Seema to Har Ki Dun
I wasn’t quite sure if I would be in any shape to hike the next morning but when I woke up, I wasn’t at all sore! We had alu parathas and tea for breakfast and set off. This was a day of fabulous views everywhere we looked. It started off with crossing a suspension bridge, then climbing up a steep ascent. From here, it was mostly flat or a gentle uphill trail with gorgeous mountain views. We saw our first dramatic views of snowcapped mountains in the distance.
The first half of the day went really well, after which I started tiring and going slow. We were getting a ton of elevation gain, more than 3,000 feet in a day! We stopped for lunch next to a waterfall. There were a bunch of people stopped there.
When we started off, I found that I was not at all refreshed from the break. Every step was difficult and I had no idea how I’d be walking for the next 3-4 hours. The air was thinner at this elevation and it was taking its toll. The rest of the day was yet another death march until I finally staggered into Har Ki Dun. I want to say that all the pain and effort was worth it except that it was all I could do to stagger into the guesthouse and lie down, curled up in the blanket. I would enjoy the views the next day – our rest day up in the mountains.
