HIMALAYA SARPASS TREK 2008
THE TREK WAS ORGANIZED BY YOUTH HOSTELS ASSOCIATION OF INDIA AND OUR BATCH WAS OF 58
PEOPLE WITH AGE GROUP RANGING FROM 15-40 YEARS.
SAR PASS IS AT 13800 FT AND IS PART OF THE SHIVALIK RANGES OF HIMALAYAS. OUR ENTIRE TREK WAS
AROUND THE VALLEY OF RIVER PARVATI. THE SAR VALLEY OVERLOOKS THE SCENIC PARVATI VALLEY
AND IS A PLACE FULL OF NATURAL BEAUTY WITH SNOW CLAD MOUNTAINS, PERENNIAL RIVULETS,
WATERFALLS, AND PICTURESQUE LUSH GREEN FORESTS. IT IS BECKONING FOR ANY SOUL THAT SEEKS
ADVENTURE AND SERENITY IN THE SAME BREATH.
TREK DETAILS :
 KASOL 14 KMS FROM KULLU
 UNCHDHAR MOTORABLE ROAD
 SHILA VILLAGE
 GUNA PANI
 FUALPANI AT 9500 FT
 JIRMI AT 11000 FT
 TITA LOTNI 12400
 SARPASS 13500
 BISKERI 11000
 BHANDAKTATCH
 KASOL
RIVER PARVATI FLOWING NEXT TO THE BASE CAMP , WALKING DOWN A LITTLE BIT THERE IS GARDEN
WHERE U CAN SPEND SOMETIME AND ALSO VENTURE IN THE RIVER , ITS QUIET SAFE PROVIDED U
DON’T GO DEEP AND SOMEONE IS WITH U .
RIVER PARVATI
AMIT LAUGHING … SOME JOKE
BUYING SOME SWEATERS AT A SHOP IN MANALLI ---
OUR PREVIOUS BATCH ON THEIR WAY TO TREK --
CAMP DOG HAD SOMETHING TO SAY – I
AM A GUIDE
OUR BASE CAMP FOR THE TREK WAS AT KASOL WHICH IS ABOUT 14 KMS FROM KULLU. KASOL IS AN
ISRAELI TOWN FOR ALL PRACTICAL PURPOSES. IT IS A HUB OF YOUNG JEWS SPENDING TIME IN INDIA.
AS A RESULT ONE SEES MANY RESTAURANTS WITH GREAT ISRAELI FOOD AND MANY ISRAELIS SMOKING
FOR THREE DAYS WE WERE AT THE BASE CAMP ACCLIMATIZING OURSELVES FOR THE TREK.
ACLIMATIZATION … NOT THE FINAL TREK …
HAPPY TO CARRY SOME LUGGAGE ON
BACK.
TIME FOR A BREAK AND GET SOME PICS
SMALLEST KID IN THE BLOCK RuTWICK KULKARNI 10TH STD
WE STARTED WITH A SMALL TREK ON DAY TWO FOR ACCLIMATIZATION AND RAPPELLING ON DAY
THREE.
LOCAL KIDS BUSY IN THEIR PLAY .. WONDERING WHAT THESE OUTSIDERS ARE
UPTO
CHILDREN PLAYING AT THE SLIDES
I WISHED HAD SOME CHOCOLATES FOR DISTRIBUTION , NEXT TIME IF YOU GO DO TAKE CARRY SOME
ALONG WITH YOU.
.
ANCIENT RAM SITA TEMPLE , AT MANIKARAN
MANKRAN IS A SMALL TOWN FROM BASE CAMP , BUSES AND TAXI’S ARE AVAILABLE BUT U CAN
BARGAIN WITH SOME TOURIST VEHICLES FOR NEARLY HALF THE USUSAL PRICE , IT SHLD NOT BE MORE
THEN 50 RS TO N FR O .
THERE IS A HUGE GURUDWARA AT THE MANIKARAN
THIS BOY WANTED HIS PIC TO BE
PRATIK AT MANIKARAN
TAKEN … SO SWEET
THIS IS A HOT SPRING NEAR THE TEMPLE , WHERE THERE IS USUAL PRACTISE OF PILGRIMS COOKING
RICE IN THE HOT SPRING , VERY SIMPLE TAKE A PIECE OF CLOTH PACK IT WITH RICE AND SUSPEND IT IN
THE TANK AND WOW AFTER SOME TIME ITS NICELY COOKED.
RAPELLING INSTRUCTOR BREIFING ALL …
TOO GOOD
MOHAN AMIT AND ME
MOHAN HAS SOME BERRIES WHICH I HAD
COLLECTED
MEMBERS DOING PRAYERS BEFORE FINALLY LEAVING FOR THE SARPASS TREK.
NEXT BATCH CLAPPING HANDS ENCOURAGING US
OUR ACTUAL TREK TO HIGHER CAMPS STARTED ON DAY FOUR WITH AN HOUR BUS RIDE FROM KASOL
TO UNCHDHAR AND THE BUS RIDE ON TOP OF THE BUS WAS EQUALLY EXCITING WITH CURVES. WE
STARTED OUR TREK FROM UNCHDHAR WITH OUR FIRST BREAK AT SHILA VILLAGE WHICH IS THE LAST
SIGN OF ANY CIVILIZATION ON THIS TREK.
PRATIK AT HIS BEST TAKING SNAPS
THIS BUS RIDE WAS SO EXCITING AND EQUALLY ADVENTUROUS , ONE SMALL MISTAKE AND WE ALL
WOULD FALL DEEP IN THE VALLEY …. BUT ASUSAL OUR PRAYERS DID WORK FOR US … I WOULD NEVER
FORGET THAT RIDE ON THE TOP OF THE BUS ….
MOHAN ALL CHARGED UP RIDING ON TOP
OUR GUIDE AT UNCHDHAR . HE WAS WAITING
FOR OUR ARRIVAL . PEOPLE IN THE VALLEY ARE QUIET SIMPLE .
SMALL WOODEN BRIDGES LIKE THE ONE ABOVE ARE REGULAR SITES ALL ALONG THE TREKS AND THESE
ARE PREITY STRONG ENOUGH , AND THEY ALSO HAVE SIDE RAILS SO THERE IS NO DANGER OF FALLING
IN THE RIVER.
THE CULPRIT
THE CURE BOTH AT SAME PLACE
THE PLANT ABOVE IS VERY DANGEROUS AND WHILE I WAS RESTING I PLUGGED ONE OF THE LEAVES
AND NEXT MOMENT I HAD SEVERE PAIN IN MY THUMB AS IF A HUNDRED NEEDLES WERE PRICKING IT
BUT THANKS TO THE CHILDREN THEY BOUGHT LEAVES OF SOME OTHER PLANT AS SHOWN IN RIGHT
PICTURE AND TOLD ME TO RUB IT AND NEXT MOMENT THE PAIN STARTED DECREASING AND WITHIN
FEW MINUTES IT WAS ALL GONE.
ONE SHOWN ABOVE IS ONE OF THE MANY MAKE SHIFT FOOD OUTLETS WHERE LOCALS
PREPARE SOME MAGGIE AND EGGS AND SELL BISCUITS , SOAPS AND OTHER ITEMS , SOME ALSO HAVE
ELECTRICAL POINTS WHERE U CAN RECHARGE YOUR CAMERA BATTERIES AND CELL PHONES. PLACES
LIKE THIS WOULD BRING SMILES ON OUTR FACES AND WE KNEW THAT TIME NOW FOR SOME
REFRESHMENTS AND TAKING REST.
SOME MEMBERS TRYING HANDS AT WHTEVR THEY FIND AT SMALL VILLAGES , HERE IS ONE TRYING TO
WEAVE SOME CLOTH ,
EVERYONE’S TRYING TO WASH THEIR TIFFINS AND SOME EVEN CRACKING
JOKES.
THE REST TIMES WERE SHORT AND WE NEEDED TO START ASAP ELSE WE SHALL BE LEFT BEHIND.
OUR FIRST HIGHER CAMP WAS AT GUNAPANI WHICH WE REACHED AFTER 4 HOURS OF TREKKING.
GUNA MEANS GROUND AND GUNA PANI IS A PLACE WHERE WATER IS SUPPOSED TO SEEP FROM THE
GROUND. CAMP IS IN A GRASSY FIELD AND IS SURROUNDED BY SNOW-CLAD PEAKS AND LOOKS LIKE
MOLTEN GOLD AT THE TIME OF SUNRISE AND SUNSET
THE WEATHER HERE CHANGES WITHIN A SPAN OF MINUTES , THE PICTURE ABOVE WAS TAKEN ONLY A
HOUR AGO THEN THE NEXT ONE , OUT OF NO WHERE THE CLOUDS BEGAN POURING IN AND IT TURNED
OUT TO BE A ONE ROMANTIC SPOT ONE WOULD EVER IMAGINE … WELL ITS UP TO U …
TIME TO RELAX … EARLY MORNING SUN
WHERE THERE ARE NO BRIDGES THIS IS HOW U CROSS THE RIVERLUTS ..
HOLDING EACH OTHERS HANDS
MY FIRST ENCOUNTER WITH THE SNOW , WHT YOU ARE SEEING IN THE BACK GROUND IS ACTUALLY
SNOW COVERED WITH DRY VEGETATION AND SOIL IN BROWN
LUNCH TIME : THE PRACTISE IS TO COLLECT THE FOOD IN OUR TIFFINS AS MUCH AS WE CAN AND
EAT DURING THE LUCH BREAK EACH ONE OF US WOULD CARRY A PARTICULAR ITEM IN THEIR TIFFINS
SO THAT’S NOTHING IS MIXED UP DURING OUR TRAVEL.
THE TREKKERS REACH THEIR NEXT CAMP FUAL PAANI (9,500 FT) AFTER TREKKING FOR ABOUT 5 KM.
FUAL MEANS SHEPHERD AND PAANI MEANS WATER.
PRATIK AND ME N CHILDREN AT ONE OF THE VILLAGES .
THESE TODDLERS WOULD SELL BUTTERMILK AND EVEN THE SMALLEST ONE WOULD CLIMB UP N
DOWN WITH EASE .
FROM FUALPANI WE LEFT TO OUR NEXT HIGHER ZIRMI AT 11000 FT ON DAY SIX. JIRMI WAS A
BEAUTIFUL CAMP.WE WERE SURROUNDED BY THE CLOUDS ONCE WE REACHED THE CAMP
WITH THE SNOW CLAD MOUNTAINS IN THE BACKGROUND.
FROM JIRMI WE LEFT FOR THE NEXT HIGHER CAMP TILA LOTNI ON DAY SEVEN WHCIH WAS
IN THE MIDST OF THE SNOW CALD MOUNTAINS AT 12500 FT. ENROUTE TO TILA LOTNI WE HAD
TO FACE HAILSTORMS WITH RAIN. TIAL LOTNI WAS KNOW FOR TIL PLANTATIONS BUT NOW
YOU CANT FIND ANY.
1 feet
AS WE WOULD NEAR OUR CAMP , THE POINT IS TO RUSH AS FAST AND POSSIBLE AND TRY TO GET IN
THE BEST POSSIBLE TENT AND RESERVE OUR PLACE , TENTS WOULD BE USUSALLY CRAMPED AND ON
UNVEVEN GROUND , IF U A GET A RIGHT TENT AND RIGHT PLACE INSIDE CONSIDER URSELF LUCKY.
EARLY MORNING TEA TIME
ANOTHER SIGHT OF A CRAMPED TENT , AS U CAN SEE SOMETIMES WE DO GET
SIGNAL RIGHT ON TOP – AMIT MAKING CALLS TO ???
ON MY WAY TO SARPASS … COUNTDOWN BEGINS
FROM TILA LOTNI WE STARTED OUR TREK TO SAR PASS. WE STARTED AT 6.00 IN THE MORNING
SINCE WE HAD TO CROSS SAR PASS BEFORE THE SUN RISES COZ IT BECOMES VERY SLIPPERY TO WALK
ON THE SNOW ONCE THE SUN SHINES. IT WAS SNOWING HEAVILY WHILE CROSSING SAR PASS AND THE
TEMPRATURE WAS BELOW 0 DEGREE WITH STRONG WINDS BLOWING .
AFTER WE CLIMBED THE RIDGE WE WERE THEN REQUIRED TO SLIDE DOWN THE SNOW WTIH OUR
BAGS ON THE BACK. YOU PICK UP TREMENDOUS SPEED ALONG THE WAY AND IF YOU DON'T DO IT
RIGHT, YOU WILL TUMBLE AND FALL. ALL OUR CLOTHES WERE WET IN THE SNOW WHILE SLIDING AND
TO SAVE OUR BACKS WE WERE WEARING TWO PAIRS OF TROUSERS ONE ABOVE THE OTHER. AFTER
TREKKING DOWN FROM SAR PASS YOU WE REACHED THE NEXT CAMP AT BISKERI AT 11000 FT.
BISKERI
AT SARPASS
AMIT AT THE SLIDES
SOMETIMES WE EVEN DIDN’T KNEW WHERE WE WERE HEADING AS THERE WAS LOT OF MIST , THERE
ARE NEARLY 3 TO 4 SLIDES THEN SECOND ONE IS THE LARGEST OF ALL AND HAD LOT OF FUN …..
FINALLY ON MY FEET
PRATIK LIKES MAGGIE
BISKERI TEA POINT , MAGIE MAGIE AND ONLY MAGIE …. NEVER HAD SO MUCH IN MY
LIFE BUT THAT’S THE ONLY THING WHICH U CAN GET OVER THERE AND THANKS TO LOCALS WHO
PREPARE THEM.
FROM BISKERI WE LEFT FOR OUR NEXT AND LAST CAMP BHANDAKTATCH ON DAY NINE. OUT OF 58
PEOPLE 32 OPTED TO SKIP BADAKTATCH AND GO BACK DIRECTLY TO KASOL BASE CAMP. FOR SOME
DIDNT REALLY WANT TO MISS BHANDAKTATCH SINCE WE WERE TOLD THAT IT IS CALLED AS MINI
SWITZERLAND AND IT RELLAY LIVED UP TO EXPECTATIONS. THE CAMP WAS SURROUNDED BY GREEN
MEADOWS ON ALL SIDES WITH HORSES GRAZING IN IT AND SURROUNDED BY SNOW TOP MOUNTAINS
WHICH LOOKED VERY BEUTIFUL WITH THE SUN SHINING ON THEM.
FINAL PICS BEFORE THE GROUP SPLIT SOME LEFT TO BHANDAKTHACH AND OTHERS SKIPPED IT AND
DIRECTLY LEFT TO KASOL ON WAY BACK TO DELHI .
JUST NEXT TO THE BASE CAMP AT KASOL THERE IS BOARDING N LODGING OWNED BY A SIKH , WHERE U
CAN GET HOT WATER, CLEAN YOUR STUFFS , PACK ALL YOUR BELONGINGS BEFORE YOU LEAVE THE
CAMP ONWARD TO DELHI, HE CHARGES ON HOURLY BASIS AND ALSO ACCORDING TO HOW MUCH
BUCKETS YOU USE – FUNNY . FOOD IS ALSO AVAILABLE NEARBY .
THE TREK WAS EXCELLENT AND BIT STRENOUS IF YOU ARE SUFFERING FROM ANY ALTITUDE SICKNESS
ONE SHLD AVOID IT. THE ONLY THING THAT PUTS YOU OFF IS THE CRAMPED TENTS, WET CLOTHES AND
THE STRUGGLE FOR LONGER DURATION NATURE CALL FOR BOYS. BUT OVERALL IT IS A GREAT
EXPERIENCE AND RECOMMENDED FOR ALL OF YOU.
RATING : *** ½
FOOD : RICE DAL DRY VEGETABLE ROTIS SERVED BY YHAI
MAGGIE EGGS BISCUITS SERVED AT FOOD STALLS RUN BY VILLAGERS.
NETWORK : DEPENDS UPON UR PHONE AND LUCK , AIRTEL VODAPHONE ETC.
CLOTHES : THERMALS ARE MUST , EAR MUFFS RAIN COATS ETC. GOOD PAIR OF SHOES , MANY SOCKS ,
MEDICINES FOR PAIN , FEVER AND STOMACH ,GOOD PAIR OF WOLLEN WATER PROOF GLOVES .
ITEMS : CAMERA WITH GOOD BATTERIES – COLD WEATHER TENDS TO DRAIN THEM FAST SO BUY
GENUINE ONES WHICH LAST LONG .YHAI PROVIDES SLEEPING BAGS SO NO PROBLEM BUT ITTS BETTER
IF U CARRY A GOOD THICK SHWAL. ONE NEEDS TO PAY 10RS FOR CHARGING FOR ONE HOUR.
NOTE : DO CARRY 2 BAGS ONE FOR ACTUAL TREKKING AND ANOTHER U CAN LEAVE AT BASE CAMP
WITH OTHER STUFF , COZ TAKE ONLY WHT IS NEEDED, EACH GRAM COUNTS WHEN CLIMBING , THE
MORE LIGHT U R MORE EASIER IT IS . SECONDLY DO CARRY LOT OF CHANGE , IT WILL BE BETTER
ESPECIALLY AT FOOD OUTLETS.
EXCITING WAY OF MAKING NEW FRIENDS AND I AM STILL IN TOUCH WITH FEW OF THEM THANKS TO
ORKUT AND FACEBOOK …..
AND I LIKE TO TAKE THIS OPPURTUNITY TO THANK
“ YHAI “ AND ITS MEMBERS SOME OF WHOM
YOUTH HOSTEL ASSOCIATION OF INDIA
VOLUNTEER FOR FREE EVERY YEAR PLAN AND MAKE
SUCH TRIPS POSSBILE .
“ HAPPY TREKKING “
TREKKERS
JEETENDRA P
AMIT K
MOHAN S
PRATIK V
KEDAR
AND LIST IS ON …..
Your comments are always welcomed at
“ flyjeetu@gmail.com “