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Your proprietor will be at the world premiere of Alex Gibney’s documentary on Scientology, Going Clear, at the Sundance Film Festival on January 25, but you won’t have to wait very long to see the film for yourself. At a winter TV critics meeting, HBO revealed that it will be airing its documentary on the television network on Monday, March 16.
Gibney is maybe the best documentary filmmaker working today, and we know that HBO is expecting a lot of this two-hour movie. Gibney’s production company is being pretty tight-lipped about the contents of the documentary, saying only that it is partly based on Lawrence Wright’s 2013 book of the same name and that it portrays eight former members of the church.
We have some ideas about what’s going to be in the movie, but we have only a little more than two weeks to wait to see the full feature and we’ll fill you in then.
If you’re planning to set up watching parties for March 16 let us know in the comments!
——————–
Angry Gay Pope photographs the renovations at KCET
The Pope took his camera to film another foray at Scientology’s properties in Los Angeles, and he sent us some stills of the work being done at the old KCET studios to turn them into a new “media center.”
AGP was watched wherever he went by security personnel and cameras…
And he saw workers he assumed were on the Rehabilitation Project Force, the Sea Org’s prison detail…
And he said he’s still wondering what this man’s T-shirt indicated. Perhaps someone in our comments will know what “SMP” stands for…
…and of course the answer came quick — it stands for “Scientology Media Productions”
——————–
Bonus photos from our tipsters
Jamie Fisher has seen the light, and it is Xenu-powered!
that Jamie just learned, save yourself thousands!
Yesterday’s full page ad in the USA Today…
Scientologists are using social media more than ever. Drop us a line if you spot them posting images to Instagram or Facebook!
——————–
OUR COUNTDOWNS
16 days until Alex Gibney’s film Going Clear: Scientology & the Prison of Belief opens at the Sundance Film Festival at 2:30 pm on Sunday, January 25 in Park City, Utah
3 days until our special Underground Bunker announcement at noon, January 12
Posted by Tony Ortega on January 9, 2015 at 07:00
E-mail your tips and story ideas to
or follow us on . We post behind-the-scenes updates at our . Here at the Bunker we try to have a post up every morning at 7 AM Eastern (Noon GMT), and on some days we post an afternoon story at around 2 PM. After every new story we send out an alert to our e-mail list and our FB page.
Learn about Scientology with our numerous series with experts…
: We read Scientology’s founding text cover to cover with the help of LA attorney and former church member Vance Woodward
: Claire Headley and Bruce Hines train us as Scientologists
: Jefferson Hawkins explains Scientology’s system of justice
: Historian Jon Atack discusses key Scientology concepts
PZ Myers reads L. Ron Hubbard’s
| Scientology’s
| Scientology’s
The Underground Bunker’s
| The Underground BunkerAll photos by Indiahikes Trekkers
Roopkund: An unusual trek in the Higher Himalayas
you are into trekking and hiking and haven't done the Roopkund trail, then you need to start planning for it right away.
It is one trek that is a must-do.
Its got everything going for it.
Deep virgin forests, gurgling brooks, breath-taking campsites, miles of undulating meadows, snow and ice and the taste of a great adventure as you climb from 8,000ft to 16,000ft in 5 days"
Complete Roopkund Trek Details
Why Buran Ghati is a terrific alternative to Roopkund &
Fitness Required
Things to get for the trek
How to get there
Maps and Trails
Risks and Precautions
Arjun Majumdar reviews the Roopkund trek. Here's why he gives it a score of 4.5/5.
Sneha Tulsyan&from 2015 Roopkund trek batch writes:
"Our whole group felt like they were at home away from home. We all turned good friends. Also, the trek guide (all-time morale booster) and trek leaders (all-time problem solver) made the completion of this trip possible. It was a once in a lifetime experience."
Nisarg Desai&who trekked to Roopkund in June, 2015 writes:
"The overall management (following schedules, implementing rules, attention to health and safety, etc.) of the trek was great! Kudos to the trek leader. I must point out specifically that the support from the technical team for the final summit trek is praiseworthy."
Prateek Murkute&from June, 2015&batch writes:
We all dream of that picturesque place that is far away from our city, where we don’t have to worry about emails, phone calls and daily tasks."Firstly, I would love to thank Indiahikes for arranging such a wonderful trek. I am a beginner in the field of trekking and this was my first high altitude trek. All the arrangements, be it food, r=travel, stay, everything was great! It couldn't have been better! One thin I will be a regular trekker from now on and I have become a great fan of Indiahikes. Loved the Roopkund experience completely from my heart. We started for Roopkund at 3:45 am without a trek leader's whistle and made it to Roopkund at 6:18 am. In totality, the experience was just awesome. Just can't be expressed in words. Kudos to team Indiahikes."&
Ankit Arora&from May 2013 Roopkund trek batch writes:
Roopkund – ‘The’ Journey....Our journey debuted on a warm sunny day. With almost every trekker from a different state, this 8-9 hrs initial trekking was completed handsomely with chit chats and respective regional stories. Bridges, rivers and rich tree line, were the key scenic elements. Second day zipped through dense forests(literally dense), with almost every trekker shuffling partners, this day again went smoothly with new stories and comic entries. This particular trek marked our first real sight of distant beautiful meadows and the mammoth white mountain range. In the midst of two checkpoints, came "Ghora lautani". A sight providing a visual treat to Photographers and a sense of satisfying pleasure to every single trekker !
Arnab Dhabal&from May 2012 Roopkund trek batch writes: The climb from Lohajung to Roopkund of over 8000 ft is spread over 3.5 days and the return over 1.5 days. The climb is gentle in some places and steep at some others. The micro-steps that we were taught by Arjun Majumdar of Indiahikes came in very handy for many of us, especially at the higher altitudes where the atmosphere becomes rarer.
Ditisha&from May 2012 Roopkund trek batch writes: Roopkund trek has been some experience!! It was one of those trips where I actually missed the hills, after I came back home.Being a first time trekker, the 5 day long trek was full of learning & new experiences in the wilderness.&
Here is a collection of awesome clicks by Indiahikes trekkers.
Sarath Champati, who did the Roopkund trek in June 2013 says that Roopkund provides one of the best opportunities for sighting rare birds.You can spot more than fifty species of birds on Day 1, 2 and 6. Check out these exotic species of birds and see if you can spot them
on your trek.
Green Trail
As a part of our commitment to keep trekking trails clean, Indiahikes organizes the "Green trail" trek batches. The Green trail batches are special batches formed only to clean up our mountain slopes. The batches run like any other normal groups but with a key difference: trekkers who join this batch volunteer to clean the trail. The entire trek team - from trekkers to guides to helpers pick up litter along the route and bring it down from the mountains.
Green Trails Competition 2015
Mountain mountain, listen to our call! Who is the greenest of them all? Indiahikes is on a mission to hunt for the greenest trekkers. For this, we’re having a quick competition on the mountain slopes, during the treks! We’re going to find out which batch collects most garbage from the trails and camp sites as part of a Green Trails clean-up campaign. The winners are going to be given grand prizes and be featured on our website. So grab your gloves and eco bags and get picking!
Blog by Izzat Ansari:
Izzat - "Planning for the Green Trails Project was an interesting and intense part of many of our Indiahikes meetings. The motivating force that resulted in this initiative was a deep concern that the very mountains that inspire thousands would soon become a reflection of the pathetic disregard most humans have for nature and its bounties.
Most of the regular trekking trails have become an eyesore and more and more trekkers are returning with water borne diseases - unheard of in the past. This means our water sources are getting polluted at their source! The mountains give us so much - and its time we did something for the mountains- and for ourselves."
1st Prize: Chaitra - Trek voucher worth Rs.5000
2nd Prize: Vivek V - Trek voucher worth Rs.3000
3rd Prize: Tejas K - Trek voucher worth Rs.2000
Past results
Photography Workshop
Anshul Chobey held a photography workshop for Indiahikes on Roopkund trek this June. Here are few of his captivating clicks.
More Photos
Roopkund is a pristine high altitude lake at 4800m. Situated at the base of the massive Trishul Peak (7120m) this lake has an interesting history and tradition associated with it. Roopkund is located on a popular pilgrimage route and is part of a popular fest held every 12 years called the "Nanda Devi Jat Yatra". Several hundreds of skeletons are found here, believed to be from a pilgrimage party (consisting of nearly hundred people) which perished here several centuries ago in a single calamity, possibly a hailstorm. This skeletons are seen floating in the lake and surroundings when the snow melts.
The idea of trekking in Himalayas came to me while browsing the Internet 4 years back. The thought of walking through tall trees, meadows, streams, and snowy slopes was captivating. I don’t know what kept me away from it for so long, but when the discussion on this year’s vacation came up, it was only a matter of packing a backpack and getting out there. What I didn’t know back then was that this was going to be challenging, yet one of the most memorable tasks of my life!
“I want to go on a holiday all by myself “ I told my friend over a family dinner. “Lets go on a trek. I ‘ll come along too ”told my friend. So it started just like that on a casual note. Finally after a lot of research we zeroed in on
the ROOPKUND TREK with some help from the India Hikes company website.. It is one of the top three treks in India and supposedly quite scenic too. Soon the D day arrived and though Vijay and little Kavya were a little worried about my choice of a Himalayan trek as a holiday they pretended to be excited just to keep my spirits up. My friend and me bade our families good bye and went on our first trek and also the first ‘me myself outing’, sans our families.
The rich experience of going on such a high altitude trek inspired me to document the various details of the trek for the benefit of others who wish to trek to Roopkund and also as a fond recollection of the trek for those who already had an opportunity to be there.
The trek to Roopkund lake, snugly hidden among peaks in the deep Himalayas is a fairly tough but do-able one. The Indiahikes team quite rightly considers you fit to attempt Roopkund if you can run 5km in 30 minutes. I would say that to train for this trek you should also do the treadmill at an incline, and without messing your knee from overkill, improve your stamina by climbing stairs to say the 15th floor of a building.
This trek was done with a group of around twenty trekkers, managed by . The organizers were masters in this route and their team of guides, porters and cooks were the best one could possibly get. Without
the incredible help offered by these extremely professional hill men, especially at the high altitudes, the lake would not have been reachable for most of us.
"A tiny jade oval concealed in a fold almost at the top of a sheer ridge, that drops down on its far side to the glacier whence the river Nandakini issues." describes Bill Aitken in a poetic vein.
Best season to do Roopkund
Whether you're standing atop a 15,000 feet mountain and watching the clouds float below you, or running after wild horses on velvety green meadows, there's nothng else you could possibly say...than "Blooooddyyy Hellll"
Here are a few of our trekker's "Bloody hell moments"
Mohit Rahalkar'sBH moment!!!&
First one when we were approaching the basecamp from kathgodam."bloody hell!!!! where are we going.. "and then at the summit"bloody hell!!!!! we did it..never thought we could.."and the last 1 when we were heading back to the home.." bloody hell!!! its over..."It was an awsum xperience wid u guys. loved the trek. the location was just too gud..the arrangements really well..the guides..silvet aka quick silver ...the food...the whole xperience was really awsum...bloooodddyyyy hellllllllllllllllllllllll......I want to do it again....
Artika Takur'sBH moment!!!&(June-3 batch)
Listening to flowing water under your feet while walking on thin ice-Bloody Hell!
Running after wild horses-Bloody Hell!
Watching a kid use a cow's skull for a football-Bloody Hell!
Actually enjoying your feet going numb in a cold stream-Bloody Hell!
Arjun Majumdar puts down a handy ready reckoner on how to choose a trek for a particular season.&&
Download pdf here:&
per person (Lohajung to Lohajung)
Book for 3 and get free travel from Delhi to Kathgodam
(3 A/C train)
Book for 5 and get free travel from Delhi to Kathgodam and return (3 A/C train)
*Service Tax of 3.63 % applicable on Trek Fees
Also Note: Indiahikes does not book any train ticket from Delhi to Kathgodam or return. Instead, for booking of more than 3 or 5 participants, the 3 AC train fare is deducted from the trek fee payable. Participants have to make the train booking themselves. Note: Bookings need to be made from the same ID.
Green Trail Batches
May/June 2016
Central government employees can avail special casual leave for trekking the Roopkund trek
Sep/Oct 2016
Central government employees can avail special casual leave for trekking the Roopkund trek
Contact Us
Registered Trekkers call:
New Enquiry call:
Mon-Fri: 9.30 AM – 7.00 PM
Sat: 9:30 AM – 1:00 PM
or write to us at:
Roopkund Trek Itinerary
Day 1 :&Pick up from Kathgodam Railway station at 6.30 am. Drive to Lohajung base camp. Apprx arrival time at Lohajung&6-7 pm.
Day 2 :&Trek&starts. Lohajung to Ghaeroli Pata
Day 3 :&Ghaeroli Pata&to Bedni Bugyal
Day 4 :&Bedni Bugyal to Patar Nachauni
Day 5 :&Patar Nachauni to
Bhagwabhasa&
Day 6 :&Bhagwabhasa to&Roopkund&to Patar Nachauni
Day 7 : PatarNachauni to Lohajung via Wan
Day 8 :& Depart for Kathgodam. Approximate arrival time at Kathgodam:&6-7 pm.
Note: Pick up on Day 1 is linked with the Ranikhet Express. The pick up transport will wait until the train arrives at Kathgodam.&
Mobile Network - At Lohajung you will have Idea, Vodafone, Airtel and BSNL. At Bedini Bugyal/Ali Bugyal and Bhagwabhasa you get Idea and Vodafone Networks &
Roopkund Trek Itinerary
Click on the above image to order trek equipment
Trekker Photo Albums
Trek Facts
Difficulty
Moderate-Difficult. See
for details.
Trail type C returns to base camp.
Altitude Roopkund: 15,750 feet (4,800 mts). Junargali 16,000 ft (4,878 mts, highest point)
Rail head Kathgodam. You can reach Kathgodam by an overnight journey from Delhi. Ranikhet express leaves Old Delhi station at 10.40 in the night to get to Kathgodam by 6.30 in the morning. Indiahikes pick up is lined up with the Ranikhet Express.
Base Camp Village Lohajung (Chamoli District, Uttarakhand)
Best Season May 3rd week to J Mid September to October end.
Temperature in May, June Day: 15° to 20°C. Night: 4° to 7°C. Temp at highest camp, Bhagwabasa: Day 5°C to 10°C. Night: 3° to -2°C.
Rains Rainy season is from the second week of July to mid September. May/June is not the rainy season but afternoon showers are very common in the mountains. These are not the monsoon rains.
Temperature in Sept and Oct Day: 13° to 20°C. Night: 2° to 7°C. Temp at highest camp, Bhagwabasa: Day 3°C to 10°C. Night: 3° to -4°C.
Snow High snow in May from Kalu Vinayak onwards. Decreases in June. Comfortable snow during the last half of June. September has little snow. In the first week of October, the first winter snow is likely to fall in the upper reaches. Usually melts in a few days.
Preparation Physical preparation mandatory. See
for more details.
Indiahikes FanboxMidcity dc magazine september 2013
Midcity dc magazine september 2013
News from the uptown and Northwest DC areas of Washington, DC.