Scaling new heights - Trek to Bhabha Pass

Tripoto
27th Jun 2014
Photo of Scaling new heights - Trek to Bhabha Pass 1/19 by Sayantani Maiti
delhi station - all of us.
Photo of Scaling new heights - Trek to Bhabha Pass 2/19 by Sayantani Maiti
kafnu to mulling - river crossing
Photo of Scaling new heights - Trek to Bhabha Pass 3/19 by Sayantani Maiti
first taste of himalayan snow
Photo of Scaling new heights - Trek to Bhabha Pass 4/19 by Sayantani Maiti
phustirang
Photo of Scaling new heights - Trek to Bhabha Pass 5/19 by Sayantani Maiti
nature in its ruthless form
Photo of Scaling new heights - Trek to Bhabha Pass 6/19 by Sayantani Maiti
mulling
Photo of Scaling new heights - Trek to Bhabha Pass 7/19 by Sayantani Maiti
Photo of Scaling new heights - Trek to Bhabha Pass 8/19 by Sayantani Maiti
How to survive the himalyan rains without raincoat
Photo of Scaling new heights - Trek to Bhabha Pass 9/19 by Sayantani Maiti
fierce waters. 2 degrees cold.
Photo of Scaling new heights - Trek to Bhabha Pass 10/19 by Sayantani Maiti
short break times.
Photo of Scaling new heights - Trek to Bhabha Pass 11/19 by Sayantani Maiti
on the way to bhabha pass
Photo of Scaling new heights - Trek to Bhabha Pass 12/19 by Sayantani Maiti
on the way to phustirang
Photo of Scaling new heights - Trek to Bhabha Pass 13/19 by Sayantani Maiti
white ness
Photo of Scaling new heights - Trek to Bhabha Pass 14/19 by Sayantani Maiti
mulling flora
Photo of Scaling new heights - Trek to Bhabha Pass 15/19 by Sayantani Maiti
to spiti
Photo of Scaling new heights - Trek to Bhabha Pass 16/19 by Sayantani Maiti
joyyy !!
Photo of Scaling new heights - Trek to Bhabha Pass 17/19 by Sayantani Maiti
BHABHA PASS. Nailed it !
Photo of Scaling new heights - Trek to Bhabha Pass 18/19 by Sayantani Maiti
chandra dhaba
Photo of Scaling new heights - Trek to Bhabha Pass 19/19 by Sayantani Maiti

This amazing moderately difficult trek to Pin Bhabha pass connects the Kinnaur and Spiti valley in Himachal. It was a well planned 10 day trip with 5 days of vigorous trek. As we were reaching Kafnu from Shimla , we started sensing the temperature dip. But the long 10 hour drive gave us ample time to acclaimatize. Our camp at Kafnu could be called a near replica of Chandratal. With the starry sky above us , and the hills behind us, most of our evening time was spent in star gazing and talking about the next 5 days. Our first trek was to ascent 400 metres to Mulling at 3100m. It took us some stern instructions from our guides, proclaiming our new found 3rd legs i.e. dandas , some 2 hours of incessant rains and 8 hours to reach Mulling. The first sight of it leaves you in awe. Just how picturesque a frame can get, Mulling was a live example of . The evening was spent in relaxing and singing to the tunes of old melodies , one habit we all had imbibed since it would keep us warm and jolly. Otherwise the cold could get us all glum. The next morning we started around 7 30 am and we were to scale 4000m to Phustirang. We were also told that we had to cross a big river because of which we should have left at 6 30 am. That one hour delay later resulted in a good four hour delay in finally reaching Phustirang. On the way we crossed 3-4 streams and a big river, a few glaciers. There was a continuous consumption of energy and the lack of oxygen took all the life out of us. Glucose had had. Having left with no options, four of us had one Paratha with Alu ki sabji. Finally the sight of the tent was a relief. We were welcomed with hot cup of maggi , my new found soul mate. It took me a while for the whole scene to sink in. We slept by the glaciers, pee-ed by the glacier and we were going to scale the glacier the next day. After a sumptuous dinner we all wished good nights. Next morning we strictly left at 6 30 am and were told this was the most difficult trek of the whole itenary. We were going to climb from 4000m to 4850m , all of it steep and on the glacier and reach Bhabha Pass, and again descend back to 3900 m to Baldar and rest the night there on the campsite. Pretty geared up , we started. The first signs of it left us ecstatic having thought we have nailed it. Little to our knowledge, it still lay 2 hours away. And having reached there had fatigued me so much, I almost went ahead without realizing that This is it ! This was why I had trekked all the way ! But when I realized , I took a moment in that continuous snowfall. Gazed around . Snow , all snow. clouds beneath us. So beautiful.