It was 11 AM
and we started the journey again. I had more confidence in this road than
before, evident as we started enjoying the nature and the view. We climbed the
next hill and down with much ease. With no vehicle in front, I had to only keep
up the pace with the climb and to keep a watch on the incoming vehicles in the
blind curves. Quite a success, I would say as we were conquering the Himalayas.
But unlike my 20s, I was more composed with the confidence. I was conscious
about the ill effects of being overconfident which can end you in disastrous
situations leaving irreparable dent in life although there are huge learnings
from such events, it is usually be preventive than corrective.
Now, that we
were moving towards the next hill, the quality of the roads got deteriorating
and patched with stone fillings wherever there was a huge crater (I cannot say
pothole considering the size of the road breaks). It is quite usual that there
is no possibility to get the perfect grip in such roads and when it is level
road, it is not a concern since the gravity does not play against you. However,
in Himalayan steeps, such roads can be definitely challenging for the most
experienced of the drivers. The length of the steep roads were also more in
some of the stretches and it was evident that there were earlier landslides,
which were cleared for the vehicles. The SUMOs now have started slowing down
and the black smoke was seen more often when the pushed the vehicle in the
lower gears.
After winning
the first hills, we were ready for any challenge that could be posed. Now that
victory has been a routine, the confidence can get you to scale more heights
but the challenge could also be levelled up. I was going to feel the Level up
in any video game now, which barely I could understand. To start with, it
started drizzling and Amit started murmuring that rain could toughen our climb.
We reached the next hill and moving slowly. The SUMO ahead is no more visible
and the ones behind were quite away given the higher speed which we had
maintained to quickly move up the steeps. We reached a spot where there was a
steep run required and in normal circumstances, it could have been easy to
scale with no vehicles upfront and we can move with speed and reach the top of
the steep. However, in this case we cannot move fast since there was a vehicle
(Maruti Suzuki Alto) that had stopped at the top (in the picture below) in the
middle of the road. I was aware that if we stop in this steep, with the stones,
there is a possibility that the vehicle could start sliding without the
possible grip but fortunately, it did not slide since I could get a small patch
of mud between the stones. Amit was quick enough to jump out the vehicle and
put some stones behind the wheels to arrest any future haphazard movement of
the vehicle sliding down. I had not left any space for the vehicles to pass and
we need to quickly move forward.
As I was
thinking, Amit ran to the Alto and helped the Alto to move forward. There were
4 more adults who got the Alto moving forward and escape the steep. The Alto
had reached the top most point of the steep and was comfortably to the side. As
I could see some space on the side of the Alto, I started accelerating the
Terrano and fly down the paths between the stones. Quick to move and struggle
intermittently, I reached the top, with the speed took the right curve and
parked to the side to allow Amit to get in. Now there was no drizzling and
there was sun again. Nature was just challenging us for the moment. I had
realized that there are always people around these hills ready to help. It is
clear that when Nature gets more and more challenging, people live in harmony.
After
the struggle, Nature was welcoming with the beautiful sceneries and the chill
weather. I remembered from my school that Himalayan range in layered and the
lower range in Hilly and the grow as we move north of the Range. Never believed
that I would experience this as close as now. When we started from Hetauda,
Amit mentioned that as we climb the first hill, the second looks bigger and
keeps climbing in height. This was evident quite clear, as we climbed the first
hill, the second was more steep and higher and so on. Now, that we were
climbing down another hill, it was comfortable to climb down. At this height,
we could experience the chill weather. To enjoy the weather and the nature, we
made another stop.
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