Well, certain things are destined and if you are keen, even without being desperate, things do work out for you. Whether the ibid claim is true or otherwise, at least this is what happened to us in this particular case. It was October 2016 and having spent a couple of days at our Dacha at Kasol, we decided to cut short our stay in Parvati Valley and pay a visit to Barot instead. We just had one evening there at Barot - the quiet valley when the season was thankfully low- and it was all peaceful and calm there. On our way back, we decided to take a short breakfast halt at Jatingri/Jhatingri where we had seen a niche by the name, of Green Himalaya Restaurant on our way to Barot the previous day. And so we did.
We sat down in the all-wood cafe, waiting for someone to ask us and take the order but a group of young lads (including cook and waiters, as we were to discover later), had been glued to the TV while a kabaddi match between India and Bangladesh was being telecast. There were players from HP and interest was justified though a bit too stretched from a pure business point of view. Finally, after 20 odd minutes, the match ended and we were spoken to for the first time. In a way, that is what is special about Pahari laid-back style of life (and I like it!). Over the next half an hour and as we consumed the breakfast, the manager (later, it turned out that he was only playing proxy for the actual guy!) patiently answered our queries and created a point of interest by mentioning the beauty of Fula Ri Dhar (FRD) that lay just above the place where we had been sitting and enjoying our breakfast. We had taken a hatchback during that trip and even though we wanted to drive up the un-metaled, gravel track leading to the FRD straightway, we were informed about the non-feasibility of such a drive due to damaged road condition; an SUV could have gone up though- we were told.
Two months later, I was back there in our Pearly (Storme) and up we went- me, the ad-hoc manager and two strangers. The road beyond Jhatingri is steep, narrow, slippery when wet and prone to weather swings. Once we hit the first settlement, Dev Dhar, about 02 Km from Jhatingri, we came to the top of a long plateau that rose further up as if in huge steps. There were two settlements and then a higher plateau where govt potato farms stood sandwiching the road. We walked for two hours after hitting the road head about 4 Km from Jhatingri. Views were simply mesmerizing.
And a decision was made then and there.....we shall have a niche up there soon!!
The hunting began in all its earnest from that day onwards. Anil Thakur, the officiating manager of Green Himalayan that day, became my adjutant in the mission and he kept calling me back every now and then to come and see what he would have shortlisted. It was a long and a bit strenuous hunt that did eventually bear some fruits but not without seeing a twist at a point when no such twist could have been welcome.
The story continues!!
Two months later, I was back there in our Pearly (Storme) and up we went- me, the ad-hoc manager and two strangers. The road beyond Jhatingri is steep, narrow, slippery when wet and prone to weather swings. Once we hit the first settlement, Dev Dhar, about 02 Km from Jhatingri, we came to the top of a long plateau that rose further up as if in huge steps. There were two settlements and then a higher plateau where govt potato farms stood sandwiching the road. We walked for two hours after hitting the road head about 4 Km from Jhatingri. Views were simply mesmerizing.
It is actually a long plateau with steps (if not classical steppes) on top.
I have been there so many times now and mist rising from the valley below always creates a beautiful feeling
Aerial shot (not mine though)....Jhatingri is about 2 Km below the farthest edge (where two small white structures are visible) and the road head is on to the left of the red hut in the middle.
And a decision was made then and there.....we shall have a niche up there soon!!
The hunting began in all its earnest from that day onwards. Anil Thakur, the officiating manager of Green Himalayan that day, became my adjutant in the mission and he kept calling me back every now and then to come and see what he would have shortlisted. It was a long and a bit strenuous hunt that did eventually bear some fruits but not without seeing a twist at a point when no such twist could have been welcome.
The story continues!!
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