3 APRIL 2023 MONDAY - GHANDRUK TO TADAPANI

Altitude Gain: 6,561 ft to 8,705 ft
Trek Distance: 6.4 km | Trek Duration: 4.5 / 5 hours

Last night, I had a good sleep, except for a bio break. If we were staying overnight in a tent in an open space, I would have woken up my buddy, but since we were in proper in-house accommodation, I didn't bother him.

The routine we have set for ourselves now will, in a manner of speaking, stay with us for the next week (+/- half an hour).
We will wake up by 6:00/6:15 AM, with or without an alarm.
We will have tea by 6:30 AM,
breakfast by 7:30 AM, pack up, and
start trekking by 8:30 AM.

The snow-capped mountains wished us a beautiful good morning. We had limited breakfast options, which were bread butter jam, porridge muesli, or omelet. When group members started filling their water bags, Shure, the local guide, warned us that drinking water would be charged from the next halt onwards. The open area outside the tea house provided ample opportunities for photography with the snow-capped mountains in the background, and everyone made the most of it.



The distance we had to trek for the day was around 6.5 km, gaining an altitude of around 2,200 feet. Our broad plan was to cover the distance in four 1.5 km slots, each lasting an hour, with a short break after each 1.5 km.


Like any other group, each member of this group went about this trek in their own individual manner. Some preferred to be with Bhim kaka, leading the trek, some preferred to follow those who were visible ahead of them, some preferred to enjoy the trek at a leisurely pace, and some preferred to click photos as they walked along. At the age of 55, and this being my second full-fledged Himalayan trek, I preferred to take it at a leisurely pace. Mostly, I would be the last in the group, with Sridhar, Swamy, and Sumathi preferring to be with me, while Vivek waited back with us.

The trail was pleasant, with steep climbs in certain phases. We saw a hotel information board listing the hotels in the vicinity, though I did not observe so many hotels during our walk.

 

 

The trail also involved crossing a stream by passing through an old but sturdy bridge.



As planned, we reached the Tadapani campsite by 1:00 PM, and rooms were duly allotted. Most group members were surprised to see a unique keychain attached to the room's key. Shure explained that if you have a big keychain, you will not misplace the keys.



For lunch, we opted for dal and rice, with vethakozhambu brought by Sumathi. Post-lunch, everyone preferred to rest after the 6.5 km trek. Tea with cookies was served at 5:00 PM, and yes, the now-mandatory oximeter reading for everyone.

Dinner was announced at 7:00 PM, and for a change, I opted for pizza instead of dal and rice. Post-dinner, members of the group preferred to wait back in the dining room, chatting with each other. By now, each group member knew what the others were doing, career-wise.

By 8:30 PM, almost everyone was in bed, a luxury for all the city people. I continued with Agatha Christie's Nemesis for about an hour and hit the sack by 10:00 PM. I felt I could complete this book tomorrow at this rate.

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