There are children who are well focused in their life since childhood. Their future is shaped into doctors, engineers, MBA’s and the list continues. Being an average student, I certainly was not among the brightest minds of my class. Elders usually tell us to follow our passion and gradually I found mine in travelling and sharing my experiences.
Being a nature enthusiast and a travelling freak, I planned a trip with my friends. Our basic aim was maximum adventure without burning a hole in our pockets. So we planned a budget trip to Triund.
With thirteen of my friends, ready to leap into an adventurous trip, we planned on boarding an overnight local train to Pathankot. Leaving all those luxurious and comfortable AC coaches, we preferred travelling in non AC coaches with all the fun and frolic. The nature thoroughly blessed us with chilly winds and a starry night. It was a 12 hour journey and with all that boisterous laughter we did not realize how time managed to slip so quickly. At around 9 am in the morning, we reached Pathankot Junction. Pathankot surprised us with its scenic beauty. Lush green surroundings and military cantonment filled our drowsy eyes with excitement. This filled us with more zeal for our trip.
Pathankot is 90 km away from Mcleodganj. We booked a sixteen seater traveller and headed towards Mcleodganj. With all the excitement, we kept enjoying the paradisiacal views offered by the rugged mountains with greenery, ate at the roadside ‘dhabas’ and finally reached Mcleodganj. Due to traffic disruptions near Mcleodganj we had to abandon our traveller. The weather was so enchanting that we decided to trek 2 km from Mcleodganj to Dhamaramkot. Luscious deodars and pine trees with a tinge of sunlight and drizzling, painted a picturesque view of the nature. After an hour of trekking and exploring the place we finally checked into our hotel. Even though tired with all the travelling we couldn’t restrain ourselves from exploring the place. We were up and ready with all the enthusiasm to wander around Dharamkot. Few of us strolled through the local markets while others visited some known cafes. I went on a shopping spree and tried different cuisines offered by the cafes.
White tiger café and Krishna café offered the best Italian food in Dharamkot. Since the place is heavily visited by tourists from around the world, the food offered here was very dynamic.
Ranging from Indian food to Mexican food, some places offered Mediterranean and Italian food also. We visited the famous ‘Shiva Café’, situated on a hill top. It is famous for its old hippie tradition. Gradually it was getting darker and we all returned to the hotel for a sound sleep.
The next day we were woken up by our travel guide who was going to help us on our way to Triund. We finally started our trek. The first stop from our hotel was the Galu temple that was 3km away from our hotel. The temple is devoted to lord Shiva. The temple was situated in the scenic beauty of Dharamkot. From Galu temple we started our invigorating trek to Triund. The camping ground of Triund is 13km from Galu temple.
We started our exhilarating trek which was adorned by an awe-inspiring view of the mountains, magnificent trees and chilly winds at a height of 3000km above the sea level. Each and every view was worth capturing. At times we found ourselves walking through the clouds.
Rocky path, narrow lanes and scorching heat of the sun at some point made the trek a little more adventurous and exuberant. We completed our expedition within five hours. As soon as we reached the hill top we were awestruck by the view of snow clad Dauladhar Mountains. These mountains were clustered as if they were touching the skyline.
We rested for a while, captured the picturesque view and then went on to fix our camps for the night. We had our dinner, set a bonfire and started with some anecdotes. The late night view was very blissful. It was a starry night, away from the hustle and bustle of the crowded cities. It was so calm that we could hear the crickets chirp. The air was so fresh that with every breath we were rejuvenated. Finally we slept under the astral sky in our camps.
The next day we left for another difficult trek destined to Lahesh Cave. It was another 8 km from Triund. The path was narrower, rockier and slippery. We kept hiking towards our destination until we were blocked by heavy rainfall. We took shelter in a deserted shop. We kept ourselves engaged. After the halt when we reached Lahesh Cave we were mesmerized by the opulent view. It took us three hours to reach Lahesh Cave. We were on the snow clad mountains that we had seen from Triund. The complete mountain range was adorned with thick snow. We were admiring the glacier that was so beautifully melting into a river. It looked as if the glacier itself was welcoming the vibrant summer. It was quite cold but bearable. Birds chirping and cattle grazing was such a delightful sight that it kept compelling us to stay there forever. Our trek was complete here. Being there, in the lap of nature, was one of the best experiences of my life. We stayed there for some time enjoying nature’s gift to humanity.
It took us two hours to reach back to Triund. We were capturing each moment from this wonderful trek. We were awake till midnight, enjoying the cool breeze and natural aroma. We had our dinner, enjoyed ourselves with songs, clamorous laughter and gradually went to sleep.
We experienced the most idyllic sunrise, with herds of sheep walking up to us with their sweet bleating. The lush green grass, due to recent rain, added to the beauty of the area. It took us 2 hours to reach our hotel in Dharamkot. While descending back to our hotel we clicked a few photographs and then packed our bags to reach Mcleodganj. We spent some time in the local market cherishing the local art. I also visited the Dalai Lama monastery which has very well preserved his childhood memories. We took a local bus from Mcleodganj to the Pathankot Junction from where we boarded our train to Delhi.
It was an unforgettable trip. Being a travel enthusiast I experienced the best views that the nature could offer. Moreover any trip with friends is worth cherishing. Sometimes lying in my room I can still feel myself in the lap of nature.