Shivapuri-Sundarijal full day trek --- Some fun and much of adventure

2^nd march 2013,

Our Trek team.

It’s a normal fine morning yet filled in me with real excitement of the upcoming trek to Shivapuri National Park. I not always am a early to bed and early to rise like guy but this morning I am really early, even earlier than the alarm I had set on my iphone last night. After my daily morning casual routine I was excited to get ready with light dress up and a heavy baggage pack up for my trek. After few phone calls to my fellow trek mates I set myself heading towards bus to ratnapark. I reached the main bus stand in front of RNAC where I was surprised to find my friend Saagar already there waiting for us all. Soon after joined our three friends Sushil. Shailesh and Gaurab who
kept their promise to reach the bus stand before 8. Now was the turn of Narendra to show off at the site, but even after some horrible phone calls and as usual his way of saying ‘ekchin kurr ma aihale’ made us wait for at most 20 minutes. Finally his arrival pleased us all but soon he really got on our nerves when he said he was tired this morning as he was busy in his boxing practice all morning. I was the one who must have reached the peak of the nerves. My few harsh and some vulgar words mixed nice scolding finally forced him to join us in spite of that tiredness.

        We board the bus to Muhanpokhari . It was Saturday morning, less traffic, lesser passengers for the local buses and of course free for our gang to shout loud even in the local bus irritating lesser number of passengers ( as if we would care If the bus was full :p) . We had to stop our bus at chakrapath to receive our friend Ashok who was expected to be there earlier than quarter past 8. Now was his turn to get on his nerves as we were already half an hour late to receive him. Now we 7 had met and 2 were still to join us. Phone calls were made but it was found they were still back their home not even ready to start their journey. Most of us were really angry with them not taking serious about the trip. But as we were more than a good bunch of boys to complete the trek, their carelessness to the plan had least effect. With most of the funny chats including name of places, what if tiger would see us in the jungle, criticizing about someone’s incoming phone calls ,some remaining silent when all were just shouting and of course most fun was talking deforestation in someone’s head. We finally reached National park main entrance gate. We took 7 tickets each costing Rs 10. As none had anything since morning we all decided to enter the main gate and take something in the canteen at the gate. We entered the gate, registered our names well and after some really good and useful suggestions, precautions, dos and undoes in the national park area everyone ran to the canteen. But the canteen menu was really poor. We could hardly get a cup of tea and noodles soup for  breakfast. We ordered and sat on the chairs chatting. After a while really delicious milk tea was served, after that spicy noodles soup was served. Everyone praised the deliciousness of the main course we got that morning. Coriander and garlic leafs made extra flavor on the soup. Now our hunger was gone and waiting for our remaining 2 friends was started. As signal was really poor we hardly could contact them. 1 call was successful from my cell but their response was not entertaining, they were still on the way and suggested us to start the trek and they would follow us soon.

We choose to wait but it was nice idea to roam around the gate until they arrived. We went a little towards lubu side and a good photo session was done. Much of us have not seen our national flower Rhododendron and it was the time we saw. Some even tried to pluck the flower but remembering the does and not does we restricted them to. After a while we returned to the gate but our friends have not yet arrived. Now we had to take firm decision to leave them behind and start our trek since it was already late. We started our walk. We were on the muddy road. Feeling not much excited walking on road so long me and Ashok decided to start jungle safari. Many were not in favor of us, but we were not onto listening them. At first we must have gone insane we two were climbing a muddy cliff with dry bushes and really slippery leaves all on the way. I almost fell off the cliff when I caught a dry root of tree which broke and I was able to grasp other one which saved me to fall. Finally with much difficulty we reached the top of the cliff and through short walk in the woods we were back to the road again. Our first attempt was our boost to start for the second one. Now we were at first and were acting as the path guiders for all. Not willing to be on the road for long we entered the woods through a small bushy road which must be the main road before the main vehicle road was made. None must have been aware about the upcoming adventure. At first the way was fine, slowly the way narrowed, the way was now dimly visible it showed the way was not used for years. Now the main excitement has began, to say frankly the real jungle safari has now begun. It was real difficult to decide whether to return or go ahead. If return we had moved a long distance from the main road if move forward there was no way forward. I was at the beginning. My heart beats also now started rising,I  looked to every members face it seemed the fear lasted not later than half an hour ago. But everyone had to have faith and not to show their fear. We were trying to joke to suppress our fear but when we try to laugh someone would certainly try lower our voice down. I took a big stick in my hand. The air was really silent, only we could hear was our 14 footsteps crushing dry leaves of the jungle safari.

             For a while there was some mistake in the sound of leaves crushing, couldn’t  know about the other members but I could strongly smell the odor of tiger in air. My heart have had 2 internal and 3 external attacks in itself. There was a clear sound behind the bushes. I stopped all with clear signal, moved my trembling 2 steps forward there was something brown moving away from us. My heart must have hit my ribs 20 times in a second with fear. Something seemed to have run or flown from the bushes. With my wide eye open and my heartbeat slowing down I could see a bunch of Kalij ,some flying and some running uphill from the bushes. Narendra shouted ‘kalij kalij kalij, samat samat yehi ago balera polera khana parcha’. Really it was the moment I ran behind those kalij with full speed but how could we defeat them in their own home ground. Now the fear was a bit down but none was certain how far the main road was. After crossing some bushes and some small spring ways we came to a wide and cliffy area where we rested a while. I requested one of my friends to click photos but he still seemed to be in fear and said ‘ chup lagera hid kina khichna paro photo’. Clear fear was felt in his voice. I took out my camera and clicked some photos and rested for while slowly others also started clicking from their own. After a short rest we started up the slippery cliff. Some even slipped back and one of them injured his leg too. After about 10 minutes rise we could see line of main road every one of us were really happy. When the road was near every one of us ran as if we were having competition to reach the road first. Reaching the main road some were shouting “we are alive.’ ‘We are back’. This portion of jungle safari seemed to be life time experience to most of us. Now was no fear, no suspenseno bushes no slippery cliffs, we were all on safe and wide road. We had tasty cold water in a spring beside the road rested in relief and moved forward until we reached Nagi gumba.

        Nagi gumba, situated almost in 3/4 th height of the hill. Really peaceful place filled with monks and buddish flags, golden gajur on top of the main meditation building. Seemed to have reached the most peaceful portion of the earth. The wide view of Kathmandu valley was another charm that could be got from that altitude. After having some really life memorable snapshots we were on bushy ground with water and cookies. A good time has passed in the peaceful place. Our excitement reached our top to see Bikas and Puskar( our left behind friends) finding us finally at the gumba. What made us more happy was their hand with bags full of dry foods for us. After a warm and some scoldy welcome we set on for something to eat and now without wasting our time we decided to cover remaining 1/4^th of the hill. But as some of our friends were really tired of the uphill journey we canceled uphill and decided to head towards Sundarijal which was atleast 2 hours walk from there.

           Again after a small jungle safari downhill and again reaching the main road we were on the main way to sundarijal. Meeting many groups like us on the way we were walking as soon as possible. Some foreign cyclists on the way traced us way to immediately plan for cycling on the same route next time. The speed was continuous, crossing some small villages and small woods now we found our self in a large wood. As we had some dry food left we rested for a while and finished them up with a last bottle of water we had. Again we set up for unknown distance to Sundarijal. With respective pace of our speed our group got divided into 3 groups. During the walk sometimes the group was 2 or even sometimes 3. Now we were crossing a dark portion of the woods. Suddenly we found 2 of our friends missing from the group. Thinking they must be on the way and will cover us soon I with Ashok and Narendra headed forward leaving 4 friends to wait for the missed ones. We three crossed at least 200 meters distance from where we left the last group. Now we also decided to rest and wait for the remaining ones. Even after a good rest none was seen to reach the site. A good blow of air ran through my heart. I shouted some friends name but no reply. I decided to go back alone and look for the group. I reached where we left the group to wait for others. I was surprised to see only 2 instead of 4 waiting there. After asking about the situation I came to know 2 had returned back in search of the 2 missed ones ( Bikas and Bushil). We waited for a while and shouted their name for several times. Gaining no reply we began to suspect many things like what if tiger had attacked them, what if someone had robbed them and seriously injured them. My heart had started struggling among all these suspects. We now are only 5 left In the front and 4 were already behind and we were not able to decide what to do. Finally we all decided to return back up to where we all were together last time. We reached a junction where one road was the main road and the other was really messed up road which gave no hope to reach anywhere. Now was the hardest decision to take- walk back until we found them or move forward since it has already been getting dark. The mobile signal was dead at that location and there was no chance of any contacts. We made final firm decision to leave them in whatever situations they must be since they were not  alone and are at least in a group of 2. We headed forward leaving them with much questions and really vague answers in our mind. To our surprise we found the friends, who were on to finding the missed ones, but they were only two, the missing ones were still missing.

           At first we didn’t believe they were only two. But after believing the 2 are still missing we together headed forward talking about where the finding group reached in order to find the them. We reached sundarijal, had we all been together the celebration of reaching sundarijal had been full of excitement but remaining fear of the conditions of the missed ones the site was simply the way to cross the woods as soon as possible. Moving a little forward ringtone of mobile was heard from someone’s pocket. Now I knew tower reception area has arrived. The call was received and it was Bikas saying we are safe and fine and are at the exit gate. Now everybody signed a relief breath. We all are fine and our two missing friends are also fine. Now was the hurry to reach the exit gate and just give them some really ear paining scolding and some rarely heard vulgar words perhaps. We could see exit gate from a bit distance. That was a high security exit gate. Now it was my turn to panic, I had a huge stick on my hand which helped me walk through the woods and that was the stick I was wishing to hit those careless missed one friends. With great care I threw aside the stick in the woods and was safe but suddenly I remembered I had two big bunches of Rhododendron flower in my small bag. I was nearly 10 meters away from the check post and I was in dilemma whether to throw it or keep it. If I would throw the security would see that I had plucked the flowers from the national park and if not they would certainly find them when they would check my bag. With great fear I was about to cross the security line suddenly a harsh sound called from the back and ordered to show my bag. My head started spinning. With trembling hand I opened the chain. 1 green leaf of Rhododendron was peeping out, I quickly pressed it deep onto the bag and carefully opened the inner small pocket of the bag and showed to the security. While showing I said. ‘ yo bag sano cha mobile sobile rakhna lai ho’ . The security looked with surprise in his eyes and said, ‘ kasto sano raicha hai, la janus’.  That must have been the time I jumped fastest out of the security line.

                 Out of the exit gate were my smiling so called missing friends. I wished something to do else but caught them with my arms and gave them a good pain in their neck and sat on the bench. Sailesh was rushing towards us with a stick on his hand to beat them. Before he could reach us security shouted at him and called him back. At first they ordered to throw the stick and gave them harsh words for his activity and not to repeat such behavior in such places. The words of security must not have affected him a lot because the most important was we all were fit and fine and our missing friends were safe and fine with us all.

     We soon reached the bottom the hill and entered a restaurant, all were talking about the trip, and the missing buddies were still getting some good words of scolding from other friends. We took some food some drink and relaxed for a moment. After resting for a while we were on the bus safe and happily back to our home with sweet, fear and adventurous memories of our life time trip among the hilly woods.

         Finally this trip was really awesome but really missed our friends Bhim Bahadur Kaucha, Bikash Rana and Rupak Bhandari who could not be with us due to their certain unavoidable works. I would always be looking forward to write their names in the main body of our trip rather at the final part like this in the coming future events.

                                           Memory gathered and accumulated in the form of words                        

                                                                                               By :

                   H Raj K.c.