TREK TO THE BEAUTIFUL TRIUND VALLEY

Some experiences are life-changing, they change you totally, alter your view on how you see the nature, its beauty, its depth. I have always been less of an adventurous person and almost always disliked mountain tourist spots as I always preferred beach spots instead. But one day it happened that a friend of mine planned a trek to the triund valley in Himachal Pradesh. I was reluctant at first but then I joined in to instill a little of adventure streak inside me. So we set out to Mcleodganj near Dharamsala in Himachal Pradesh from Delhi. We left Delhi in the evening and the roads were smooth. The bus ride was comfortable and we were talking while the full moon was making everything sparkle outside in its bright white light.

We reached Mcleodganj in the morning and I woke up to see the mesmerising peaks of the Dhauladhar ranges with one peak towering behind another and forming a beautiful chain of mountains. We had our morning tea and breakfast at Crepe Pancakes with some of the most amazing pancakes I have ever had with loads of nutella on top (YUMMYYYYY). The weather was moderate and pleasant with bright sunshine. The trek to Triund starts from Gallu Devi Temple ahead of Dharamkot and the distance is 7kms. Triund valley is at a height of approx.2800 metres. We reached Gallu Devi temple by taking a cab and then started our trek at around 11.00 am. The trek started off as moderate and with every turn, we were awestruck by the magnificent beauty of the landscape. On the way, there were small shops selling eatables, drinks, water etc. At around 12.00pm, when we were midway, the weather changed suddenly and we were surrounded by dense clouds. The feeling of being inside a cloud was amazing and then the hailstorm started followed by heavy rainfall. We took refuge in a small shop and when the weather cleared, continued our trek. The weather became sunny and pleasant again and I was literally stunned by this amazing phenomenon of the mountains. Gradually the trek became a little steep and we had to put in more strength to tread forward. We completed the trek in around 3 hours and till the time we reached the top of the valley, we were totally exhausted but the moment I set foot on the ending point of the trek, I was totally mesmerised by the beauty of the place. In front of me stood the towering rocky Dhauladhar mountains with snow on its topmost peak. All our exhaustion vanished at the sight of the place and its serenity.

The valley was green and there were huge rocks all over the place. We had booked a room in a guest house while other people had booked tents to stay in the open. We enjoyed the view sitting on the edge of the hilltop and dumped hot maggi noodles and omelette into our hungry stomachs. After sometime, the weather again took a turn with dense clouds enveloping the whole place and hailstorm occurred followed by rain. The mountains looked beautiful wrapped in the white clouds and it rained for around 2 hours. When the rain stopped, the place became chilly and it became really cold. Our dinner consisted of Dal rice and cabbage and then we roamed outside to see the beauty of the night. The weather had cleared till then and the moon was shining brightly in the night sky. Small lights of the Kangra valley lying beneath the mountains were shining from the hilltop.

Early morning, we set out for our journey back to Mcleodganj. The early morning sunrise was stunning with the mountains shining in blue color and sun glowing behind them. After enjoying the morning scenary, we started going downhill and reached Gallu Devi temple in around two and a half hour. After reaching downhill, we set out for Bhagsu Nag waterfall and reached the famous Shiva Cafe near the waterfall. We ordered Lemon Ginger Pancakes and Banana Nutella pancakes and both were equally delectable. The cafe is really famous for its amazing rock ambience and the old classic songs of Bob Marley, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd etc. were being played in the background. It is built at a prime spot just near the waterfall where you can hear the sound of the water flowing, all the time. We played chess for a while and then went to take a dip in the chilly waters of the waterfall. The water was crystal clear and we felt refreshed and energized. From there, we walked towards Mcleodganj which was a km away from Bhagsu Nag. We visited Jimmy’s Italian cafe and had Pesto Pasta salad, Pizza and Lemon Ginger Tea. We boarded our bus in the evening back to Delhi and reached Delhi the following morning.

The beauty and serenity of the place is still embedded in my memories and I play back the whole journey in my head a lot of times. I even think of staying there permanently but that I cannot do, atleast not for now but I will surely visit the place again in the future and I strongly recommend others to visit it too. It is important to take some time off from work and explore the hidden treasure of nature. They make you see the nature closely and in a different light as the serenity of nature and the wealth it has to offer goes unnoticed in this busy competitive and monotonous life.