Saramati Trek

May 18, 2019

Saramati Trek

Saramti base cam

Saramati is a mountain peak situated on the Indo-Myanmar border. It is the highest peak in Nagaland. Saramati is relatively unexplored due to its remoteness. This trek best done during summer months.In winter the peak is covered with snow. The month of May, as I found out myself, is not the best season to do this trek.

Day 1: Travel from Kohima to Kifiri

The share Sumo from Dhimapur was supposed to arrive by 9AM at Kohima. It arrived at 11 instead. The road is journey quite beautiful. There are beautiful terraced fields most of the way. Stopped at a small shop for lunch in the town of Pfutsero. This town claims to be the highest altitude ‘town’ in Nagaland. Perhaps due to the insurgency, there were a lot of soldiers on the road. At Lanezo village, the road bifurcates to Phek and Jassami. The police rummaged through our bags at the check post at Lanezo. The army, in their armoured personal carrier, kept a respectful distance from the cops. An hour later, we were stopped again by another vigilante group. Sale and consumption of alcohol is illegal in Nagaland. But booze is readily available everywhere. These vigilante groups, with the tacit approval of the local church and policecheck vehicles coming into their ‘jurisdiction’. They climbed on top of the vehicle and began rummagingthrough everybodys bags. They confiscated 10 bottles of spirits and 6 cans of beer from our vehicle. Makes me wonder about the efficiency of the police checking! One of the vigilantes removed stuff from my bag and put it into the bag of another person!! I shouted out to him to put my things into the correct bag. Since they neither understood English or Hindi, my fellow co-passenger stepped in and translated it for me.

Kids at Thanamir

Stopped at Meluriin the evening for tea.Meluri is famous for its rock salt and black earthen vessels. These local products are available in the shops near the Sumo stop. Continued the journey after half hours break.It was getting dark. Spotted two hunters on the road returning after a day’s work.Reached at Kifri at 9:15. My guide (Mr.Lumli) had asked the Sumo driver to drop me at Tsatongse Guesthouse. This is the best accommodation in Kifri.

Day 2: Travel from Kifiri to Thanamir

Started the journey at 9AM. Transport in these remote parts of Nagaland is quite expensive. A Sumo charges Rs 7000 for the 5 hour trip to Thanamir. If he’s to wait, then charge goes up to Rs. 10,000.The guide had managed to borrow a Gypsy from his friend. The driver was a good buddy of his. They are a good happy team; perhaps a little too happy. Enroute we stopped at a river. The water was cold and I did not venture into the river. About two week ago my guide’s cousin and his friends had gone into the same river downstream. The current was too strong, and he was washed away. Unfortunately, these incidents occur with alarming regularity.

Share sumo services from Pungro

The road was virtually deserted. It’s customary to offer lift to anyone walking on the road. One of the people who hitched a ride with us to was a young student of religious theology. He was attending a theology classes at a Baptist Church Academy at Vishakapatanam. He hadreturned home for his summer holidays. We stopped at Pungro for lunch. There are direct Sumo services from Pungro to Kohima and Dhimapur. The Sumo services terminate here. There is no public transport from Pungro toThanamir. By now I have realised the secret of my drivers eternal happiness; alcohol. I’ve been offered some from the bottle he’s drinking (and driving). The car has neither seatbelts nor airbags; not that it would help if the car goes into a ravine. Inexplicably, religious theology has become very appealing.

We reached Thanamir by 2 PM. There is an old charm to this cute village. Due to its remoteness, the small village that has managed to slow ‘progress’ and retain some of the old customs of Nagaland. Thanamir is the only village in Nagaland where apples are cultivated. An apple festival is held every year during the harvest season.

Thanamir village

I’m staying at Thanamir guest house. I run into an officer (Mr.Av’sh) from the Wildlife Protection Society of India. This was his second trip to Thanamir. On his first trip, he had done Saramati trek. He’s returned to study a mountain which is often called as the Second Saramati. This mountain is cloaked by thick virgin forestand is almost untouched by human interference. Hunting is a way of life in these remote parts of Nagaland and Thanamir is no exception. Recently, the village has designated some parts of the forest, including second Saramati, as safe zones where hunting is prohibited. Wildlife is slowly recovering in the no-hunting zones. He’ll be back, hopefully, in November to install some camera traps.

There is chopper service from Kohima to Thanamir every Wednesday. These are booked up to a month in advance.

Bamboo Granary

I went for a walk in the village. It’s a beautiful little village. Most of the houses are made out of local material like bamboo and timber. The cost of transporting modern building material here makes wood and bamboo the material of choice. The biggest building here is the wooden church. Skulls of animals are hung outside most residences. Thesetrophies flaunt the prowess of the hunter. More the skulls, greater the prestige.Few kids were playing on the street. They started running away scared when I took out my camera. I’m sure that they were scared of the camera and not me. The morung here is quite unique. This is one of the few villages that still use bamboo/wooden granary on stills for storing rice. These structures that were once found in all Nagaland villages have been replaced by buildings. The traditional customs and beliefs had existed for millennia have been completely uprooted by the adoption of Christianity. At least there are no head-hunters anymore!

It started drizzling in the evening. At night the wind and rain increased. I’m not sure if i can do the trek tomorrow.

Day 3: Trek from Thanamir to Base camp

It rained very heavily the whole night. My guide was not confident about starting the trek. He said that the path will be slippery and dangerous. I took a calculated risk and decidedto attempt the trek.We decide to start the trek at 9: 15 AM. Mr.Av’sh and his colleague are leaving today. Perhaps our paths will cross someday; hopefully in the aromatic spice bazaar beside the Jewish synagogue in Kochi.

I opened my umbrella and went for a walk in the village. It’s all quiet. Then I saw an elderly person sharpening a machete outside his house. I walked towards him and he was eager to talk to me. Most people here speak only their native language, but he knew Hindi. We talked and he continued sharpening his machete. Hewas going to use the machete in his farm below the village. He then invited me into his house. It was a traditional house with a fireplace in the centre. There was assortment of bamboo items on his wall. After a cup of tea, I bid him goodbye and returned to the guest house.

The sky was cloudy and ominous. My guide had warned me that the winds would fierce on top. It was still drizzling when I started the trek. It’s mandatory that 2 people from Tanamir are employed in the any trekking group. My guide is not doing the trek; he has been replaced the cab driver. It’s his first trip to Saramati. He is also my interpreter for the locals doing the trip with us.

Wooden fence to keep mithun from the designated forest

The trek starts through the forest. For approximately an hour, a wooden fence follows the trail. This fence keeps the mithun away from the forest. Since mithun are semi domesticated animals, they cannot be kept in cages, like cows. They are let free and they roam in the wilderness. Cross over the wooden fence and the ‘real’ forest begins. The trek passes through beautiful virginforest. Rhododendrons were in bloom. After about 2 hrs there is a small shed. Samaramti peak can be glimpsed from here. But I see nothing. It’s foggy at the peak and visibility is poor.

After a short break, I decide to plod on. The trek goes up and down the ridge line. It walk through the ridge can be scary. At some places, there is just enough space to put a foot. But the most dangerous part is the near vertical 20 meter rock face. When they told me that I’ve got to climb this rock face, I assumed they were joking. Kidding they were not! There is no way around this rock. The rock was slippery and wet. There is hardly enough space to even put a foot. After a bit of soul searching, I decide to go up. Falling down is not an option.

The vertical rock face

I reached the base camp by 14:15. Thick fog had started descending. This site has been chosen as water is available from a nearbystream. Saramati ‘Base camp’ is a badly constructed wooden cabin. One section of the cabin roof is missing. The wooden boards on the side have major gaps in them. But this is the only shelter here. There are wooden floor boards to sleep on. We light a fire and brew a cup of tea.

One of the people who came with us from Thanamir was a 73 year old young man. I am extremely impressed with his amazing physical fitness. Over the fire, he told us his story. As a young man, he had joined the rebels fighting for independence from India. They would go to Myanmar to get weapons for their cause. The rebels would be shot at by both the Myanmarese and Indian troops. To avoid capture, they lived in the thick forest most of the time. Life was tough; they lacked basic stuff like clothingor shoes. After 10 years as a rebel, he quit and returned to his village. In the next local election, he was elected the village headman of Thanamir. In those days, various armed splinter rebel groups would visit villages to extort money. It was his connection to the main rebel group that stopped further financial extortion from Thanamir. He leads a semi-retired life now. I complemented him on his physical fitness. He replied, “I shall show you a 103 year old man from Thanamir who still works in his paddy fields. I am nothing compared to him”.

Saramati base camp

It has started raining heavily. It’s windy inside the cabin. But it’s dry on our side. Thick fog has enveloped the cabin. The chances of continuing the trek are very slim tomorrow. We decide to start the trek by 5 AM, weather permitting.

Day4: Base camp to Kifri

It rained very heavily throughout the night. The howling wind and the noise from the rain falling on the aluminium roof made sleeping almost impossible. The cabin was cold and windy due to the missing roof and openings in the side boards. By morning the rain has reduced to a drizzle, but it’s still foggy. At Saramati peak is pillar no: 137. This pillar marks the open border between India and Myanmar. I am determined to see this pillar. I’m told that going up is risky. Despite the inclement weather, I decide to trek to the top.

Young at 73

We started walking by 5:15 AM. The trek to the peak from the base camp takes about 2.5 Hrs. For the first 1.5 hrs the trail ascends steeply. Then the hike is kinder. It has started raining heavily. Soon, I’m caught in thick fog and very heavy rain. Since there is no man-made structure beyond the base camp;I decide the wait out the rain and fog in the open. I’m only 1 hour from the top. Most of the difficult ascend is behind me. But the rain just keeps getting heavier. Then the wind starts increasing. It’s impossible to go to the peak with such strong winds. I am forced to turn back. I’m heartbroken. So near, yet so far!! This is the second consecutive trek that I’ve had to abandon near the summit due to inclement weather (Click here for Roopkund trek). I seem to have upset some pretty important people who live up in the clouds. I should break a coconut before my next trek.

Started walking back to Kifri from the base camp by 8 Am. Climbing down the steep rock face was an adventure. My guide slipped on the rock face but he managed to break the fall by holding on to a tree root! After a while, the rains stopped. It took 4 hours to reach Thanamir from base camp. I’m back at Thanamir in one piece with bruised ego and a broken heart.

Slash and burn agriculture

Started driving back from Thanamir to Kifri by 1 PM. Enroute we find freshly down burnt areas. My guide explained that slash and burn agriculture is common in Nagaland. There are areas that are demarcated as forest and others as farms. The areas designated as forests are never burned down. The trees in the ‘farm’ are chopped down and the land is set on fire. Cultivation is done on this land for 1-2 years. Then fast growing trees are re-planted in this area. A common tree that is planted is the quick growing Alder tree (state tree of Nagaland). This tree has the ability to fix nitrogen in the soil. The land becomes fertile and the trees provide firewood. The whole cycle of burning the land is again repeated after 5-7 years. We take a short tea break at Pungro. I stopped near the bridge and picked up some stones from the river below. Reached Kifri by 6 PM.

Beyond the cloud covered mountain top is Myanmar

Day 5: Kifri to Kohima

At 6 AM, started the return journey from Kifri to Kohima. There are a few share Sumo’s that ply from Kifrito Kohima and onwards to Dhimapur. They depart together and travel as a convoy. If one vehicle breaks down or has a flat tyre, all of them stop. Today there are three breakdowns. It will be late when we get to Kohima.

Inside Saramati base camp

At one place, the driver was stopped by some people (not in uniform) for documentation. He ended up paying a bribe. An hour later he was stopped by uniformed policemen and he had to pay an ‘official’ fine again. I am asked to come out and show my ILP (Inner line Permit). I’ve been travelling for a month, and this is the first time I’ve been asked for my ILP. When I said that I’m from Kerala, the cop asked me if I’m a school teacher. Nagaland has a lot of teachers from Kerala here and they are held in high esteem. From what I could gather, everyone has had a malayali teacher in their life! The police inspector is a bit disappointed that I’m not a teacher. The cop told me that it’s mandatory that the ILP be stamped from the police station that falls under its jurisdiction. There is a fine for not doing this. I should have got my ILP stamped at Kifri. But he lets me go without a fine.

I’m back in Kohima by 1830. The howling winds in the base camp are preferable to the blaring traffic horns of Kohima. Pillar no: 137 beckons me again.