A walk in the clouds

Sli_ce · 13th August 2010, 03:44

This travelogue came into picture when I recently decided to pen down some moments and memorable experiences. But I must say writing it was not my cup of tea, and so I ask you to please bear with my artless effort.

Rewind

Back In 2009, I was lucky enough to go on a few moderately difficult treks including Beas Kund and Shrikhand Mahadev. From then on, the urge to explore nature on foot kept growing on me.

Destination?

March 2010 I desperately needed get away for a short trip. The criteria’s were carefully thought of - a secluded destination, less of driving and more of walking, some snow if possible. Not a lot of places close to Delhi offer all that. A lot of reading and (re)search done, I finalized on Triund.

Triund, the little oasis with some mind blowing views of the Dhauladar range and stunning vistas enroute. The hike upto Triund does not qualify to be termed as a “trek” but is nevertheless exciting and worthwhile. Thankfully it has fewer visitors because of the 9km hike up, a deterrent for most. From there on, one can trek though Indrahaar pass to multiple destinations.

Planning (minimal planning)

For company I called on my friend “D”.D had not been keeping well and sounded quite pessimistic about the whole thing. That changed when I made him see some pictures of Triund on somebody’s flickr account. He then concluded that such a trip would not only make him feel better, but cure him of his fever and all his sins. lol

Less time meant that this was to be a weekend trip. It had to be done within the weekend. So the plan was to drive to Mcleod ganj Friday to Saturday overnight, Hike up to Triund the next day, camp for the night, hike back to McLeod, spend a night and return to Delhi on Sunday.

Giddy up!

Friday, March 5, 2010.

Initial Destination: Mcleod ganj.

To avoid traffic, we started from Delhi after midnight around 1am. The drive was smooth and uneventful except for a wrong turn somewhere after Ghaghas which costed us an extra 15 minutes.

At sunrise, we were on the NH88 somewhere after Nadaun. we had our first glimpse of the hills and realized how beautiful this part of the country was. Lush green fields with the stunning Dhauladars as backdrop.

Weekend trips can be a lot of fun. For me, it’s the little things. The thoughts that gather up when i look outside the window and see mountains and rivers go by. Those few moments of self introspection. The joy of sipping hot tea at a roadside dhaba, on some lone highway. The little things make a big difference.

A little after 12pm, we were at Mcleod ganj . The route taken was
Delhi > Chandigarh > Kiratpur > Ghaghas > Hamirpur > Dharmsala > Mcleod ganj.

At Mcleod ganj, we had breakfast and parked the car at the main parking lot.

Straight away got down to business, asked for directions and at quarter to one we were on our way to Triund.

A few minutes of walking, and we suddenly realize that we are carrying excess weight. Sleeping bags, tent, quilts, some cooking utensils, drinks and food. None of those items could be left behind (wrong!). It dawned on us that we would need to carry almost 16 kilos for the next 10 kms on this steep path! We are not great planners.

Add to that, D started complaining of headache and dizziness. We decided to stop for a while and improvise.

Meanwhile, some people returning from triund crossed us, they had more good news for us. Heavy rain at Triund! The entire path is wet and slippery.

My optimism was fading.

D took medicine and gulped liters of water in one go. He was back on his feet to start again and refused to rest any more. His eyes told an entirely different story.

To reach before sunset, we would now need to speed things up a bit..

More to come..

Photographs
The quality of the pictures may differ. both cameras (Nikon d60 and Sony DSC w190) I carried were mostly tucked inside because of rain. Some pictures are shot from phone cameras.

First light

Dhauladars in the background

The drive

Pano

Green to the eyes

Green to the eyes

Mcleod Ganj melody

Sluggish progress

Where no Auto has gone before!

COUGAR · 13th August 2010, 05:23

fantastic photos mate! zimbly awesom!

sudev · 13th August 2010, 06:04

I wonder where that auto was coming from?

Nice start.

noidea · 13th August 2010, 06:33

Great photographs, especially the one in which the auto is coming down a trekking trail aptly named 'where no auto has gone before'. waiting to hear if D got cured of his sins lol

Joy · 13th August 2010, 10:54

Great greenery and pics, especially the last one of the auto. Waiting for more.

ranjith.rajaram · 13th August 2010, 12:05

Lush Greenery I am loving it, Dhauladars in background looks great, looking for more photos mate.

Wanderer78 · 13th August 2010, 12:09

Great Photos...Specially the auto. Wonder where he was coming from !!

whitesquall · 13th August 2010, 12:11

Your photo #2 is my wallpaper now! Lovely! Waiting for some more pictures!

v&v · 13th August 2010, 12:39

Nice photos, I liked the Pano. I also did Mcleod Ganj in Jan. Beautiful place for vacation.

hridayjyoti · 13th August 2010, 12:51

Nice start Slice!
I trekked Triund on 2009 New year eve. Spend the 31st Dec night at Triund top at sub zero! Did you went up to Lahesh Cave? Mcleodganj and Triund both worth a visit for at least once.

Nutty Nair · 13th August 2010, 12:55

That's some beautiful photos you have clicked. Liked the Pano & the Auto photo very much. Also very true what you said about the weekend trips - it is the small small things which last in our memory for a long time. Waiting for the next instalment.

sami316 · 13th August 2010, 15:00

Wow,

Good to see the lush greens enroute. Waiting fore more pics mate.

Sli_ce · 13th August 2010, 19:46

Quote:

Originally Posted by COUGAR

fantastic photos mate! zimbly awesom!

Thanks Mate!

Quote:

Originally Posted by noidea

Great photographs, especially the one in which the auto is coming down a trekking trail aptly named 'where no auto has gone before'. waiting to hear if D got cured of his sins lol

Thanks buddy!

Quote:

Originally Posted by ranjith.rajaram

Lush Greenery I am loving it, Dhauladars in background looks great, looking for more photos mate.

Thanks ranjith! will be posting more soon.

Quote:

Originally Posted by whitesquall

Your photo #2 is my wallpaper now! Lovely! Waiting for some more pictures!

Thank you whitesquall! glad you like the photo.

Quote:

Originally Posted by v&v

Nice photos, I liked the Pano. I also did Mcleod Ganj in Jan. Beautiful place for vacation.

Indeed it is. thanks buddy!

Quote:

Originally Posted by hridayjyoti

Nice start Slice!
I trekked Triund on 2009 New year eve. Spend the 31st Dec night at Triund top at sub zero! Did you went up to Lahesh Cave? Mcleodganj and Triund both worth a visit for at least once.

Thanks mate! Spending New years eve at Triund sounds fantastic! unfortunately i was short on time, so i could just go up to Triund and back.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nutty Nair

That's some beautiful photos you have clicked. Liked the Pano & the Auto photo very much. Also very true what you said about the weekend trips - it is the small small things which last in our memory for a long time. Waiting for the next instalment.

Thanks Nutty Nair! the next installment is on its way.

Quote:

Originally Posted by sami316

Wow,

Good to see the lush greens enroute. Waiting fore more pics mate.

Thanks sami316! will be posting more soon.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Joy

Great greenery and pics, especially the last one of the auto. Waiting for more.

Thanks joy!

Quote:

Originally Posted by sudev

I wonder where that auto was coming from?

Nice start.

Thanks sudev .the initial 2 kms of the hike is basically a kacha-rasta-dirt-track kinda road, so many people hire auto's, Maruti Omni's or 4wd vehicles. after that the path becomes really narrow and the only option is to walk.

Thanks for the comments. i will be posting more soon.

San Phrangmung · 13th August 2010, 20:17

Lovely pictures Slice. Lucky to be so close to the Himalayas. Hope to see more pictures from the journey soon.

hridayjyoti · 13th August 2010, 21:52

Hope I am not bothering anybody by putting a few pictures of mine from Triund Trek, 2008-09. My memory came afresh after reading this thread.

The last Sunset of 2008. It is one the most amazing sunset I ever witnessed.

31st Dec, 2008: it was cold, chilling moon light night at Triund.

The abandoned Guest house on the way to Lahesh Cave, destructed by glacial flow.

The first Sunset of 2009, Mecleodganj.

Cheers!

13th August 2010, 03:44	#1
Sli_ce BHPian Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: New Delhi Posts: 56 Thanked: 2 Times View My Garage	A walk in the clouds This travelogue came into picture when I recently decided to pen down some moments and memorable experiences. But I must say writing it was not my cup of tea, and so I ask you to please bear with my artless effort. Rewind Back In 2009, I was lucky enough to go on a few moderately difficult treks including Beas Kund and Shrikhand Mahadev. From then on, the urge to explore nature on foot kept growing on me. Destination? March 2010 I desperately needed get away for a short trip. The criteria’s were carefully thought of - a secluded destination, less of driving and more of walking, some snow if possible. Not a lot of places close to Delhi offer all that. A lot of reading and (re)search done, I finalized on Triund. Triund, the little oasis with some mind blowing views of the Dhauladar range and stunning vistas enroute. The hike upto Triund does not qualify to be termed as a “trek” but is nevertheless exciting and worthwhile. Thankfully it has fewer visitors because of the 9km hike up, a deterrent for most. From there on, one can trek though Indrahaar pass to multiple destinations. Planning (minimal planning) For company I called on my friend “D”.D had not been keeping well and sounded quite pessimistic about the whole thing. That changed when I made him see some pictures of Triund on somebody’s flickr account. He then concluded that such a trip would not only make him feel better, but cure him of his fever and all his sins. lol Less time meant that this was to be a weekend trip. It had to be done within the weekend. So the plan was to drive to Mcleod ganj Friday to Saturday overnight, Hike up to Triund the next day, camp for the night, hike back to McLeod, spend a night and return to Delhi on Sunday. Giddy up! Friday, March 5, 2010. Initial Destination: Mcleod ganj. To avoid traffic, we started from Delhi after midnight around 1am. The drive was smooth and uneventful except for a wrong turn somewhere after Ghaghas which costed us an extra 15 minutes. At sunrise, we were on the NH88 somewhere after Nadaun. we had our first glimpse of the hills and realized how beautiful this part of the country was. Lush green fields with the stunning Dhauladars as backdrop. Weekend trips can be a lot of fun. For me, it’s the little things. The thoughts that gather up when i look outside the window and see mountains and rivers go by. Those few moments of self introspection. The joy of sipping hot tea at a roadside dhaba, on some lone highway. The little things make a big difference. A little after 12pm, we were at Mcleod ganj . The route taken was Delhi > Chandigarh > Kiratpur > Ghaghas > Hamirpur > Dharmsala > Mcleod ganj. At Mcleod ganj, we had breakfast and parked the car at the main parking lot. Straight away got down to business, asked for directions and at quarter to one we were on our way to Triund. A few minutes of walking, and we suddenly realize that we are carrying excess weight. Sleeping bags, tent, quilts, some cooking utensils, drinks and food. None of those items could be left behind (wrong!). It dawned on us that we would need to carry almost 16 kilos for the next 10 kms on this steep path! We are not great planners. Add to that, D started complaining of headache and dizziness. We decided to stop for a while and improvise. Meanwhile, some people returning from triund crossed us, they had more good news for us. Heavy rain at Triund! The entire path is wet and slippery. My optimism was fading. D took medicine and gulped liters of water in one go. He was back on his feet to start again and refused to rest any more. His eyes told an entirely different story. To reach before sunset, we would now need to speed things up a bit.. More to come.. Photographs The quality of the pictures may differ. both cameras (Nikon d60 and Sony DSC w190) I carried were mostly tucked inside because of rain. Some pictures are shot from phone cameras. First light Dhauladars in the background The drive Pano Green to the eyes Green to the eyes Mcleod Ganj melody Sluggish progress Where no Auto has gone before! Last edited by Sli_ce : 13th August 2010 at 04:01.
	() Thanks

13th August 2010, 06:04	#3
sudev Distinguished - BHPian Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Gurgaon Posts: 3,838 Thanked: 3,179 Times	I wonder where that auto was coming from? Nice start.
	() Thanks

13th August 2010, 06:33	#4
noidea BHPian Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Kolkata Posts: 146 Thanked: 89 Times	Great photographs, especially the one in which the auto is coming down a trekking trail aptly named 'where no auto has gone before'. waiting to hear if D got cured of his sins lol
	() Thanks

13th August 2010, 10:54	#5
Joy BHPian Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Kolkata Posts: 305 Thanked: 25 Times	Great greenery and pics, especially the last one of the auto. Waiting for more.
	() Thanks

13th August 2010, 12:05	#6
ranjith.rajaram BHPian Join Date: May 2008 Location: Pune >> Bangalore Posts: 356 Thanked: 9 Times View My Garage	Lush Greenery I am loving it, Dhauladars in background looks great, looking for more photos mate.
	() Thanks

13th August 2010, 05:23	#2
COUGAR BHPian Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Delhi Posts: 548 Thanked: 94 Times View My Garage	fantastic photos mate! zimbly awesom!
	() Thanks

13th August 2010, 12:09	#7
Wanderer78 BHPian Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Bangalore Posts: 98 Thanked: 48 Times View My Garage	Great Photos...Specially the auto. Wonder where he was coming from !!
	() Thanks

13th August 2010, 12:11	#8
whitesquall BHPian Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Bangalore/Gulbarga Posts: 167 Thanked: 34 Times	Your photo #2 is my wallpaper now! Lovely! Waiting for some more pictures! Last edited by whitesquall : 13th August 2010 at 12:16.
	() Thanks

13th August 2010, 12:39	#9
v&v Senior - BHPian Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Delhi Posts: 1,545 Thanked: 1,205 Times View My Garage	Nice photos, I liked the Pano. I also did Mcleod Ganj in Jan. Beautiful place for vacation.
	() Thanks

13th August 2010, 12:51	#10
hridayjyoti BHPian Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Gurgaon Posts: 139 Thanked: 171 Times	Nice start Slice! I trekked Triund on 2009 New year eve. Spend the 31st Dec night at Triund top at sub zero! Did you went up to Lahesh Cave? Mcleodganj and Triund both worth a visit for at least once.
	() Thanks

13th August 2010, 12:55	#11
Nutty Nair BHPian Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Trivandrum, Kerala Posts: 284 Thanked: 39 Times View My Garage	That's some beautiful photos you have clicked. Liked the Pano & the Auto photo very much. Also very true what you said about the weekend trips - it is the small small things which last in our memory for a long time. Waiting for the next instalment.
	() Thanks

13th August 2010, 15:00	#12
sami316 BHPian Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Bangalore Posts: 484 Thanked: 45 Times View My Garage	Wow, Good to see the lush greens enroute. Waiting fore more pics mate.
	() Thanks

13th August 2010, 20:17	#14
San Phrangmung BHPian Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Guwahati Posts: 599 Thanked: 139 Times	Lovely pictures Slice. Lucky to be so close to the Himalayas. Hope to see more pictures from the journey soon.
	() Thanks

13th August 2010, 21:52	#15
hridayjyoti BHPian Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Gurgaon Posts: 139 Thanked: 171 Times	Back to memory lane! Hope I am not bothering anybody by putting a few pictures of mine from Triund Trek, 2008-09. My memory came afresh after reading this thread. The last Sunset of 2008. It is one the most amazing sunset I ever witnessed. 31st Dec, 2008: it was cold, chilling moon light night at Triund. The abandoned Guest house on the way to Lahesh Cave, destructed by glacial flow. The first Sunset of 2009, Mecleodganj. Cheers!
	(1) Thanks