By Erik Jager
A new day dawned in the Himalayas, with freezing temperatures upon waking. As I stepped outside, I was greeted by the immense beauty of the 'Sleeping Buddha', the iconic image of the Himalaya Trail. The clear, cloudless weather revealed breathtaking views of India's Sleeping Buddha, Nepal's Three Sisters, Mount Everest, and Bhutan's Chomolhari.
Our morning started with a drive in our trusty British Land Rover, a relic of colonial times. This vehicle was indispensable for the rough terrain. After an hour and several checkpoints, where I was the only foreigner who had to fill in my details again and again, we started the last part of our journey on foot.
The walking route was a beautiful mix of landscapes: from rhododendron forests and silver fir trees to rocky descents and climbs. Each time the Himalayas revealed themselves in a different, breathtaking perspective. Along the way we encountered many yaks, fluffy creatures that look cuddly, but can be surprisingly aggressive. Their milk is used to make cheese, butter and sweets, which serve as a kind of chewing gum here.
What was interesting was the discovery that although Hindus and Buddhists do not eat beef and consider cows sacred, yaks may be consumed. After 17 kilometers of hiking we reached our sleeping place. Another simple room, this time without windows and with four people in one bed.
However, there was a surprise: I was not allowed to stay because the accommodation was on Nepalese territory, and I did not have a visa for Nepal. The borders between Nepal and India intersect here, which was invisible to me as an outsider. So I had to go to an even higher place with even fewer facilities.
Our last night in the Himalayas would be short; we got up at 4:30 am to see the sunrise over the Himalayas. Tomorrow we would descend from 4000 to 1200 meters, a long journey of 16 kilometers to a village in the valley for our overnight stay.
The day was again special and beautiful, a day on which I was able to experience the Himalayas and its 'white roof' of our earth in all its grandeur.
Phulat - On the Way to the Top
Early in the morning, at 4:32 am, my alarm clock called me out of a cold sleep. With no electricity in Phulat, I found my way in the dark with only a headlamp. The goal was to see the sunrise from a mountaintop at 3900 meters, a climb that immediately presented a challenge after leaving my cold bed.
We were the first on top of the mountain. The cold wind bit my face, but the effort was quickly rewarded. As the morning colors painted the sky, a breathtaking panorama unfolded with the 'Sleeping Buddha', Kanchenjunga and the distant Mount Everest, appearing clear and cloudless.
After this magical moment we returned to the warmth of the kitchen in my hut in Phulat, where breakfast was prepared over an open fire. The bread and warm soup brought my frozen body back to life.
The descent from 3800 to 1200 meters was a journey full of variety, through landscapes of rhododendron forests and along steep mountain paths. Along the way we hoped to spot the red panda, but unfortunately it remained shy.
Gorkhey, our end point, was a modest village on a river, with a simple life that revolved mainly around subsistence farming and a little bit of tourism. Life here was visibly tough, with basic amenities and simple transportation methods, such as carrying goods in baskets attached to the forehead.
In the evening the owner of the guesthouse built a fire for us outside, the only way to stay warm. Dinner was simple but filling, typical of what we had experienced on our trip.
I spent the evening updating my Polar Steps, a challenge with the cold temperatures. It was our last night on the Himalaya Trail. Although we shortened the route due to my limited time, our trip gave a full picture of this beautiful and challenging trek.
Now all that was left was to embrace the night, hoping for a long and restful sleep. Tomorrow would dawn a new day, and with this last night in the Himalayas, our adventure was nearing its end.
Darjeeling - A Contrasting Finish
My last day of the Himalayan experience started not with the alarm on my iPhone, but with a knock on the door. "Erik, good morning, I have some milk tea for you!" It was an hour earlier than planned, but a sweet gesture to start the day. The milk tea, a mix of milk, tea and lots of sugar, is a local favorite and an effective alarm clock.
Breakfast was served outside, a necessity in the humble village of Ghorkey. Life here is harsh and primitive, similar to my experiences in Belarus. Everything from groceries to building materials must be transported over difficult paths, often on the villagers' heads.
We left at 9am for our final leg, a 16 kilometer trek that Raj said would be 'fairly flat'. But it soon became clear that this was not the case. I walked over steep and rocky paths, impressed by the locals who did this in bath slips with heavy loads on their backs.
The landscape was constantly changing and astonishingly beautiful. I felt privileged to be in this pure nature, despite my noticeably new and barely used outdoor shoes.
After about three hours of walking we reached Rammam. Here I was welcomed by a local lady who made me tea and Nescafé. I sat in her vegetable garden, surrounded by chickens, gazing over the green valley in peace and quiet.
When Raj arrived, he shared with me that India consists of 29 districts, each with its own language. Hindi has been chosen as the national language to bring unity to the diversity of around 1600 languages.
Our last 7 kilometers to Sepi Gaon flew by. Our jeep was waiting there to take us to Darjeeling. After a lunch, which was again spicy, our drive to Darjeeling began - a journey that took 4.5 hours due to unexpected circumstances.
Once we arrived in Darjeeling, the contrast was stark: a hotel with hot water, a shower and even a breakfast buffet. This marked the end of an incredible adventure, a trip that I will definitely recommend for future participants of the Himalaya Experience of Samen voor Morgen.
As my journey through the breathtaking Himalayas comes to an end, the trail leads me to a new adventure in Coochbehar, where a heart-warming visit to the N.E.L.C. Blind school awaits. Read here about my encounters with the children of the Blind School.
