Chail in the Clouds — 3 Dogs, Pine Forests and the World's Highest Cricket Ground

Still half asleep. Curled up immediately. The mountains were coming but she did not need to know that yet.

At seven months, pre-dawn Gurugram was genuinely the most interesting thing she had ever seen. Everything was.

Immediately upright. Watching the pre-dawn road. Something in the air felt different even in Gurugram.

Finally woke up properly. Ate her breakfast with the usual calm authority. Seemed to sense something different was ahead.

First mountain smell hit her at Solan — already at 1,400 metres. She stood very still and inhaled for thirty seconds straight. Her entire expression changed.

Ate efficiently. Looked at the mountains in the distance. Looked back at us. Ate a little more.

Opened her eyes fully for the first time in the drive. Looked out the window. Appeared to understand she was somewhere genuinely new.

First experience of serious altitude. Ears slightly confused by pressure change. Eyes enormous. Pressed against the window watching the valley drop.

Co-pilot mode activated. Watching every bend. Completely serious. Not a single dramatic moment — he took this road seriously.

Found a patch of sunlight in the pine garden and lay in it for approximately three hours. Did not move. Peak relaxation achieved.

Ran the length of the garden repeatedly. Then discovered pine cones. Investigated each one individually. First mountain trip — everything was extraordinary.

Explored the entire garden perimeter. Sniffed every pine tree. Marked his territory with unmistakable Himalayan gravitas.

Walked slowly across the entire outfield. Sniffed the boundary line. Sat near the old pavilion and watched the valley. Apple at her most contemplative.

Sprinted the full length of the cricket pitch at maximum speed. Twice. Then found a pine cone at the boundary and forgot about the cricket ground entirely.

Stood at the valley edge of the ground and looked at the view for two full minutes without moving. We have never seen Captain stand still for two minutes. The altitude changed something in him.

Methodical. Every fallen log, every new stone, every unusual smell catalogued and investigated thoroughly. Apple in full sensory mode.

Ate a pine cone for approximately 25 seconds before we noticed. Then tried a second one. Gave up on pine cones and spent the rest of the walk running between us.

Transformed. The pine forest, the trail, the altitude — Captain walked the entire 2 km calmly, curiously, with absolutely no drama whatsoever. The mountains suited him deeply.