Autumn is considered as one of the best times for visiting the mountains, and not without reason. The climate is best suited for hikes or treks, and the crowd is also comparatively less. This is also the time when the weather is generally the most reliable, and the chances of scorching heat, rain or snowfall are minimal. The views of the mountain landscapes are also amazing.
Last autumn, we paid a visit to Mussoorie, one of the most popular and beautiful hill-stations of India. Located at a distance of around 40 kilometres from Dehradun, the capital of Uttarakhand, Mussoorie offers a plethora of options for staying and conveyance. We hired a scooter at a price of 700 rupees per day from Dehradun (though one can avail them from Mussoorie also) and managed to avoid a hole in our pockets. While researching about the places to visit in Mussoorie, we came across a rather interesting place, known as the George Everest point.
This was the place comprising a house and an observatory, from where Sir George Everest, the Surveyor General of India from 1830- 1843, carried out the Great Trigonometric Survey, one of the main objectives of which was to determine the heights of mountains in British-occupied territories. Mount Everest, the highest peak in the world, was named after him, posthumously.
We decided to visit Everest point on the second day of our stay at Mussoorie. We started our scooter with enthusiasm and took off for this point situated at a distance of 6 kilometres from the Mussoorie Mall Road. The smooth asphalt road devoid of cracks leading up to the Everest Point was in stark contrast to the potholes and cracks observed in city roads, and it seemed that our scooter too was excited to be our companion for this small trip. However, once we crossed Hathipaon, a village en route our destination, our scooter was faced with the challenge of some serious off-roading, although for a short distance.
Upon reaching the base of the Everest Point, we got to know that the actual spot, i.e., the house and the survey point would reveal themselves only after a hike of around an hour. There were various stalls around the starting point of the hike, mostly selling food items where groups of travellers gulped down freshly made ‘Maggi’ or a plate of hot momos to satisfy their tummies. Some of them seemed to have interesting conversations over cups of chai or coffee. Several two as well as four wheelers were parked at the starting point, which corroborated our research that this point was a major tourist attraction in Mussoorie.
We started hiking up the hilly path leading up to the survey point, and were greeted by tall forests of pine and deodar on one side, extending their branches to shake hands with us. The path, composed of ash- coloured stones arranged in concentric circles, transported us instantly to the colonial era. The weather was a bit foggy and the damp road seemed to be perspiring, thereby making it slippery, but could do little to curb our enthusiasm for reaching the top. After hiking for about half an hour, we came across a posh cafe situated on an expansive meadow. We noticed a signboard at the entrance to the cafe reading “Everest Base Camp” and couldn’t help but chuckle at the irony of having hiked only for half an hour along a beautiful fenced path to reach it. We ordered cold coffee to regain our lost energy after this short hike and were able to gain a lot more calories than we had lost.
We started again and were able to reach the house and the survey point after hiking for another quarter of an hour with our tired legs. The house was in a dilapidated state, and we couldn’t gain entry into it due to renovation work at that time (October 2021). Just beside the house was the Survey point, connected by a flight of steps just beside its boundary. We climbed up the Survey point and were mesmerised by the panoramic views of the surrounding mountains alongwith the Doon valley.
However, the thing that interested us the most was a hill standing tall at the right hand side of this house. The zenith of this hill, the Everest Peak, namesake of the highest peak in the world, was accessible via an hour long hike through a challenging path. Some hikers making their way back from the summit motivated us by saying that a visit to Everest point is incomplete without conquering the summit and savouring the awesome views offered by it. It was then that we decided to trek up to the top despite some initial inhibitions.
The initial stretch of the hike was not difficult at all since almost the entire path had proper cemented steps. However, these steps are quite narrow and it becomes quite scary when one looks down below and contemplates one’s future after a fall owing to a misplaced step or a slip due to lack of attention. A small mistake can send you tumbling down hundreds of feet and lead to sure-shot death. But the narrowness of the path is only one of the many concerns. The steps are broken at many places, and covered with loose rocks making this a treacherous route thereby raising the thrill element. We hiked our way up very cautiously for about an hour, meeting other fellow hikers at times till we reached our final challenge. We had reached a place where finally the narrow stairs cut along the side of the hill gave way to a tabletop surface comprised of two further conical small “tillas”. The Buddhist prayer flags attached to ropes tied to these two “tillas” at either end gave us a surreal feeling. The higher amongst these two peaks/ tillas is known as the Everest Peak. We decided to climb this one.
This climb was a bit difficult since this final route required some actual climbing along steep protruding rocks and boulders. We had to watch our steps and were dead tired by then. However, our exhaustion gave way to joy once we reached the top. The panoramic views of all the mountains near Mussoorie, along with the cool breeze was a treat to our senses. We cozied ourselves on some comfortable rocks and tried to soak in the beauty of the place. We reached the peak just an hour after noon, and the cool weather intermingled with the sunshine was the perfect time to spend some leisurely moments after a tiring hike. The Buddhist prayer flags fluttering in the wind along with the enchanting views evoked an ethereal feeling. However, we needed to descend as well, since we had other places in our “to-go” list, but the whole hike up and the time spent at the top left us craving for more.
check out our vlog featuring this hike – https://youtu.be/xABjG292gFU
Untrodden Boulevards 