An attempt to visit Pancha Kedar and Pancha Badari! Days 8 & 9.

Days 8 & 9: 06/08 & 07/08/2025 – Monsoon in Uttarakhand: 

In the Heart of Monsoon Uttarakhand

Heavy clouds nestled on the shoulders of the Garhwal Himalayas, painting the landscape in shades of emerald and mist. In August, as rain sculpted the valleys, we found ourselves ensconced in the microcosm of Chopta – Uttarakhand’s “mini-Switzerland” – ready for the next chapter of our Himalayan journey; a transition to Pipalkoti along the storied Badrinath Highway. What unfolded over August 6th and 7th was a microcosm of adventure, monsoon mishaps, folklore, and genuine hospitality. 

After days of trekking and temple visits, we returned to Chopta House for a well-earned break. The entire day was spent in quiet relaxation. 

Brief on yesterday's Flash-Floods

Last afternoon, a tragic incident occurred due to a cloudburst, resulting in flash floods in the Uttarkashi District. It took place at around 13h30, when a large amount of water came down, swelling the Kheerganga river and sending tonnes of muddy water gushing downwards on the hilly terrain, covering roads, buildings, and shops in Dharali, located 2km (1.24 miles) from Harsil, which is a popular tourist destination and also has a huge Indian army base. A camp of the paramilitary Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) is also located near the area. where a major part of the village was engulfed. 

There was a huge concern among our family and friends as they were unaware of our camp's location. To alleviate their fears, I sent them the location map indicating the impact area, our current location, and the proposed plan for the next day.  

Red area - Impacted, Green area - Current Location, Blue area - Plans to visit

We were greeted by an antelope that had strayed from the forest. The “Teen Deviyan” – Radha, Sujata, and Vidya – kept the mood light with carrom and card games on the ground floor. In the evening, they strolled around and struck up a friendly conversation with the owner of the neighboring hotel (The Bunker House). and had a good chat with her. 

       

         

Teen Deviyan with the owner of The Bunker House hotel

I joined them later for a few rounds of cards, while Mukesh, our ever-reliable driver, enjoyed a peaceful day watching movies on his phone. No outdoor activities, no rush – just the comfort of stillness in the hills.

That night was clear with a starry sky, and we could see the moonrise behind the mountain from our huge balcony. Sujatha and Suma also joined me in taking a few pics of the moonrise.  Sujatha and I gazed at some planets and stars using my cellphone's app, and below are a few animated pics of them. 

Moonrise with Night Mode setting.

A few shots of the night sky with animated planets and constellations, visible that night from the terrace of our hotel.

    

Some pics for the record, taken before we left the hotel, and not before thanking Sunil, our host, and his team.

         

We could see the Sunrise early that morning, and on our way to Pipalkoti, the serene scenery with snow-capped mountains on the horizon, dense forest, with a variety of flora, was quite a sight to behold. 

Below are a few pics that would make a great wallpaper.

     

     

On August 7th, our destination was fixed: Pipalkoti – a town that serves as the strategic last rest stop for those bound for Badrinath, Auli, or the Valley of Flowers. The route is legendary, tracing a band across some of Uttarakhand’s most storied and volatile topography. From Chopta, the way threads via Mandal and Gopeshwar, then merges onto the fabled Badrinath Highway (National Highway 7/ NH-7), passing Chamoli, and ultimately arriving at Pipalkoti. This highway, at once scenic and strategic, has always been the lifeline connecting lower Garhwal to the upper reaches of India’s spiritual and geopolitical frontier.

August, however, presents its own drama. The monsoon transforms the route, with convoys of pilgrims, long-distance truckers, local buses, and intrepid self-drivers all jostling for space amid swirling fog, rockfall warnings, and acts of nature. Yet, it is this very unpredictability that imbues the highway with an epic character, the stuff of modern Himalayan adventure.

Disaster on the way – The Landslide Event and Its Consequences

As we drove just past Pipalkoti at around 10h30 and not far from the outskirts, the sudden edge of disaster greeted us. A fresh landslide had opened a monstrous chasm in the Badrinath Highway, erasing 20 to 30 feet of blacktop and leaving only an exposed scar of mud and rock. Traffic, including supply trucks and pilgrimage buses, ground to a dead halt. The battered remains of the road and the sliding of the debris below made clear that this was not a matter to be solved in an hour.

Such scenes are not unusual in Uttarakhand’s monsoon months; landslides have become both an annual event and a perennial challenge, exacerbated in places by climate change, haphazard construction, and the cumulative stress of relentless tourism. In Chamoli district this August, a succession of such blockades – from Lambagad to Pipalkoti – had forced the district authorities into emergency mode.

Below are a few pics of the devastated road due to landslides.

Authority in Action: Meeting the Special District Magistrate and the Policeman from Sagar

Marooned on the shoulder of the highway, flanked by nervous drivers and a gathering crowd, we soon found ourselves at the crossroads of local governance and crisis response. The Special District Magistrate (SDM) arrived on site, accompanied by officials and engineers, deeply engaged in tasking teams for debris clearance, rescue readiness, and crowd management. Our previous encounter with a policeman in Sagar village paid unexpected dividends: recognizing us, he ushered our group forward for a direct word with the SDM.

Our conversation was brief but illuminating. The SDM assured us that efforts were underway to clear the debris and reconstruct a passage for stranded travelers. With a practiced calm, he explained the chain of command, reassured travelers, and delegated tasks to the traffic police. That personal encounter – backdropped by heavy machinery clawing at the landslide – offered a sobering lens into the layered crisis management the district must sustain throughout the monsoon.

The Strategic Importance of the Badrinath Highway

The road to Badrinath does more than carry pilgrims and tourists. It is a logistical artery crucial for both civilian welfare and national security. Beyond Badrinath lies the frontier with Tibet/China – a sensitive zone where rapid troop movement, supply convoys, and disaster response are often only possible via this highway.

In recent years, national projects like the Chardham Road Project have sought to transform the Badrinath Highway into an “all-weather road,” reinforcing it for round-the-year strategic access while sparking fierce debates about environmental cost, geo-policy, and local livelihoods. The monsoon, however, remains the great leveller: even widened roads cannot always withstand the colossal forces of rain, landslide, and geophysical shifts intrinsic to the region.

Compulsory Halt at Pipalkoti: Long Wait for Road Clearance

Having checked in at the New Shivlok Hotel, we had no option but to wait till the next morning to see if we could cross the impacted area. Rooms here were so-so, but anyway, it was for a night.

We proceeded to rearrange our clothes so that for the next 4-5 days, we would not need to disturb our main luggage. To our shock, Radha, Sujata, and Vidya’s luggage was totally inundated with the incessant rainwater that had seeped through the plastic sheet covering it. It took the whole of the afternoon for the clothes to dry, and fortunately, the Sun God was smiling brightly that day. Additionally, there was a provision for drying clothes on the terrace. ‘Teen Deviyan’ took turns in guarding the clothes and the luggage that were getting dried. The hotel manager was kind enough to let us cook with our equipment in their kitchen, and we had lunch in between. In the evening, Suma and I went into the town and had dinner at Hotel Indralok, picked up some vegetables, and packed dinner for the others.

A Brief on our “Teen Deviyan” and Local Legend

Of our group, the trio affectionately referred to as the “Teen Deviyan” (Three Goddesses – Radha, Sujata, and Vidya) channeled their energy in unique ways. While this reference was jovial, it is deeply rooted in Uttarakhandi folklore – a region where trios of sisters, or divine feminine groups, recur in song, story, and seasonal festivals. 

Well, I borrowed this title from my favourite yesteryears' Hindi movie of the same name.

Uttarakhand’s oral traditions brim with stories of brave, wise, or magical women –often sisters or goddess incarnates – who embody the spirit of the landscape: resolute in adversity, joyful in peace. The “Teen Deviyan” motif here was both a playful nod and a living echo of local culture. Our trio’s activities, whether a rain-caressed walk in the garden or sharing laughter over tea, carried a special momentum – one of camaraderie and renewal. In this small mountain haven, surrounded by storytelling staff and the ghosts of ancient tales, the folklore of the “Three Deviyan” seemed to swirl naturally alongside the mist outside.

The Eternal Dance of Rain, Road, and Renewal

In the end, our journey from Chopta to Pipalkoti was far more than a physical traverse. It was a passage through the living heart of monsoon Garhwal – an immersive lesson in patience, adaptation, and gratitude. The wet roads and landslides, the terrace rituals and late-night meals, the folklore and emergency officials, all became threads in a larger Himalayan tapestry.

To future travelers: relish the unpredictability, learn from the rain, lean on the camaraderie born of shared hardship, and remember that the true adventure of the Himalaya often lies less in the summits and more in the valleys – here stories dry out, friendships are forged over hot chai, and the soul of Uttarakhand reveals itself drop by rain-soaked drop.

Synopsis:

A day of swings from travel to blockade, through the scenic Garhwal mountain ranges, culminating at Pipalkoti town. We were forced to pause for the night as the road further, being cut off due to landslides. Another day of rest while the drenched clothes and luggage of Teen Deviyan were being dried and we re-packed for the rest of the days in our backpacks.

Our next day's travelogue is in my Day 10 episode.