ABHA (About Best Himalayan Adventures) – July 2019

would wilt and set the stage for luscious

apricots, peaches, and plums; and the shoots

would develop into full-size green leaves. The

luscious temperate fruits would fully ripen in

summer.

Yellow apricots wear red blush. Its bigger

sibling peach follows same color scheme with

bigger blush. But the siblings have opposite

skins: smooth and fuzzy. Smooth skinned

plump plums are yellow to deep purple. Their

juicy pulp around the central stones having

edible seeds is palatable.

The fourth fruit tree, apple, was still in

slumber. It would bear fruits in autumn

drawing more birds, including a variety

of parrots and parakeets, according to my

trekking guide, another good period for

birdwatching. Alpine wildflowers, yellow

dubyaeas and purple primulas, occasionally

smiled along the trail. Like colorful birds

pastel flowers engaged my senses for pure

pleasure. Fresh nectar drew wild creatures.

Plant-less fields had new seeds for new

harvest. Spring played a new tune to set the

pace for seasonal reproductions. Many houses

were closed because the residents were busy

in the fields and with the livestock in faraway

pastures. Phaphara, a cereal, is grown in the

potato fields after cutting the tuber plant. The

cereal crop readies within a month.

The trail was a mix of surfaces, including a

muddy stony forest path and an easy concrete

path as we entered the village. Soiled snow

covered a section near the trailhead. Between

Army Helipad and the trailhead, a grassy

muddy path required some guidance, a 15-

20 minute walk. Beyond that we entered the

well-marked main trail.

The day that began on a cheerful

note finally ended on a colorful

note. A rainbow greeted us in

Indian Tibetan Border Police

(I.T.B.P.) area.

The short trail neither requires special

preparation nor support of a guide. It is amid

lush rural settings unlike pure wilderness

occupying the surrounding tall mountain

slopes. The trail gently descending while

going to Parsari from Auli equally gently

ascends on return. The trail connects Army

Helipad in Auli and Kitkani, the other end

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