E

ast and south edges of Chhitki

Bugyal fell steeply, almost 90

degree, compelling the guide to

issue a stern warning: Do not

stand at the edge; the fall (if you

fall) would be fatal. Some sections of the edges

developed into overhangs, as I could not see the

bottom of the steep slope from the rolling meadow

in the Urgam valley. Despite the overhangs, the

meadow lent itself to the views of lush small

hamlets of Palla and Jhakhola. The terraced fields

held seeds and / or crops of cereals, mandawa, rice,

and wheat. Beyond these hamlets, haze hung over

Helang, Animath, and their neighbors connected

with snaky roads.

Southwards, the meadow gently ascended. The

grassland at the highest point became windy like

a mountain pass before descending very steeply

into another valley. A tall rhododendron tree laden

with red flowers occupied a corner of the meadow

in the first week of April, 2019. Just a few purple

primroses and pink maroon alpine flowers sprang

up in the meadow after the snowy winter.

Birds hopped among bare bushes sharing their

skin color. Grass was still dry. Thin water channels

crisscrossed the meadow. A few obstructions could

not stop the wind from sprinting on the meadow

commanding the views of snowy Hathi, Ghodi, and

Dunagiri (7,066m) peaks.

Anatomy of the Badginda-Chhitki Trail

Lanes and by lanes of Badginda village and the

well-defined paths linking its fields and orchards

doubled as the trail until we reached the last house.

Barmal Peak appeared on the horizon for a while.

Bird calls became clear and increased in number.

Thereafter, the trail entered the quite dense mix

forest with shady canopies hiding most of the sky.

The stony muddy trail laid down by local Public

Works Department had more than fifty bends until

the Palla Khal (Pass), according to the local guide.

The three-fourth trail wound between Badginda

and the pass connecting the former to Palla,

Kimana, and Jhakola villages that geographically

inherited the grassland. Local livestock grazes at

the meadow throughout the year except during

winter. A small temple sat on the breezy pass that

receives good amount of snow during winter.

Immediately after the pass, the sky opened the

blue umbrella over the grassy slopes dotted with

widely spaced trees for a while. And again, forest,

relatively thin, emerged until the Water Tank. We

left the trail and climbed dry grassy stubs on the

right side of the tank for 5-10 minutes and entered

Discovering

Chhitki Bugyal

Trekking, Hiking...

134

Volume 4, Issue 1 | June 2019