Munsiyari To The Edge Of The Horizon

District Pithoragarh Location Munsiyari is at 7,000 ft in the Johar Valley carved by the Goriganga River, in far north-east Uttarakhand, and is the confluence of a network of former trade routes that crossed the high passes and glaciers between India and Tibet   Distances 109 km NW of Lohaghat, 232 km NE of Almora, 599 NE of Delhi Journey time By road 5 hrs from Chaukori, 6 hrs from Vijaypur, 7 hours from Lohaghat, 10 hrs from Almora, 13, hrs from Kathgodam, 20 hrs from Delhi.
Route from Delhi NH24 to Rampur via Hapur Bypass, Gajraula and Moradabad Bypass;NH87 to Almora via Bilaspur, Rudrapur, Haldwani, Kathgodam, Ranibagh, Bhowali, Khairna and Sualbari; state highway to Bageshwar via Takula; state road to Chaukori via Vijaypur; state road to Munsiyari via Thal and Ratapani 

Munsiyari sits comfortably somewhere in the middle aisle of a grand amphitheatre. In front, like a 70 mm projection, is the Panchachuli range, Hansling, Rajarambha and Chiplakot, all peaks over 19,000 ft. At sunset, when the sky sets ablaze, one anticipates the striking up of magnificent orchestra, inundating the valley with Dolby surround sound. Then all of a sudden, as if someone has thrown a switch, the colour drains out in front, leaving the sky and mountains in soft tones of pink and grey, like the colours of a dove in a Mughal miniature. At night it is perfectly still and quiet. A few pinpricks of light mark the houses of the town and distant villages in the far hills. That is all. There are no idli-dosa joints, no pony rides, and no bus loads of noisy tourists from the plains. Thank god. Myth and history get blurred when they intersect with the geography of the Johar Valley, of which Munsiyari is the largest town.

The Panchachuli Range dominates the vista. They say that it was the last resting place of the Pandavas, a site where they cooked their last meal before ascending to heaven. They say,too, that the inhabitants of the valley were once Nagas, great serpents, who were persecuted by a Garuda who wiped out all but the last inhabitant. Before he could do that, he was struck down by the emissary of Shaukya Lama, a wise guru of the north. The emissary was so taken in by the beauty of the place that he decided to stay, and so originated the Shaukya tribe, who still inhabit the Johar Valley. They were Because of the altitude, agriculture was limited, so they took to trading with Tibet and grew prosperous. Milam, a village 54 km up the Goriganga from Munsiyari, boasted of 500 families and Munsiyari itself became a bustling entrepot. Sadly, all that changed with the Indo-China War in 1962 and trade was stopped. The area, with its tiny population, also produced its share of heroes: three IAS officers since Independence. Before that, between 1865-66 a son of Milam, Pundit Nain Singh, employee of the Survey of India, went clandestinely on foot into an enterprising lot Tibet and mapped the hitherto unknown territories between Ladakh and Lhasa and the Kailash-Manasarovar region. For his effort he became the first Indian to win the coveted gold medal from the Royal Geographical Society in London.

The drive to Munsiyari

The map lied: its clean, relatively straight line running from Almora north-east to
Munsiyari made the 232 km seem easily traversable in a day. It didn’t account for
the tightly winding roads which led the struggling vehicle up to 9,000-foot windswept passes; nor hinted at the innumerable breaks one needed to dally at waterfalls, swim in rivers, picnic in deodar forests, or pick rhododendron flowers. For Munsiyari, perched as it is at the edge of the horizon, the journey there is as wonderful as the destination. To get the most out of it, the trip should be treated as a leisurely driving holiday with at least a week in hand. Tovernighted at Almora and then drove to Vijaypur via the ancient temple town of Bageshwar.The road then climbs steadily through chir forested slopes, picturesque villages and entire hillsides sculpted into lush, terraced fields. One can camp overnight at Vijaypur or carry on further to Chaukori. One can also spend a day relaxing in either of the two places as they afford excellent views of Nanda Devi and the surrounding peaks in autumn and early spring before summer sets in.

By the time we crossed Thal (26 km from Chaukori) and entered the beautiful Ramganga east gorge it was lunchtime fortuitously. About 10 km from Thal and
2 km before the village of Nachani, a small dirt track leads off the main road down to the river. Spend at least an hour on a picnic lunch and swim in the icecold, turquoise waters of the Ramganga.About 34 km before Munsiyari, right after you cross the Bala bridge, take a tea break at the Birthi Falls. Plummeting  own 125m, this is the tallest waterfall of the area. Travel to this area between March and April and, climbing up from Birthi, marvel at the rhododendron trees with blood-red flowers at Ratapani.Then ascend towards the 9,000-foot pass at Kalamuni, and watch the blooms turn from fuschia to rose-pink, to white with the faintest blush of pink. Kalamuni is the vantage point on the top of a great amphitheatre whose backdrop is the snow-amassed Panchachuli Range & also has a small but powerful Kali Temple. The next stop – Munsiyari – is just 23 km away.

THINGS TO SEE AND DO

There are a number of sights in the immediate vicinity of Munsiyari, most of which should be visited on foot. For the sights further away, drive, or take a taxi (Rs 1,200 per day), if you haven’t driven up yourself.

Maheshwari or Mehsar Kund
Once upon a time, a Yaksha who lived in a small lake above Munsiyari, fell in love and eloped with daughter. The villagers, angry and eager to avenge the dishonour, drained the lake dry. Furious, the Yaksha cursed the village and the villagers found themselves facing successive years of drought and famine until they apologised and
made obeisance to the spirit, a practice which continues even today. Walk uphill a couple of hundred yards from the Munsiyari Forest Rest House and you will find a paved path moving uphill on your right. Follow the path as it climbs steadily for half an hour through a pretty forest, until you arrive at a small meadow ringed by huge oaks and rhododendrons. On the northern edge of the meadow lies the lake. Today it’s a mere pond, but a charming spot, nonetheless, for a picnic accompanied the sarpanch’s by great views of the Panchachuli Range.

Dar Kot
About 6 km from Munsiyari on the MadKot Road lies the small village of DarKot. Spend an afternoon amidst the 100-year-old wooden houses with traditionally carved doors and windows. And if you have money to spare, then there is no better place to shop for pure
handmade pashmina and angora shawls and sheepswool blankets. A good pashmina should set you back anywhere between Rs 3,500-6,500, depending on the size, and a chutka, a thick sheepswool blanket, by Rs 3,000.

Goriganga River Bed
Drive 17 km from Munsiyari down the Mad Kot Road to Bhadeli, marked by a solitary tea shop near some fields. Walk a Himalanga bit upriver and find a spot for a picnic
lunch and dip in the icy waters of the Goriganga River.

Masterji’s Museum
Dr SS Pangthi, or Masterji, a retired school-teacher, trekker, traveller, author and authority on the Bhotias of the area, has enterprisingly put together a small. collection of antiques in a private museum at his residence in Nanasen Village.Of great interest are the original docu-
ments, which enabled trade between the Johar Valley and Tibet and the personal effects of the traders. The museum is 2 km from the Wayfarer Retreat.

Picnic on the Munsiyari Bugyal
Hike up to this lovely meadow just east of the town off the Zara Resort Road. It’s a very easy walk and a must for magnificent views of the Panchachuli Range, the Johar Valley with its route to the Milam Glacier, and the village of Harkot, dropping far below in the valley to your
right, nestling among terraced green fields. Walk straight due east as the bugyal dips down towards the Nanda Devi Mandir. Return to town via the old Gas Godown Road.The bugyal is 6 km from the Wayfarer Retreat, a 3-hr walk one-way. The best way to do it is to head out post-breakfast, climb up, spend a couple of hours up there taking in the views over a packed
picnic lunch, then walk the 3-km back, returning by evening.

Balanti
About 8 km from Munsiyari heading back up towards Kalamuni, some 400m off the main road, is the Balanti Potato Farm, conjuring up an image of a rather dull place for an outing, belying the breathtaking 180° views of the snowpeaks just part of the day’s attraction. The other part is the ancient oak and rhododendron forest, with its old, moss-covered rocks and great, benign trees. The place has the air of magic: don’t be surprised to come upon druids and elves and fairies.

ON THE RETURN DRIVE
The Bala cascades Start early for the return trip armed with a packed lunch and swimsuit, and stop at Bala just past the Birthi Falls. Park the car by the tea shop and head back across the bridge. Find a path moving upriver and jump down across the rocks to find beautiful, clear blue natural swimming pools on at least three different levels. I could have spent the whole day jumping off rocks into the icy waters of the Bala River. If the urge should overtake you,You could always spend the night at the KMVN rest house up the road at Birthi.