India is a beautiful country with variety in culture, people, geographical regions, travels and their modes, education, flora and fauna, foods, and so many things. My specific interest in traveling to a known location through a different way, fascinated me. My husband who has some experience of trekking to various locations in and around Mumbai; suggested the Dharamshala Triund Laka Glacier Trek. I had no experience in trekking as well as the fun and discipline that it involves. So with more of anticipation of the unknown, I confirmed my travel and together we made the reservations for the trek during the summer season. Preparations started as soon as the bookings were confirmed. Firstly, we both started going on practice walks on roads and hilly terrain. Secondly, we started planning our back pack and day pack which would have just the enough weight for us to carry and enough things to see us through the trek. This balance proved difficult to achieve and even more to carry.
The hot summer sun could not dim the gusto of the 12 trekkers and their leader. The two day train journey with fun and never ending rounds of eatables and cold water, finally saw all alight at the Nizamuddin railway station. A 5 minute walk on the melting asphalted Delhi road, saw us standing at the warm door of the AC volvo bus. All eagerly got in the bus and five minutes in the cool bus, rejuvenated everybody's sapped energy and after 30 minutes, we all arrived at the hotel for a refreshing bath and lunch that saw us off on our overnight journey from Delhi to Dharamshala. A quick 20 minute car ride in the cool fresh morning air, a contradiction of Delhi air; brought us to the Mac Leodganj Hotel, The Ashoka International Hotel.
Trek Day 1 : We had arrived at 2082 meters above sea level and our group was taken on a trial trek for acclimatization before noon. The short trip was enjoyed by all for it helped to stretch our legs, take in the beautiful view of valleys and mountains. It also made the entire group hungry and all finished the wonderful preparation in no time. In the evening, we all went to see the pagoda and the serenity of the place along with the contrasting temple decorations and offerings (biscuits and cold drinks included !), brought us to Dalai Lama's absolutely simple room. It dawned on us that beauty of nature combined with simple living, enriches the human mind beyond compare. The overcast sky; a result of approaching storm, was no dampener but it did induce sleep and all were snoring by 10 pm !
Trek Day 2 : Our instructions were quite clear and precise, 'Be ready by 7:00 am, take breakfast by 7:30 am, carry our days' supplies of water, poncho, a set of clothes, lunch bag that included a fruit, keep the main bag for the mules to carry'. Most important instruction "No bath for the next 4 days ??!!". At 8:00, we all started up the steep incline right after the hotel and I already began to wonder of my ability to go the entire trek. The cheering from us all, brightened me and off we all started step by step. My husband, perspired so much that his sweater got all wet and we wondered if there was a leak in the bottle of water ! We all were strictly instructed to keep moving and sip water from time to time and never to sit till the destination for the day had been reached ! By 11:30, we were too exhausted to be hungry, but thirsty ? - yes, all sipped on the fruit juice and ate the fruit with much relish. A short rest and we were off to our camp at Triund. In between, we were over taken by the mules carrying our belongings. They looked fresh after a distance exhausting to us ! Anyway, the trek does get difficult at times but the absence of vehicles and mobile networks, makes up for a life time experience. The Triund camp / cottage was situated high up at an altitude of 2850 m and we all sat in the sun for some time to catch our breath. Later we all enjoyed our lunch at 1:30 pm and were greeted by some drizzle. The drizzle turned into quite some rain and by night, after our dinner, it was decided to wait till the weather improved.
Trek Day 3 : The dark sky and incessant rain, made us stay put inside the cottage and we all bonded, a group of bubbling teenagers and effervesce-ting adults ! The hot cups of tea and hot food coupled with indoor games of cards and dumb charades, saw us through the day. At night, the rain fell on the cottage roof and its sound lulled us all to sleep.
Trek Day 4 : The morning brought sun rays and light and warmth and hope for we all trekkers. We all started at 9:00 in the morning to reach Laka Glacier. The previous days rest did us all good but it also meant extra miles for the day. The effort caused two groups, that of children and adults. My sister, though an adult, was among the children ! The trek to Laka Glacier tested our patience and strength, but one step at a time saw us overlooking the great Himalayan range. The beauty of nature is breathtaking. The greens, blues and whites with intermittent colors of reds, yellows, purple and pink; is a sight to behold. The clean environment, fresh air, ample sunlight and some fruit juice; were enough to walk us through a difficult incline spread with rocks. We were finally at Laka Glacier walking and climbing through the snow trying to beat the approaching dark clouds. (There was news that Delhi and parts of Rajasthan had witnessed a heavy dust storm followed by rains.) Our hastening steps on slippery ice and the drizzle of rain, both was a bad combination to move further. All of took shelter in a cave and waited for the rain to stop. A trekker even recollected stories of trekking expeditions in wild weather. Such is the impact of bad weather, that we all had to make an effort in staying calm inside the cave that was cold and dripping with water. We had no food supplies with us but could see them just 400 m away from us. After about 40 minutes, the rain slowed, the entire grass was covered in snow; it appeared that Laka Glacier came to meet us !! Our guide instructed us all to climb down and start for the tents camped a little away. The climb down was even more difficult cause the ground had become too slippery. Slowly we all reached our tents and were welcomed with some sunlight. That night, all had a snack of bread pakoda and hearty meal followed by a bonfire where all gathered to warm themselves up. Our chatting at the bonfire revealed Salil's birthday saw us all celebrating with a pancake that panditji (cook) prepared at a short notice. The star studded night sky added to the celebrations and all and slept soundly in the teeth chattering cold.
Trek Day 5 : Our trek support was excellent, the food, camping services and route operator, were all experts and jovial. Even the mules carrying our luggage also felt our own in such a remote place. The morning felt fresh after a sound sleep and after having enjoyed the sun (remember, we had no bath since leaving MacLeod ganj), we all had a steep slope to climb down. The path down was scary and I was unsure of taking on the challenge. But as they say, 'birds of a feather flock together', we all trekkers, started one step at a time. The journey down from Laka Glacier to Triund and further down a different path, gave us a breathtaking view of all the landscape including the Dharamshala cricket stadium. Slowly and steadily we started for the village where our campsite had been planned. Along 2 hours into the walk, we were overtaken by the mules carrying our luggage. Their confidence and stability along with their coordination, surprised us, reassuring my belief that humans had a lot to learn from nature.
Along the way we met many French and Spanish citizens who were impressed with the terrain and beauty of our country. Few interactions with them brought us all together in our common objective and finally we all trekkers reached Mana village. The trek down had been exhausting compared to going up. My husband's shoes hurt his toes really bad; his nail probably got dislodged. At the campsite, all plopped down on the green grass unable to move or talk for a full 15 minutes. After some rest, we all drank 'electrol' water and regained our strength for some chit chat and games. All looked forward to sleeping at the hotel the next night, in a warm cozy bed after a refreshing bath.
Trek Day 6 : The morning brought with it an eagerness in our stride to reach the hotel after visiting a water fall - 'The Nag Falls'. The soreness of leg muscles and fatigue of the four days was overcome at the sight of clear cold gushing stream water. All trekkers joined in spraying water on each other. It was just not imaginable for me to get in the cold water as I sat on a rock soaking in the sun. An hour and a half and we started for our Ashoka International Hotel. We all were anticipating the road we had taken to visit the pagoda and I was trying to manage my energy for the road was quite long. But lo and behold ! we saw a market and there stood our hotel ! Just look at all the smiling faces ! All were so glad to know that the road was a different one and our destination had been reached with memories of hardships and fatigue all fading away and being replaced by hunger pangs and a warm bath. After a sumptuous lunch, we were horrified to look at our faces in the mirror, all had darkened beyond recognition. A hot bath and some rest was enough to rejuvenate us for exploring the local market and especially, the momos !
Trek Day 7 : A sight seeing trip to Dharamshala that included tea garden, botanical park, cricket stadium and in between stop overs at all street food joints. All enjoyed the local sight seeing.
Our return journey to Delhi and back to Pune was mostly spent in sleeping our weariness and tiredness off. The trekking experience provided an insight into our grit and determination. The serene and peaceful environment of Triund in the back drop of a heavy summer storm at Delhi, added to the contrasting adventure and it provided us all with life time memories.
Trek Day 1 : We had arrived at 2082 meters above sea level and our group was taken on a trial trek for acclimatization before noon. The short trip was enjoyed by all for it helped to stretch our legs, take in the beautiful view of valleys and mountains. It also made the entire group hungry and all finished the wonderful preparation in no time. In the evening, we all went to see the pagoda and the serenity of the place along with the contrasting temple decorations and offerings (biscuits and cold drinks included !), brought us to Dalai Lama's absolutely simple room. It dawned on us that beauty of nature combined with simple living, enriches the human mind beyond compare. The overcast sky; a result of approaching storm, was no dampener but it did induce sleep and all were snoring by 10 pm !
Trek Day 2 : Our instructions were quite clear and precise, 'Be ready by 7:00 am, take breakfast by 7:30 am, carry our days' supplies of water, poncho, a set of clothes, lunch bag that included a fruit, keep the main bag for the mules to carry'. Most important instruction "No bath for the next 4 days ??!!". At 8:00, we all started up the steep incline right after the hotel and I already began to wonder of my ability to go the entire trek. The cheering from us all, brightened me and off we all started step by step. My husband, perspired so much that his sweater got all wet and we wondered if there was a leak in the bottle of water ! We all were strictly instructed to keep moving and sip water from time to time and never to sit till the destination for the day had been reached ! By 11:30, we were too exhausted to be hungry, but thirsty ? - yes, all sipped on the fruit juice and ate the fruit with much relish. A short rest and we were off to our camp at Triund. In between, we were over taken by the mules carrying our belongings. They looked fresh after a distance exhausting to us ! Anyway, the trek does get difficult at times but the absence of vehicles and mobile networks, makes up for a life time experience. The Triund camp / cottage was situated high up at an altitude of 2850 m and we all sat in the sun for some time to catch our breath. Later we all enjoyed our lunch at 1:30 pm and were greeted by some drizzle. The drizzle turned into quite some rain and by night, after our dinner, it was decided to wait till the weather improved.
Trek Day 3 : The dark sky and incessant rain, made us stay put inside the cottage and we all bonded, a group of bubbling teenagers and effervesce-ting adults ! The hot cups of tea and hot food coupled with indoor games of cards and dumb charades, saw us through the day. At night, the rain fell on the cottage roof and its sound lulled us all to sleep.
Trek Day 4 : The morning brought sun rays and light and warmth and hope for we all trekkers. We all started at 9:00 in the morning to reach Laka Glacier. The previous days rest did us all good but it also meant extra miles for the day. The effort caused two groups, that of children and adults. My sister, though an adult, was among the children ! The trek to Laka Glacier tested our patience and strength, but one step at a time saw us overlooking the great Himalayan range. The beauty of nature is breathtaking. The greens, blues and whites with intermittent colors of reds, yellows, purple and pink; is a sight to behold. The clean environment, fresh air, ample sunlight and some fruit juice; were enough to walk us through a difficult incline spread with rocks. We were finally at Laka Glacier walking and climbing through the snow trying to beat the approaching dark clouds. (There was news that Delhi and parts of Rajasthan had witnessed a heavy dust storm followed by rains.) Our hastening steps on slippery ice and the drizzle of rain, both was a bad combination to move further. All of took shelter in a cave and waited for the rain to stop. A trekker even recollected stories of trekking expeditions in wild weather. Such is the impact of bad weather, that we all had to make an effort in staying calm inside the cave that was cold and dripping with water. We had no food supplies with us but could see them just 400 m away from us. After about 40 minutes, the rain slowed, the entire grass was covered in snow; it appeared that Laka Glacier came to meet us !! Our guide instructed us all to climb down and start for the tents camped a little away. The climb down was even more difficult cause the ground had become too slippery. Slowly we all reached our tents and were welcomed with some sunlight. That night, all had a snack of bread pakoda and hearty meal followed by a bonfire where all gathered to warm themselves up. Our chatting at the bonfire revealed Salil's birthday saw us all celebrating with a pancake that panditji (cook) prepared at a short notice. The star studded night sky added to the celebrations and all and slept soundly in the teeth chattering cold.
Trek Day 5 : Our trek support was excellent, the food, camping services and route operator, were all experts and jovial. Even the mules carrying our luggage also felt our own in such a remote place. The morning felt fresh after a sound sleep and after having enjoyed the sun (remember, we had no bath since leaving MacLeod ganj), we all had a steep slope to climb down. The path down was scary and I was unsure of taking on the challenge. But as they say, 'birds of a feather flock together', we all trekkers, started one step at a time. The journey down from Laka Glacier to Triund and further down a different path, gave us a breathtaking view of all the landscape including the Dharamshala cricket stadium. Slowly and steadily we started for the village where our campsite had been planned. Along 2 hours into the walk, we were overtaken by the mules carrying our luggage. Their confidence and stability along with their coordination, surprised us, reassuring my belief that humans had a lot to learn from nature.
Along the way we met many French and Spanish citizens who were impressed with the terrain and beauty of our country. Few interactions with them brought us all together in our common objective and finally we all trekkers reached Mana village. The trek down had been exhausting compared to going up. My husband's shoes hurt his toes really bad; his nail probably got dislodged. At the campsite, all plopped down on the green grass unable to move or talk for a full 15 minutes. After some rest, we all drank 'electrol' water and regained our strength for some chit chat and games. All looked forward to sleeping at the hotel the next night, in a warm cozy bed after a refreshing bath.
Trek Day 6 : The morning brought with it an eagerness in our stride to reach the hotel after visiting a water fall - 'The Nag Falls'. The soreness of leg muscles and fatigue of the four days was overcome at the sight of clear cold gushing stream water. All trekkers joined in spraying water on each other. It was just not imaginable for me to get in the cold water as I sat on a rock soaking in the sun. An hour and a half and we started for our Ashoka International Hotel. We all were anticipating the road we had taken to visit the pagoda and I was trying to manage my energy for the road was quite long. But lo and behold ! we saw a market and there stood our hotel ! Just look at all the smiling faces ! All were so glad to know that the road was a different one and our destination had been reached with memories of hardships and fatigue all fading away and being replaced by hunger pangs and a warm bath. After a sumptuous lunch, we were horrified to look at our faces in the mirror, all had darkened beyond recognition. A hot bath and some rest was enough to rejuvenate us for exploring the local market and especially, the momos !
Trek Day 7 : A sight seeing trip to Dharamshala that included tea garden, botanical park, cricket stadium and in between stop overs at all street food joints. All enjoyed the local sight seeing.
Our return journey to Delhi and back to Pune was mostly spent in sleeping our weariness and tiredness off. The trekking experience provided an insight into our grit and determination. The serene and peaceful environment of Triund in the back drop of a heavy summer storm at Delhi, added to the contrasting adventure and it provided us all with life time memories.
Good experience..... Enjoyed all 7 days
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing your experience. And great writing skills.👌👌
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