On this trip, we traveled from Delhi-Tosh-Kutla-Kasol-Manali-Delhi. The group consisted of 4 people.
We started our journey from Delhi to enjoy the New Year. What laid ahead was completely unexpected as we had planned little and that kept the whole journey full of excitement.
We left Delhi on 28th December which was the coldest day recorded this year and that was just an indication of what was ahead. We took Volvo Bus from Delhi to Bhuntar for our journey in the Parvati Valley.
The bus journey was as usual but around 1 am at the night, we were around the outskirts of Chandigarh and then the weather truly showed its colours. It was so heavy fog and smog that it turned almost to zero visibility. Our bus driver though expert was tense too. We were driving slow and the highways were empty. Everyone in the bus was awake and their eyes stuck to the windshield where they weren't able to see a thing. This went on for a few minutes, everyone on the bus was buzzing about their decision to travel in this time of the year, questioning the trip at the start itself and then Bam...!!!
We struck a circle at the four-way crossing, impact not that hard but enough to make few people fell from their seats. The right bumper of the bus was gone, few cars too were taken down at the very spot before us.
The rest of the journey was as usual but people still remained awake with their eyes stuck to the road.
As the sun came up the horizon, the beautiful mountains were surrounding us. The day was getting brighter and the temperature was pleasant. We took our next bus for Tosh from Bhuntar.
After 3-4 hours of traveling we reached Tosh, a village almost at the end of the Parvati Valley with beautiful landscapes. We took some rest at our beautifully situated Hotel, Third Eye Tosh.
Situated at a good altitude, Tosh turns out to be an excellent place for travelers, trekkers and party animals. We jumped to visit local places to eat, shop and explore. Boom Shiva Cafe turned out to be our first stop to eat. As the sun was now slowly hiding behind the mountains, the weather changed from pleasant to cold within seconds and a gush of cold breeze was flowing. The cafe was excellent, hippy, full of life but the food was pretty dull compared to the prices.
The next stop was a small waterfall near our hotel. While hiking towards the waterfall, there was a sight I could never forget. I always like to sit in a place which is the last point and has nothing beyond it but a valley. Oh boy, I just found another I said to myself.
It was getting dark but the waterfall was near and you cannot miss a waterfall in the mountains. The waterfall was small but the provided a breathtaking view. It is the place to be if you are in Tosh, watching the sunset with your gang.
FYI: The best day of the Trip
The next day we woke up early, visited the waterfall again to enjoy the sunrise and with it some hot tea and Maggie ( Its a ritual to eat maggie if you are in a hill station). The plan was to visit local off-beat places and market but we were provided an even better opportunity about which was totally unexpected but the best thing happened on the trip. Our third Eye owner who also has a property in Kutla (40-60 mins hike upward from Tosh) which is called Mysterious Kutla suggested going there for a day if we want to. I knew about the place as when I was searching this was the place to be but due to too much hiking we canceled it in the first place. My jaw dropped as the owner told us about it....Nd instantly we were up for it. Snow, camps, wilderness you name it and this place had it all.
We started hiking in the afternoon for Kutla and the hike was even more thrilling. It was 30 December, snowfall was nearby the corner but the sun with its full blaze was melting the snow which made the hike difficult. After a few falls, curse and stops we reached the property and the view just blew my mind. The property was the last one and the topmost in Kutla, making it a little isolated and provided a feeling of you in the wilderness.
After the hike we all were tired but it all vanished when Tenzing (The guy who helped us to reach) made Pakodas with chatni and also set up a bonfire. After that we spent our evenings singing along, listening to stories and a little dancing around the fire place. The hospitality from the staff was beyond expectation and this was more like a bonding drill then just you staying there. The place also had a stream nearby the cottages.
I have never done camping in my life and that was one of the things in my bucket list. kutla provided that camping on a altitude as high as around 9000ft, temperatures around -10 during nights and a beautiful view in the front. I couldn't have asked for more.
The place was fully packed and even they were not expecting this. There were people from Gujarat, Bengal and Hyderabad. When it comes to food, Mysterious Kutla can even beat a 5 star hotel. There are no options, you gotta eat what they cook. That terrified a few but they promised us it would be an excellent meal and boy oh boy, it turned out to be the best meal of the trip. The food didn't contain much variety but the authenticity and the ingredients played their part. The Dal-Makhani, mix veg with roti, rice and homegrown vegetable salad is the best thing you can get. The night ends with some star gazing and some more stories by this entertaining guy called Punditji urf Punnet.
There were stories that the last group which came to Kutla ran away from their fireplace to camps as they saw something nearby. It was around 3am in the morning, there is some activity by the camp and I could hear the dogs barking and running fastly. The story was fresh in my mind but still, I went out of the camp and saw 3 dogs fighting but nothing harmful. We were told the sky gazing time was around 3am and luckily I was up for it due to dog fight. The sky was perfectly clear and the stars did come out as promised.
The morning brought a new surprise. We didn't fully experience the awesomeness of the place and when the sun came up then we realized how beautiful this place is. As told, if you cross the mountain behind, there is nothing between you and the Spiti valley, only the mountains.
The morning was chilly and it took some courage to wash your face and even go to the toilet. However, somethings are indispensable. After that, we plucked out our own breakfast salad from the ground, washed them and ate them. Apart from this, freshly grown green apple and Parathas with local ingredients chatni made from groundnut and coriander.
(Disclaimer: You would kill for this food)
After breakfast, we were coming to the point where we had to move ahead but the heart was still there. Eventually, we departed for the journey ahead but before that, we had to go downhill on melting snow on a day where the sun was up and snow was melting. The downhill hike was easy at the start but it turned into a difficult hike as the snow was melting and our gear was not up to the mark. After a few falls here and there we made it to Tosh, took our whole luggage and took a cab for Kasol for New Year Party.
The rest of the journey will be continued in the second part...!!!
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