The mountains are calling! - My first hand experience of a Himalayan Trek.

Hi I am Mithila. An Interior designer, a photography enthusiast, a runner, hiker and an avid traveler. Although I have done a few easy treks in my life in the western ghats, exploring the Himalayas is way more different and demanding, which I found out on my first Himalayan trek.
Travel is something that enriches my soul. It gives me immense happiness and peace of mind. And if it's the mountains, nothing like it. Especially the snow clad Himalayas. I can feel them calling out to me, and I have to go visit them when that happens. 

The beautiful mountain range view that accompanied us on our entire trek

Various times in the past, I had thought of doing a Himalayan Trek sometime in life. Was not aiming for the Everest but I knew there are certain easy and moderate level treks that people with a basic fitness can do. Finally got around doing one this year and it has been the most exhilarating experience I have ever had. 

So one day I decide on going for a trek experience with my sister (let's call her M). She is also as crazy about travel as I am so we make good companions. The husband was not taken along for a reason. I wanted to try this on my own and know my capabilities, my strengths and weaknesses. Husbands always pamper you and as much as I would have loved to have him along, I wanted this one to be a more 'on my own' experience. I wanted my life's 30th year to be special. So we decided on a moderate level trek called the Bhrigu Lake trek, with base as Manali.

Me posing near Manalsu River

M, with the backdrop of the river, the forest and the mountains

Flew down to Chandigarh from Bangalore, met M there and together we took a bus to Manali. We preferred the state transport bus instead of the private ones. Cheaper tickets and safer on those hilly roads. Manali is Base for many adventurous trips and treks and a famous tourist spot on its own. Owing to the summers in May, it was extremely crowded with trekkers, tourists, travellers from all over the country and outside the country as well. Mid May marks the opening of a lot of highways via Manali as well which lead to Spiti, Leh, etc. And a lot of trekking routes, making it an extremely inviting time to visit. 

M posing in the backdrop of our hostel. Beautiful rose
climbers can be spotted everywhere in Manali.

One of my favorites. Don't miss the Pizza
and the Tiramisu

M and me had decided to live off basics (and away from the touristy crowd) so we decided to stay at a hostel instead of hotels. Old Manali is full these decent, humble, friendly hostels. Zostel would have been the best but it was full so on a friend's advice, we stayed at Born Free Cafe and Hostel. Cool people, cool place, weekend evenings had live music. Good food, decent dorms and rooms. And the best part was, the lovely cafes along the Manalsu river all in walking distance. My favorites were The Lazy Dog Cafe and Cafe 1947. Amazing F&B, great service, interesting ambiance and the sound of the river flowing by.

Three days we hiked around Manali, hogged on all kind of food and enjoyed the chilly weather. The evening rains made us vary of would it rain on the trek as well, but we didn't pay much attention to it and just left it to fate. 

What would be lovlier than this beautiful set up for dining while
the river flows by below. Best cafe in old Manali. The lazy dog cafe.

Now as fate had it, we had booked our trek through Adventure Nation who claim to be such a big company organizing all kinds of treks, but ended up screwing our experience. When we arrived at the Base Camp in Rumsu (named Kailash Rath), we were told that the group we were supposed to trek with, had already left for starting the trek. When we inquired about how that could be as the first day was supposed to be orientation and acclimatization, we were informed that we were supposed to reach a day before. A wrong itinerary and miscommunication on the phone, led to this and we didn't know what to do. The organizers at Kailash Rath quickly arranged for transport, packed lunch and a guide for us so that we could start our trek the same day and hopefully catch up with the group. But we were supposed to carry our own backpacks (contrary to the promised horses to carry loads by Adventure Nation).
Anyway we didn't have a choice so we put our trust in these people and just left with them. The traffic on the Manali-Leh Highway was bad and took us some time to reach the check post point. And because of this emergency arrangement, our car didn't have permit to go ahead so we had to start the trek from a much lower point than the actual start point (which was Gulaba Base Camp - 10370 ft. Altitude). So M, the guide and me started on our climb (at least 2 kms more than what the rest of the group climbed) on this extremely steep mountain, bags on our shoulders, caps and sun glasses on we felt prepared. The start was bad. It was noon and the sun was showing no mercy. My lungs felt the lack of enough oxygen and my heart was jumping up and down. At one point I thought, this isn't going to happen, I am not going to be able to do this. But M pushed me, encouraged me and supported me. It was just a start, maybe I will get used to it in some time. I looked around at the mountains and they told me to keep going as well. They looked so beautiful and inviting, I thought to myself, this is what I came here for. Let's do this. So we kept climbing, taking in the beauty around us, breathing deep, 8 kgs. of backpacks on our shoulders, (which even consisted of my Canon 1200D DSLR and lens kit, which I am so glad to have carried up there!) stopping in between when we were out of breath and then climbing again. 

The guide, Ajay, kept coaxing us into climbing faster, kept guiding us on how to breathe, how to step, to keep sipping water, kept pushing us, encouraging us because giving up was not an option. One look at the sky and he knew it might start pouring later in the evening. Everytime we tried to rest, he wouldn't let us, warning us about the rains that we may encounter if we don't reach on time. At first we didn't take him seriously. But then, the unexpected happened! 

View from the tent!

All was going good and we reached a point with quite a few camps. We assumed that ours should be close by as well. Such a relief it was! But nature had planned a surprise for us. There was no sign of the Base Camp but we kept climbing, and at one point Ajay said, it's going to rain, and we should wear our jackets/ponchos. It poured! Not just rain, it was a hailstorm! Small pearl-sized hailstones started hitting us hard, making us numb, but the only way out was to keep moving. Hands and face were freezing, moving was becoming difficult and we told Ajay, we were not sure for how long we can survive this! My mind was full of the scariest imaginations any human would have in such a circumstance. As if reading my mind, Ajay ran! He went so up ahead, we couldn't see him anymore and for a few minutes M and me thought he abandoned us there! Thankfully the hailstorm had stopped by now and we could see little clearly. That's when I saw a figure running towards us. And this figure was not carrying any baggage. And we see one more figure behind him. Ajay had run to the camp, and brought help for us! We were going to survive yaay! :-D 

First dawn at the camp site. It was Coooollld!!

Seeing the tents, the hot chai served with pakodas was almost heavenly that day. So was the warm insulated sleeping bag. Here we had already reached an altitude of about 12500 ft. Ajay and the other members of the Kailash Rath team tried to make us as comfortable as possible. A nap in the warmth of the tents and sleeping bags and we felt better already. Hot dinner was served at 8pm and that's when we got to interact with the rest of the group. They heard our ordeal with the hailstorm and were shocked to see us happily telling all about it 😁. The group consisted of 4 ladies from Bombay (age 47 years) 4 guys from Raipur (age 18 years) daughter of one of the ladies, one navy officer from Jammu and a young guy and his sister from Kerala. Such a varied group and all so enthusiastic. As the temperature began to drop and we all started to shiver, it was time to crawl into our sleeping bags but not before we enjoyed a starry night sky, it looked like we were on another planet.

This girl never tires of posing. On the way to Bhrigu Lake.

Next morning we experienced an early sunrise, the sky was clear and as per the guides, we stood a good chance of reaching Bhrigu lake today. After some struggle with using the toilet and trying to brush our teeth using extremely cold water, hot tea and breakfast was served. Once all of us were done with it, we were instructed on carrying minimal luggage (packed lunch, cameras if any, dry fruits if any and a water bottle) and wearing gloves, sunglasses and warm clothes. Armed with trekking poles we looked at the steep snow clad peaks that we were supposed to climb. Excited and scared at the same time, we started with the guides. 

The cool group! Half way through the trek. The guy in blue jacket
is Ajay.

The first peak was the toughest, and most of us needed atleast 4-5 attempts to reach the top. It was so steep, people kept slipping and sliding down taking the ones behind them along. It didn't hurt anyone but all the effort of the last 15-20 mins would go waste and you would have to start again. Some did give up here itself, and at one point I did too (after slipping down the third time) but M (who had already reached the top) the young chaps of the group and Ajay didn't let me. They pushed me and helped me climb and I am forever thankful to all of them. 

Bhrigu lake 14107 feet Altitude though my lens

The rest of the trek was not as steep and walking in a single line helped. We stopped at a point where the view was breathtaking and took some group pictures. And ahead we went. We realized how important sunglasses were, because snow was reflecting the sun rays back at us creating a strong glare for the eyes. So was sipping water as the dry climate dehydrates you. Just before reaching the summit, we took a lunch break. Bhrigu Lake being a holy place for the locals, eating there or doing anything that may lead to filth and garbage, is not allowed. Eager to see the lake, we barely ate anything. 

Overjoyed for reaching here! yaay

As we climbed ahead, the lake came into view. It was more beautiful than all the pictures on the internet. Being May end, most of it was still frozen. Reaching there and almost touching the lake water felt like life's biggest achievement. At the altitude of 14107 ft. the exhilarating views around us and the feeling of reaching the summit, overwhelmed us. Like every other minute, I really missed the husband here. I wanted him to be here and experience what I experienced. M and me thoroughly enjoyed our moment of glory and achievement with lots of pictures and gazing at the beauty around us. Alas! It was time to go back. All the effort had paid back. 

The biggest achievement of life kinda experience

I don't wanna go back!

Going back was kind of fun. On most slopes, the guides helped us find a safe spot to slide down from and all we had to do was just slide on the soft snow. The basic technique was instructed and if you followed that, it was a fun thing to do! Ajay and the other guide helped us get back to our tents safely, in time, before any bad weather could hit us. We came back cold and were treated with hot chai and pakodas again! But the guides saw rains coming our way and advised us to stay in our tents. Changed into warmer clothes and tummy full, we all were instructed to sleep off after an early dinner (which even included a yummy kheer along with a balanced meal) and we didn't mind that. We had had quite an eventful day and our bodies needed the rest. The next day was our day of return and we needed the energy and stamina again. 

Ready to go!

View on our descend

Sunrise! and we were up and ready for our descend. Happy for the biggest achievement of my life and sad to be going back to the city life. With mixed emotions, we started our descend. Crossing over frozen ice forming extremely slippery surfaces and water cascades formed out of melting snow, we reached the green patches again. Met some people on their way up and wished them luck for what they were going to experience. Chatting up with some of the people in the group, taking pictures on the way and we had already reached the highway. It was time to say goodbye to the wonderful people we shared this amazing experience with and to the beautiful mountains. It was time to go back home. But before that it was time to call up family to tell them we were back in one piece 😂

The girl gang of the group!

This adventure wasn't just a test of our physical capacities. It was also a way to measure our mental and emotional capabilities. The journey back home was not an easy one. So we were back with sore limbs, burnt skin and a heavy heart, with stories to tell to friends and family and to our future grand-kids too 😂 With an experience of a lifetime. 

Adios! till another adventure happens.


Hope you enjoyed reading this. If you are planning to do a trek in the Himalayas too there are some tips I would like to share for first timers -

• Reach the base early. Get acclimatized with the weather and low oxygen before you start. It will help you avoid any sickness because of altitude and low oxygen levels. But do keep Diamox handy anyway.
• Once you start climbing, let your body get used to the temperature, the low oxygen levels and the weight on your shoulders. Trust me, give it some time and you will start feeling better. The bag will become a part of your body.
• Keep moving. If you want to take a break, don't sit. Stand with your legs apart, bend down and breathe deep. It helps bring your pulse normal quickly and makes you ready to climb again
• Keep sipping water. Keep the bottle handy enough so that you don't need to stop to get it.
• Don't forget your sunglasses, gloves, warmers, woolen caps. A good sunscreen and Vaseline will help too.
• Pack your stuff wisely. Carry enough so that you don't fall short of warm clothes on the last day, but not too much to be extremely heavy on your back.
• Be prepared for basic arrangements up on the hills. It's a trek, not a leisure trip. There is a chance you might not be comfortable with the toilet arrangements, the simple food, the washing of your plate in which you eat after every meal with ice cold water, the sharing of tents with complete strangers. Don't complain. You chose to go there. Nobody forced you to. 
• Listen to the guides. They are trained mountaineers and locals. They have climbed these mountains several times and forecast the weather by looking at the sky. Put your trust in them for once and see the difference.
• Last but not the least, never give up! If at any point you think this is not what you thought you signed up for, think of all the things you will have to tell once you go back. Think of the friends and family who are waiting for you to be back and tell them all about it 😇

PS - Thank you Canon for such user friendly cameras and awesome lenses that helped me capture some of my adventure experiences so well.