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RUDRAPRAYAG TO KEDARNATH, RUDRAPRAYAG TO JOSHIMATH 
                   
                  
                   
                  Day 5 
                   
                  Rudraprayag – Soneprayag – Gaurikund – Rudraprayag 
                   
                  12:45PM – 8:20PM 
                   
                  160kms 
                   
                   This
                  stretch was a short trip of 160kms (both ways). We started at
                  around 12:30PM (a relaxed start) and went slowly towards Gaurikund.
                  Our lunch break was at Soneprayag and lunch itself was Omelets
                  and Bread. We reached Gaurikund at 4:45PM. I felt it to be a
                  very dirty place and wondered how it would be when yatra is
                  on. We waited for Jay (who had wandered away) till 6:00PM and
                  then left for Rudraprayag. The return leg was a very good ride
                  (fairly fast) in the mountains. We could see the moon peeping
                  out of the mountains, garland forest fires etc. We again dined
                  with the army, this time with Col. Pawan Kumar and three other
                  officers.  
                   
                  Day 6 
                   
                  Rudraprayag – Ukhimath – Chopta – Chamoli
                  - Pipalkoti – Joshimath 
                   
                  9:30AM – 5:40PM 
                   
                  170kms 
                   
                   The plan
                  was basically to go up to Badrinath via Karnaprayag and reach
                  Joshimath. For this, we had to take the highway. Upon Col. Pawan
                  Kumar’s suggestion and by discussing among ourselves,
                  we decided to go through Chopta-Chamoli a supposedly beautiful
                  route. And was it beautiful! An absolutely fantastic route;
                  naturally pristine ‘out of this world’ scenery and
                  really 100 times worth the detour. “Stopping by the woods
                  on a snowy evening” was an apt refrain for our impromptu
                  halt at a place just before Chopta. We also had the childish
                  pleasure of riding through 
                  snow at couple of places and it is here that Histu’s bike
                  had a small slip. The road from Chopta to 
                  Chamoli winds through thick vegetation and thereafter becomes
                  a highway. On the highway stretch, owing to road-repair work,
                  at some places the road was horrible. We had our lunch at Pipalkoti,
                  and must say this was the fastest lunch served, so far. We also
                  had the fortune of witnessing Holi as it is played in Uttaranchal
                  as it was day before Holi. We were stopped at a lot of places
                  but fortunately not coloured!     
                   
                   
                  Next... 
                  JOSHIMATH TO BADRINATH, JOSHIMATH TO
                  KAUSANI...(Read On) | 
               
             
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