’ (FPT), which involves taking a ship out to sea, after major repairs or overhaul. It is now run on full power with all systems on the go, for a prolonged sea trial, to check and certify its fitness for operational duty. At the end of the trek he certified me pass in my FPT for the forthcoming odyssey!

Having climbed Benog Top, Ravi paid obeisance before Bhagwati Durga idol at the Jwalaji Devi Mandir, and was seemingly blessed with a bright idea. For, soon after he speculated on the innovative idea of establishing a ‘Nautiyal Veterans Day Care Centre’, for managing pesky veterans on behalf of their harried spouses. His marketing one liner, ‘Buy one day offsite care, get two days on site complimentary care’, with due guarantee of confidentiality of all professional conversation!

We end this Victor Delta with Ravi’s, avid golfer that he is, golfing view “Jhanda garhne ke liye pahle jhanda ukharhna parhta hai”, which to me means, “while your achievements are yours to revel in, but remember, someone has already ‘been there, Doon that’ (another well-known Dun group) …”

JOURNEY OF TIME…LIFE AFTER SIXTY

I wonder at the Journey and cherish it again,

And the thought emerges that Journey is so young,

Beyond the Dunes the Mountains beckon…