The Wandering Soul's Wander Tales..: Arunachal Pradesh

Pange Valley Hike: An Offbeat Detour in Ziro, Arunachal Pradesh

Looking into Talle Valley Wildlife Sanctuary, featuring a surreal mix of sub-tropical and alpine forests.

On a cold November morning, a bunch of us left Ziro before the winter sun warmed the valley towards a Kiwi plantation in the outskirts of the settlement. Smoke rose out of the chimneys over tin-roofed houses and mist hovered over open fields like a blanket of white. We drove through the sleepy lanes towards Manipolyang, a village 7 kilomteres from the village center, that also happens to be the starting point of the trek to Pange Valley.

Pange Valley is actually the gateway to the more diverse and pristine Talle Valley Wildlife Sanctuary, which is a biodiversity hotspot supporting a wide range of flora and fauna, many of them rare and endangered. Due to paucity of time and an imminent need of some fresh forest air after many days spent driving on bad roads, we decided to hike to Pange Valley for a day’s picnic and return to Ziro before nightfall. It took us two and a half hours at a leisurely pace one way. If you have time, the better plan would be reaching Pange Valley on any 4-Wheel drive and then trek further up to Talle Valley, 15kms further ahead from the forest checkpost. You can spend the night at the Forest Rest House in Pange Valley after returning from Talle Valley.

But like I said, due to a spontaneous plan change and the lack of sufficient time, we decided to make a picnic out of a day hike to Pange Valley instead. Packing our bags with freshly cut chicken from the market and some juice boxes, we were off on our day of fun in the sun.

Here’s a quick photo essay and short commentary on how our day went!

The end game of this hike would be getting here in Pange Valley, a lovely river flowing through the only open clearing in the region otherwise packed with dense forests!

A rough but drivable jeep trail connects Ziro valley with Pange Valley. We chose to hike the last 8 kilometers of this route from the Kiwi Plantation to Pange instead. The trail passes through dense, claustrophobic forests offering little in the way of sweeping vistas. But if fresh breeze and birdsongs ringing through the forest can make you happy, you are set.

Tarin-Tiibe Khoke Pass it seems, definitely one of the more interestingly named passes I've ever crossed. The trail gently climbs to this pass 70% into the hike and then goes down to 1500m at Pange Valley.

The bridge over Pange River, a pristine fresh water stream running across the valley which also makes for a great picnic spot.

We encountered a whole lot of Mithuns on our way to Pange. It was infinitely scary for me to first run into these huge beasts on the trail. But my team quickly showed me that they are gentle like cows and there's no need to fear them. What a relief it was to finally realise the only common trait Mithuns share with their aggressive counterparts was only appearance and not behaviour. Phew!

Nothing like gorgeous blue skies and warm sunshine on a cold winter afternoon. These were the scenes that welcomed us after we reached Pange Valley. The stream cuts across the meadow in Pange and you get to see great views of Talle Valley from the watch tower at the forest rest house.

A Map of Talle Valley Wildlife Sanctuary at Pange, the gateway to Talle and the possible trek routes inside the sanctuary. My friend Piran of http://www.kipepeo.in/ recently returned from a 4-day exploratory trek of Talle Valley and had only good things to say about it. So check with him if you need someone to arrange your trek here.

And that's how you deal with Mithuns, feed them salt! When we first encountered Mithuns on the trail, they started walking towards us and my heart skipped a beat or several perhaps. But apparently they are used to humans feeding them salt, so they were only walking to us in anticipation of a treat. At one point, we had a whole herd coming at us for more salt. So do carry a bag of salt if you are hiking here, very helpful in defusing a potential Mithun stalking situation.

The only reason there's a clearing in the valley at Pange is because someone actually cut the forest to make way for a collection of small concrete rooms and few bamboo houses for the forest staff to reside in, office building and a rest house. Otherwise I wouldn't imagine there'd be vast open spaces in Talle Valley, the forest here is delightfully dense making it a haven for wildlife.

A lovely picnic, Apatani style! We got raw chicken from Ziro and used the fire inside the forest staff's bamboo house to make ourselves a little barbecue party. Tastiest chicken barbecue ever!

How to prepare for a hike in Apatani style? A Dao(Machete) to cut everything from chicken to overhanging foliage and a bag of salt to steer clear of Mithuns! Girls in Arunachal are total badass when it comes to life skills for surviving in the wilderness.

We missed the sunset from an open hillock by a whisker despite running back in time because we got so very distracted by the stunning forest views on the trail. And the other reason for missing the sunset was also that the sun sets very early in winters in Arunachal Pradesh. It was barely 5PM and the last light has already graced the mountain slopes and went beyond.

Prior to this visit I had already spent a week in Ziro during a festival and it was a great cultural experience. However looking at the dense forests that surround the valley, I had wished to spend a day in those forests beyond somehow but didn't know of this hike then. If you are spending few days in Ziro are looking for a break from humans and civilization, would highly recommend going on either a short or extended hike in this region for some essential Vitamin N(ature)!

Related Reading:
Ziro to 22 kilometres: A trek to Talle Valley
On Sanctuary Asia : Expedition Talle Valley

#TheArunachalOdyssey:
Previous post in the series - Meeting Arunachal Pradesh's fierce Nyishis in a Remote Corner
Next post in the series - Decoding the secrets of Arunachal's Donyi Polo Religion in a remote village called Boleng

Disclosure: I travelled to Arunachal Pradesh on assignment, my travel was sponsored by the state tourism department.

3 comments

, by Neelima Vallangi

Arunachal Pradesh

Meeting Arunachal Pradesh's fierce Nyishis in a Remote Corner

5 comments

, by Neelima Vallangi

Arunachal Pradesh

The Arunachal Odyssey - 3 Weeks in India's vastly Diverse & stunningly Beautiful State

8 comments

, by Neelima Vallangi

Arunachal Pradesh

Feast with Arunachal's Adi Tribe: A Lesson in Sustainable Living

Apong, local rice wine made by the Adi Tribe in Arunachal Pradesh, served in hollow bamboo canes with a leaf stuffed to constrict the flow

Resourcefulness - that’s the thing I love most about the indigenous people! Of course we, humans as a race, are resourceful to have come to the comfortable stage we are at right now. But there is an innate beauty to a way of life far removed from the excesses of our age. In the lush forests of West Siang district in Arunachal Pradesh, I learnt a first hand lesson on how easy it is to live off the bounties of nature.

Arunachal Pradesh is like a land lost in time in many ways. The state is packed with impenetrable forests and impassable mountains that have harboured at least 100 different subtribes. One of them is Adi, a major tribe in Arunachal whose name literally translates to “hill or mountain top”. True to their tribe’s name, the Adi people reside in the dense tropical jungles of West Siang district with their thatch-roofed houses tightly clustered along the slopes or on hilltops. Most of them still follow the animistic religion of Donyi-Polo - worshipping the sun and moon. The Adi people are subsistence farmers, which makes them largely self-sufficient with all their rice fields, orange orchards and hunting.

Siyom River and the lush hills of West Siang district as seen near Along town

A typical Adi village - clusters of thatch-roofed houses set deep inside the thick jungles of Arunachal

So, when the men of Adi Tribe go on hunting expeditions in the dense forests of Himalayan foothills in eastern India, they have to travel - quick and light. Carrying heavy vessels or plenty of food supplies for the hunting party wouldn’t obviously make much sense when the goal is to move stealthily through the thick jungle. All they would take with them instead, is a bagful of rice, a pocketful of dried bamboo shoot powder for seasoning and a handful of salt. But, you would be grossly mistaken if you’d think the meal would be barely palatable. In fact, it is supremely delicious and there in lies the genius of Adi people.

Everything for the meals is sourced from the forest - bamboo hollows are used as containers to cook, fishes are caught from the abundant streams and leaves are used to wrap the food and to serve as well. In the age of tin cans and packaged food, an elaborate meal made entirely out of organic produce and equipment seemed infinitely fascinating.

Rice and Fish, just removed from the bamboo stems after cooking over fire(L); Dried bamboo shoot powder that has a tangy flavor, used extensively as seasoning by the Adi people(R)

Few months ago, I had a similar lunch with the Adi Minyong Tribe in their field surrounded by a ring of mountains. Three men - Takar Jannom, his brother and uncle, together had prepared a delicious fare for a bunch of us. Our lunch was cooked over fire in five hollow Bamboo stems stuffed with rice, hilsa fish and chicken wrapped in Ekkum(Phyrnium - a banana like plant) leaves and water. Ekkum leaves are strong enough to not deconstruct in the heat providing a good cover for the food while it cooks. The only condiments added were salt, garlic and dried bamboo shoot powder that give a tangy flavour to the fish and meat. Rice and fish taken out of the hollow stems was served with bamboo spoons on fresh Banana leaves along with a serving of delightfully spicy red chili and ginger chutney.

Our jolly hosts readying the rice to be served to us in banana leaves

Rice and Hilsa fish cooked in hollow bamboo canes

Rice and meat wrapped in a protective leaf is cooked inside the hollows of the bamboo stems, which is then slowly burnt over fire

At first, it felt a bit weird to eat from the leaves sprawled in the dirt from our planet earth. But after one bite into the piquant fish, I was stuffing myself silly with the fish and rice mixed with the spicy chutney that came with it. On the other hand, locally brewed rice wine, Apong, was flowing freely. It was served in bamboo stems with a single leaf stuffed at the top to constrict the flow of alcohol. True enough, when I removed the leaf, I had apong all over me when I went for a small sip.

This form of outdoor cooking is not only meant for hunting but also for all those days when men guard the harvest. The fields are far away from the villages and the progressive northeast community wouldn’t burden the womenfolk to provide them with food. Instead, the menfolk set up camp in the machans in their fields, brew apong, cook their lunches and dinners gathered over the warm fire, and have a blast while watching over their fields.

Sun sets over the fields and verdant landscape around Along in Arunachal Pradesh

With the apong slowly getting to our heads, conviviality around the bonfire went from pleasant chatter to shrill laughter about things I have no recollection of today. The setting sun smeared the sky in red over the horizon and the fresh mountain air suddenly dropped a degree or two. Darkness engulfed us by 4.30pm, as it often happens in the northeast, and we gulped down more apong - raising a toast to the wonderful feast. When it was time to leave the field and walk to the road after dark, we weren't allowed torches. Instead our guide beat a bamboo stem until it split to small strips and burned it to make a wooden torch. As we left, the dogs swiftly cleaned up the leftovers. Nothing probably went to waste. On our way back through the Adi village, I giggled like a child looking at a pig pen right under the wooden toilet. The pigs that feed on human waste are supposed to be a delicacy here, I surely didn’t want to try that but I couldn’t help but wonder if anything goes to waste in these tribal settlements!

This was the most natural, sustainable, organic and zero-waste lunch I ever had. Except for the salt, everything else came from their fields and forest including the woven bamboo furniture we sat on. And in due time, everything would go back to become the dirt it came from. Hearteningly, the precarious balance of the natural order continues to stay on course in this remote corner.

This immensely enjoyable lunch was organized as part of Magical Mechuka trip by Kipepeo.

Have you ever been captivated by the ways of the indigenous?

Also Read:
To the Far East, In the Land of Rising Sun - Arunachal Pradesh
A River Runs Through it - Mechuka: Ladakh of the East

16 comments

, by Neelima Vallangi

Arunachal Pradesh

To the far East, In the Land of Rising Sun - Arunachal Pradesh

Quick! What's the first thing that comes to your mind when you think Arunachal?

Is it Tawang? It is Madhuri Lake/Jung Falls? Or is it Sela Pass? (Tell me in the comments)

My memory always served me exactly those places whenever I thought of Arunachal, thanks to the numerous & hackneyed lists that have inundated our virtual world. I knew there had to be more, much more to Arunachal, unexplored and exotic but I just didn't know what that might be. So when I saw images of long bamboo bridges spanning across clear green rivers, mountains covered in lush greenery instead of ugly gashes of development and small villages entirely comprised of thatched roofs houses set high on mountain slopes, I knew I was onto something exotic here.

Arunachal - Land of Rising Sun

And Arunachal didn't disappoint, not even a teensy bit! I traveled to this remote corner, mere 29kms from China border, where you'd hardly find any other travellers (notice how I didn't say tourists. Yep, a tourist would never find his way here). I traveled with a responsible tourism company called Kipepeo which places heavy emphasis on local and authentic travel experiences, on a 10 day trip called Magical Mechuka. Here's a glimpse of how Arunachal stole my heart and reinforced my belief that there's no place as exotic as Northeast in India!

Those exotic forests and the endless mountains!

My first foray into Northeast was Nagaland. Having heard so much about this area's natural beauty and indigenous people, I had imagined a land full of undisturbed forests and colorful people. The latter didn't disappoint, but the forests I had come to envision didn't exist. Instead of dense impenetrable forests, barren mountain slopes full of ravaged agricultural land welcomed me. Only a year later in Meghalaya, when I totally went off the beaten path, I found those hidden protected forests that I had dreamt of.

But here in Arunachal, the moment we crossed the Assam border at Likabali into West Siang District, it was clear this large state shelters untouched jungles full of creepers and giant trees. Over the next few days, we barely had mobile signal(even bsnl doesn't work fully) and it was nothing but a delight to be in the lap of pristine wilderness. The view like that of the image below was a common sight - lush greenery, winding rivers and endless mountains!

Endless mountains and dense forests of Arunachal

Then there are villages, tiny villages sitting pretty on the mountain slopes surrounded by this dense greenery. The entire villages would only have thatched roof houses built traditionally on stilts. There are no roads to reach these villages, you'd have to hike. The views surrounding them would be breathtaking, needless to say. The village boundaries would be marked by wooden fences complete with dreamcatchers sort of hoops to keep the evil out. In those pretty villages, live such naughty kids playing in the mud and running with the wind.

Children goofing around in an Adi Minyong Village

Arunachal, is blessed!

100 % Natural and Organic Living

In the heart of Arunachal Pradesh, we spent few days in and around a little town called Along situated on the banks of a meandering Siom River. Around this town were resplendent hills scattered with picturesque villages of the Adi Minyong Tribe. One afternoon, after hiking to several of their villages we arrived at a field for a traditional lunch of the Adi tribe. Seated on cane stools, we had fish and rice cooked in bamboo hollows, served on banana leaves. The chutney was a mix of ground red chilli and ginger. We drank the local rice wine, Apong, served in the bamboo hollows as seen in the picture below. All of this, while we sat around a the fire (yeah, it gets cold & dark soon in NE) in the middle of a field surrounded by a ring of mountains! This was by far, the most organic and sustainably sourced/cooked meal I ever had.

Apong, a local rice wine that tastes sweet and is delicious. Served in Bamboo hollows.

Oranges grow in abundance in West Siang district. There were orange orchards everywhere and we could practically pluck a fruit from the tree almost anywhere we wanted. Over the 10 days, we ODed on these all-natural, chemical-free, delicious citrus fruit. It's a different kind of high, eating a fruit straight from the orchard. And many of the bridges in remote Arunachal are still old school and incredibly fun! We found ourselves walking on a super shaky bamboo bridge spanning a quarter of a kilometer over Siang River near Along. The walk on this bridge was as adventurous as it was marvellous.

Orange orchards are everywhere in West Siang District. (Left) The 250m wide hanging bamboo bridge connecting Pangin village to Along side over Siang River.(Right)

At the end of it, I couldn't help but marvel at the Adi Minyong Tribe's resourceful and sustainable lifestyle that has evolved over centuries perhaps.

Gate-crashing a local wedding and getting drunk on local liquor

One of those travel situations that can happen only when your lucky stars perfectly align happened to us on this trip in Mechuka. We stalked a bride, gate crashed their wedding yet we were welcomed with open arms and warm smiles. They kept serving local Millet Beer and refused to let our cups go empty. The wedding itself was quite fascinating, and we were given full access to the intimate prayers and customs of their traditional wedding.

Welcome party, groom's side. That's Millet beer in the tray.

Earlier that day, while visiting a local village, few of us saw a group of women in traditional attire standing by the roadside to welcome a party. When we inquired, we were told they are the groom's side and are waiting for the bride to arrive. As soon as we heard this, we pestered our local guide to arrange for us to get invited to the wedding. After finding out the bride's location, we rushed towards her village only to encounter the wedding convoy on the way. We chased the wedding party, overtook them and reached the women standing on the roadside hoping to score an invitation. The trick worked, we were invited to be part of their celebrations!

Wedding ritual of the Memba Tribe of Mechuka

It was an unplanned event and took up most of our day but we were more than happy to be part of a stranger's wedding and get high on the millet beer, talk about authentic local experience!

Raging rivers and roaring cascades

When you have such dense forests and such deep valleys, raging rivers and roaring cascades are a given! We had the pleasure of following the Siom River from Along all the way up to its source in Mechuka, where it is called Yargyap Chu. The road always snaked along with the river because of which gorgeous views were abound, forcing me to stop several hundred times to take pictures. On the last day, here at Pangin, we sat at the edge of a cliff watching the Siom River(right) meet the mighty Siang River(left) that goes on to become the super mighty Brahmaputra downstream.

Where Siom meets Siang, at Pangin in West Siang District

The mountain sides along the entire route from Along to Mechuka were lined with several waterfalls, some falling gently in several steps from great heights into the valley below and some gushing through the rock faces only to half disappear into thin air. Either way, it was pleasurable company to have. But the biggest and baddest of all had to be this Siko Dido Falls, few kilometers before Mechuka. What you see in the picture was exactly half of the entire height of the falls, and the mist that rose from the forceful drop was so cold that it was hard for me to take a steady picture even; I was shivering!

Siko Dido Waterfalls!

Back again on the Bramhaputra
We started our journey into this wild land by crossing over the monster of a river, Bramhaputra. My excitement was hardly contained as I was about to set foot into yet another state of the unexplored Seven Sisters. Rarely do expectations which you have built up in your mind match reality, but that's the thing about Arunachal. It's not a regular place. It's a special place where nature gods still thrive and our only hope is it continues to be so. For such pristine wilderness is hard to come by! As we crossed over Brahmaputra after 10 days to return to reality, the skies turned pensive reflecting my own thoughts - marveling at how exotic northeast truly is yet sad that it would take me ages to explore this enchanted land.

Crossing the Brahmaputra on a stormy day

So why do I recommend Kipepeo?

Firstly, I support the company's ideology - sustainable tourism and community development by involvement. Plus, I like it that Kipepeo works in an ignored part of the country that has so much potential, northeast! Over the 10 days we spent in Arunachal, we always had a local guide with us which worked well for both of us. Especially in a place as remote as Arunachal, this was a game-changer. We gatecrashed local wedding, learnt about spies sent to Tibet and had our fill of Apong and warm Adi hospitality - none of this would've been possible without the local connections.

Secondly, Piran, the founder of Kipepeo has been working and traveling extensively in North East since his early volunteering experience here that gave birth to the idea of this company. He knows the place very well and if not, he has enough contacts who can help him with such offbeat/exploratory visits.

Note: This trip was sponsored by Kipepeo but as always, opinions are mine!

More Adventures from Northeast:
Meghalaya - Going Offbeat in Meghalaya & Learning Interesting Things
Nagaland - Konyaks - The tattooed Headhunters of Nagaland

20 comments

, by Neelima Vallangi

Pages

Pange Valley Hike: An Offbeat Detour in Ziro, Arunachal Pradesh

Meeting Arunachal Pradesh's fierce Nyishis in a Remote Corner

The Arunachal Odyssey - 3 Weeks in India's vastly Diverse & stunningly Beautiful State

Feast with Arunachal's Adi Tribe: A Lesson in Sustainable Living

Have you ever been captivated by the ways of the indigenous?

To the far East, In the Land of Rising Sun - Arunachal Pradesh

Those exotic forests and the endless mountains!

100 % Natural and Organic Living

Gate-crashing a local wedding and getting drunk on local liquor

Raging rivers and roaring cascades

About me

Features

Published With

Labels

recent posts

Blog Archive

Popular Posts

Find me on Facebook

Find me on Twitter

Pages

Pange Valley Hike: An Offbeat Detour in Ziro, Arunachal Pradesh

Meeting Arunachal Pradesh's fierce Nyishis in a Remote Corner

The Arunachal Odyssey - 3 Weeks in India's vastly Diverse & stunningly Beautiful State

Feast with Arunachal's Adi Tribe: A Lesson in Sustainable Living

Have you ever been captivated by the ways of the indigenous?

To the far East, In the Land of Rising Sun - Arunachal Pradesh

Those exotic forests and the endless mountains!

100 % Natural and Organic Living

Gate-crashing a local wedding and getting drunk on local liquor

Raging rivers and roaring cascades

About me

Features

Published With

Labels

recent posts

Blog Archive

Popular Posts

Find me on Facebook

Find me on Twitter

Subscribe