Tour of Nagaland 2022 | Day 16 | Kohima- Viswema- Dzuko Valley| 35 kms

We started very early, just around sunrise. I had taken a cold shower which had challenged me. The hot water was not available that early in the morning. I packed all my stuff into the respective bags and loaded the stuff on the bike. The payment for the campsite had been cleared the previous day itself. Rupam, our trek guide was already present as he instructed me about the whereabouts of the location where I needed to drop my bike off. After having a quick cup of hot tea, I left the campsite once and for all in the chilly morning weather. The sun was still low on the horizon with the sun’s rays hitting me occasionally.

I went in the direction of Imphal on the main highway and was able to locate the house as one of the campsite reception guys was already present there. The lady owner of the house was very friendly and she happily agreed to keep the bike as well as my other stuff with her for 2 days. I took only the necessary stuff that I would be requiring for the trek. I took my sleeping bag, my camera tripod, winter wear, water bottles, tissue paper, etc.

Rupam, our guide arrived soon in a car that would be taking us to the trek start point. He had brought food supplies with him that we all would be having along the way. We all loaded our bags in the car and headed towards Viswema which was close to 20 km. The ride was mainly bumpy till the time we reached the place as the main highway to Imphal was in very bad condition. The craters on the road shook us up badly.

We left the main highway road and then turned right towards the start of the trekking point. We changed cars as the terrain was rough and only 4X4 could make it through. The elevation was increasing slowly and we made twists and turns and gradually gained altitude. The roads were in utter bad shape as we were rocking back and forth, side to side. After some time, we arrived at a checkpoint where we bought ourselves trekking tickets as the person at the counter recorded all our information. We then proceeded towards the parking area.

We paid off the driver and prepared ourselves for the trek. There were 2 routes, one was longer and the climb was gradual while the other one was short but the climb was steep. We took the later one as we wanted to save on time. Our main intention was to reach the place at the Dzuko valley and book ourselves into the lodge. It was all on first come first serve basis. That would mean that we could get a place to stay inside as well as the bedding. I had heard that the night temperatures in Dzuko valley dropped very low.

There were close to 10 cars at the parking lot so we expected to meet the trekkers along the way. We started our climb with the sun rays peering through the openings between the trees. The path was clearly defined but the steps were natural and not man-made. So, progress was a little slow. After some time, our body started to warm up and we now started to feel hot so had to remove our winter gear. Since I was not carrying a proper trekking bag, managing with 2-3 bags on my shoulders proved to be a little mess. Main Bag, Tri pod bag, and my sleeping bag plus a DSLR bag of Anakha.

Our progress was slow as we inched ahead one step at a time. With my regular exercise regime, I did not feel the climb that hard but for Anakha, it was proving a big task as she was trekking for the first time. The climb was steep and we had to take frequent breaks to let her gain breathing and energy back.

After close to an hour of trek, we finally reached the mountain top only to be amazed by the beautiful views all around. The hardest part of the trek was over. We rested for a while to regain our energy and stamina. We had some biscuits before proceeding ahead. Now, it was a long walk towards the Dzuko Valley Guest House as the trail caressed the rolling fabric of the mountains. We were supposed to walk a total distance of 8-9 km. The direct distance was less but as the trail winded around the mountains, the distance increased.

The scenery was perfect. The sky was cloudless. The sun was shining brightly as we still had our warm gear off our bodies. The trail path was barely 3 ft wide with small bamboo shrubs grown on both sides. The mountains all around were covered with this type of shrubs and big trees were not seen. Only their barks and branches could be seen. The scene is just like what is left off a tree when it gets burned down. The trees were literally without leaves. Only the skeleton was present. The time was around noon.

We walked and walked and walked. We could see the lodge from a distance but somehow even after walking for a long time, it seemed far away. We could see some people behind us as well as some people who were on their return journey. Many of them were accompanied by a guide.

After almost 2.5 hrs of trail hiking, we reached the entrance of the lodge. We immediately got ourselves registered which confirmed our booking for tonight. We had some biscuits along with tea and also some crunchy chocolate wafer-type biscuits. The time was close to 3 pm.

We had lunch of rice and lentils along with eggs. It was one of the best lunches I’d ever had on a trek. The surrounding scenery made it even more interesting. Again, we watched one of my best sunsets to date. The area was a wide open plain with small undulations of hills. In the distance, the sun went behind the mountains and slowly it started to get dark.

With the sun going down, the weather started to become cold and we all had to put in our winter clothes. The area around us was pitch black with the faint orangish hue still left in the sky. Stars started to appear in the sky as silence spread all across the area. Some people started to adjust their tents while most of them were just chatting and taking in the view. We made some new friends and had the opportunity to share our travels. A large bonfire was lit and we sat in a circle and discussed non-serious things of life. Each one sharing his or her experiences on traveling.

We didn’t know that it was a full moon night as the darkness started to fade by the brightness of the moon. It was a surreal sight to see. Some people hike the mountain behind the lodge to get a good view of the moon rises. That day, something interesting was seen in the sky which I’d see with my naked eyes for the first time. It was the Milky Way. It was a dream come true moment for me. It had eluded me for a long time till now and here I was, standing in Dzuko valley with the core of Milky Way in front of me. I could feel I was an astronaut floating in space. I was so hypnotised by its beauty that for a moment all the things dissolved near me. It was only the galaxy, me, and the solar space. Such is the charm of the Milky Way. It makes you forget all of your worries as it pulls you towards itself.

I knew this moment had to be captured for remembering later on. Anakha had the DSLR through which only we could capture the beautiful object. I had the tripod which acted as the lost piece of the puzzle. We quickly mounted the camera on the tripod and tried taking demo shots till we had captured the perfect one. All our efforts and pain on the trek had loosened as I started to feel fresh again. All the hard work had been paid rightly.

We had our early dinner and went to bed straight away as the outside temperature had dipped too low to stand outside. The wind chill added to the factor. We prepared our beds on the floor with the help of mats given to us. Windows were closed so that the wind would not seep in. We huddled ourselves within the blanket given to us as we gave our bodies the much-needed rest after a long day’s hike!