Trekking to Pepu

As the meadows of Supyu slowly recedes from our sight, our excitement increases. The hill of ferns give way to thicker forest with varieties of trees. The rustling of dry leaves under our feet is punctuated with occasional call of birds. The forest is less noisy than we expected, though. We are on an exploratory trek to Pepu Cumyu, considered to be one of the highest points at Ziro.

As we tread up slowly, taking in the grandeur of virgin forest, a clear view of Nyime Peñbu range presents itself in all glory. 

Though it is sunny today, the weather was gloomy the previous day. We see the resultant snow at several places on our track. It is said that snowfall in this part of the hills is said to be sometimes as thick as a foot. It is not so heavy today.

As it gets dark, we decide to call it a day and settle down. We are at 6500 ft now. We pitch our tents and start looking for some water to cook. It is not easy to find water at such altitude. However, we somehow manage to locate a small stream nearby, though it was a steep descent to the precipitous valley.

Early next morning, we climb further to Pepu Cumyu (Cyume Nyatu) with great anticipation. It is at 7200 ft. It looks almost dark even at 6.00 AM. But even at 8.00 AM, the forest is covered with mist. We look towards Ziro, but cannot see anything but white mist engulfing the valley. We cannot wait any longer. Disappointed we start our descent to the camp half an hour later.

Descent back to Ziro valley is faster than we expected. As we come out of the thick forest to the hills of ferns, we are greeted with the view of Ziro - as placid as ever.

We are disappointed that we could not take any photograph from Cyume Nyatu, but the trek itself is extremely invigorating. This, we decided, could be one of the better trekking routes at Ziro.

Nyime Pembu

The name Nyime Pembu or Lali Gyochi has the status of a mythology among the Apatanis. It is rarely seen from Ziro, where they live and one rarely gets a chance to see it even in photography. This year, however, the weather has been kind and the mysterious mountain revealed itself in full glory (photo below by Hage Gumto).

This snow-covered mountain range is said to be a part of the Gorichen, the highest peak in Arunachal Pradesh and the headwaters of the great Kameng river. More about this peak can be seen here.

The name Nyime Pembu features in the migration story of the Apatanis. They are said to have crossed this range while coming from the Wui Supuñ and Wiipyo Supuñ to Anii Supuñ, their present habitat.

The mountain range is best seen from the Eastern Ring Road near Diib of Hari village. The view of the Ziro valley in the morning is similar to one from Dusu Katu - a lake. The surrounding higher hills get lit up by the rising sun, sparkling up the whites of the snow covering the Nyime Pembu. Welcome to another excellent view point at Ziro!

Talle Trek

A formal trek to Talle has, at last, been organized. Of the many exciting trekking routes in and around Ziro, the one to Talle forest is the most promising. A local organization named Ngunu Ziro organized a trekking to Talle Valley - Spring Trek "11, this week.

The trek started from Hong village and the team reached Pange via Moko, covering some 5 kilometers on the first day. The next day, they trekked all the way to Talle Valle, covering 15 km. The third day was for exploration of the enchanting valley. They visited the abandoned helipad and the rhododendron grove in the valley. They returned the fourth day, via Maniipolyang.

This time of the year is best if one is interested in talle, the onion-like vegetable after which the valley has been named. Scores of colorful wild flowers adorn the routes while butterflies with intricate designs flit around. The early blooming red Senji have started drooping and buds of differently colored rhododendrons have started blooming.

Sitting on the steps of the camp at Talle, nibbling at talle hamañ, one can feel the cool wind blowing by hiibiñ and watch the long-tailed Palyu piita flying from branch to branch in the tall niiri piisas.

A trend has been started and hopefully will continue in the days to come.

The Valley of Talle

Its green all around now. There are splashes of red and white on the green canvas. Rhododendrons. It is too early for the yellow ones and blue ones. They will bloom by next month, may be. This is Talle Valley again.

It is a pleasure to see and taste the talle after which the place is named. The leaves are broader than the talle found at Ziro. Taste is similar but milder. The plant is said to grow as tall as two feet.

The valley was once said to be full of these fresh plants. Not so now, sadly. No longer a valley of talle. I could find only some patches covered with talle. I advised the wildlife staffs to plant them in more places. Looking ahead with hope!!

Community-based Ecotourism

Ziro is a uniquely beautiful place. Just an hour's drive down the serpentine road towards south, one can feel the difference in temperature. Same is the fact for driving northwards and westwards. Only the Talley Valley in the east is at an higher altitude than Ziro.

Because of its altitude, Ziro has a unique vegetation - pine trees, carefully tended bamboo gardens. And permanent wet rice cultivation along with fish. The colorful culture and traditions of the Apatanis add charm to the place.

Though Ziro has all the features of a hill station with additional offers to culture and nature tourists, its promotion has remained much to be desired. A few tourists that come to the place are passers-by, taking the circuit of Itanagar-Ziro-Daporijo-Aalo-Pasighat/Likabai route. The communities has remained passive onlookers while a handful make a few bucks.

A project to promote community based ecotourism has recently been started at Ziro. The project plans to encourage village home-stays, train local tour guides and recommend trekking trails around Ziro.

Watch out this space for more on this.

Pange

The Pange river is known for its abundance of fishes. That apart, It is today the seats of the forest range officers - both wildlife (of Talle Wildlife Sanctuary) and territorial (Hapoli Forest Division). Pange is located at a small valley formed by the Pange river and is 7 kilometers from Manii Polyang. A fair-weather road connects it to Hapoli.

It is more fun trekking to the Pange camp than to drive. One can see different varieties of birds and listen to their calls. By the roadsides are colorful wildflowers, wild fruits and different species of trees - big and small. It is sheer pleasure to walk on the rustling dry leaves fallen on the ground and occasional short-cuts. Once one reaches the camp, an easy walk of two hours is amply rewarded.

The Pange river meanders down by the bushes on both banks and over slippery stones. One can sit on the bank for hours together enjoying the cold breeze, watching the water struggling through the rocks and occasionally spying some fishes in the deeper water.

Welcome to Pange.

Helipad at Talley Valley

First there were plans to establish the summer capital of Arunachal Pradesh. Then an attempt to build a helipad. Talley Valley has weaved many dreams, all unrealized till today. In fact, the plan to establish the summer capital, more than twenty years back, was carried out in real earnest. The road was built during that time, and it was actually the only time vehicles reached the valley. Some people were selected and encouraged to settle down in the valley, though all of them came back to Ziro one by one. The sites where their houses had once been and where they tried cultivation can still be seen in Talley Valley.


Some ten years back again, works were carried out to construct a helipad in Talley Valley. What remains today is a patch of clearing and stacks of stones. Bamboos have started closing on in the patch from the surrounding areas. Saplings of sugar pine (niiri piisa) have started sprouting up as well. It will not be long when this clearing will be engulfed in the wilderness.

Oh, yes, good for the animals!

Revisiting Talle Valley

Tharr...tharrr...tharrr. The sounds of breaking the ice in the bucket wake me up. It is already after 6.00 in the morning. I get up and peek outside. Gyayu is breaking the ice that had frozen in the bucket. As I look around, everything is coated in white. I am transported back to my childhood when Ziro used to be like this. I cannot help venturing outside and up in the hill nearby.

When we explore the valley in the day, I am certain that the Ziro valley must have been like this before our ancestors converted it into a more habitable place that we enjoy today. A sense of gloom overpower me. How hard they must have worked. What a struggle it must have been! Cutting down trees, aligning the irrigation channels.

This is Talle Valley. I am visiting the place after five years. Lots of changes. The track from Pange is better. The Range Officer is trying to make the road motorable. I doubt this is a good step, though. A beautiful and cosy camp house has been constructed. This, I think, is a welcome sign. It is good to get cosy after four hours of trekking.

Welcome to Talle Valley.

Revisiting Kardo Hills - II

An onlooker on the way to Kardo Hills. A bit tired.

Samples of floral diversity in the area.


A donation box donated by a believer.

Looking around.


Discover something new everytime you visit the Lord Shiva in the Kardo Hills.

Revisiting Kardo Hills - I

The Shiva Linga in the Kardo Hills continue to attract visitors. Apart from the religious ones, even nature lovers take a stroll on the trek for good reason.


Among the things one enjoy are some man-made ones like these:


And the nature has never been far behind. Here are some of its immaculate creations:


Welcome to Kardo Hills again.

Trekking though Western Ring Road

As we come out of the Hija village, the green of the Apatani rice paddy greet us as usual. This road used to be a narrow track just some years back.

We meet these young fishermen as we step on the beginning of the Western Ring Road from Neñchañlyañ. The newly carpeted road amidst paddy fields gives an unusually pleasant sight.

Keiñlya used to be an isolated village with hardly two or three houses. With excellent road connection now, it is developing into another beautiful village.

A pine plantation. A signboard warning the hunters. These are the traditional practices the Apatanis are known for.


The 'ring' road beyond Keiñlya village.

We walk on enjoying the nature we miss in our everyday life. Wui tanyi, siitii byako, tare, different varieties of ferns, a giant mushroom.


Even a man-made structure like a stack of firewood is enjoyable. Especially so, when it is followed by an impromptu jungle lunch.


Too soon, we come out to the other end of the ring road towards Supyu.

We pleasantly discover a giirii in one of the aji agers. As we look further, lots of giiriis. Good sign, I think. Some hope. I recall the those times when every boy in the village used to walk the aji lenda trapping pai piitas. I thought this is already a thing of the past. These giiriis indicate that there still are some pai piitas around.

Welcome to another great trekking route in the Ziro valley!

Dusu Katu

We trekked to Dusu Katu, 9.5 km from Hari village and at an elevation of 7,971 feet above sea level. It was not so much the trek, but the place that intrigued me. This is the place from where one can have a view of the place where Dusu Duyu lived – somewhere in present Manii Polyang. He later migrated to Hari village where the people of Dusu clan live now. Interestingly, one cannot see Hari village except the Byara where the school is located at present.

We camped at the peak overnight and when I got up at 5.30 AM and looked down, I saw a lake! This is the lake which fooled the neighboring tribe into believing that the Apatanis have drowned.





Slowly, however, the lake which was actually the mist covering the valley down there disappeared and I could clearly make out Hong village, Manii Polyang, Siiro village and Hapoli.





Great trekking route and great place for overnight camping! You feel like you are sleeping in the air, looking down at Ziro valley.

Talley Valley

Arunachal Pradesh as a whole contain 40% of the floral and faunal species in India. The Ziro valley has a good share of this biodiversity. Thirty kilometers from Ziro is the famous Talley Valley Wildlife Sanctuary.

At the altitude of 2400meters, Talley is a plateau with dense forest of silver fir trees, pine clad plateau of beautiful grandeur, and a vast wasteland. The area has some of the most important endangered species including the clouded leopard.

Bamboo and the Apatanis

Last October, I literally walked down memory lane when I participated in a trekking expedition from Ziro to Palin through the old route via Siikhe and Amji. This was the connection between Ziro and all the areas in the present Kurung Kumey district before the motorable road was constructed some 20 years back via Deed. Since then, the track has almost been abandoned. More about this route later...

We were in the Bigyi Camp sitting by the fire listening to the Bigyi stream whistling by. We had just steamed some meat with bamboo shoot in the bamboo (sudu). Firewood, mostly of dry bamboo was keeping us warm. Our tent was constructed of bamboo. "Amazing!" remarked Phil. "Eating bamboo with bamboo spoon from bamboo plate cooked in bamboo!"

The Apatanis, who inhabit the Ziro valley cannot imagine life without bamboo. In fact, bamboo, along with pine and local cabbage (gian haman) is said to have beeen created along with human beings.