The scenic base camp of Tata Steel Adventure Foundation (TSAF) at Kaflo is ready to welcome thrill junkies with added facilities this winter, a far cry from its earlier avatar as a temporary halt with only bare necessities.
The base camp, located along the Uttar Kashi-Gangotri highway, now has pre-fabricated structures with a new-look kitchen, store room, audi-visual hall, instructors' room and an office-cum women instructors' room.
"The Kaflo base camp has witnessed a complete turnaround. It wears a neat and organised look. Participants of our winter outdoor leadership programme can look forward to spending quality time at the facility," Bachendri Pal, chief of Tata Steel adventure programmes, told The Telegraph.
The winter stint of the premier adventure outfit kicks-off on September 29. Over 400 adventure junkies, mostly from Jamshedpur who are working with various corporate houses, will be part of the winter programme which will stretch till November 28.
Pal said she had taken special care to ensure the base camp was neat and tidy. "Wild bush at the main entrance and elsewhere have been trimmed, while plans are afoot for landscaping. I have given strict instructions to keep the place clean," she added.
The ace climber said participants would continue to stay in tents erected at a far corner of the camp. "Our outdoor leadership programmes in the Garhwal Himalayas is all about adventure and learning. The new facilities will be used for the benefit of participants who would continue to stay in tents. Additional space means more number of participants (around 100) can be accommodated now," the first Indian women Everester said.
TSAF secretary P.P. Kapadia said instructors faced a huge problem when Kaflo was without basic facilities. "They used to stay at a rented hall at Uttar Kashi, some 15km from Kaflo. Now that problem is a thing of the past. They now have a separate space to rest after hard day in the mountains," he added.
Participants of TSAF's summer and winter leadership programmes spend two days at the base camp for acclimatisation before setting of a trek to the 12,000ft Sayari top.
Kaflo is the seventh base camp set up by TSAF. Earlier camps were at Gyansu, Ganeshpur, Kanghori, Uttaraon, Rawada and Jangara.
