A short morning hike to Batase Danda View Tower
Since I started going out on walks in the morning, on 19th July 2020, I got up, got ready, put my earphones on, and got out of my house. I took the same route which took me to the highway beside Shivapuri Nagarjun National Park. But I could feel that this morning was a bit different. The weather was cool. There was a light rain happening. As I reached the Goldhunga bus stop, a place about one and a half km away from where I live, I looked up and saw a thick fog covering the hill. And at a glance, my destination changed from the highway road to the top of the hill.
I knew the way to the View Tower. We used to go there on bikes. But being on foot I thought there could be another way that could lead to Batase Danda. There were two branch roads, one which we took while being on a bike ride and the other one I didn’t know about. I asked a passing local if I could reach View tower through the later one and he said yes. So I took the road uphill.
It was raining. The road was steep, muddy, and slippery. I had to be careful while walking else I would crash into the ground. As I walked around 400 meters all the way to the top there were three people, one on a bike waiting for me. I thought they had stopped there because I was blocking their way. Upon crossing where they were, one among them asked if I could help take their bike downhill. Then I understood that none of them knew riding that well and were all novices. I agreed on helping them and took the bike downwards slowly and carefully with two of them catching the bike in the rear ends on both sides. I took the bike to a safe and easy place and handed them over. Again I had to walk the same slippery steep road which was tiring. But I felt glad I helped them.
After a walk of about 15 minutes from where I separated from those people there came my destination. It was all covered in fog with zero visibility. It was beautiful. No view could be seen from there except for that white background. No people could be seen there. Having walked some distance and it been raining, I took a rest on the bench then came a couple. Maybe it was because I was already there, but they moved to a different place. I had the whole place to myself. The View Tower is barred, closed, and locked but there was a small gap in the bar from where I could get inside. I got in and climbed the stairs and then the fun began.
It was so windy. People didn’t name it Batase danda for no reason I thought. It was raining, it was chilly and it was foggy. If only I had been there on a date with someone, it would have been romantically perfect. Being alone is being on a date with oneself I thought so it was good too. I stayed there for around 15 minutes feeling the cold wind coming from Nuwakot, contemplating, missing a warm jacket and a coffee. I saw a middle-aged man coming from afar through the fog. He looked like a local from there. Having stayed there till my heart’s content and being afraid of getting scolded by him I began descending. It was now time to get back home.
Upon coming to the ground, I thought of not going the same way I came from. I wanted to take a different route. But this one was a bit dangerous. It was a trail that led to a place called Cho gaun which is around two km from my home. I took the trail and soon found out that it had been damaged by the rain and it was slippery too. I had to hold on to grass on the ground and bushes for support or else I would slip down the hill. I got to Cho gau somehow and took a long breath in relief. The rest of the way was fine with only some puddles of mud in between. I got home, had a shower and a warm coffee and the day went on.