Hattiban

The sun was mellow in the evening. It had started to pity us after a day of scorching heat. The time of departure was nearing when we still had not finished packing up our gear. I, Ashish and Manish; three friends on two bikes – a Yamaha FZ and a Standard 350 Bullet were finally ready around 1700 hours. One tent and sleeping bags were all firmly tied up on the backseat of the Bullet, and so the FZ was rewarded with a pillion rider. Our backpack contents included some food (canned fish, bread and noodles, a whole load of water), a book, a camera and a pair of binoculars. No liquor taken though because we had not gone to party but we went just to ‘get away’.

Tashi Gumba

The road to Hattiban Resort is a dirt road riddled with stones which forks off the tarred road to Dakshinkali. Two interesting places on the road are Chobhar and Taudaha. Just before the fork where we’re supposed to divert towards Hattiban, you can see a monastery – the Tashi Gumba. At the fork there is a ‘chiya pasal’ which is the only place to eat until you reach the Resort.

So off we went riding our bikes and admiring the view and the road. For passionate bikers, the time of the day and the road are one of the best in the valley. The turns at Chobhar are perfect for Enfielders who love meeting the turn at 80 km/hr with their Bullets piercing the turn bankings at angles so acute that make other riders gloat with jealousy. We didn’t stop until we got to the small tea shop at the fork. Snack time!

Stopped at the fork

The road upto the resort was uphill and painful, the stones engrossed on the road testing the tolerance of the bikes’ suspensions. It has a series of hairpin bends. If you are a nature-enthusiast, I suggest you to go slow on this road for it has an interesting diversity of resident wildlife. The uphill road cuts through a sparse reforested Chir Pine forest where Indian Hare and Barking Deer are frequently seen. Also keep a lookout for raptors. Steppe Eagles roost along the southern section of Bagmati River and hence are usually seen in the skies above the forest. I once saw a cluster of 18 Steppes soaring the thermals in this area. That day was a blessing. If you’re lucky, you might also see the Eurasian Sparrowhawk from the road. Other birds such as Treepies, Magpies and Tits are resident and are frequently seen.

After the resort, the road becomes a ridge trail and passes through campsites to Champadevi and Chitlang. We chose one of these campsites for the night. Do not expect a good view of the valley from the campsites because the vegetation foliage blocks most of it. But do not be disheartened all so soon too!

Camp ready.Kathmandu!

Ashish and I started setting up the tent as soon as we got to the site as only few hours of daylight remained. Manish happily obliged to collect cones and twigs to build a fire. We readied the camp just as Kathmandu welcomed darkness. A good campfire is a delight. We sat down around the fire and talked for a while. 8 o’ clock in the night and after a tiring job well done, even the fish and bread were eaten with much vigor. The view of the valley was a canopy of bright lights although only a little of it was visible. We went to sleep at around 2200 hours. You have to spend a night in the woods to hear how the jungle sounds like. To some it’s soothing, to some it’s intimidating.

Sunrise .. the moment.

Next morning was glorious, perfect weather and a beautiful sunshine. All the junglefolks started clamoring with excitement welcoming the newborn day. After hurriedly packing up our stuff, we moved on to the view tower near the resort. It was a sight to see. We had an unobstructed view of the Himalayas when the rest of the valley was still engulfed in the mist. The pictures show the sight more clearly than I could ever describe. No one’s day could have started any better than ours. Finally we bid farewell to the ridge and the forest. We rode back home to the concrete jungles just 40 minutes away.