Mystery solved: Gartang Gully was made by 'Pahadi' Wilson for secretly venturing Tibet

Confusion prevails about the history of Gartang Gali/Gully, an ancient pathway used for Indo-Tibetan trade and located on a vertical ridge in district Uttarkashi, for a long time. There are many theories about the making of the wooden pathway at an unusual location. Local people claim that the pathway was used for cross border trade by Jaad Bhotiyas. But, little documentary evidence is available on who constructed it and when?     Extensive research proves that Gartang Gali was constructed by British timber tycoon, hunter, naturalist and writer Frederick Wilson for conducting secret excursions into Tibet for hunting and collecting information. Based on the documents available, it can be said that Gartang Gali is about 160-170 years old. Not the 200 to 300 years as per the theories that are in circulation. Unique Gartang Gali Gartang Gali is located in the picturesque Nelong valley in Uttarkashi.  The 136 m long and 1.8 m wide pathway offers a skywalk experience. The Deodar slipper lined stairway, was renovated and reopened for tourists on 17 August 2022. Located at an odd location the route was used by traders from Taknore Patti for cross border trade with Tibet till 1962. After the India-China war the stunning wood structure had remained unused and in complete neglect for many years. Little clarity exists on Gartang Gali as till 1930s only temporary wooden bridges (Sanga), made from tree trunks, existed in Garhwal. The Gartang Gali was special in approach and design.   [caption id=“attachment_12754292” align=“alignnone” width=“607”] A view from Gartang Gali[/caption] Ban of entry of foreigners in Tibet Foreigners were barred from entering the Tibet territory, so Frederick Wilson used this method of making a secret route to enter Tibet territory, rather regularly. Wilson had all the resources-manpower, money, timber stock and trust of Tehri King- to execute the operation comfortably. Famous as Pahadi Wilson and Raja of Harsil, the retired British Army soldier settled in Harsil (Uttarkashi) in the 1850s and married a local girl. He made the Indian Himalayas his home and used to go on adventure and hunting trips regularly.   In the initial period Wilson made a living by selling wild animal and bird skin/parts in Mussoorie. Later he was involved in supplying timber sleepers to the railways and the new venture made Pahadi Wilson one of the richest men in this part of the world. Hinting about the wooden pathway Frederick Wilson constructed the wooden pathway and he hints about this project in his 1860 edited book and in an 1873 published article. Without providing any name of the location he provides details in A summer ramble in the Himalayas (1860), he writes, “Various are the contrivances to make a practicable path across these. Flights of wooden and stone steps, of fantastic forms and rude construction, serve the purpose in some of the bad places; and in other long planks are laid along the face of the rock, resting on wooden pegs stuck in the crevices.” Frederick shares this information in connection with a trek in Ganga valley area, where trees and bushes grow in crevices of the rock with little or no soil to nourish them. Adding more details he says, “…perpendicular rock, running from several hundred feet above, sheer down to the river.” A Gartang Gali like location, where a vertical granite stone wall exists and Jadh Ganga, an important tributary of the Bhagirathi, flows ceaselessly 200 metres below. Edited by Mountaineer, pen name of Wilson, A summer ramble in the Himalayas was developed by  Frederick  Wilson. He wrote many chapters to transform the manuscripts, containing some rough notes, into an interesting book on the Himalayas and adventure. More clues Pahadi Wilson provides more clarity on the Gartang Gali project, in his article    A stalk in Tibet, published in Gentleman’s Magazine (Volume X, January to June 1973), by announcing that he has just completed a little excursion in Tibet. Terming the geographical condition of Himalayan extremely challenging than England, Wilson writes, “Set to work and build four or five miles of a broad flight of stone steps to the moon, send an army of navvies with sledge hammers to smash all to pieces, and you will have something akin to many of the hills in Tibet.” The distance between Bhairoghati to Nilang, via Gartang Gali, is about 6 miles. Almost the same distance as mentioned by Wilson in his piece.     Route used for Tibet trade The old trade route from Harsil to Tibet used to pass through Jangla and Karcha, over the Kopanga hills, not through the Bhairoghati. All the tourist guidebooks and maps show the route away from Gartang Gali. Even the Mussoorie to Nilang route published in Guide to Mussoorie (1907) shows the path heading from Harsil, Karcha to Nelong.  An 1878 survey of India map, Western Hundes and Tehri Garhwal, presents a clear picture and route used by traders for border trade. The map shows the trek passing through Jangla (See map), from where Nelong was about 20 Miles. The traders from Uttarkashi possibly began using the Gartang Gali to reach Nelong long after the death of Frederick Wilson in 1883. Wilson played a key role in improving communication on the Mussoorie to Gangotri route by constructing many bridges and improving the forest road. He built forest guest houses at Harsil, Bhatwari, Uttarkashi and Dharasu.     Secret route for hunting and Tibet expedition Wilson was popularly known as Ranger of the Himalayas, and he was one of the most influential persons of this region in his time.  He used to go into secret operations into Tibet from Bhairoghati. Shooting in the Himalayas by Colonel Fred Markham (published in 1854) presents a vivid account of the author going on a Bharal (Himalayan blue sheep) shooting expedition with Wilson in the deep Bhairoghati area (near Nelong). Even in his write up on Tibet tour (1870), Wilson discloses entering Tibet, where a ban on entry of foreigners existed. Many writers even claim Fredrick Wilson was a spy, feeding information on Tibet to the East India Company and later to the British government.  He possibly used to go to the neighbouring foreign country to gather information. No documentary evidence of Wilson acting as a spy is available. Wilson’s relationship with Jaad Wilson held high esteem among the Jaad community as he was involved in settling them in Nelong and Jadhong. In 1849 Wilson obtained a lease of forest, from Tehri King Sudarshan Shar, in Taknore Pargana for an annual rent of Rs 400. He needed manpower for his railway timber project and a land settlement carried by the Tehri government on 23 May 1849 states that Wilson was appointed Maharaja’s agent for rehabilitating the area rendered desolated during the Gorkha occupation.     The settlement document says, “Wilson invited certain Jadha from the upper Pargana of Kunawar in Bashahr state (now in Himachal Pradesh) to settle at Nilang, re-establish the hamlet of Jadhang and administered the area on behalf of Maharaja Bhavani Shah.” Jadhs shared a special bond with Wilson. They were possibly involved in the Gartang Gali project and later specialised in stone chiseling, the Pathans, were used to make the pathway. Wilson has used ‘navvies with sledge hammers’ to describe a specialised group of workers in his article. A close survey of the Gartang gali also indicates that dynamites were possibly also used; some unused holes can be seen in various places on the wall of the pathway. Locals were unlikely to make a path on their own Under the Tehri government rule only the government had the power to make a road through Garhwal territory. Local villagers had limited rights over the forest and its produce. They were allowed to cut timber for building houses, burning, and agriculture purposes, but not for public use. The Tehri administrative report shows the Bhairoghati-Gartang road under construction in 1918-19. Even the development of the pilgrimage route to Gangotri was slow at that time. Until 1868, the road up to Dharashu only was ready. Gangotri is about 120 kms from Dharashu. Even maintaining the mule track was difficult in those days and  constructing a wooden path like Gartang Gali was near impossible, due to logistics , cost and only for public communication.   Conclusion Frederick Wilson was famous for using out of the box ideas in real life. Floating timber in Ganga and making the first suspension bridge of Bhagirathi valley at Lanka, near Bhairoghati, are some of the examples that prove the innovative approach of the British business tycoon. Gartang Gali was another such project which Wilson conceptualised and executed. After all he was the King of Harsil! He enjoyed full domination and freedom in the area. Read all the  Latest News ,  Trending News ,  Cricket News ,  Bollywood News , India News  and  Entertainment News  here. Follow us on  Facebook,  Twitter and  Instagram.