Humans of Wanderlust #6: Hari from Kalga
Who is Hari?
Hari is a person who you can count on while trekking in Parvati Valley. He is a gem of a person who is humble and always ready to help with any problem on the way. The 40-year-old was born and brought up in Mandi, Himachal Pradesh and later he shifted to Kalga.
It’s been more than 15 years that he has shifted here. Hari works as a chaperone and takes groups of people to trek to locations like Kheerganga, Man Talai Lake, Pin Parvati, etc. When I spoke to him for the first time, he was very good to me. He told me that he climbs to Kheerganga top twice a day with different groups. Can you imagine going all the way up 14 kms and then again getting down to get a new group and then climbing up again?
In other words, you can say Hari is close to being a superhuman. He also carries the backpacks of the group, if they face any difficulty while trekking. He manages to climb with 2-3 backpacks without any problem. He has a lot of experience in the mountains and knows about all the crazy things that can happen on the way. He keeps telling groups about the different things that can happen to one while climbing. He is also a vivid storyteller as he is doing this for the last 15 years, he has many stories to tell.
When I asked him about his life over here and if he is happy doing this, he replied laughing. He said, “I’m doing this for the last 15 years and when I take the group to the summit of any mountain, the happiness I get by seeing other people celebrating completing their hike is the reason I keep doing this.”
If you plan a trek in Parvati Valley, Hari is the best person to go with. He spoke to me all the way till Kheerganga, sharing his past experiences. He shared how he was taking a group to Kheerganga and the weather went bad and it started raining heavily. He made sure that all the people with him were fine. He also helped some solo travellers and groups who were without guides as there were trees falling and landslides at places. The world needs people like him to be a better place.
About Climate change?
I continued talking to him about the weather change as 15 years in a place is enough to know it in and out. He said, “The weather has changed drastically in low lying areas like Barsheni and Tosh. Snowfall timing has varied in recent years and nowadays it rains at times when it is expected to be clear. The weather at places like Kheerganga, Man Talai and Pin Parvati has not been affected as compared to other areas. The size of the glaciers have reduced and it is still shrinking, which is harmful for the coming years. These were stable for so many years and now they have started to melt at a speed which will be difficult for the glaciers to survive.”
Hari also takes care that nobody litters on the way during the trek as it is one of the factors that cause weather change. Overall, my experience with Hari was fabulous. I love people who put their heart in their work and make sure everyone is fine and enjoying their journey to the fullest.
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