Sound of Silence

by Pallavi Pasricha

On the route to Almora youll pass many points from where you get a gorgeous view of the Himalayas and lush valleys

“please make your calls in the next couple of hours because there wont be any mobile network, or even electricity at Thikalna,” says ashish Bhatia, the owner of Itmenaan estate, as soon as we leave Bhimtal. my eyes open wide. I have lived without the mobile, but no electricity? This will be a first—besides the power outages in Gurgaon, I have not experienced life without a light bulb or a fan. But I am so looking forward to it as we head out for a brief stopover in Thikalna. my ultimate destination is Chalnichhina village where a 100-year-old kumaoni stone house has been renovated by ashish to give travellers an authentic experience. But before reaching there, we are going to get a taste of life in a rustic setting in two more villages in the almora hills—Thikalna and Ghanget.

ashish explains that the idea is to walk to these villages, in each of which he has refurbished one traditional home, and then ultimately reach Itmenaan. Just as I am digesting that, the car stops in the middle of a road. “From here it is a gentle, 45-minute walk till the house,” says ashish. I set out cheerfully, drinking in the stunning sight of rhododendron trees in full bloom, giving the hills a gorgeous red hue. But I slowly realise that this 45-minute trek is turning into a seemingly never ending, gruelling one for a city dweller like me. I keep glancing at my watch then I just give up keeping track of time. little do I realise that this one is just the tip of the iceberg as far as walks are concerned.

It is almost dark by the time we reach and lanterns and solar lamps are placed in my room. The house, with a traditional kumaoni roof, made of pine logs, has two rooms and a small lounge area. I am dead tired after the journey and the walk, so after a hot dinner I turn in at 9.30 p.m.—something I have not done in years. I am happy being cut off from the world. as I lie in bed, all I hear is the sound of the wind whipping around the house. I just need a horror book to complete the picture.

Instead of my mobile, bed tea wakes me up at 6 a.m. and I walk out to see the Himalayas bathed in an orange glow. Thats when I realise that the house is located at the edge of a cliff and to my left lies the stunning snowcapped nanda devi. I sip my tea, gazing at this magnificent wonder as birds chirp and butterflies flutter—amazingly this is the only sound I can hear. I could not have asked for a better start to the trip. after a hearty breakfast, Pujan from Itmenaan estate, the photographer arindam and I, begin the trek to our next destination—a village house in Ganghet.

i am all geared up, but little did I know that this will turn into a six-hour marathon going across hillsides, meadows and streams. as I huff and puff, the only consolation is the stunning views of the mountains and those lovely, red rhododendron trees. We walk for a couple of hours to Jageshwar Temple, spend about half an hour there, then carry on. Thankfully, after another hour, we take a much-called-for break over a picnic lunch. I am delighted to find that this is not just goodies like sandwiches, but a huge spread—rhododendron juice, hummus, homemade bread, carrot and orange salad, red cabbage salad, tortilla, potatoes and lovely banana bread followed by earl Gray, darjeeling and Tulsi tea. Impressive!

after walking for a couple of hours, my legs refuse to carry me any further. a quick glance at my watch and I realise that I have been walking for about six hours. I am proud of what I have accomplished, but decide to summon the car for the final lap to Ghanghet. This village is located at a lower height than Thikalna and all I can see around me are mountains covered with terrace farms.

sitting around a bonfire that night, ashish tells us he started this venture thinking that staying and trekking to a traditional kumaoni village house would add another dimension to the experience of travellers.

He asks if we are sure we want to do the four-hour walk to Itmenaan the next day because the car cannot be called at any point. With my legs still hurting, I ponder for a minute, but then bravely agree to do it. after todays grind, I am confident of pulling it off tomorrow. at night, it is so silent that I can hear my own breath and the page turning as I read a book. Heavenly!

again we set off after breakfast, passing lush green fields, crossing streams, and going uphill and downhill along what seems a million times to me. at one point, I am walking at the edge of a cliff—a step here or there and I would have hurtled down. We meet locals from a nearby village at one point. yet another picnic lunch is laid out and I gorge like there is no tomorrow. We finally reach Itmenaan in about seven hours. even though I am exhausted I feel great. mission accomplished!

The estate with the century-old stone house looks absolutely gorgeous. The roof is made of pine logs embedded in mud, and is then laid over with local slate and sealed with mud. only local material has been used. The massive stone bathroom has a lota instead of a mug. These all add to the charm. The courtyard is the perfect place for meals. The next day I have the option of going for walks around the estate to the nearby village, but after all those treks to get here, I dont want to even step out! I simply put up my feet, spend the day with a book, sleep in the afternoon and just enjoy the peace and quiet of the mountains. I guess this is what Itmenaan estate is all about—a slow and measured pace of life—far far away from the madding crowd.