We were craving some time outdoors and just a cheap break away from normal life, technology, and the busyness of daily life. Even though it was monsoon season, we decided to take a risk, pack our rain gear and go for it. Although we thought about it a little bit ahead of time, it still seemed lasted minute so I just grabbed some food we had in the pantry and quickly ran by the store. I included what we ate in the post because it DID work but wouldn’t be ideal for all your South Asian camping nutritional needs.
Our initial plan was to go during our 2nd anniversary weekend. The timing didn’t work out for that specific weekend but shortly after our anniversary dinner to a terrible restaurant (because everything else was closed), we were able to make the camping trip happen.
Friday
We finished packing, threw everything in the car, and planned to drive to the trailhead. Since we live in a culture where things don’t usually go as planned, we should have expected this trip to be no different than anything in life over here but we tend to forget. Low and behold, the “unexpected” happened right off the bat.
Construction. Road closed.
There wasn’t a sign. We just drove until we could drive no longer, parked behind another car for a while, and then were told we could go no further. My directionally and technology gifted husband looked on his mapping app and found another point on the trail that we could start from but we needed to drive back down the road. When we found the trail, we parked, scarfed down a pb and honey sandwich, strapped on our packs, and started off.
Well, this trail did indeed connect with the main one but we were 1,000 feet lower from where we were supposed to start. It took us a while to reach the next village but the best part of our pre-hike was the walk through “normal life” with the rugged beautiful village people.
- we said hi to some ladies and a bunch of kids sitting in front of a school
- saw vibrant colored laundry out to dry
- passed teenage girls giggling and walking back home (on the same trail we were hiking on). It’s just another day in the life for them.
- observed children shouting and laughing during a water fight in the local water pump
- walked by people planting in their perfectly lined fields
Where is the trail?
When we finally reached the road that the trail was on, Robby looked on his trail app and noticed two options for the trail. One– was super far down the road and more of and roundabout way of getting there. The Other–was right around the corner, looked like a straight shot, but was pretty steep. After studying the trail and map, he finally spotted option number two. A random rock staircase in the hill that went straight up. No sign. No nothing.
After the mandatory selfie since we finally made it to the trail, we started the climb.
“Even the locals don’t use that trail”
Fast-forward to a few hours later. We hadn’t seen anyone else on the trail and its peak tourist season. Ummm…. that’s not a good sign. The trail began to get super sketch. Drop offs. Picture a tiny dirt trail–the uphill side has a few tiny trees that probably won’t hold your weight and some weeds; the other side has nothing, just a drop off down a steep hill that would cause some damage if you fell. We had been hiking several hours by then and decided that the whole journey thus far had been so steep (aka: three or four hour stair stepper machine at the gym) that it would be better to keep going than turn around and go back. We would have camped somewhere but also needed water. Our two Nalgene bottles a piece were getting low on H20.
S N A C K = dried apricots and South Asian fruit chew candy
The sound of the rushing river came just in time –whew, it brought hope! By the time we made it down to the river to pray and thank God he allowed us to make it, we just laid in the goat poop covered patch of grass in aww.
There was a young guy nearby with a green tent out front of a cave that it looked like he lived in. After catching our breath and filling our water bottles, we went to talk to him and an older man who was talking to him out front. The young guy didn’t speak much English but he did speak the language we are studying so it was great practice.
He was shocked that we came down from the trail to his left, instead of the bigger, main trail on his right. We asked if anyone comes the way we came and his reply was, “No, not even the locals take that trail.”
We figured out that it used to be a usable trail a long time ago but now the newer path is much more safe, wider, and has been busy with tourists.
We decided to camp in front of the green tent since our new friend said he would be happy to let us camp in the precious flat he occupied. He was a local who was working for a tourist company that guided tourists who were hiking the trail. They could rent tents and he would cook for them in the cave. Both he and the older man who lived in a cave above his area were from a people group who are usually shepherds.
The old man soon brought back his entire heard of sheep and goats for the night. That explained the poop and constant baaaaing we began to hear. Soon the animals filled the whole area, tried to get into our bag, and wondered around while we set up our tent.
D I N N E R = Instant noodles
By evening time, we found ourselves sitting on little tree stumps around a bonfire sipping hot goats milk with our new friend. The milk was delicious by the way. It ended up being a two hour conversation in the language (whohoo!). We slept better than we had in a long time since the rushing river put us right to sleep.
Saturday
B R E A K F A S T = oatmeal, homemade pb granola, honey,
Saturday we woke up to peace and beauty. The river. A few morning hikers across the river curving around the trail heading up to the lake where the final destination rested. We enjoyed some oatmeal and granola, took some pictures, said goodbye to our villager friend and hit the trail.
We began the hike up to the lake and realized it was nothing like what we went up the day before. Not only was it not as steep but it was a real trail that is actually used which meant no cobwebs and no figuring out which way to go.
The village people are I N C R E D I B L E.
Many of them live up here– like haul a 40 pound bag of rice up the mountain so their family can eat. One man lived somewhere else but was delivering a water buffalo to someone who lived near the lake (aka: the top). So there we found ourselves, moving to the side of the trail so a guy on and his buffalo could pass us.
Since the people in these mountains were all goat herders/ shepherds, we soon realized that goats could be hidden around any corner or meandering along the side of any hill. We soon came to Goat Point, or at least that’s what we’ll call it. It was identified by goats, a goat pen, and poop (everywhere) along this particular part of the trail.
S N A C K = snickers bars
We were blissfully hiking until the clouds reminded us that it indeed is monsoon season. The sky grew dark and just as we were finishing our Snicker Snack, it began to rain. It was light rain at first but the further we hiked, the heavier the rain got.
When it began to pour, we escaped to a cave along the trail.
It wasn’t ideal due to the mud but it was keeping us dry and if the rain wasn’t going to stop for hours, we began to contemplate setting up a tent.
Until…
There was an old man with some cows
he saw us and scuffled his brows
he claimed the cave
and gave us a wave
So we went out in the rain with wows
We seriously could not believe we were getting kicked out of a cave so a man could keep his cows dry and at that point, it was hailing. We would have stayed with the cows but there was just barely enough room for all 5 to fit. So, off we went to try to find the nearest non-cow-occupied shelter in the hail storm.
Thankfully, the old man’s house was just up the road and his son ran a tea shop for tourists on the trail. We ordered a cup of hot chai and waited until the rain mostly stopped. When it did, we hit the trail again cause we were SO close to the top.
It cleared up a little as we approached the lake but continued to pick back up as we set up the tent. Thankfully my husband is skilled in setting up a tent in the rain and before we knew it we were on our way to being cozy and warm.
This was our invention for drying our sopping wet clothes — iPhone cord threaded through the hanging loops in the tent.
Sunday
We woke up to shepherds calls and horses whinnying on the other side of the little lake. We were rejoicing that the rain stopped, our boots could finish drying in the sun, and we could enjoy making oatmeal in the quiet of the morning.
After packing up we headed down the mountain. We made it all the way back to the car with hardly any stops mostly because we were trying to not think about how bad our leg muscles were hurting.
And that sums up our 2nd Anniversary Camping Trip Adventure.