Great Himalayan National Park Camp Report

Background
The Third National Nature Camp of WWF-India for 2007 was held in the Great Himalayan National Park (GHNP) in Himachal Pradesh, which has now become the standard summer vacation campsite, given the bond that has been established between WWF-India and the campsite organizers, Sahara, as well as the excellent, conducive terrain of the park for nature camps.

The camp was conducted by Mr. Preston Ahimaz,Field Director–Nature Camps, WWF-India, and Ms. Aarti Verma, Programme Officer-Nature Camps, WWF-India.

The Park
The Himalayas have been a source of awe and inspiration for millennia to countless individuals. They are the largest, tallest and geologically youngest mountains on our planet. In India, they are the Dehvbhumi – the abode of the gods. The Himalayas are also one of the most fragile mountain regions of the world and hold an enormous repository of biological diversity which is coming increasingly under pressure from the human agency.

One of India’s newest and remotest National Park, GHNP was created in 1999 to preserve the unique, pristine beauty of nature in the Western Himalayan region. The Park lies in the district of Kullu, Himachal Pradesh in northern India. Nestling in the mighty Himalaya 40 kms from Kullu town and 500 kms from the country’s capital—Delhi, the GHNP lies at the junction of the oriental and paleartic bio-geographical zones, giving it some of the features and wildlife of both. Stretching over 745 sq kms of sweeping mountain terrain ranging over altitudes of between 1,700 mts to almost 5800 mts, the Park adjoins the Sainj and Tirthan sanctuaries, combining a total area of 1,171 sq kms. The lower slopes are clothed with horse chestnut and silver oak forests, which give way to fir and spruce higher up, grading into birch and rhododendron and finally alpine flower meadows, rock and snow.

26th April, Thursday -- The beginning of the adventure...

The Field Director and Programme officer arrived at site along with the campers from New Delhi on 26th morning. After breakfast, accompanied by a team of guides from campsite, the party set out for the first activity – Rappelling!

Rappelling is the exercise of lowering oneself down a vertical drop by means of a rope in a controlled manner. There are several ways to rappel, the safest and most common way is with the use of a harness, locking carabineer and a belay device. The campers were first given a demonstration of how it is done and one by one each camper took turns to rappel down a pre-selected, sheer rock-face, about 40 feet high. With the help of the skilled campsite personnel, all participants overcame their initial fear of the height and had a thrilling experience!

Rappelling done, the campers went down to the river to refresh themselves in the icy cold waters! A frog/toad on the rocks in the river made an extremely unusual sighting as amphibians are not frequently found in such cold temperatures. A plumbeous redstart, a pretty little blue-grey bird with a quivering, orange tail was also seen.

Post lunch, the group proceeded for the next activity which was river crossing. River crossing is of two types – wet and dry. In the wet type, a camper is linked to a life-line around the waist and walks across the river bottom, in thigh- or hip-deep water, holding onto a guide-line stretched taut across the water surface. This is tricky because sometimes a misjudged foot placement over a slippery pebble or a surge of water can knock the adventurer neck-deep in the freezing, rushing water. In the other type, the camper hangs, slung by a harness to a rope tied across the river, well above the surface, and hauls himself / herself across, hand over hand (and by choice, foot over foot as well).

A short trek took the group to the point where the activity was to take place, and enthusiasm ran high! Again a demonstration along with instructions was given by the guides and each camper took turns to do the river crossing and had a great time. A few Yellow-billed blue Magpies along with a Pied Flycatcher provided avian excitement and towards evening, the group returned to the campsite for tea.

Before dinner, the campers were addressed by the WWF-India Field director and Programme Officer on the organization and the National Camping Programme, followed by a talk given by Ankit Sood, who briefed the campers about the park and his organization ‘Sahara’. He informed the campers about the history of the park, it’s importance and how Sahara facilitates eco-tourism. A film ‘Voices and Choices’ made on the GHNP which was shown to the campers.

The evening came to a close with a cultural program organized by the staff at the campsite, who entertained the campers with lively folk music and also enacted a play depicting how eco-tourism has changed their lives for the better.

This camp being a first for many of the participants, many breaks were taken during the trek which enabled the campers to absorb the picturesque beauty of the Himalayas including the local lifestyles, homes and little hamlets tucked away in the mountains. Griffon Vultures, Blue Magpies, Himalayan black bulbuls, Yuhinas, Himalayan brown-eared bulbuls, Himalayan golden-backed woodpeckers, Forktails, Great Hill barbets, White-capped redstarts, Verditer flycatchers, brown dippers and other birds made exciting sightings during the trek. Amongst the flora, the endemic and bright red-colored rhododendrons and massive trees with peeling strips of bark, reminiscent of loose shingle, delighted the campers who also got a tangy taste of the edible rhododendron flowers! A large group of rhesus macaques (monkeys) were also spotted. A toad-headed agama was sighted during a tea break, giving all ample opportunity to take pictures of this endemic reptile. Lunch was had near a waterfall which had a large rock in the pool at the bottom bearing an amazing likeness to a half-submerged hippopotamus, and aptly called ‘Hippo Rock’.

Making their way across wooden bridges and uneven rocky paths, the party reached Rolla at about 3:00 pm, spotting some skinks (slender, snake-like lizards) on the way. They also came across a dead snake which had been beaten to death, probably by local folk, obviously due to ignorance and lack of information. The snake was in fact a non-venomous one and such incidents tell the unfortunate tale of many animals which are senselessly harmed / killed out of fear born of ignorance. Snakes are one group of animals that suffer most from ignorance and superstition, the most serious one being the belief that all snakes are venomous, even though more than 75 percent of Indian snakes are in fact non-venomous.


By the time the campers reached Rolla, the tented campsite, the tents were already erected by the guides and ready for occupation. The site was located in a lovely valley with towering mountain ridges on either side and a boulder-strewn, icy river rushing through. The campers refreshed themselves in the cold, bracing water and were then engaged in some rock climbing and nature games. After a hearty dinner next to a bonfire, the campers retired to their allotted tents for a good night’s rest.

28th April, Saturday -- Breathtaking (and breath breaking) Heights!

Day 3 got off to an early start and after breakfast, the campers began the 6 km long and 1000 meter ascent to Shilt. A very enthusiastic group, with the exception of 3 campers, set out for the trek in high spirits anticipating the magnificent view awaiting them at the top!

The climb was steep, in places very much so, which taxed the climbers and slowed the pace. Frequent rest-breaks, and much slipping, sliding and grappling for foot-holds and hand-holds marked a good deal of the climb. As the altitude increased, the snow-capped peaks and high ridges of the mountains appeared to close in, presenting awesome sights and spectacular panoramic views. The last stretch was extremely steep, open and grass-covered, with rocky outcrops and clumps of rhododendron and other trees, surrounded by the magnificent high-altitude scenery. Staggering up this incline, the group, which had by now broken up into sub groups and individuals, made it to the Shilt Hut, a lonely, small edifice tucked into the mountain-side, dwarfed by the towering slopes behind it and the steep meadow all around. Wildflowers covered the meadow, punctuated by rhododendron and other Himalayan plants while the snow-clad peaks set off a perfect backdrop to the austerely beautiful scene. The view of the Himalayas was awe-inspiring and rejuvenating. The sheer magnificence of the mountains was overwhelming for all, especially for one senior camper who felt that he had achieved a great feat – communing with the mighty Himalaya!

After a packed lunch and after a brief rest at the Hut, the group headed back downhill towards the campsite. The trip downhill, while not hard on the lungs, was indeed hard on the knees and thighs and had the trekkers supporting and helping each other accompanied by much slipping, sliding and other unusual performances which provided some gay respite to the exercise! At campsite, everyone made merry during dinner around the bonfire, finally retiring for the night to their respective tents for a well-deserved sleep.