There is something about the mystical hills of the North East. This time we got lucky with Nagaland calling to trek its undefiled mountains!
November is probably the best time to trek in Nagaland due to the perfect weather, clear skies and away from the menacing leeches (in monsoon).
We left Kohima at 9.30am towards Viswema village ( Southern Angami) to embark upon our trek to the Dzukou valley. As every event of ones life begins with an omen ( good or bad), ours too began with a roadblock. Fortunately we had covered 2/3rds of the motorable road by then. But that meant our relatively inexperienced legs had to trudge more than the chartered distance. Loading ourselves with camping material, we started our odyssey which we were told was segmented into 3 parts. We secretly wished our 1st segment to be a warm up, but much to our chagrin, it turned out to be a steep ascend via unevenly laid stones through dense foliage. Our companions Nicholas, James and Jerome doubted our ability to carry on. But the constant egging, mini breaks and soulful singing kept us going till we saw the blue flag indicating our first stop. We soaked into the visuals of the deep valley covered by drifting clouds unmindful of the gushing cold winds.
We lit a bonfire and grabbed a bite of packed lunch before heading ahead. The second leg of our trek revealed a different landscape with sun soaked hills covered by thick bamboo shrubs overlooking the deep ravines.
The walk was long and curvy but less challenging allowing us to absorb the scenic beauty. We made it to the checkpoint which was manned by members of the youth organization responsible for the upkeep of the valley. They ensured we carried no such material that would disturb the well preserved ecosystem of the valley. It was almost dusk, but we could catch a glimpse of the valley peeping through the manicured hills surrounding it. 5
1/2 hours of relentless trek and the dimming light made us frantically look for a place to pitch our tents into the valley. Our buddies suggested we camp under a cave in the open space . The stars came out and so did the gustling, freezing winds. Finally having nailed our camp site, we lit our bonfire and kept some water to boil ( fresh from the nearby stream) on our makeshift chullah. Hot red tea and the bonfire brought us back to life after a footslog of 6
1/2 hours. The bonfire, soft music and folk tales of the Nagas set the stage for a perfect camp night. The starry sky added the much needed glitter, freezing weather notwithstanding! Piping hot chicken curry rice washed down by black tea made us brave the cold. But soon fatigue set in and it was time to call it a day. We sunk into our sleeping bags within the tent. Multiple layers of woolens ( we were forewarned) failed to protect us from the biting cold. We were woken up by our buddies shrieking that the valley was covered with snow!
The roof of our tent had flakes of snow, our bottled water within the tent was frozen; our first instinct was to thank the Almighty for helping us brace the freezing night. We gingerly moved out of the tent once we were assured of the lit bonfire. The sight of the frosted valley with sun rays lighting the surrounding hills was one to behold! Bright sunshine melted the ice crystals making the valley dazzle also soothing our frozen bodies.
The pleasure of strolling along the shimmering valley especially after a perilous night was second to none. We then basked under the blazing sun sipping tea in the tranquility.
A sumptuous lunch later it was time to bid adieu to this picturesque valley. We started hiking the mountain slowly drifting away from the pristine landscape.
Our return journey was planned via Zakhama , supposedly short but turned out to be anything but that! The descend down the mountain was quite steep and it was well past dusk that we finally made it to our vehicle.
Having taken it easy the next day nursing our sore limbs, our next adventure was waiting for us at a small, quaint village called Benrue at the foothills of the Mt. Pauna ecosystem.
We planned to trek Mt. Pauna ( 3rd highest mountain in Nagaland) from Benrue. We reached Benrue by late afternoon where a sumptuous meal of pork curry, rice, Naga chilly chutney and boiled veggies awaited us. We were put up at the Govt guest house, a decent accommodation overlooking our destination at a distance.
Our host Enola was a short but energetic lady who not only took care of us but would be our guide as well. We spent a lazy afternoon exploring Benrue and taking pictures of beautiful blossoms! We called it a day early at about 6pm and were all set at dawn to conquer the peak of Mt. Pauna with our companions Enola, Nox and VK . Ushered by crowing roosters, we soon passed civilisation into wilderness of the mountain.
Legend has it that Mt Pauna was carried by Lord Hanuman to cure the ailing Lakshmana. No wonder the air was fragrant with named and unnamed medicinal herbs lining our path. Not just that , it was covered by a bed of diverse flora and vegetation.
The trek was interesting in the sense one had to cross 2 peaks before reaching the foothill of Mt. Pauna. The trek thus undulates resulting into an array of movement on the limbs leaving them less fatigued. Despite it being a mix of rocks and sliding mud, we made it to the peak in 3
1/2 hours. Perched on the peak is a watch tower offering a panoramic view of the surrounding ranges and villages.
Feeling accomplished we started our journey back to the base camp. On our way we took a detour and passed through some picturesque meadows. Back at Benrue, it was time to say goodbye to Enola. Our drive back to Kohima was reminiscent of our trekking trails in this beautiful State. Any narration on Nagaland would be incomplete without particularly mentioning the simplicity and exuberant hospitality of the natives which makes it Nostalgic Nagaland!
