A shaky fly to the mountains of Humla

The seat-belt, the aircraft, the mountains and Simikot

Mid-March 2015. It was the first time I was going to ride a twin-otter aircraft. I heard people say scary things about how the aircraft is shaky, and about how it is old and not safe, and about crashes and what nots. But work is work, and I had to go.

It was 5 45 in the morning. Flights from Nepalgunj to Simikot would operate only in the mornings, because right after 9:00 am, heavy winds would not permit an ideal environment for a twin otter to fly. I went to the counter in the airport, and it was nothing like an airport counter. There was a crowd of people, fighting for tickets. Apparently, due to weather conditions, flights to Simikot would be very rare. And by the time a plane was going to take off, there would be an army of passengers fighting their way to fly. I started having doubts about my ticket so I pushed through the crowd to see whether my name was in the list or not. Thankfully it was. A few minutes and I boarded the plane.

The moment I got in, I knew this was very different from a normal flight from Kathmandu to Nepalgunj. I felt like I entered a dirty local bus. But that didn’t worry me because I was already accustomed to riding the filthiest of local buses in the course of my student life. I took a seat and fastened my seatbelt (i was surprised that there actually was a seatbelt) and I tried to relax. Surprisingly, before the airhostess could even finish informing us about the safety instructions, the pilot started the engine. The airhostess stopped the briefing midway and rushed back to her seat. I was wondering if this was normal but it seemed everybody was fine with it. A few minutes later, we were in the air.

We made our way through the plains of terai, and through the hills of Surkhet and Dailekh. Before you know it, we were flying through a completely different terrain in comparison to where we started off. My nervousness and unsettling feeling disappeared at once after I got to see the mountains of Karnali zone. And believe me, these were different from the mountains I was accustomed to. They were almost vertical, and mostly barren. I could not see civilization for as long as I could see, obviously, I thought, because settlement in such places would be impossible. Down below, I could see the raging tributaries of the Karnali River flowing fiercely at steep gradients, and looking as though they would devour anything that lied in their path. I started having an idea why Humla was deprived of roads (and thus development) for all these years.

Anyways, we were flying further north, and the presence of snow was increasing by the second. After a few minutes, all I could see was white. Maybe it was the wind, or the clouds, but the turbulence in the aircraft stared increasing. But turbulence was not a concern anymore. I got totally engulfed in the beauty the place had to offer. It looked as though I could just reach out and scoop off the top of snow clad mountain with my hands.   

         

 I took my camera out and started taking pictures. A minute later, I got to see a plateau, with a heavy settlement. The airport was a small strip of black-topped runway and a building. Before I could take a snap of Simikot, the aircraft suddenly made a sharp turn towards the right and started its descend. Thankfully, the landing was a smooth one and after a few moments the aircraft halted in the runway. The doors opened and as soon as I got out, I could feel the fresh cool breeze that jump started my enthusiasm to stay in Humla for 3 months. 

Apparently, Simikot was a plateau surrounded by mountains from all sides. And in March, these mountains were covered with snow. I felt I was in a different world after I got out of the flight. Simikot was like an isolated place on its own, hidden from civilization, and far away from the world I was so used to living in.

The view from Simikot Airport, just after I landed.

And I don’t mind the cliché at the end of a travel journal when I say that Simikot is a place to visit at least once in your life. A heavenly place such as Simikot is worth the death defying (okay, overly exaggerated) travel and the hassles for the ticket one has to undergo.

If you are seriously considering going to Simikot, good luck. And carry a down jacket with you (even in summer).