6 APRIL 2023 THURSDAY - DOBATA TO CHHISTIBANG

Altitude Gain & Loss: 11,220 ft to 11,811 ft and ended with 9,678 ft
Trek Distance: 9.2 km | Trek Duration: 6-7 hours


Today's trek was very difficult. The distance was the biggest reason, and the walk included both ascent and descent. To tackle this, Vivek had scheduled an earlier start than usual, and we began with a light breakfast. Before setting off, we took a group photo with our hostess and her children outside the hotel where we had stayed for two nights.



We started walking at 8:30 AM, and for the first hour, we had to trudge through snow. As one of the slower walkers, I had to follow the path created by those ahead of me, which can be challenging in snowy conditions. Since we didn't have crampons or micro spikes, we had to be extra careful, but Vivek helped me and other members of the group whenever we faced difficulties.

After two hours of trekking, we reached a narrow trail flanked by mountains on one side and valleys on the other. At that point, we got mobile connectivity, and many of us used the opportunity to call our families. Later, we stopped at a small hotel to take a break and have some tea.

 

Since the walk was very long, the fast walkers arrived at the destination about an hour before the slow walkers, including Sridhar, Swamy, Sumathi, and myself, who were accompanied by Vivek. We finally reached the tea house in Chhistibang at 3:45 PM and had dal rice for lunch, which we mixed with karuveppilai podi (curry powder). The place had mobile connectivity, so we were able to message and call our loved ones.

The rooms at the tea house were better than the ones we had at Dobata. They were larger and had more washrooms and a separate washbasin. It was a community lodge.



At 5:30 PM, we had tea with biscuits, and after that, many group members stayed in the dining area playing chess, cards, or chatting.

 

Dinner was served at 7:30 PM, and after that, everyone retired to their rooms. I continued reading until 11 PM, but my body was too tired to continue. Despite the book being interesting, I had to go to sleep due to the strenuous walking during the day.

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