Chanderkhani Pass Trek

 

The journey started at ISBT at 2000 hours, with a Volvo. The Swedes seem to have planned these buses specifically for Indian needs, as the entire bag and luggage of the 13-strong trekking team, which was quite a feat considering the rations for 5 days and other necessities, was easily accommodated alongside that of the other co-travelers. Except for “dada,” who had traveled all the way from Kolkata to be a part of this trek, the party was mainly made up of people from Delhi and the surrounding areas. We had our packed dinners once on-board the bus and out of the cacophony of Delhi city, and although some chose to sleep, the rest continued to get to know each other better well into the night Chanderkhani Pass trek.

 

At 8 a.m., the bus dropped us off in Bajora (a town about 3 km from Bhuntar), where a Tempo Traveller was waiting to pick us up. We drove to Bhuntar after literally piling the luggage on top of the Tempo traveler, where we stopped to break the nocturnal fast. We then drove to Rumsu, which is about an hour and a half drive from Bhuntar and the start of our trek. We were given a packed lunch and introduced to our guide, porters, and the three most welcome companions who had made trekking possible for our lot; the three beasts of burden who would assist us in bringing our luggage through the rugged terrain, the ever-useful mules. The mules were loaded with the traditional luggage, and we began our trek at 12 p.m. Naya thapru, a campsite about 6 to 7 kilometers from Rumsu was the day's objective. The objective was met with some effort, and to celebrate, a bonfire made of jungle logs was lit, and dinner was devoured around it before returning to the havens for the night  Chanderkhani Pass trek.

 

As we prepared for the day's trek, we were greeted by a beautiful cool morning, which is a welcome surprise in these parts. Even the most experienced hikers among us had never done anything like this before. The sounds of mountain birds filled the valley, and the new mountain air was both calming and energizing. On the other side of the valley, snow-capped peaks dot the horizon, making waiting for breakfast even more difficult. We started the day's trek right after breakfast and reached the top after a steep climb that took us about 2-3 hours to complete. Our lunch was delivered by the porters, and we were just halfway through it when it began to rain cats and dogs. We took cover under a clump of trees while waiting for the hailstorm to pass. It wasn't until after half an hour that it began to slow down, and we decided to move on. We had expected the rain to end in a few minutes, but it persisted until the next morning. At about 4 p.m., we arrived at the base of Chandrakhani Pass and set up camp. Dinner was served inside the tents because it was bitterly cold and raining outside. The pitter-patter of raindrops on the rooftops kept us company as we slept early Chanderkhani Pass trek.

 

The storm, which had begun the previous afternoon and continued through the night, finally ended in the morning, and the weather began to improve. We could see the snow-covered Chandrakhani pass ahead of us and began moving towards it right after breakfast. The weather changed during the day, and the peaks that had been hidden by the valley's clouds began to emerge one by one. At the pass, we were met by bright sunlight and a clear sky, which offered a beautiful, breath-taking view of the surrounding peaks. By the time the porters arrived with lunch, we had taken a lot of pictures and were happily eating while admiring the beauty all around us. One of us had the brilliant idea of taking advantage of the sunlight and drying our clothes, but the clouds had begun to gather in the valley where we were going, so we decided to hurry up and get to Nagruni before all hell broke loose once more. The trek to Nagruni was longer than anticipated, and it wasn't until after 5 p.m. that the last of us arrived at the campsite, by which time it had begun to rain again. The weather had turned bitterly cold, and while some of us braved the elements to gather wood from the jungle, the majority of us decided to seek shelter in the tents. As the rain subsided, the brave few gathered once more to rekindle the fire, which ushered in the party. We had only just emerged when it began to rain again, necessitating a change of venue to the royal Shamiana, which had been set up in anticipation of such an occurrence, based on previous such experiences. Since the rain was not going to let up, we had to eat dinner in the tents. Surprisingly, the night wasn't as cool as the evening, which could be due to the valley's cloud cover 

Chanderkhani Pass trek.

 

Even though sleeping was the only thing we did during the nights, as we had seen on previous treks, the night has several amusing incidents to bring, so every morning someone will share an incident like "Menace of the Snoring Partner" or something similar. On this particular morning, there were no noteworthy events, and almost everyone said that they had a restful night's sleep. Despite the fact that the rain had stopped, the morning was bitterly cold, and the first thing we did when we emerged from our tents was to light the fire. Since the day's trek was not particularly long, everyone took their time getting ready. We ate breakfast by the fire and then left the camp about 10 a.m. The hike took place in Malana, which is known for its Malana cream. Its smell was all over the fields, and as we drove through them, we were absolutely enthralled by it. The descent to the road near the Malana Dam, which is constructed on the Malana River, was steep. By 2 p.m., we had all arrived at our destination, and from there we took the tempo traveler back to Kullu. We took an overnight Volvo bus from Kullu to Delhi and arrived the next morning Chanderkhani Pass trek.