To Tin Mukh pillar and back again

We were on a remote hill station, away from any noise pollution, when dawn pierced the horizon with all its heavenly resplendence. But not for long.

Our team leader and a cacophonous rooster were crowing for the same result, to shake the sleep from our eyelids and ready ourselves. In the last few days, our bodies had acclimatised to the hardships of a long mountain journey anyway, so we did not mind. 

After having last night's leftover khichuri for breakfast, we started our journey for the day.

Our destination for the penultimate leg of the journey was Sepru Para. The plan was to visit the partition era Tinmukh Pillar nestled between two taller summits. It was a tight schedule, so we decided to hire two local guides from Sepru Para.

On our way, we observed most of the roads to be covered with dense forests. Our guides cut through the brush making way for us as we continued our journey.

Our first destination was Laisra Haphong. On our way to its peak, we passed by a large thicket of bamboo plants, we observed a green vine slithering on one of the stalks, and with just a cursory glance we knew it to be a poisonous green viper! One of our guides rushed to cut it and protect us, but we managed to dissuade him.

However, near the end of the tour, one of our companions was bitten by a green viper. We were extremely worried after seeing his physical anguish.

After navigating downward steep slopes, we started to climb upwards once again. As we crossed the secluded walkways, I found myself in a clearing with a thick bamboo forest to the front. The forest indicated we had almost reached the peak.

The repeated hill trekking of the last few days had imparted upon me a sort of natural intuition, I sensed there was some kind of imminent danger hidden here. And I was right.

As we moved forward through the forest, hundreds of tiny insects came out crawling from each bamboo tree. Although these insects looked harmless, there was a risk of them entering through our noses and mouths.

So we covered our faces as much as possible with caps and towels and moved quickly. And finally, we reached the peak of Laisra Haphong. This mountain range has three peaks standing shoulder to shoulder, they look like a 'w' from a distance.

After summiting Laisra Haphong, we began to move again, almost silently. Our next destination was Tinmukh pillar. This time, we had to practice greater caution as it was essentially a nexus between the Bangladesh-India-Myanmar borders.

On the way, we came across some scenic and secluded spaces. After we arrived we wanted to be certain that it was safe to go further, as border guards might be patrolling the area. Our local guides went ahead to scout the situation.

We were relieved when we received the green signal and we finally arrived at the long-cherished Tinmukh Pillar.  Tinmukh Pillar or the three-faced pillar literally defines the border markers of Bangladesh, India, and Myanmar. I have waited a long time to visit this place and finally, my wish was fulfilled.

This is basically a small hill area between two higher hills with an elevation of about 2,915 feet.  It is located in Bilaichhari Rangamati, the only border district with Myanmar and India. As you descend from the peak, you will find India and Myanmar on either side of you respectively.

From Tinmukh, the vast mountainous regions of Mizoram and  Myanmar can be seen.

The undulating green on the mountains is reminiscent of the Juko Valley in Nagaland. We spent a decent chunk of time there, always remaining alert and cautious. After taking pictures, we set off for our third destination, the Mukhra Thutai Haffong peak.

We completed the third summit in a relatively short amount of time.

Mukhra Thutai Haffong is considered to be the eighth highest mountain in the country. Towering at about 3126 feet. This was our fourth summit on this tour. At the end of the summit, we left for Sepru Para.

Keeping in mind the day's schedule, we kept a quick pace from dawn. Although it was an arduous trek, we reached Sepru Para by noon.

Since we made good time, we planned to visit the lake Rilite that night, leaving our bags in Sepru. Lake Rilite, located at Bilaichhari in Rangamati, is considered to be the highest natural reservoir lake in the country.

Located at an altitude of about 1850 feet, the lake covers an area of ​​about three and a half acres. Once there used to be a BGB camp near this lake according to the locals.

I had imagined this one to be as beautiful as Boga Lake, so I was more than curious to experience it.

The first 20 to 25 minutes of walking was fairly tolerable. But as the terrain steepened, fatigue weighed us down. We came down along the steep road through the bamboo thickets to the Sepru Jhiri.

The stream was excellent for bathing. We thought we would rest here for a while on our way back. After following the stream for around 10 minutes we came upon the lake.
Seeing the thick bushes and a huge layer of algae covering the entire lake, we became upset that it was impossible to bathe. On top of that, it was infested with leeches. But a number of our team members went onto the lake with a rickety bamboo raft.

Finally it was time to return. We were so tired that the path felt endless. We felt as if our bodies could no longer move.

Meanwhile, darkness has fallen. But we did not dare to stop and kept on walking with torchlights. As soon as we reached the jhiri near Sepru Para, we finally took a break.

After taking a long bath, we went to our rooms and got some rest. After dinner, we had a chat with the karbari (village leader).

The longest journey of this tour was awaiting us the next day. The story of our journey Dumlong Mountain happened on another day and will be told at another time.