Milky Way

First glows of the moon on the Panchachuli Peaks as the Milky Way stretched across the night sky.

Most people only get a view of Panchachuli from the western side i.e. Munsyari/Kausani/Choukori and similar hill stations. The eastern side, i.e., Darma Valley is untouched territory mostly for hiking parties. Till recently there was no road and it required a multi day trek from Tawaghat to get there.

This picture was taken during a bike ride I did in 2019 to Darma valley and spent two night at Dantu Village. I wasn’t expecting to see the Milky Way and was not prepared with low light lenses. As luck would have it, the band of Milky Way stretched just above the peaks of Panchachuli. And as the moon started rising, the Lunar alepenglow illuminated the top of the peak rendering them bright orange.

Technical details: Pen-F + 12-40mm | F/2.8 | 60s | ISO800
Date: Oct 18, 2019 | 2042

Morning Light

Reflected sunlight lighten up the Panchachuli Peaks early in the morning while the clouds drift away.

Most people only get a view of Panchachuli from the western side i.e. Munsyari/Kausani/Choukori and similar hill stations. The eastern side, i.e., Darma Valley is untouched territory mostly for hiking parties. Till recently there was no road and it required a multi day trek from Tawaghat to get there.

This picture is a 60sec exposure taken early in the morning when the valley was completely dark. The peaks had just started glowing up. The long exposure meant cloud moment which led to the glow lines above the peaks.

Technical details: Pen-F + 12-40mm | F/2.8 | 60s | ISO200
Date: Oct 19, 2019 | 0536

Cascades

A stream of water cascades down amidst the trees turning yellow and orange in Darma valley Uttarakhand.

The stretch from Tawaghat to Darma valley is a newly cut road yet to be tarred. Bridges are still under construction and water crossing are numerous. During autumn as the leaves turn yellow, the landscape is mesmerizing with all shades or color.

This picture was taken during a bike ride I did in 2019 to Darma valley and spent two night at Dantu Village. Few Km before Dugtu, this stream emerged out of a narrow ravine. Cascading over the boulders strewn around a thicket of trees with yellow leaves, the stream tumbled down to join the river below.

Technical details: Pen-F + 12-40mm | F/22 | 1/4s | ISO80
Date: Oct 17, 2019 | 1325

Ride travelog: https://lokeshshah.wordpress.com/2019/12/07/kumaon-wanderings-darma-valley-day-1/

Rider’s Nirvana

Panchachuli Peaks tower above the road at Darma valley in remote mountains of Uttarakhand.

Just below the Dantu Village, the unpaved road turns west and faces the mighty peaks. For half a Km, one heads straight towards the peaks before plunging into a river crossing. This is the kind of stretch for which one endures the most bone jarring rides – a moment of bliss.

This picture was taken while I was returning from a bike ride I did in 2019 to Darma valley and spent two night at Dantu Village. On the day of return the morning was clear and the Panchachuli Peaks presented themselves in full glory.

Technical details: Pen-F + 12-40mm | F/4 | 1/250s | ISO200
Date: Oct 19, 2019 | 0712

Ride travelog: https://lokeshshah.wordpress.com/2019/12/07/kumaon-wanderings-darma-valley-day-1/

Shadow of Panchachuli

A village house at Dantu under the patronage of Panchachuli Peaks in Darma valley Uttarakhand.

There are a few small villages in Darma Valley. Most are alike with a cluster of two storied huts with fields surrounding the village. The massive peaks of Panchachuli arise above all in the west, shadowing everything in the vicinity.

This picture was taken during a bike ride I did in 2019 to Darma valley and spent two night at Dantu Village. On the day after I arrived, I idled around the village, taking in the serenity and watching the few people of the village go about their daily work. The rest had gone down to Jauljibi for voting in panchayat elections.

This picture shows the hut I slept in. The door face east and get bright morning sun. Sitting on the verandah one feels the massiveness and aura of the Panchachuli peaks towering above.

Technical details: Pen-F + 12-40mm | F/14 | 1/125s | ISO200
Date: Oct 18, 2019 | 0910

Ride travelog: https://lokeshshah.wordpress.com/2019/12/07/kumaon-wanderings-darma-valley-day-1/

Lamp is Lit

The tallest peak of the Panchachuli lighting up like the wick of a lamp at sunrise.

Didihat is a somewhat of an unknown place in the tourist map of Uttarakhand. It is a small town with a KMVN guest house, a market with few other places to stay. I ended up there on my way to Dharchula and Darma Valley. The small market did have a couple of good Chaat shops.

I was expecting a grand view of the Panchachuli mountains, similar to the one from Munsyari, as the town directly faces the mountains. Unfortunately it was not as great as expected, partially because of the light cloud cover during the evening I stayed there. I am told that the view is much better from the Sirakot Temple just outside the town.

This picture was taken early in the morning from above the market through an opening between the houses. The first rays if sun were just hitting the top of Panchachuli peaks. The valley in-between was dark and deep in shadows.

Technical details: Pen-F + 12-40mm | F/5.6 | 1/125s | ISO200
Date: Oct 17, 2019 | 0613

Panchachuli Moonrise

HDR of Lunar alpenglow over the Panchachuli as the Milky Way stretched across the sky

Most people only get a view of Panchachuli from the western side i.e. Munsyari/Kausani/Choukori and similar hill stations. The eastern side, i.e., Darma Valley is untouched territory mostly for hiking parties. Till recently there was no road and it required a multi day trek from Tawaghat to get there.

This picture was taken during a bike ride I did in 2019 to Darma valley and spent two night at Dantu Village. I wasn’t expecting to see the Milky Way and was not prepared with low light lenses. As luck would have it, the band of Milky Way stretched just above the peaks of Panchachuli. And as the moon started rising, the Lunar alepenglow illuminated the top of the peaks rendering them bright orange.

This picture is an HDR of 2 pictures, merged manually. First one is for the stars taken with an exposure of 60sec. You can see a bit of star trails because of a long exposure. With a faster lens I could have brought it down to 10sec. The second one is for the moonlight on the peaks taken with an exposure of 122sec.

Technical details: Pen-F + 12-40mm | F/2.8 | 60s, 122s | ISO800
Date: Dec 18, 2019 | 2045