7 Rilkot>Nahar

Day-5 Part-2 [24-Oct 2016]

Trek Rilkot to Nahardevi

We had a quick breakfast of Upma (again Manz's MAIYAS packets!) and Tea at the Rilkot teahouse .. and started the trek back to Nahardevi at 11:35AM.

It was another wonderful, strenuous, up-and-down walk, but now somewhat easier than while coming up ... as we were losing altitude overall. The river always by our side gushing noisily through narrow gorges.

We passed the a waterfall at 3:45PM ... that seemed like snow-melt coming down from two barely visible snow peaks above the waterfall. Manz said they may not be snow peaks, as they look more like white-granite formations! I took some super-zoom pictures, from my P&S camera. Looking at those pictures now, I think Manz is right. Looks like Granite? You decide.

By 4:30PM we pass the walkway cut into rock cliffs and we know we are now almost reaching the teahouse at Nahardevi. Prem, who had worked out a special deal with Gopal our Porter to have him carry his backpack too on this return trip was walking way ahead of us today with hands in the pockets of his beige-color hooded jacket. He must have reached the teahouse some 30mins ahead of me! He was sitting there, in his hooded-jacket, in the courtyard of the teahouse in Nahardevi, when we reached there at 4:40PM.

Now that there was just one more day left for the trek, I thought it might be wonderful to have a drink. I doubt if we can get any booze here in this remote teahouse of a shack. Still I asked the owner if there was any 'daru' available with them. Surprise! .. He said he has McDowell No1 whiskey full bottle for Rs 800 ... I said that's too much quantity .. does he have a Quarter bottle? No, but he could open the full one and pour out a Quarter in an empty 200ML bottle! Wow, such a brilliant 'jugaad' solution. So enjoyed 2-3 pegs of the stuff with some awesome spicy Udupi-snack from Manz's backpack.

As the sun set and the valley darkened, I was in high spirits and in a peaceful mood. Dinner (don't remember what we ate) and into the Sleeping Bag by 8:30PM.

Day-wise story in sub-pages below: