Last part of the day was our first trek to Pangu camp
Day 3: 19/7/1994 Dharchula - Tawaghat - Pangu (17 km + 10 km)
Dharchula (915 Meters) - Tawaghat (914 Meters) 17 Km by bus
Tawaghat (914 Meters) - Pangu camp (2225 Meters) 10 Km Trekking
Day 3 route map
We got down at Tawaghat
On 19/7/94, we reached Tawaghat from Dharchula by bus. Our luggage came in a truck. We were shocked to see Sh. Rajendran, the dhoti clad pilgrim from Kerala, walking barefoot. He did not wear any warm clothing till Nabhidang.
Day 3 (19/7/1994) Tawaghat, at the bank of Kaliganga river; pilgrims ready to trek
In 1994, Tawaghat (914 Meter) was a small village.
Day 3 (19/7/1994) Tawaghat village - view from above.
Escorted by the radio officers at two ends, we started our trekking from Tawaghat (914 Meter) to Pangu (2235 Meter) climbing the steep uphill “Thanedar Charai” through the barren mountain trail to reach our first camp site, Pangu. To keep pace with other group members, I had covered part of this uphill climb riding on Chandu, the mule.
Day 3 (19/7/1994), Well decorated mules with their master, Kalyan Singh
Total distance from Tawaghat to Pangu Campsite was almost 11 Km of which 7 Km was uphill and remaining distance as a flat terrain. It took us almost five hours to cover this distance on the first day of our acclimatisation.
As on date, most part of the road has become motorable.
Today's route map to Kailash Manas Sarovar
Pangu Camp
As soon as we entered the camp site, we were greeted with a glass of mango juice. Immediately after that all our ponywallahs and porters got busy in preparing our lunch. This practice continued in all our camp sites in the Indian side up to Lipulekh. I salute them for their services. They were everything - ponywallahs, labourers, porters, cooks and even masseurs for some of the Yatris. I watched with amusement the rolling pin (belon) being used for massaging legs and back. I witnessed this massage technique for the first time.
Pangu campsite comprised of three parts – a huge shuttered storage hall, a small place converted to the kitchen and one toilet for the women members only. After having lunch, we entered the hall which was actually a Food Corporation of India store. In that big hall, thirty mattresses were laid on the floor – fifteen on each side, separately for men and women, with a passage in between.
Our Liaison officer stayed in the rest house.
This campsite was quite interesting! It started raining in the night. We had to place buckets at various places in the hall to save our belongings from getting wet by the rain drops falling from its leaked ceiling.
Day 3 (19/7/1994) Lady Members of the team in the Pangu camp site
Day 3(19/7/1994) Male members at Pangu campsite
One of the pilgrims, Sh. Rawal from Rajasthan, brought a deity of Lord Shiva for being installed at Jipti as requested by one of the pilgrims of the first batch.
Lord Shiva was seated on a chair to protect us.
Day 3 (19/4/1994) Lord Shiva idol to be installed at Jipti