Trek to Rupin Pass

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Trek through Rupin PassJune 19- 27, 2010

Trek organized by: www.Indiahikes.inPhotographs and ppt- Prashanth UC


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The Route

Day 1

Day 2

Day 3

Day 4Saruwas Thatch

Dhanderas Thatch Day 5

Rontigad

Day 6

Day 7

Day 8


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India Hikes Team leader greets us at Deharadun


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Fresh up at Standard Hotel

Nothing standard about it !


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Breakfast and we board the Special bus to Dhaula


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Talk along the journey- who has brought how much and what it

weighs !


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To Dhaula camp we travel in style

Here, flowers grow from Jeep engines too ! What an aroma !


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Welcome tea at Dhaula camp (5100 Ft)


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Tent Allocation- Integrating snorers with the non snorers !


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Round ground meeting- introductions


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Breakfast is prepared

We get ready


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Change from sandals to shoes means serious work to follow


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Stretching exercise getting ready to stretch our limits for the

day


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Being capped High altitude Trekker at low altitude with hope

we make it to Rupin Pass!


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One pose before we are off


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Long journeys begin on road and end where there is none, so did

this one !


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First bridge and the first assent


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Into the valley


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Along Rupin River


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Walk past friendly locals


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Look up- it was beautifulLook down- it was

treacherous


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We carried our bags, while porters carried our food and tents

dd b k f h h


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Midday break- fresh orange squash

( straight from the cow ?!)


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Temple where we

rested


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One final walk on river bed


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Besides strange

plants Over narrow logs


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We reach our camp at

Gosangu 6300 Ft

Relaxing

Relaxing

Relaxing


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Gosangu Campsite


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Camp fire is set up


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Fire Fun and Songs


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Expert cooks at work

Fi f ti t h l b fit


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Fire for rotis wet shoes also benefit


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Oh! No !. Development in progress


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We wait while dynamites blastWhen waiting got too long

took an alternate route


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For those who struggles with one , porters managed five !

We filled our bottles with water here- paani dena punya ka kaam


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p p y

hai he explained


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Tea shop ! The proud host!

W f h i ll th t d d t h


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Warm cup of chai was all that was needed to recharge us


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We stopped complaining about our bag weight when we saw this one


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Up up we go


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Where are we off to ? She wondered

Athiti Devo Bhava- We are offered badam fruits for free !


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The shop that came in handy later in the day


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p y y


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I envied water that could

flow down without

effort

for we had to go up !


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g p


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Drops and drops of rain descending

With a million million joining

till a mighty river flowing

Yields to gravity in falling

Cascading in majestic whiteImmense in power beauty of sight

- Geoffrey Schmitt


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Celebrating her

birthday

location cant get

better

Our destination beautiful- but too high for my comfort !


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Jhaka ( 8700 Ft)

In the Jhaka supermarket


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p

A match with Jhaka kids


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A match with Jhaka kids

Locals lose toss and asked to bat first


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We bat second- Look at the fielders on the left !


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Jhaka Kids win hands down


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The winning team- very happy


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The winning team very happy

Losing team- equally happy !


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2 drop outs (one of them in pic), injuries take toll


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As we mover further upBetween the V of the mountains

love sighted !- Some for fellow humans, some for the country


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Our Jagadeeka Veerudu poses


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While some rest (in search or Atiloka Sundari ?)

Simple it looks but difficult to cross


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Difficult this looked- with help it was easy !


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Easy or difficult we had to move on


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Looking tired with either AMS or PMS !


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AMS or PMS we just had to work like a bull and pull ourselves up


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If this log were to reach

h h t ld h

Picturesque climb no doubt

but a slip can send you back


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here what would have

been the water level ?

but a slip can send you back

home

Snow so far meant we had still a long way to go


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Mackennas Gold Remembered


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Fast footed move ahead of the rest


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Saruwas Thach Camp transporting firewood to cook dinner


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Lighting fire in cold and damp - as difficult as it was to prehistoric man


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Utensils get ready for dinner


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Befored

takemy


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In a hurry

AfterWithout worry

Myclients!-Igo

tthemd

eposittheirwatchb

eforetheycou

ld

bo

ttle

When we went to Everest Base Camp- Engrossing stories


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Typical scene outside tent


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The route next day explained overover over over again !


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Warming up for next day


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Break of a Beautiful dawn- target Dhanderas Thach 11680 ft


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We have our breakfast And set out for the day across


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glaciers

How do I get cross- scratching head for a solution


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Looking back at what we covered- with self admiration

Looking at the man in the mirror, I will salute him- Vivek Mathur


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Looking ahead on what we need to cover- every step closer

seemed to take us further away !


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Localized underarm bathing- Kamal Hassans Pushpak inspired.


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mermaid like said some;

merman would be more

appropriate!

Taking cue others shed few more clothes and take the real plunge !.... Brrrr cold !!!

Our guide Pankaj said Paani toda garam hai!- But he didnt dare to touch water !!


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Side stepping a glacier- steep ascent


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Meadows !


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Two bulls play who is the strongest game ! Cow nearby just grazes


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Where only cows dare !


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Most scenic place ever rested in


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Water fall shower under the watchful eyes of the guide


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Waterfall mini-trek team


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You are beautiful !


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You are beautiful too !All under the watchful elderly eyes !!!


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Horses Graze; while a trekkers prefer to laze after a hard days trek


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Porters ( 11 runs in 6 overs)

vs

Trekkers ( 3 all out in 5.9 overs)


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Team Leader Vikram returns with rupin an adorable puppyHe skipped a day to take care of the injured


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One show of unity; before we move at our own pace


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Steep accents and low oxygen levels meant frequent breaks


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Why we found it hard we wonder !


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Crossing the Ice bridge , next big challenge


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While our guide could run on it


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We had to be escortedPs: one of the last batch member fell down and had to return


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We hadhi ti t d


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We hadsophisticated

ice sticks;

while guide

Rajmohan

made it with

steel

umbrella

Attempt to look like tough ones in western movies


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Not sure how it looks but felt tough !Thanks ! there was no one to test us !


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We walk to our next camp Dhanderas Thatch 11680 ft


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View from the top of waterfall


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Sunsets over the lower waterfall camp, a days journey for us just

a twist for 200mm zoom lens to get it close !


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As we pose


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Rain clouds drift in


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. In few

minutes..

Mist sets in


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We try to capture the magical mist


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A rainy night and were ready to start final ascent on following

chilly, foggy morning


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Ascent at break of dawn- Destination Rupin Pass 15250 ft


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First sight of snow brings joy


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And euphoria


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Emulating the Everest conquers( or atleast I thought so!)

We felt on top of the world


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More snow slowly getting thicker


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and thicker


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So much snow that feet began to get wet


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hands began to go cold


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Nose began to water


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I needed a self photo to see if I was ok !


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This slide has been kept blank as no

photographs were possible given it was:

70 degree climb on the snow


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g

Visibility just few meters

Every third step you take you slip back one

Every fourth step you fall flat

Person ahead of you falls and you just wish hedoesnt take you also down

Some curse the luggage on the back

Some thank porters for helping hand Others just remembered god

Rupin Pass !!!


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On top of Rupin Pass ! 15250 ft


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Notice only 2 can sit flat others either will slide left or right !


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Porter pulls up a trekker


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Looking at this photo of a Trekker in poncho( extreme left),

My image of pregnant man became clear !


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Ready for decent Destination Ronti Gad 13120 Ft


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Descent was so slippery I clung to my life, rather than take the

camera out and take last shot of my life ! Dared to shoot after I

stepped on hard exposed rocks free of snow


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Glad to have passed the 5 hrs of snow fields


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Counting the number of falls each of us had


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What a happy walk !


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Descending into clouds


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Almost like the end of the world


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I have been through Rupin Pass pose


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We too have been there pose


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Familiar site- unpacking fully to

find something

Ronti Gad 13120 ft

our last campsite


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Last of trekkers return


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What a trek ! Warming up with a chai


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This was the best said some


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Best and also toughest added others in unison


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Shepard calling his flock


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This sheep disobeyed him came to me instead licked the lens


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That left the Shepard smiling wondering I could do well

changing my profession


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Puppy rupin- tries a Zidane headbutt


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View of a Kinnaur Kailash range mountain from Ronti Gad


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Sunrise at Ronti Gad


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Copy of trek Pass


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Recording our timings


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We are given certificate of accomplishment- yes we felt deserving !


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Porter Team Claps for our achievement !


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We clap for them- sure we couldnt do it without them !!


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Entire team June 19, 2010 Batch


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Return to Sangla was less


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g

eventful but morepicturesque

Nalgand Pass- Our next trek ?!


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Come with me you can wish upon a star

You can do all the things that you've longed to

And you won't have to wonder who you are

b b d


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You can be anybody you want to..

. All dreams and desires would ride along side

Worries and troubles would fall off behind

If wishes were horses..

- Bryan Adams

House for sale !- Any buyers ?Ps: It takes 4 hrs or 5 days of trek to reach this house depending which way start from


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Sangla at last !


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Last trekker rushes up for a drop of


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Who said men dont cook !

Beautiful people we met :


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Boy and the berry



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Brothers and sisters



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Children of neighborhood



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Theen Kidkiya



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Bow wow



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I have seen



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it all



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Heavenly Smoke

Shall I compare thee..



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Old women are

like old wine,

they look betterwith age

Beautiful people we met : Proof:


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Thats not a

bi h i f


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Barbie, she is forreal !

Stealing looks



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Arre baap re ye kya hai !



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Every wrinkle is

d t



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an adventure

View from the balcony



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Oldest spectator



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Thanks to


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Like a solitary tree; every trek is unique

A trekker is alone, in pain or pleasure

each trail is an adventure, incomparable with none

every climb in the way to be ascended one step at a time

Joy lives with those cherish each of these steps

and live to undertake another trek ,

making it more memorable than previous one ?!


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making it more memorable than previous one ?!- Prashanth UC

( Original lines no google search !)

Photographs and Captions: [email protected]

Documents

Trek to Rupin Pass