Kareri Lake: Where vultures meditate

Happy hikers but no glacier: R-L Sue, Fiona and I

There’s breakfast making noises around 5 am – always a comfort. But where am I? This isn’t my room in McLeod Ganj. 

That’s because I arrived at the rather splendid Royal Mountain Guest House in the village of Kareri after dark last night with Fiona and Sue; today we are going to hike up and back to fabled glacier-fed Kareri Lake.

We are ready to be up and gone so after eating banana porridge and chai while seated primly on the brocade three-piece suite in my ballroom size room, we do ridiculous stretches in the dawn courtyard then jump into a tiny battered Maruti to bounce up the hill for 15 minutes. Judder past the local school that Fiona and Sue and the Pencil Tree mob support, past a wedding Maruti studded with marigold blossoms and stop at the empty momo carts at the bridge over the rushing mountain river. 

Into thin air - hiking the Markha Valley

“There is a griffin vulture.”

Stanzin hands us the big binoculars and we stand for a long time in the middle of the arid valley path, beside the tumbling stoney river, watching the wide wingspan cut the bright blue sky and the zigzag mountain range tops. 

Chotak the porter points to another part of the sky - he has picked up on our excitement and being a local wants to show off his valley - he has spotted a lammergeier circling even higher.

It’s the third day of the Markha Valley hike and we are having the best time.