Presumed Lost

We had been climbing up from the valley for just about an hour when darkness caught up with us. We were still well below the treeline, but just before the last rays of the setting sun gave way to inky an blackness, I caught sight of the main company headquarters post at 13,400 feet on the ridgeline. I reminded myself not to miss the turnoff on the col that led to the single trecherous path to the top of the ridge. I had met Maj Yadav just a day earlier when I left to return to battalion headquarters located in the valley below at 8000 feet. This post was a full 8 hour walk from base, initially along the valley and then the gradual climb up to the village where I was offered a rather refreshing glass of fresh and boiling hot goat milk. It was the summer of 1991 but the temperatures dropped rather quickly after dusk. I was keen to make it to the treeline before last light, but that was not going to happen now.

The plan was for the half-link patrol to drop me at the village before heading back to battalion base so as to reach it before dark. I knew I would have to wait before the half-link from the post came to get me and lead me back to the post on the line of control. But after that glass of milk, I was all set to move on. I decided that I would meet the patrol on its way down as there was very little chance of us missing each other on the narrow mountain path. But the darkness and my own exhaustion caught me by surprise. In retrospect, I had just come down the mountain the previous day at the breakneck speed of an enthusiastic novice and now, all my muscles were screaming in agony at each step on the way up. We paused a while to catch our breath. Something was moving in the bush, just above and to our left. "Bears! Shit!!" was the only thoughts that crossed my mind. I signalled to my help to stand still. The breeze was flowing down the valley from the direction of the noise towards us so whatever it was, wouldn't catch the scent of our presence. I could still hear dogs barking in the village, now far below us. I began to sidetrack to the right, away from the trodden, narrow path, up the side of the mountain, slowly at first and then more rapidly as we put as much of distance between us and the thing in the bushes. It was then I saw the light through the trees. I was not told about this, but I automatically assumed it was a shepherds hut in the wilderness. Probably the only safe place between here and the post on the ridgeline.

There were three of them huddled over the fire when we walked into the clearing. The hut was minimal, placed at the edge of a clearing that ended on a cliff that fell sharply away to the treeline just a few hundred feet below. I had my first meal for the day - powdered bajra, mixed into hot tea! It was delicious and I was soon fast asleep on that ledge, dreaming about fires and moving bushes and wild creatures of all shapes and sizes pouncing out of the night.