The pathway with white and green bricks led into Kuti. the doorway to Adi Kailash. Kuti is thelast inhabited village on the way. Made of stone blocks, the dwellings of the Bhutias in Kuti were a unique sight indeed, with facades and engraved doors,set in a baroque landscape.

In search of a suitable camping site ahead of Kuti, we cressed the river and found a source of clear water adjacent to a snowy nallah. Left without a choise, we had to pitch tents on sloping ground. The night was freezing,but our spirits were soaring high as we were now close to achieving what we had set out for.

This was the final stretch of 11 km. Full of vigour, we decided to leave early at 6 am for Jolingkong, climbing a geight of 4,572 m. Tiny red and mauve flowers greeted us on the way and the mountains were bathed in the orange glow of early dawn. The apparently gradual climb proved quite exhausting. We came across a series of peaks, named after the five Pandvas.

Having traversed from one mountain to another, valley after valley, for the last five days, the heart was becoming impatient now. All along, we had been trying to imagine what Chhota Kailash would look like.

At last:
Somebody seemed to have anticipated our mental and physical states. A message on a rock aptly said, Bas thoda aur!! One turn round the corner, and we had our first glimpse of the Chhota Kailash peak. But mountain trails are never straight; they are full of ups and downs and go over streams, valley and passes. As we proceeded downhill to cross a snowy stream, Chhota Kailash soon disappeared from view. This snowy stream emerges from the snow-clad Himal peak, and the grand view was a feast for our fatigued souls.

After we climbed the ridge again, the ITBP(Indo-Tibetan Border Police) check post came into view, from a distance of four kilometres further uphill. Chhota Kailash, hiding behind the mountains, appeared to be growing in size. I realised that what we were now seeing was the southeast face of Chhota Kailash-best view from Parbati Sarovar. Patience appeared to be the only key to successfully completing the last few kilometers.

We reached Jolingkong, totally exhausted, and dumped ourselves in the abandoned barracks of KMVN(Kumaon Mandal Vikas Nigam). The sky was overcast and the fast blowing winds were biting cold. As we tried to nourish our drained bodies, the clouds retreated and the sun  peeped out. We jumped up to resume our quest.