5-6 Milam Gl

Starting off from Martoli ... Debu leads the way ... a steep descent to Lwanl Gad bridge to be negotiated.

Picture taken from the Lwanl bridge; looking back up towards Martoli; you can see the ziz-zig trail coming down the scree slopes.

Looking back at confluence after climbing up on other side of Lwanl.

Crossing the Goenka Gad bridge at 11:45 am ... nearing Milam.

The final straight 100m stretch to the Milam ITBP checkpost

Day-6 20/05/2007 ... Trek from Milam Village to Milam Glacier and back ... 8Kms

Jhamu Raut's Home and Hotel .. at the entrance to Milam Village ... where we stayed 2 nights.

Soon after leaving Martoli we had to descend steeply, through this landslide and scree slopes, to that small wooden bridge (in the center of picture) over Lwanl Gad just before it merges into Gori Ganga.

Looking back at trail, after crossing to true left bank of Gori Ganga and gone 1km past Barfu (huts seen as mere specs on the centre-left of picture)

The deserted village Bieju.

There is Nanda Devi East peak somewhere behind those clouds! ..... supposed to be the best view of ND(E) from the trail opposite Pachhu Village ... but when we got here, at 10:45am, could see only parts of it. Nor did we see it on our return to this point 2 days later.

We reached the Milam ITBP post at noon. The trek from Martoli was pretty easy; about 5 hrs including rest stops etc. However we were in for a shock; as ITBP asked us to deposit the Camera with them, as Milam Glacier was a security zone. We could go see it but not take photos! My arguments, that I would'nt have come trekking all the way for 5 days, had I known I can't take pictures of Glacier ... that in anycase the whole world can see the Glacier and every ITBP Hut in Milam on Google Earth..etc. did'nt work! Rules are Rules..... So be it. I deposited my camera ... so you wont see any Glacier photos here. Next day after the Glacier trip I got it back in evening 6:ooPM.

***** Day 6 *****

20th May 2007. Visited Milam Glacier. We left Milam Village early at 6:00AM and reached the Glacier Moraine at around 8:00am. Got various partial views of the Glacier and Hardeol peak .... but the clouds never allowed a full unhindered view of the entire glacier! So now did'nt feel too bad about having to surrender the camera to the ITBP guys!

At 6:00 PM the ITBP guy agreed to return my camera, as I was to start my trek back very early next day. The ITBP Commandant, whom I met near the Volleyball court, said I could take pictures at the Milam Village or Southwards but not north towards Glacier.

This is the view from Milam Village, looking south at the peaks above Pachhu village at 6:15PM