With more people moving into the busy metros of India, slowly but surely they are losing touch with nature and what it has to offers. The Hampta Pass Trek is one of those experiences where the myriad of the stunning and sheer expanse of nature combined with challenges test the ability to conquer our limits and set new ones.
The Hampta Pass Trek
Known to be one of the most beautiful treks in India, the
Hampta Pass Trek in Manali, Himachal Pradesh will entertain even the most
seasoned mountaineers and trekkers. The trek crosses from Kullu valley all the
way to Chatru on the Keylong Spiti road in Lahauls Chandra valley. Situated at
around 4370m the Hampta pass is an intermediate level trek with two days of
easy and one day of tough ascend towards the summit and another day of
descending.
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| Route for Hampta Pass Trek |
The Birth – Creation of an Insane Plan
I have always wanted to experience the mountains more
specifically the Himalayas in its most grandiose form. With a few local
mountain treks under my belt, I’ve known for a while that I was becoming
restless. The daily circle of life was taking a toll and I desperately needed a
change of scenery. So one Friday evening as I was sifting through the messages
of a Whatsapp group, my old comrade KP commented that he wanted to experience
snow and then it dawned on me. As Independence Day and Eid were on the same week,
a set of three leaves from office could give me a 10 daybreak. It was perfect!
- Must Read: Manali: A Heaven for Nature Photographers
The next step was to find a location that can be beginner
trekking friendly as well as has snow. When you are from the south of India,
snow is a big deal. As I was searching I came across the Hampta pass trek, and
after browsing a few images of the place I was sold. The Hampta pass trek takes
us beyond Manali to the most authentic Himalayan experience you can find in
India. The photos showed promise and by then I had offered all of my close
friends to tag along. But ultimately I, KP and Suhail was the ones who were set
to go. I then applied for a Three-day leave, the trek and got the essentials
for the journey that lied ahead.
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| On the way to Hampta Pass |
Courage – Well let’s call it Cleverness
The decision was made and all three of us nodded in unison
as we confirmed our plan for the Hampta pass trek. But, as always a last-minute
cash crunch from Suhail and disapproval of leaves made me think twice about the
success of the plan. But by then my heart was set on the trek that I would have
attempted it alone if I had to. But luckily, the boys managed to work out
leaves and cash and soon rejoined me on the plan.
To get to Manali from Bangalore we had to catch a flight from Bangalore to Delhi and then take an overnight Bus to
Manali. The Journey was to be a nonstop one as the Hampta pass trek was set to
commence an hour after our arrival in Manali. We cleverly planned out the trip
in such a way that we had no delays or stopover in tour transit towards Manali
and beyond.
As I woke up on the bus, I was greeted to an amazing view of
the rocky snow-capped mountains and especially because, in August, the
landscapes are clear of snow. Upon reaching Manali, freshening up and grabbing
some good carbs we set for the trek from the town of Manali.
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| Road to Hampta Pass |
Surprise – Not at all what we expected
Just like the calm before the storm we had gathered at the
starting point of the trip, a place called Manali adventure. While we had
packed all our belongings into the rucksack, I had little idea of the road that
laid ahead. As more people gathered it was clear that we were a group of 20 who
has signed up for the Trek. After a brief overview, team meeting and lunch, we
were guided to the cars that were to take us to the starting point of the trek.
It was an exhilarating off-road track to Jobri.
As I scanned the area, there was a dam and a beautiful view to greet us
at the start of the trek at Jobri.
The trek started into the hilly forest, the tracks were
muddy and minutes felt like an hour. After a while, my shoulder started hurting
from the 8KG rucksack but to my surprise, I was not complaining, no. I was
enjoying every bit of it. The hilly forest took us around two hours to clear
and were closer to the clearing as we progressed. But the most important
astonishment was that there was no network coverage. It was going to be a long
5-day journey and the only contact would be the 20 people on the trek. And then
it started raining.
| Start of Hampta Pass Trek |
The clearings were open and picturesque with a stream running right down its center. We were on our way to our first pitstop of the Hampta pass trek and as we marched on up the hill along the stream for another two hours, we could see tents at the far end of the valley. It was our final stop for the day. As we unpacked, had dinner the cold had begun to set in and the valley had the most enchanting view surrounding as the sunset in Chika.
Serendipity – Woodland scenery and snowy mountains
The second day of the Trek was supposed to be a long one
stretching more than 9 Km and in such terrain, it may take up to 8-10 hours to
cross if the conditions are perfect. The extensive realities of the nonstop
trek had set in but I was unhinged as we were in pure nature bliss. Everywhere
to all directions the landscape was vast and expansive, and the team soon
realized that there was no point in clicking photos as there was too much to
see. We got acclimatized to the raising altitude that we were climbing fast. As
lunch was pre-prepared and packed along with breakfast, we indulged in the best
of lunch in the wilderness. As the entire course was parallel to the stream, we
had enough water to drink. Yes, you can drink the stream water as they are
basically melted glaciers, very clean.
After around 10 hours of trekking through valleys, narrow
trails, cliffs, and streams we arrived at a valley with some flat land. On the
far reaches of the valley was the camp for the day. The valley was called Balu Ka
Ghera and it was beautiful from every angle.
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| Balu Ka Ghera Camp |
As I settled into our tents beside the raging stream of water I could see that the snow-capped mountains were not so for away and the guide briefed us about the trek for the next day. That night sleep was instant as we lay in our tents.
The Hampta Pass – An Immense, Wild Land
The third day was the day of the summit, meaning we were
crossing Hampta Pass. The excitement was overwhelming and the understanding
that it was the most difficult leg of the journey added to the excitement. By
now, as we walked towards Hampta pass we started seeing snow on our trail. Soon
we were trekking on sheets of snow and the river running from under it. The
water was freezing cold as we crossed the river and since sheets of ice were
very slippery we had to take a few falls.
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| River Under The Snow Near Hampta Pass |
The climb was a challenge, with freezing temperatures, winds and the changing weather. It wasn’t a surprise the entire team moved slower on this day and as we battled the cold and the treacherous terrain to the Summit. Between two mountains covered in snow was an opening, and trekking almost vertically we had finally reached the Hampta Pass. It was a gorgeous landscape covered in snow and rocks with mountains on all sides. As we took pictures and posed with the team, I felt an extreme sense of accomplishment. To comprehend that a week ago I was in the busy streets of Bangalore and today I’ve just climbed Hampta pass was overwhelming. As we left the pass we were stunned to see the barren valley with no ice on the other side of the Hampta pass. At the bottom of the valley stood our campsite called Sheagoru. The night was uneventful and everyone retired early after the long day. Sheagoru was extremely cold in the night.
Hope – Final Day and lazybones
The final day saw us make our way to the final pitstop of
the journey, Chattru. The trek to Chatru was a beautiful one with mountains
streams and landscapes all arrange perfectly just like the painting on a
canvas. The trek was just 3 hours long and I felt like I understood the terrain
well enough to give tips and suggestions. The descended from the rocky
mountains was connected by a rough river and the final campsite stood on the
banks of it.
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| Trek to Chatru |
Chatru village is a dry cold desert with very little vegetation. The vast valley was surrounded by sky-high mountains that had started illuminating. The full moonlight reflected off the peaks as we took it all in, every bit of it. The only regret was that the journey from Chatru to Chandratal lake was cancelled as the roads were blocked due to landslides. On the final day, we were dropped from Chatru village to Manali marking the end of the trek. If you are looking to go to Spiti Valley, here is the perfect itinerary for Spiti Valley.
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| Chatru Village |
The Rebirth – A new door to open every door
Upon reaching Delhi and eventually Bangalore the memories
were fresh and alive as the mountains kept calling. The experiences that I
gathered from the Hampta Pass trek was one for a lifetime. The frustrations and
anxiety were no more and I felt like a new man. I didn’t know how long this
euphoria would stay but I can finally say that I’ve felt serendipity every
point of the Journey. Maybe, I may just have figured out the remedy to the
distress of life, who knows! As they say “go where you felt the most alive”,
and I would answer them the mountains. ’.
- Also Read: 12 Days Trek in the Himalayas
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