Chandrakhani Pass to Malana V - Day 3 Walking on the slippery mountain

We woke up to an uneventful 17th June we had camped near a make do hotel and a shed for sheep.
The hotel guy had a make shift pluming for water which he shared with us.

We had porridge and bread for breakfast. We started early as the road ahead was long and treacherous. Our guide told us we would have a short climb followed by level land on the top of pass  eventually descending steeply into Malana.

In spirit of adventure we took the short route to Malana (also we had to get there in one day).

We took the path marked in red on day 3.

We started a bit early next day I think we were packed and ready to travel by 9 AM in the morning.

We started with a relative gentle climb. We were greeted  with beautiful views of the valley we had left behind us.

The climb was easy but I was looking forward towards walking on flat land that I had been promised for last two days.

 Finally we arrived towards relatively flat areas with moderate climbs and moderate descents  Little did we know what laid ahead.

Me trying to take a stroll in the park

Happy taking pics like a pro

You do not get pictures like these in the city

The final push before we all fall down

 Chandrakhani pass has a nice way of greeting all visitors the moment you enter the pass there is a small pile of stones which forms a small gate and the pass welcomes you with open arms into its  beauty.

The entrance to Chandrakhani pass

A view to kill and we almost were killed

The views in the pass were to die for and we wanted to absorbe the beauty of the area. Words do not do them justice so I will let these pictures do the talking.

Me with All the staff - Great heros who help make these trips possible

Not to mention our second guide, whenever I would fall behind she would keep coming for  me

Marker Stones

They help people to find there way around and are also a tribute to the gods 

Our guide and me

Happy and me

 We cam across this strane structure and our guide informed us this is a shrine and we should keep outside the rocks with permission from our gude we took some pictures and thanked the gods who had helped our trek and made it into an uneventful journey.

Shrine

 As we moved ahead I saw snow and I wanted a picture in it.

 We now started with the most difficult stage of our trek the descent into Malana. I got an on the job training of lead climber. I think I slipped around ten times that day. Our guide slipped thrice the only people who did not slip were the porters. This was a difficult trek and our guide stayed with me every step till we reached Malana safely.

 While most skilled people were ahead of me and on most days I was just walking behind them during the descent I was walking at a speed which was almost four times as slow. My buggest issue was I did not know which rock would slip and which would hold, a skill mastered by the local people.

The steep descent with rocks ready to fall

The descent from a distance, there route was carved out from our skills. Would suggest using ropes here

Happy waiting for me. 

Happy waiting for his perfect shot 

 I was tired by the time we were in Malana we had decided on our way down that we will sleep in a hut and not in tents. We got to Malana and took a nice shower. I think I just came into the kitchen and crashed. I did not get up until it was dark.

Me ready to die

Malana people do not like outsiders they think they are a pure Aryan race and do not care for others. 

Our hotel was outside the village. As night fell some people with cattle came in Happy wanted to drink some goats milk and our guide Budhi tried to get the some and ended up getting interrogated about his and our races, if we had any westerner in our group and so on. When the lady was satisfied she gave us a pint of milk which we all enjoyed.

Happy having a glass of goat's milk after we proved our ethnicity

The goats outside our hotel

As we dosed into the night it started to rain again and we were glad it did not happen when we were climbing down which could have resulted in some broken bones.