Sting Desert Road
Bartolome Beacham
After dicing with death to cross the busy and chaotic road in search of that perfect shot for the photo album back home and having to dismiss the usual motley collection of hawkers and vagabonds along the way it was then only a quick hop back onto the coach for the long trip ahead. We were headed deeper into Rajastahan and westwards towards the fringes of the Thar Desert. Our destination today was Kuchaman Fort and a stay at this truly unique location perched high up on a hilltop overlooking the desert below.
The next 6-7 hours were taken up with the usual road blocks and checkpoints at what seemed like mere 5 minute intervals. Gradually though the scenery was changing. It become gradually turning arid, a great deal hotter, and the flat plains were giving way to rocky outcrops and hills which eventually turned into foothills and then beyond them mountain ranges.
The further we sped into rural India the more apparent the cultural differences became. More and more camels were being used to tow carts, there were less and less cars and more and more donkeys being used for various modes of transport. The poverty and filth of the towns gave way to a different rural poverty, still as poor, but not as dirty. Women brushed the dusty pavements in front of their shacks, merely shifting the dust onto someone elses front, but non-the-less they were at least showing signs of pride and caring for their homesteads in whatever form it existed in, (something you do not often see in the towns).
Eventually the unmistakable outline of Kuchaman Fort perched high on the mightiest outcrop for miles around rolled into view. It was even more spectacular than in the photos and countless travel guides. The Fort has massive ramparts, some 32 bastions, 10 gates and various defences and is in every way a formidable fort. Now for the brief history lesson: Kuchaman City controlled the salt trade as far as back as 1,250 years ago. For this purpose the Gujjar Pratihara Dynasty had constructed part of the Kuchaman Fort during 760 A.D. They controlled the salt producing areas that start from Kuchaman and extend up to the salt lake of Sambhar.
We drove around the tiny twisting streets of the village to the the foot of the impressive hill. Pulling up at the end of the last surfaced road we disembarked from the coach and gazed upwards at our final destination. Our modes of transport for the day had not finished yet though, suddenly an open-topped jeep turned up and the first 4 people were ushered onto it leaving all their luggage on the street. In a cloud of exhaust dust they sped off around the corner and disappeared. The only way to gain access to the fort is by the old elephant path up the east face. This consisted of several switchbacks and many hair-raising drop-offs. The pot-holed cobbled pathway winds its way precariously up to the gateway of the fort at what seemed like a 45 degree incline in parts. We hung on for dear life when our turn arrived and trusted in the driving skills of a man we had never met before in flip-flops who was smoking heavily with one hand, and using a mobile phone in the other as he crunched gears casually accelerating at ever greater speed up the steep hillside.
The best was yet to come though as the road is so narrow that at one point the jeep has to engage reverse to continue the climb up as the turning circle is impossible to complete on the pathway and this is the only means left to continue the push onwards!
With great expectation and some excitement we followed the narrow dark twisting passageways of the fort, up and up to the furthest reaches of the fort. Then there, right at the top, out on a limb at the highest point of the fort appeared the door to our room. Holding our breath we opened the heavy wooden doors and before our eyes we saw what all the fuss had been about.
Now I had to pinch myself that here I was a normal lad from Essex in an average job in London standing at the doorway to a room fresh from the pages of an adventure book, the kind of place Indiana Jones would stay at or some important Indian prince from days gone by would have cavorted in with his personal travelling harem no doubt. We took a deep intake of breath stepped inside the room and looked around some more, it was truly a room to amaze and astound the visual senses!
We flopped down on the bed and opened the tiny wooden shutters to the view of the desert way below and the ensuing sand storm that was now developing and beginning to engulf the mountains in the far distance. Candles were lit and we lay there letting the wind whistle through the tiny windows and blow refreshingly over our bodies cooling us down in the heat of the Indian afternoon.
This fort was not easy to get up to, or easy to get down from, and it was to be our bolt-hole on the fringes of the vast desert for the next couple of days. The only time we would be venturing down to the real world below would be to visit the village and take a scary tut-tut out to the salt-plains in the distance which shimmered hazily in the hot Indian sun.
The fort had constant power cuts and so for much of the night we sat by candlelight listening only to the wind whistle through our room. Never had I felt so far away from the green, lush, cold and wet fields of England. We dined at 8pm on one of the many verandas, exchanged stories with fellow travellers and drank Kingfisher beer until late into the night.
We indulged in a small comedy sketch with the other diners each taking a tiny part to act out and to my eternal shame I felt for once exactly like an English Victorian traveller of the grand colonial days perched up high in my palatial dwelling eating and drinking merrily, laughing and cavorting while down below the locals were lucky to be eating anything at all.
A moderate hike (due to distance) to a series of prominent volcanic dike formations. The "chimneys" have always been an important landmark, and Indian rock art marks the base of these high pinnacles. The chimneys are 2.4 miles away and easily seen from the trailhead.
The trail beyond the chimneys continues west another 4.6 miles and ends on the Old Maverick Road near Luna's jacal. This is an enjoyable 7-mile hike if you can arrange transportation on the opposite end.
Difficulty: Easy; Distance: 2.7 Mile Loop
Begin at trailhead parking area, 1 mile north of Panther Junction
This scenic trail offers a loop around the base of Lone Mountain, the rugged remnants of an ancient volcanic intrusion. As you circumnavigate the mountain, you are rewarded with exceptional views of the Chisos, Rosillos, and Dead Horse Mountains. The trail is mostly level, and is a great choice for families.
Difficulty: Moderate; Distance: 2.2 miles round trip
Begin 6 miles down Grapevine Hills improved dirt road at the parking area
The road is very rough and REQUIRES a sturdy High Clearance Vehicle. Do NOT attempt to reach this trail with a passenger car, minivan or RV.
This trail leads to a group of balanced rocks in the heart of the Grapevine Hills. Initially, the trail follows a gravel wash, then climbs steeply for the last quarter mile into the boulders. The last section requires crossing steep, rough bedrock, and negotiating a challenging landscape of boulders. Stay on the trail, and watch carefully for the directional arrows that point the way to the balanced rock. Use extreme caution, especially coming back down. No shade, watch for snakes!
This trail leads through a gravel drainage, and ends in a narrow box canyon where water has carved a deep channel into Burro Mesa. The end of the trail is the base of a 100-foot pour-off. Usually dry, the smooth, polished pour-off attests to the power of water that floods this canyon during summer rains.
DIfficulty: Strenuous; Distance: 6.5 miles round trip
Begin at the Mariscal Rim Trailhead, along the primitive road to Talley.
This trail is as rewarding as it is remote. This hike requires a major effort just to get to the remote trailhead in the backcountry along the park's River Road. The trail crosses open desert before steadily ascending the western flanks of Mariscal Mountain, eventually leading you to a 1,400 foot limestone precipice. You can see and hear the Rio far below. Do NOT attempt this hike during the warmer months. Learn More
This hike leads through the foothills of the Chisos Mountains, skirts Trap Mountain, and crosses several arroyos. Near the spring is an old rock corral. The spring itself is overgrown with shrubs, but ferns and cattails also grow there. Remember, no contaminating/bathing in backcountry springs.
An easy, well-maintained trail leads through the old homestead of Jim and Sam Nail and Sam's wife, Nena. There are interesting historic remnants here, including part of the adobe walls of the house and two windmills, one which is still in operation. This is a beautiful desert oasis and a great spot for birding and wildlife viewing.
This route follows a dry wash downstream to the top of the 100-foot Burro Mesa Pour-off. The trail includes some large rocks to climb down, where some rock scrambling may be necessary. Total elevation change is 500 feet/150 meters. Pay attention on the return hike to ensure that you follow the same drainages. Trail subject to flash flooding.
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