May 10, 2008

Deosai means Land of Giants. The Deosai plateau, known as the highest plateau in the world is located at the boundary of the Karakoram and the western Himalayas. Deosai Plains are a backwoods country at about 30 kilometres from Skardu at an average height of 13,500 feet above sea level and covers a vast area of almost 3,000 square kilometres.

Between November and May, Deosai is snow-bound. In the summer months it is accessible from Skardu in the north and the Astore Valley in the west. Deosai Plains make up one of the last frontiers of natural habitat for the Himalayan brown bear that once roamed the mountains freely.

While we were visiting Skardu, one day early in the morning, my parents, two brothers and I set out for Deosai plains, two and a half hours from Shangrilla hotel resort in Skardu.

As long as our jeep moved in the Skardu Valley the roads were metalled. On our way we saw the construction of the Satpara dam. Satpara Lake, God’s finest creation, came in full sight after we had crossed the construction site. The lake spread out from the mouth of the dam to the icy-cold tributaries which drained into the lake itself. A combination of emerald coloured water with mountains featuring in the backdrop, coupled with an island and an outgrowth of shrubs set the tone for the Satpara Lake.

From there onwards the road deteriorated and a rocky road welcomed us on our strenuous two hour drive to the top itself. The upward journey precipitated a lot of outcry from the backseats as my brothers grew restless. We stopped, after 10 minutes, took our shoes off and stepped into waters that came right from the glaciers on the top. Unfortunately, no one was able to tolerate the freezing water for no more than seven seconds and we were back in the jeep within the next 10 minutes. On our way up again, to me and my brothers delight, landslides had poured down glaciers from the peaks and onto the road. I tried many a times to push my body through the window and grasp a handful of ice from the glacier but in vain.

It was during this game that the jeep took a right turn, a final turn and as we bent along the contour of the mountain the scintillating Deosai plains began to unfold right before our eyes. They had proved all those bumps and cramps worth it.

Surrounded on all four sides by snow-capped peaks with a floor carpeted with yellow and red flowers the plains were indeed a sensation. Around it extended into a ring of jagged, rolling hills that had been lit up with spiraea and rheum. The area radiated peace and tranquillity. Our jeep stopped in the middle of two sloping plains. We started to climb the left one and gradually the beauty of the plains began to stretch out towards the horizon. From where we were standing, it was clear that there was at least 40 to 50 square kilometres of land ahead of us characterised by greenery and a few streams of water. Springs, a mixture of emerald and royal blue in colour, swiftly made their way through the plains.

At this momentous sight everyone hurriedly reached for the camera. What followed next was a lunch on the plains with a blanket spread out and soon enough a chilly wind began to grow intense. We quickly collected our lunch boxes and jumped into the jeep. Our jeep moved along the path and by this time we had become seasoned to roads which brought us knocking each other out of their seats.

We were expecting to see many animals on the plains but we could not even get a glimpse of the warblers and wagtails. My brothers were eager to spot the brown bear, which has considerably dropped in number due to illegal hunting. I personally scanned the plains around the jeep track, especially on the climb up for an ibex as it is said to have iron strong horns, and the Himalayan golden eagle. Mother was more interested in rodents and the Tibetan fox and wolf. But unfortunately none of us found what we had anticipated. Perhaps it was the scenic beauty of the area that had stolen the attention and made everyone forget that they were not alone on the plains.

The jeep rattled through the plains and we got to see a lot more of the shy animal. We then arrived at a bridge that was made from criss-crossed wooden planks laid over two semi-concrete walls and below the fragile bridge flowed a beautiful stream that divided into more and more tributaries as it covered more and more ground. It was tempting and nothing could make us resist a dip in the stream. Prayers were offered. Cameras rolled. The journey continued once again.

This time we stopped on a hanging bridge with no support from the bottom. One vehicle at a time at no more than five kilometres an hour defined the strength. Any creaking plank that gave way was doomed to fall in yet another stream, this time it was nasty, more horrific, deeper and much more ferocious. The jeep changed direction and now we were finally heading our way back to Shangrilla.

I said my farewells and felt sad as well as disillusioned at leaving the Kingdom of God, as what father calls it. As soon as we had left the plains I grunted and fell into sleep and was woken when our jeep stopped to take some pictures of the lake from an aerial view. My brothers wanted to continue and reach our hotel as soon as possible. So we returned to the city.

By the time we reached Shangrilla we had been crumpled into a paper ball. It was the return to the hotel that shrugged off all weakness and tiredness.

This short and unplanned visit to the Deosai plains was unarguably one of my most memorable trips ever. Privileged to have travelled and visited places like the Swiss Alps there is nothing in the world that I can dream of that can claim to be parallel to the Deosai plain. Their beauty can not be told in words. Their vastness can not be deluded with ink. The marvel that lies cannot be depicted in a picture. The treasure only reveals out to presence, presence of a human soul on the Deosai plains itself.