Last year during Durga Pujas we planned to visit Dogolvita, Chopta, Tunganath, Badrinath, Auli and Tolma, nested deep inside Nanda Devi National Park. I have trekked to Pancha Kedar and Valley of Flowers but have never been to this side. Dinesh Uniyal of Eskimo Adventures is known to me for a long time ( Infact he is more than a brother to me ) and he arranged my stay in Tolma for three days. The drive from Josimath to Surainthota was bumpy and there Dinesh introduced to me an amazing man known as Rudra Pratap Singh Butelo. He is supposed to be the richest and most respected man in the village and yet his grace and charm floors you. Three and a half kilometers uphill, crouched above the perilious ravines lies Tolma, deep inside the sanctuary. Butelo's house is the homestay and the two rooms adjacent to the roof is amazing. The snow capped Dronagiri looms just like a huge tower and seeing a sunset on it from Butelo's roof itself is mesmerizing. It was grisly cold and thus chances of spotting " Kumbhakarna " the Himalayan bear was remote but the sight of the blue sheeps on the opposite side will always be treasured in my memory. The eight KM to and fro walk in the park everymorning resulted in easy sightings of red foxes and beautiful birds. The leopards, locally called The Tenduas often haunt the village and if one stays there for a week or two they can easily be spotted. In fact Butelo boasted of sighting snow leopards in peak winter when everthing is covered under snow and temperature goes down to ten degrees below zero.The flora also amazed me and not only the dazzling flowers but the medicinal plants itself is a revelation. Butelo has a small patch of farming land apart from his vast Apple, Pears and Walnut Orchards and there he grows all sorts of fresh vegetables. Apple Jam, fresh pears, walnuts and dry fruits along with fresh farm eggs are staple in breakfast. In dinner you can have Butelo's wifes special preparation of local chicken or mutton. Sipping tea in the evening on the roof and seeing the sunset on Dronagiri is itself heavenly.
