A trek to frozen Lake-Brahma Taal in uttarakhand

Manjunath Madhav Nayak

Snow Laden Mountains, Lush Green Forest, Frozen Lakes, Gaiters, Crampons, Ruck-Sack, Hiking pole, RTPCR negative report, Vaccination certificate, freezing temperatures from -10 degrees to 8 degrees Celsius, sighting of the hazy Mt Trishul and Mt Nanda Ghunti, star nights, rampant checking at airports, hotels, check-post en-route all was a challenge by itself to trek in the winters in the Kumaon Himalayan ranges in Uttarakhand state & snow on the trees, was a sight to behold says Manjunath Nayak, partner of the GRS fantasy Park.

The Mountain Goat an adventure wing of the Tiger Adventure Foundation had organized a winter trekking expedition to the Mt Brahma Tal Lake in Kumaon Himalayan ranges from 23^rd Dec 2022 to 1^st Jan 2022. 

Ramakanth Rao

The team consisted of fifteen trekkers of whom 9 were males and 6 females from cross section of the society like, Doctors, Students, Software engineers, Architect and Entrepreneurs. The team left Mysuru on 23^rd Dec 2021 for the Dehradun and did acclimatization in Mussorie by walking across in the city and getting the feel of shivering temperatures says Mr Ramakanth Rao of BEML.

Shrigowri

On Dec 24^th 2021 the team drove for 300kms for more than 12-13 hours to reach the Loha Jung Base camp to oversee the beautiful valleys, sangam at Karanprayag, hanging bridges, boulders cut to make roads etc was worth a journey says Shrigowri, an architect of Bangalore.

Bhuwan Bisht

It was a tiring journey and team took a day break at the Loha jung base camp, but the team did not rest, but did another round of acclimatization to Ayojan Top, which is at height of 1200 feet and where in we could hear the tales on the Ayojan top and loha jung village explained by the legendary Bhuwan Bisht, of Loha Jung village.

Explaining about the mystic story behind the Lohajung the local legend Bhuwan Bisht said Lohasur was a demon who came behind the Goddess Durga Devi who was on the way to Kailash and on the way, she fought with the demon and she killed him and henceforth it is called as Loha Jung in other words it means Loha- means -demon and Jung means-war.

Raghu Kemparaju

On Dec 25, 2021, after the last minute packing we were all ready to roar on the mountains and we said Bharath Matha ki jai and Har Har mahadev simply roar in the air and then we embarked on the route vide the small lanes on the country side interacting with the locals and sipping tea and listening to the tales of the locals about the flora fauna and we could see so many bhuras @ Rhododendron, Himalayan griffin vulture and so many other species of birds says Raghu Kemparaju of Mysore.

 

Punitha Pradeep

As we were trekking the route was getting cozy with the waterfalls, and though I have been to the mountains in the past too, but it is always sight to behold the first sight of the snow and capture them in our camera which will remain etched in our memories for ever says Mrs Punitha Pradeep, a home maker.

Manju Photographer

As we reached the Bekal tal camp site it wore a festive looks with the colorful tents pitched around and looked like a feast for the lens man.As the sun set the temperature drops and we were all looking at the thermometer what temperature it can dip to the lowest in the night. The temperature dipped down to minus -4 degree Celsius and cooking food in such low temperature is also a challenge says Manjunath MP

Krishnamurthy TA

We all wore the gaiters, crampons or spikes and warm clothes and lace with the shoes and embarked for the finale and it looked like a festive look with colorful gaiters and jerkins and it was a picture perfect to be captured in the lens says Krishna Murthy a software engineer.

Poorna

 Though we were supposed to go to the Bekal taal lake which is supposed to be just 20 minutes walk from the camp site but it was aborted in the last minute due to white out and visibility became next to impossible so we stayed back in the tent and just enjoyed our evening with snacks, dinner, but the sighting the stars in the night was simply amazing says Mr. Poorna Chandra L an upcoming adventure enthusiast.

Harvansh

On 26^th Dec 2021 as we all ready to go for the summit camp, the enthusiasm of the team was high on the peak and as we traversed. we were seeing few trekkers slipping down and fiddling to walk, suddenly the team leader Harvansh chouhan asked the trekker to wear the crampons or spikes so that the falls can be arrested. 

Chiranth 

But the trekkers helped each other and they reached the Bekal tal lake and it was amazing sight to see the frozen lake and few were so enthusiastic that they ended up walking on the lake and suddenly the team leader had to advise them that its dangerous to walk on the frozen as it can sink in any time due to the pressure of the load. But we clicked pictures and just moved on to the next destination Telandi top says Mr Chiranth Suresh a software engineer at Infy, Mysore.

As we reached the telandi top the valley view was amazing and it was clear sky and suddenly there was white out on the top and our mentor shouted come on trekkers look at that mountains that is Trishul and Nanda Ghunti, which was visible for only few seconds and by the time we could remove the camera and capture it in our camera, it got covered with the clouds again,  but the sight what we saw with our naked eyes was the sight to behold says Dr Jyothsna of Bellary.

As we moved from the Telandi top, we reached the Jhandi top and it was total white out and we all sneaked into the small tea shop and sipped some tea and ate omelets to give little bit of icing to our tongue and from there it was long walk to the summit camp and people were slipping because of the hard ice and those with the crampons were able to walk easily, but for few who were not accustomed to the cramps they took the help of the guides and then they could do it with ease says Dr Swetha M of Mysore Medical college. 

Editors note: She bumped into the Kukkarhalli lake and wanted to meet me with all enthusiasm and suddenly i appear after my Assam trip and she says what is your next program and i want to come but i thought it was normal query on the expedition, but she was the best in the trek. 

Raghu being treated on his birthday 

Chiranth enjoying the sweets on his birthday

As we reached the summit camp it was a like white blanket everywhere and the camp looked so colorful with the different colours of the tent. We were wondering how will we go through in the night as the temperature was dipping and situation was going out of the hand. The trekkers were feeling the crunch of the hot water to sip as the area was fully covered and cooking food was a challenge by itself, but never the less the ready to eat was organized by our mentor and specially the Dal makhani, Paneer butter masala and Grean peas masala and custard was like a feast to celebrate the birthday of our trekker Raghu K and Chiranth S in the summit camp. 

JITTERY FEELING:One senior trekker was not able to sustain the cold and gossip was going on that, we have come to the summit camp and there was feeling among all the trekkers that, we should go back to the base camp as the chilling temperatures were sending shivers in spine, but none of them were to ready to express it, and they were murmuring among themselves, that who will bell the cat and speak to the tiger Solanki, who is known for his tough decision. But nevertheless Mr Ramakanth Rao took the initiative to speak to him, but you know tiger Solanki he is tough man to crack and he never heeded to any request and he simply wrapped the idea and bundled out the same and said get going and if the situation deemed i will take the call.

SUMMIT talk @ Pahadi Villa 

When we were going for the finale we remembered Ganga Ponappa who had delivered a talk on the Mt Brahma taal at Pahadi Villa and her talk enthused us to go for this trek. Though we had not thought of this expedition in our wildest dream also.But you can say it happened and remembering on the day of the summit was very apt. Her tales about the expedition was simply a fairly tale experience to listener, but in reality it was much more than an experience says the writer of this expedition. 

 

The Jubiliant trekkers at the Mt Brahma Tal Lake at 12,100ft

SUMMIT DAY -Brahmatal:

The trekker’s summitted on Tuesday the 28^th Dec 2021 at 10.30am and the team performed pooja and paid their obeisance to the Lord Shiva for the successful summit on the Mt Brahma Taal, as per the local legend it is being said that Lord Brahma came here and did penance and hence forth it is called as Brahmatal. We took pictures with the National Flag at the frozen lake and celebrated the success of the expedition by doing pooja and distributing sweets among fellow                           trekkers.                                   

I had never dream't in my life, that one day I will come here and walk on the snow, here I want to express my sincere gratitude to my colleague Dr Swetha Sadanand who simply bumped into me in the college and said get ready, we are going for Brahmatal in Uttarakhand and I was blank how to respond. It was looking like a castle of hallucination, I was jostling what to do etc, as I had not taken permission from my family members and no fitness regime at all, but I had the enthusiasm to trek.

Then me and shwetha came and interacted with the tiger and he advised for the walk before embarking for the expedition. Believe it or friends never in my life I would had walked so much and he simply pushed into the trap and never realized it was 15kms I have walked. But that walk gave me the confidence that I can do it!

Dr Rashmi at Brahma tal 

Here on the summit day, I experienced the impeccable beauty of the Glacier Mountains, bone chilling temperatures and saw the jaw-dropping views of White Mountains, enchanting landscapes, which took away my breath, but this trek has rekindled the ray of hope in me and has thought me valuable lessons on adapting to difficulties. 

Joy of Accomplishment and Birthday:

On this occasion it was matter of pride and joy both for me as i had accomplished a dream of a summit on the Mt Brahama taal and an rare occasion of celebrating the Birthday at 12,500 feet. 

A joyous moment to celebrate-Rashmi 

It was my birthday too which coincided on the same day alas! People were wishing me on telephone and social media and I thought it is gone for a toss.

It was my birthday too which coincided on the same day alas! People were wishing me on telephone and social media and I thought it is gone for a toss but believe it or not friends the trekkers fraternity celebrated it with much more fan fare with doing pooja for my well being and by distributing sweets, singing birthday songs which brought happiness on my face and birthday celebration on Brahma taal summit which will remain etched in my life says Rashmi BN a Doctor from Mysore Medical College, Mysore.                                                    

            

Birthday hugs at the summit to Dr Rashmi

I paid obeisance at Goddess Durga Devi at the Brahma tal lake 

Sweets been offered as part of gesture by the team leader 

Durga Devi Shrine:

We all visited the Durga Devi shrine too and paid our obeisance to the goddess for the successful summit and reverted back to the base camp. 

Few of them went to the view point to see the possibilities of seeing the peaks but due to the white out they couldn't see the peaks but never the less they were enthralled that they could reach the view point. 

But by the time they returned the situation become worse and it was total white out and temperature to drop to minus -8 to -10 degrees centigrade and we went inside the tent to retire to bed. 

SNOW NIGHT MARE:

In the night there was huge snow fall and the staffs were up in the whole night cleaning the snow on the tents. But in the early morning what we see around two feet snow covering the whole area and it resembled like snowy fairy tale and the mountains resembling like Lord shiva sleeping with jatta opened it was a feast for the lensman Says Pallavi of Mysore

A BUNDLE OF JOY:

As we got up in the morning there was snow all around the tent and the trekkers were stunned and few who were contemplating to go back were the happiest lot and were cursing that had they gone back to the base camp they would had missed all the fun says Kushal Shankar a software engineer. 

JOY OF ACCOMPLISHMENT:

As we were moving back to the base camp we were passing through the heaps of snow laden passes and the curves to negotiate where in some portion it was soft and some places which it was hard to walk and it was getting more dangerous and so the team wore the gaiters and the crampons and traversed it little easier to reach back the shoulder area and then to culminate at the Jhanda top, and on the jhanda top the trekkers were jubilant as they knew they were going to descend and only descend and trekkers passed through Begam tok and finally they got the best of their life which they will remember for ever is trek in the snow fall, and it made the  trek a picture perfect says Dr Swetha M.

Dr Rashmi Manjunath

Conclusion: Many trekkers who were keen on returning back from the summit camp on the first day itself would had really regretted the finale of the expedition. Though the temperature had played the deterrent role and most of us had decided to retreat back to the base camp but alas the tough decision of the tiger solanki kept us intact on the site and could rejoice snow fall for which we had traveled all along from 2800 kms and no one regretted the tough decision of the tiger and rather we all rejoiced the moment and we promised to come back again & again to the mountains says Dr Rashmi BN.

Earlier the expedition was flagged off by Dr Hemant Kumar G,Vice chancellor of Mysore University on Tuesday the 21st Dec 2021  @ Crawford hall, University of Mysore. 

Speaking on the occasion Dr Hemant Kumar, he wished the team all the very best and asked them to come back to home sweet home safely.The Female team members were Dr Swetha M, Dr Rashmi BN, Dr Jyothsna, Pallavi R, Shrigowri and Punitha Pradeep. The male members were Mr Manjunath Nayak, Mr Krishna Murthy TA, Mr Raghu Kemparaju, Mr Manjuanth MP, Mr Ramakanth Rao, Mr Chiranth CS, Mr Poorna Chandra and Mr Kushal Shankar. 

An Article by Tiger Solanki who is an ardent adventure enthusiast and he is the man who has been trekking in the mountains since last three and half decade and organizing the treks for the youths of the country since 1998.