It isn’t very often that urbanites get to experience winter in a rural mountainous area especially without the basic facility of a gas or electric heater to keep warm and comfortable. The ‘winter experience’ in a rural setup in plain areas is very different from one in the highlands - the latter being far more enriching and memorable.

I say this because I happened to spend a couple of nights in the hilly area of Lamotai in district Dir. Though the area is majestic during the rest of the year as well, the winter season takes its charm to another level altogether.

The room I was staying in was equipped with a stove (truly, the centre of attraction) for keeping the room warm in the cold winter nights. At first, I expected that this would make the room smoky but surprisingly, there were no traces of smoke in the room. I discovered that it was centrally fitted with a long chimney pipe passing through the roof.

We would huddle together around the stove when it would get cold. Youngsters from the area would feed the stove wood at regular intervals. Whenever the room temperature dropped, they would feed the stove to raise the temperature of the room to a more comfortable level. Interestingly, even they put the fuel wood chips inside the stove through a small input window; no smoke would come out of it.

Fuelling the stove is also based on experience - mastering the art of minimising the smoke and managing to heat up the room as well. We found out that the youngsters feeding the stove had inherited the skill from their elders as they accompanied them at such gatherings in the past. The wood was put into the drum-like stove in an upright or slightly tilted position to quickly ignite it and produce no irritating soot. When the stove heats up after feeding, the circle of people sitting around it gets wider gradually but soon, the circle moves closer to the stove as it consumes the wood.

As we entered the baithak, a room for guests, we were preoccupied with the thought that there would be no electricity here - this being a far-flung area and that too on top of a mountain amidst only a small cluster of houses. To our surprise, we were informed that they have installed a small hydel power unit that generated enough electricity for them at a negligible cost and without any interruption. We were taken aback - not only were the residents enjoying the beautiful landscape but they were also enjoying a non-stop supply of electricity - something that urbanites dream of.

We didn’t have high expectations for dinner either but were pleasantly surprised again. The menu comprised mainly of pure locally produced food - free from adulteration and contamination - boiled white rice without spices, desi poultry, beans, desi ghee, barley bread - our taste buds were not used to such pampering and it was a delightful experience. We enjoyed the food and the gossip at dinner while it snowed outside. Soon afterwards, we were served a round of peanuts followed by delicious walnuts with honey (a winter special).

The conversation was just as good - we talked about a wide variety of things and got to know about the local customs and culture as well. To spend the long nights the locals listen to the radio to keep themselves well informed about the day-to-day happenings around the world.

At breakfast time, we came to know that the stove we were fascinated by was multi-purpose - used for cooking as well. The breakfast also consisted of special local treats.

The outdoor panoramic view had changed in the morning due to the heavy snowfall at night. The scene was totally different from what we had expected. Everything was hazy and covered in a layer of snow; our vehicle was in almost a foot of snow.

Driving in such conditions is hard and a true test of one’s driving skill. As we descended the mountaintop, the vehicle skidded many times which made the travel scary.

On the way, there were many beautiful sights that could be captured on film.

Just then a thought ran through my mind, for some people the snow and the ambiance is a source of attraction and enjoyment but for those who live here, it makes for a tough and harsh living environment.