Footprints on the Mountainside

Leaving for Pench today. Haven’t been there before. It is Wide Aware’s first Wildlife tour to this Tiger Reserve, and we are filled with apprehension and excitement. We have organized this tour at expense, as we have no experience of this region to be offering services. It is a nail-biting time as we wait for the train to arrive, and our journey to start.

Many thoughts cross my mind. Nervous “what if” ones as well as fanciful flights of my imagination. We want to see tigers the most, as it is supposed to be the highlight of this reserve, but we are also anticipating a fantastic time among trees, birds, wild dogs, herbivores like bison, deer… My hyperactive mind serially visualizes all available options including a boring trip with no sightings, people collapsing in the extreme heat of the region in this season, superb sightings, but getting lost in the jungles, a tiger attack, evenings of star gazing…. My mind knows no limits. I even found myself idly thinking about a campfire evening – The temperatures out there are going to be prime heat stroke material – campfire!!!??

This happens to me with every new tour I begin. My mind goes into an imagination expedition. All the years of experience and their accumulated wisdom are inapplicable to these fantasies, and I am free to be a completely ignorant child on these flights of fancy. However bizarre, it may sound, but the girl who has spent 12 years in the wilderness one way or the other still gets fits of nail-biting, particularly when on a new tour with clients.

We are well equipped with a camera, another camera, a third camera, binoculars, field reference guides, notebooks, small pouches we are planning to gift participants to put their rubbish in so as not to litter, a book on astronomy for the nights (I am a perpetual beginner, with my reliably forgetful memory), snacks for moments of hunger, a first-aid kit, and lots of things besides. A friend even joked that the only thing left out is a pack of diapers in case we see a tiger from really close.

So, I have vented my jitters, reviewed my preparations, and it is now time to leave for the much awaited tour. Bye folks, wish us luck. I should be back soon with tictures and an account of the trip, maybe backed by a short video or something.

Ta-ta!

I just got a call from a woman who had heard that we conduct wildlife tours to Pench. Her son had told her, and he absolutely wanted to go. He wouldn’t listen, and she called me up to find out more about what her son was so eager to get into.

Always eager to speak with parents encouraging their kids to an adventurous existence, I was at my warm and welcoming best in the beginning, but to my dismay, she didn’t really want to know anything about the tour at all! Not even where it was going!

Instead, her biggest worry was danger. She wanted a guarantee that “nothing will happen to my son”. I patiently explained that while no one can foresee what may or not happen, in the 12 years or so that I have been working in this profession, I have not had casualties or even a serious need to apply all the first-aid training that we so religiously keep up to date. This is tours we conduct for clients, we save our stunts for personal outings

This was not good enough to convince her, and she wanted an idea of how dangerous it actually was. I said that wild tigers are dangerous animals, but we are well protected on horseback and in our jeeps. We have experienced forest rangers with tranquilizing guns for emergencies to guide and look out for us.

She wanted statistics, which I didn’t have. The only thing I could say in favour of the tour was that I have not heard of deaths or dangerous attacks from man-eaters on the tour we are planning. The whole thing was less dangerous than commuting by bike in Mumbai’s heavy traffic (which, incidently her son does).

She then wanted an assurance that the facilities were good and that her son was sensitive to insect bites, so no insects should be around and that he should have the facility to call home every evening, or whenever he wished. She also wanted assurances about the quality of food, and to know if it was ‘tested’ (whatever that means). The last thing she requested was that her son not share rooms with people who snore, as he is a light sleeper

We TASTE the food and it is yummy - just perfect after a long day in the wild. I am not going to bother to vent my irritation about the snoring.

I was dumbfounded! This is a man who has a job and owns a motorcycle that he rides to work - not a baby! It is a tour he wants to join desperately. Surely he is aware that insects are present in jungles and a wide variety of repellents exist. Furthermore, his mother is so worried about his comfort, that she needs a guarantee of him not being tortured by the tiny things! Her son actually gave her the number so that she could call and find out!!!

I think it is important for a person to step out of his comfort zone in order to expand his personal experience and knowledge, whether in a corporate office, or in the wild. There is a big difference in a known and calculated potential risk and reckless behaviour, and it must not be equated either.

Even more than that, I feel that if we over-protect our loved ones, we handicap them by glorifying limitations that can easily be overcome. A little independence in a grown-up son is a virtue that will help him stand as your support when you grow old.

Of course, I couldn’t tell her that, so I made polite noises and suggested that perhaps her son might be able to survive such a dangerous experience, because of his own capabilities and put down the phone.

Then, knowing that the woman would never risk reading such a dangerous site, I came hare to rant

Of all my wanderings in the mountains, the one location which comes to mind the most is Chandratal - The Moon Lake. Before anyone thinks I’m a hopeless romantic, I’d like to stress that I am quite a practical person most of the time.

I don’t know what it is that draws me here repeatedly, but there is something about this lake that is irresistable. Locals insist that a world of Gods lies at its bottom, and you can sometimes see it if you are a really pure soul. Maybe it is so, or maybe, the powerful aura of the place gives birth to such fantasies.

There is a legend about the origin of the Chandratal and Surajtal lakes as a result of eternal love between the son of the Sun and the daughter of the moon and their quest to meet, that is an apt description of the celestial presence the lake evokes.

I can speak for myself and what I feel when I’m there. At Chandratal, I’m at peace from the world. Not the most demanding clients or worries from back home can hurt me here. I feel protected by the energy of the place. It is a very beautiful location as mountain lakes go. A medium sized lake you can walk around within an hour. The crystal clear water is of course because it is fed from an underground stream in its bed. No pollution, no contaminants. Germs hardly survive here. All drinking water overflowing in a steady stream giving birth to the mighty Chandra River. All around are mighty peaks of the Chandrabhaga range and some of the most challenging climbs to be found in this region. Shimmering in their snow cover and glaciers in the warmth of sunlight striking camp in the morning.

A mug of tea in hand, it is time to watch the shepherds on the other side sending their flock out to graze in the day. Distant bleats echo each other, and a new day is begun.

This is my best experience for an ideal morning, and each time, it feels new. Still, many other places have such charm - why Chandratal.

It is difficult to put in words. The place has a tangible feeling of wholesomeness, healing and there seems to be magic in the air. People are at their best, awed into respect by the very place itself. The lake offers quiet companionship, and it is rare to hear loud voices.

The lake gets deep quite quickly from the shore, yet it is fascinating to see the shore extend for a long way before the distance blurs the details. the hypnotic and rythmic distortion from the waves makes one aware that the water is actually there.

Afternoons are a good time to visit the neighbouring nomadic shepherds, share local news over cups of strong goat milk tea, and watch the livestock feeding on the nourishing grass. Even the animals are at peace. Horses are known to wander away from camps on treks, creating a huge inconvenience to staff and clients alike, but at Chandratal, they seem content to graze on the highly nourishing ‘neeru grass that grows here in abundance. Their reluctance to leave can be seen on the day the group leaves.

There is no shrine or temple here, nothing to denote any religion. Yet spirituality envelops one and all, and the presence of God, or if you prefer, an all encompassing power is undeniable.

I am not trying to make a sale, but this is one place worth a visit. It is an essential pilgrimage of the soul, whether you do it with us, or anyone.