Dharamshala trip: Trekking

Happily enough most of us were really excited about trekking, so as a group of seven we took a guide (1000 Rs) and headed to Triund (8 km trek, 2827 m). The hills are surrounded by forests of chir pine, rhododendron and Himalayan oak that make up for a very nice trek to follow. Not a difficult one too. The higher we were reaching the more magnificent and wider panoramas of Kangra valley were opening up.





I was so glad to eventually put on my trekking shoes…. 5 months after my farewell tour to the Northern Norway….I’ve been missing this feeling so much – being equipped and up for a nice walk in the mountains… Taking out of breath because of endless space and freedom, the purest air and the mind-blowing feeling of reaching the top….. Feels so natural now to be in the mountains… Hei, tell me how I’ve been managing without…and how I would….

Our guide walks with a jealous-worthy ease, while we are encountering various difficulties….. His name is Rajiv… Our talk goes as follows
Rajiv-ji (Mister Rajiv)
Anji (yes?)
la-la-la….. ;o) He tells us about frequently changing weather in the mountains, wonder if we took warm clothes on us, tells to be careful at some passages etc….



But the guide we are safeguarded by two dogs tat joined us at Dhaba at the foot and appeared to be faithful enough to follow us throughout the whole route.





Anya swears to begin new life once back in Delhi, I am wondering how much longer I’ll not be treating my body to a nice physical exercise. Couple of times we stopped at small mountain Dhabas (cafes) to relax with chai and to recharge with biscuits and bananas…

Reaching the top came somehow unexpected…



but even more unexpected was to face the massive snow-covered ringes which were hidden behind the top we were heading to… It appeared pretty social on the top – Dhaba, people in the tents, whose staying overnight, those just resting like us….









The sun appeared and disappeared every five minutes or so… When sunny it was so pleasantly warm, felt like removing the shoes and rolling up the pants, and just running and playing around… But once sun hides behind the clouds again, you having removed your jacket start shivering and looking for your shoes to put on back…

We are taking a different route back just to make it more exiting…As if the concept of more-exiting could exist… and what a wonder…. it really gets more and more exciting once we are heading through green-grass meadows, with millions of butterfly roaming around…. And the variety of mountains landscapes strikes, makes us keep the cameras constantly on and walk slowly so that not to miss a bit of this Himalaya divine….





Almost at the end of our trek we reach a waterfall. The waterfall by Sunday is a major destination.





Locals come here to wash their clothes and take bath in the waters of the stream, they spread it on the huge stones to dry right here and eat, talk and just hang out there before it gets dry.