Mountain melody

Go hunting for emerald-green pools. Take on the white rapids. Or simply sit and watch the river flow by. In Mori, the madding crowd is off your back

A night in the middle of nowhere, only the grim mountains looking down on you and the wind dancing in the dark ravines—in a stuffy newsroom in Delhi, it was an invite you could not refuse. Bairatkhai, 20 km from Chakrata in Uttarakhand, lived up to the promise, even though it was a rather gruelling 12-hour drive.

Our shelter was a cluster of tents perched precariously on a ridge, over 2,100 m above sea level; the camp aptly called Room on the Roof. But this is one luxurious accommodation that allows you to rough it out in style. The twin-seater tents are comfortable; each has a bathroom with a western style loo and a washbasin. It also has a 24-hour kitchen that dishes out steaming food.

If solitude is your fix, you can’t go wrong here. For miles around, you cannot spot a single house. After dinner, you can sit by a bonfire and watch the flickering lights of Dehradun and Mussoorie in the distance and hear the winds roar through the mountains. But tread carefully, as one wrong step could send you tumbling down the steep hills.

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If you have the time, travel to the old British cantonment town of Chakrata, just 20 km away, and take a refreshing shower in the breathtaking 50-m-high Tiger Falls.

But our group—the adventure trip was organised by the apparel brand Nautica—was steering clear of the beaten track. Next morning, we followed the course of the Yamuna that flows through the valley. It’s funny how hills make you ravenous. While the sun blazed and the river gurgled, we stopped at a bridge for a rajma chawal lunch. A river rappelling session was next—as a rope holds you to the bridge, you dangle over the river and land in the water with a splash.

Next stop: Mori, a quaint hamlet on the banks of the unruly Tons in the Garhwal hills of Uttarkashi district. At an altitude of 1,200 m and 410 km from Delhi, it’s a delightful getaway. Hidden in a cluster of pines was our camp Mystic River, a long way from urban life. This is absolute uncharted terrain—you don’t even find electricity here. A line of lanterns guides you to your tent in the fading light. But stay awhile and watch the landscape change colours as the setting sun caresses it goodbye.

The best time to visit Mori is in May-June when it’s neither too hot nor too cold and it not just for contemplative souls.

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The frisky rapids of Tons promise a lot of action—white water rafting, rock climbing, rappelling and hiking. Unlike the Ganges in Shivpuri, India’s most popular water sports venue, rafting in Tons, Yamuna’s largest tributary, is a greater challenge because of the racing rapids and jagged rocks on the river bed. The river is not the only attraction. A trek through the area yields quite a few treasures—like the sparkling emerald pools, where you can swim for hours.

During our brief stay, the sky was its grey, brooding self every evening. The prospect of rain and leaky tents was slightly unsettling.

But as the lightning danced on the silver river, I could only watch and make a promise: I will be back.