05-06 Mikila
Kumaon Hi-Altitude Villages Trek (K-Trek)
A 10-day, 100+ KM trek to some high-altitude Villages of Eastern Kumaon. Route: Loharkhet - Dhakuri - Khati - Mikila - Kimu - Namik - Thal~Kharik - Chupoo~Pass and finally the trail ending on the road to Munsiary (32KM), between Bala & Birthi Falls
17th Dec 2008 Day-5 : Jhuni to Mikila Got up early, with a Bed tea at 6:30am. Balwant & Debu were cooking up a nice breakfast of sweet Suji (Kesari Bhath) on the kerosene stove in the adjacent room. The hot suji-bhath was wonderful in the cold morning. We packed and started the trek at 8:10AM and we reached the shaky timber bridge crossing Sarayu (pic below) at 9:40AM. After the river a steep climb of 500M to reach the meadows on level with Jhuni and Mikila.
Balwant & me resting at the Saryau river crossing below Jhuni
After climbing steeply we are level with Jhuni; now seen across the valley on the opposite side
Looking across Sarayu valley at Jhuni from where we came today
Walking past and then looking back at the Mikila village temple - as we near Mikila village (alt: 2300M)
Mikila homes and hay bales stacked for winter
Mikila - Dad and Toddler
A happy & playful Mikila kid
Mom and kid
View from Mikila
Cloud play at Mikila
The trail from Jhuni to Mikila (on left edge of picture), steadily goes down the left-ridge to a upper part of valley and then down steeply to a small timber bridge crossing the Sarayu River at 1980M
Balwant crossing the Sarayu river on the shaky foot bridge!
Walking up steadily through several levels of terraced fields & meadows we reached Mikila by 11:10AM. Today was just a short trek of 3 hours. As we neared the village we passed, a small beautiful white-washed temple under a large shady tree. The village had several rows of homes in multiple terraced levels. Maybe there were 50 families there. This was also Debu's sasural village; so he got a rousing welcome from many locals!
Arriving at Mikila village - our GH (yellow building) coming up behind that white polythene green-house ahead
Looking down the valley (south) from Mikila Village GH
That's Khalpatta village across a side-stream valley on Mikila side
We stayed in two rooms of a GH on top of a family home, with a big balcony just behind a big polythene green-house, growing variety of vegetables.
18th Dec 2008 Day-6 : Rest Day at Mikila Whole of today there were a series of villagers and children dropping into our GH balcony; either to play or watch the card-game that Debu & Balwant had going on the balcony or to be photographed by me, in my Canon DSLR. Plenty of children in Mikila and they spent most of the sunny afternoon playing in that big balcony and squealing with delight at the pictures, in the LCD of camera.
Debu has a card game going with Locals on Mikila-GH balcony
Mikila kids line up for a photo-op on the GH balcony
Dad with his baby tucked at the back
Mikila ............. Sunset cloud plays
My sketch map of Kumaon Trek route (click Image to see large)