Kalga 24th - 6th August

Up early and with Ifat we took a 4h bus ride to Kasol, it was a good ride and we didn't sit at the back!! Once at Kasol the connecting bus to Barashani was a convient 15min wait - excellent.

Barashani was dismal, we arrived in the rain and the noisey dam project chuffing out black smoke gave us second thoughts to our destination - Kalga a 45min walk UP, foolishly we still had our big bags, neigh mind its all character building (well thats what I've been told!). We arrived on our knees, needless to say a very sweet chai and a hot bucket was in demand. The rooms here are great and the views fantastic (even if we where pestered by bed bugs - again mummy liner essential).

We are now in the Parvati Valley, famous in the 90's for the mysterious disappearances of dozens of travellers - apparently the raging Parvati River is is the best way to cover a crime, no lone trekking! Kalga is a beautiful terraced hamlet on the edge of old pine forest. While here we played cards, read, walked around the area, taking trips to Pulga, Tosh (neighbouring villages) and Khiraganga.

The latter place is 2900m, has hot springs and is a beautiful 4H walk up from Kalga, again the rain found us yet, it was refreshing.

We decided to stop for chai were the heavens opened and we sat and waited for it to stop.... for 2h we sat....and waited.... it stopped and we arrived just before dark giving us time to fit in a quick and well deserved dip...oooohhhh. Unfortunatly we saw nothing but cloud for 2days - the views are supposed to be stunning from here.

In fact it rained so much while we were there the restaurant place had to dig a channel throug the place were a river ad started to flow (I kid ye not).