Ghat is a tiny village in Uttaranchal. Most travelers here are on their way to Kuari Pass. When we stopped overnight at Ghat in 2009, we too were embarking on the trek to Kuari Pass. A taxi dropped us off the next morning where the road ended – and from there we set off on foot to the village of Ramni where we camped in the open. What followed was 3 days of hiking deep in the jungles of the Himalayas, and then the ecstasy of reaching Kuari Pass.

This photograph was taken at the banks of the Nandkini river in Ghat. The river was in full force, carrying icy cold water from the upper Himalayas. Earlier that day, we left the noisy town of Srinagar (not the one in Kashmir!) to reach Ghat. Visiting the river gave us a chance to shake away memories of the city and get closer to nature. A precursor to the next few days we would spend hiking. The village kids joined us as we set up our tripods to shoot. We probably gave them good entertainment for the evening. I have one other frame from this shoot when the sun turned a little more golden. You can see it in the portfolio section.