We reach the hotel in Kalpa at around 7 in the evening. The hotel is situated on a hilltop and every room offers a spectacular view of the Kinner Kailash mountain range. There is a dense forest of deodar trees around and the hotel itself seems to be built with a copious amount of wood. We get off the vehicle, feeling triumphant at having made it this far in a broken vehicle and craving hot tea. I step inside the beautiful hotel reception and I am greeted by the warm hotel staff. On the left is a sitting area and on the right dining tables. We are the first and only guests in the hotel for now so we are spoilt for choice to pick a place to sit. I look around and realize that I have left a trail of dirty footprints on the spotless floor and immediately I am conscious of how incongruent I am in this place. My shoes are dirty, the jacket has streaks of mud in several places where it has come in contact with the Gypsy’s body, I haven’t shaved or bathed in 3 days, my glasses are hazy with dust and camera viewfinder smudges, and my hair feels coarse and unkempt.
The staff member should have been aghast at admitting me in the premises, but he is friendly and kind. He asks us if we’d like tea and I forget my concerns and grab a chair. In a few minutes other people from our expedition begin to arrive. In no time, the quiet, clean and ordered room is thrown into disarray. Bags and discarded jackets are scattered across the room. When the snacks arrive the disarray spreads across the dining area. Then the rooms are allocated, the lobby is cleared of scattered luggage, people retreat to their rooms and a measure of calm is restored.
Our room is on the 3rd floor. There is no elevator in the hotel, so our luggage is carried by the hotel staff, up three flights of stairs. We enter the room by passing through a curtain with a vibrant Tibetan print. The room is cold but comfortable. Having an attached bathroom feels like a luxury but there is no running water. The porter says there are 2 buckets of water inside and if we need any more water – hot or cold – we can call the reception and they will bring it up. Though I am craving a bath, I decide to postpone it by another night.
There is a bonfire planned for the night, so we have been given about 45 mins to freshen up and then join the party by the fire. Jatin and I settle in, make a few phone calls and then freshen up and head back down. The bonfire is on the valley facing side of the hotel. We come out of the warm hotel and turn into an open space where the bonfire is planned. I was expecting a cozy gathering by the bonfire, but instead we are greeted by a strong frosty wind that changes direction at whim. Though the staff has managed to light the bonfire, it is changing direction wildly and unpredictably. For now, Puneet, Jatin and I are the only three people around the bonfire. 15 minutes later, we are colder than when we first arrived, and the group has only added 4 more people. Everyone else is presumably discouraged by the wind. Everyone is sipping their rum and I reckon secretly hoping that someone suggests that we move inside. After 30 mins, Puneet finally makes the suggestion and everyone gladly agrees.
After dinner, as the group begins to disperse, Gaurav and Piyush, announce that they will skip the last night at Narkanda and instead go straight to Delhi. A few minutes later, the 2 photographers Bikash and Shivam decide to join them. Then Anna and Padd-Anna, as the 2 friends from Vizag driving in the Isuzu came to be known, announce their desire to skip Narkanda and reach Chandigarh as well. Vinay sir and his wife Beena who joined us from Chennai and were driving the Land Rover Discovery with their two sons also think they will skip the last halt and cover more ground the next day. With nearly half the group deciding to leave early, we are all aware that the expedition has come to an abrupt and unexpected end.
Puneet asks everyone to wait while he leaves the room for a few minutes. He returns with a paper bag, out of which he pulls out certificates. It is a certificate of appreciation that acknowledges that the recipient has completed the Kazoom 4×4 Winter Spiti Expedition organized by La Himalaya and 4×4 India. He scribbles the name of each member and then he and Shibu sign it. Then in an ad hoc, informal ceremony every member’s name is called out to come and receive their certificate. Puneet and Shibu share a brief nugget about the receiver – an experience, anecdote or even an inside joke.
As our adventure draws to a close, a sudden surge of nostalgia overwhelms many of us. Many new bonds have been forged on the trip, some of which will surely endure. In their certificate acceptance speeches, many express their gratitude to others in the group and most sincerely to the organisers. For some in the group it is their second or third expedition. Others make commitments to join future expeditions. The most stirring tribute to the organisers comes from Padd-Anna from Vizag when he says, “Puneet has been like father to us”. And this came from a man who is nearly Puneet’s father’s age!
