Goa Trek

Overview

Region                       : - Goa
Duration                   : - 7 Days
Grade                        : - Moderate
Altitude                     : - Normal
Trekking Km             : - 85 Kms 

Mx. Temp.                : - 10-15 Degrees

It is always well organized by YHAI as usual. Attractive thing is the inexpensive prices, the food, the staff and the management. Of all well planning and execution.

Through this trek, we experienced and explored beach trek, forest trek, crossing chilled streams, crossing vintage bridges, explored new species, been to remote places, star gazing, sentilating bio diversified dense forests, new people, new learnings etc.

We are blessed to be the group leader for GT 13 with my co leader Mr. Deepak H Iremat M (100% +ve human being). I owe a big thanks to him for his well-organized support as and when required. We thank everyone for their healthy receipt for us as the group leaders. 

We both made their life bit tiresome to follow the timings at every occurrence and with sheer reception they braced us every time. I must appreciate their endurance.

We appreciate our Environment leader Ms. Sonali Patil as she charged up few of us to make the trek path clean leaving a note of pollution free zone. Kudos to her. We thank our brother, guide, well-wisher, Mr. Ramdayal ji for his wonderful contribution as the master of ceremony.

There were lot of talented crew members like Rajendra Dethe (Mouth Organ specialist), (Mrs. Deepak) Shwetha Gp-cool pie, Ms. Chhaya Sharma-Lata Mangeshkar of our group, All-rounder Mr. Aditya Kapila, Mr. Mahavir ji & Supavan VikramJi- Spontaneous Comedy crackers, Vipin Vijay Handa-Chocolate boy, Doctor couple, Shailesh Priyadarshi & gang and the garba dance, Rohit Kumar ji-RD Burman of GT 13, Mr. Deepak H Iremat M-specialist in Tiger dance, Ms. Srijan-A poet and an entrepreneur as well, Avinash-a poet again and an entrepreneur as well, Mr. Ramdayal MahiwalJi-a catalyst of beam, Arun ji-Youngest trekker of our group aging just 70 years, Mr. Veerabadra Swamiji and team-Business magnet from Karnataka. All of them were splendid affiliates who made this trek unforgettable.

Had fun to peaks during fireless camp fire at every camp. Finally, we bagged rank no.#1 of all the groups of GT expedition. We bagged up this rank with Unity, Discipline, Punctuality and amicable presentation as a team of 1 which was contributed by 47 (Ronin).

It all started at Goa, India through staring at strange faces as if we are in aboriginal times, later turned friends. Framework was laid by YHAI for Goa Trekking and GT 13 reported on 27th December, 2016, I guess all the groups who reserved and spent their last day of 2016 are no less than a nature lover.

Day 1:

It was a warm welcome by the Goa YHAI team. Made few friends in addition to older ones Mr. Ramdayal Mahiwal ji, Mr. Mahavir Ji who has joined me during Dalhousie trek 2015-16. Relished the Miramar Beach, Goa which is known for Jelly Fish and one of our crew got kissed by it and I guess he is all set to write a book on “effect of a kiss by jelly fish”- Parmeet Kumar.

Day 2:

@2 PM we ignited our expedition to our first camp Benaulim from Mobor Beach. This is a beach stretch of about 10 Kms. GT 13 was received well by the camp leader Mr. Viral Mehta Ji who has digested the flavor of music indeed. He was very supportive and specific. We as a group owe an enormous thanks to YHAI for including the demo by the DRISTI team.

Dristi -these are the people who save tourists day in and out at goa beaches. They have sailed us through the entirety of their job specs and about Dristi as well. It was well planned. Few of our team were blessed with a snake and am sure that was a splendid welcome to the tent by a snake.

Day 3:

We headed to our next camp Velsao Beach and again it’s a beach stretch of approx. 13 Kms. It was no different than a treasure hunt as few of our crew were back leaving no clue on where they are. Finally found them safe and reported to the camp at last. Camp leader Mr. Malay Sahak is a sportive chunk and presented a warm welcome to Velsao camp.

Day 4:

Resumed our expedition to Cansaulim railway station and reached Kulem and started to Dhud Sagar camp which is approx. 14-15kms through the Bhagwan Mahavir Wildlife Sanctuary. There wasn’t any guide unlike any other trek and it was well marked at every step with clarity. We could spot Oxybelis Fulgidus (green vine snakes) and they were awesome. We have concealed the nature in our hearts through thorough involvement and relished the moments. By 3:30PM we received a caring welcome by Mr. Prabhu Sir as we were crossing a stream to reach the camp. I have no words to explain the outfit of the camp at Dhud Sagar. We had a bath in the stream for about 90 minutes which is chilled enough. It was fun fun fun and fun!!!

Day 5:

Journey on to our next camp i.e., to Kuveshi Karnataka camp approx. 15 Kms again, it is again a jungle trek and it is a village which has max of 23 families. Through this stretch we entered from Goa Forest to Karnataka Dhandelli Tiger Reserve forest. We thank to KA government for permitting the nature loving trekkers for this expedition to enter its territory. Though it was a bit strenuous due to sunny effect, we could reach the camp after crossing a stream and I njoyed the stream for an hour. Believe it or not this is the camp which we remember forever. The intensity of the support from the Camp leader Mr. Suryavanshi Sir and the staff was awesome. Team celebrated new year at this camp. Me and co leader Mr. Deepak Hiremat M had a star gazing through clear sky.

Day 6:

We started from Kuveshi camp to Anmod Western Ghats though forest stretch of about 18 Kms. This was the stretch through which few of our crew could spot a black panther and found few new species as well. We had a nice addressing by the camp leader Mr. Nandi sir. We njoyed the food here a lot.

Day 7:

Resumed to our last terminal Tambdi Surla from Anmod. This is also through forest and it was dense indeed. We did visit Mahadeva temple in Tambdi Surla and had reached back to base camp though bus.

As I was the last person of our group to exit from the base camp, I can still feel the pinch during every departure of our crew but was happy from inside that they are carrying the intangible bliss with them.

Dalhousie Trek

Overview

Region                       : - Dalhousie
Duration                   : - 7 Days
Grade                        : - Moderate
Altitude                     : - 8,000 Ft.
Trekking Km             : - 55 Kms 

Mx. Temp.                : - -12 Degrees C

When you know, there is an extra-long weekend in the end of the year, you plan early for a holiday. This time we planned a winter trek in the Himalayas. Our destination was Dalhousie from where we trekked up to Kalatop and Khajjiar.

We boarded Nizamuddin Express from Delhi which took us to Pathankot Cannt in the wee hours. From there we started for Dalhousie in a bus. After encountering narrow but smooth roads for two hours, we reached Dalhousie around 4 in the evening. As soon as we reached, we were offered with an amicable welcome by the filed director Mr. Pratap Garu and Camp Leader Mr. Hitesh Kumar. We had booked this trek with Youth Hostel Association of India (YHAI). We could witness 0 degrees after reaching the place. We are from group “DW 24” and am blessed to be the group leader.

Day 1

After breakfast, we went for an acclimatization walk, we covered six kilometers! in the rounding alleys of the town. Dalhousie is a small cantonment area in Himachal Pradesh at a height of 2400m above sea level, developed by the British as their recreational area in the Himalayas. As there is a heavy presence of the army, there isn’t much private construction. The town offers a magnificent view of Dhawladhar Range of the Himalayas. We explored Mall Road and Tibetan Market, and bought essentials for the trek.

Day 2

Today our trek began. We had to cover twelve kilometers to reach Kalatop (2768m) with a halt at Lakkar Mandi for a lunch break. Kalatop is a mountain top situated in a reserve forest. We got ready by 8 a.m. with our rucksacks and started for Kalatop around 8:30 a.m. The day was sunny and beautiful. Two kilometers into our trek, we had our first encounter with snow on the side of the road. The joy felt at experiencing snow for the first time was amazing. Soon we realized that there was enough snow just waiting for us. We were scared now because the roads were very slippery and there was a great chance of falling. It was fun to walk on the snowy roads with new friends. After eight kilometers of walking, we reached Lakkarmandi, the lunch place and the entry point to the forest.

From this point, the jungle road towards Kalatop started. After lunch resumed our trek. The road was whitewashed by tons of snow! It was an unforgettable experience to walk in the white paradise. Soon, we were throwing snow at each other and sliding down the ice.

Kalatop Forest Rest House

The jungle is dense at some places because of which it was dark. After all the fun, we reached at Kalatop Forest rest house. It is beautifully located at the top of the mountain. From Kalatop, I enjoyed one of the best sunsets I have ever seen!

Day 3

Today we were to trek up to Khajjiar. The road to Khajjiar has many ups and down and is through the jungle. As we started descending, the snow and ice disappeared. But there was a different charm of walking on a forest track. Your soul bonds with nature. Your mind is refreshed by the aroma of damp soil and the woods. We crossed many small hamlets before reaching the river. After having lunch in the lap of nature, we started climbing towards Khajjiar. The climb was a bit tough as we were not accustomed to this in our city life. After two hours, we reached our destination.

Khajjiar is a beautiful valley enveloped by lush greenery and surrounded by snow clad mighty Himalayas. The view was spectacular even from our hotel rooms. As we were tired that day due to the steep ascent, we decided to enjoy the beauty from the room and postponed our exploring to the next morning.

Day 4

As per plan, we set foot in Khajjiar valley in the morning, and found that it was white with frost. The ambience was calm and serene. There is a small lake in the middle. The only point of disturbance was some restaurants and hotels in the valley which kills the charm. Soon, sun rays start falling on the ground and the white frost disappeared to give way to green.

After spending an hour or so, we started our journey to Mangla, our last stop of the trek. Mangla is at a much lower elevation, compared to Dalhousie and Khajjiar. The descent was through small villages on the mountains. While walking though the villages, I was envious of the inhabitants for having a 24×7 view of Himalayas from their homes!

After continuous decent of around nine kilometers, we reached Mangla, which is a small village in Himachal. Chamba, a major town in Himachal, is only seven kilometers from this place. So, we all went to Chamba for some shopping and sight-seeing. A beautiful temple is also there in Chamba. We purchased some locally made shawls, topis, and himachali dresses and ate a local dish called Madhra.

Day 5

This was the last day of the tour. It meant you return with loads of energy, innumerable moments that will remain with you forever. We made whole lot of friends, and enjoyed Himalayas to the fullest.

It had been a trek to remember!

Hampta Pass

Overview

Region                       : - Himanchal
Duration                   : - 7 Days
Grade                        : - Moderate
Altitude                     : - 14,100 Ft.
Trekking Km             : - 60 Kms. 

Himachal Pradesh is one of the most toured states in India. The state has beautiful pristine snow clad mountains which are a major source of tourist attraction. Tourists from all over the world come to this glorious, unpolluted and serene place to nurture their mind, soul and cherish an unfathomable nature's beauty. Himachal Pradesh which means 'In the lap of Himalayas' and are used for many adventure sports. One among them that is considerably being carried out here is trekking/Hiking.

With more than 200 defined trekking trails some of the famous trekking spots of Himachal Mountains are; Hampta Pass trek, Dhaulandhar (Triund Glacier) trek, Parvati valley trek, Bhabha pass trek, Sari Pass trek, Beas Kund trek, trek to Chamba and Pin Parvati, Kakeri lake trek etc.

Hampta pass trek is considered the moderate and convenient of all treks in H.P. It is the most sought-after trek and will leave you in awe of this beautiful place. The variation in the trails is enormous; scenic landscapes, open green pastures and meadows, glacial valleys, easy access and an exceptional, adventurous and hair raising crossing of the pass makes this trekking expedition to Hampta pass an exciting one.

Generally, it takes 5 days to complete the Hampta pass trek, but one more day is further added to the itinerary so as to visit the well-known and striking Chandratal, a high altitude alpine lake few hours from Chatru. The best months to trek are May and June and August through October. The reason why Hampta pass is famous trekking zone is snow; the pass has lump sum snow which draws more tourists. We could made it during September through October 5^th 2015.

Youth Hostels Association of India has organized it well and yes this was the first time YHAI has organized for Hampta Pass since its inception in addition to its regular agenda.

Right from the receiving, Warm Gestures, Accommodation, and the best part is the quality of food was at its best at every camp that we landed throughout the expedition and for such a minimal cost as a fact...!

we had the hospitality at YHAI base camp at Prini, first thing we witnessed the astonishing glimpse at the peaks covered with snow and we felt like they are expecting us for a nature hug.

Therefore, the trek starts from Prini to Sethan which is 9 KMS trek precisely. This route comprises the first day. Chika is reached on the second day. You would cross amazing boulders, Gendrame and Rani Nallah on this day. The third day destination is Bhalu ka Ghera from Balu ka Ghera to Shea Goru via Hampta Pass. You will come across mind boggling and stupendous glaciers, cornice formation and snows all the way along. The maximum altitude will be reached on this day i.e. 14, 100 ft. Day four will start from Shea Goru and end up in Chatru. It is a steady descent on this day. You will witness the valleys of Lahual and Spiti and the mountain ranges of Pir panjal and Spiti. On the same day, you can also head to Chandra tal camp site and camp there for the night. The final day of the trek's route is from Chatru to Manali. From Chandra tal campsite you can visit the infamous chandratal lake, deepest amongst blue shades.

One must carry necessary trekking gears like ankle support shoes and trekking poles which will make snow climbing easier.

Brief Itinerary

Day 1: - Prini to Sethan

Day 2: - Sethan to Chika
Day 3: - Chika to Balu ka Ghera
Day 4: - Balu ka Gera to Shea Goru, Cross Hampta Pass
Day 5: - Shea Goru to Chatru. Drive to Chandratal
Day 6: - Chandratal to Manali

Detailed Itinerary

Day 1: Prini to Sethan

The trekking expedition starts from Prini to Sethan through a narrow path starts very adjacent to the base camp site. Manali is already at an elevation of 6, 726 ft above sea level. So, it is a good place to acclimatize your body before beginning the trek. It takes approximately 5 hours to arrive at Sethan Camp.

After stepping through the narrow path, we took the small path that leads to the forest of pine trees. You will also find other variety of trees like maple, deodar, toss and oak. The sight is refreshing. The slope that is supposed to be climbed is not an easy one and very steep. Twenty minutes into the trek, you will reach a bend that overlooks a lush green meadow strewed with small rocks. Enjoy the surrounding for a couple of minutes and head towards the meadow. You will also see few sheep and cows grazing in the field. The sight looks exactly as if taken out from fairy tale.

Day 2: Sethan to Chika

The trek on foot initiates through Allain Guhugal Hydel Project junction from Sethan. After crossing the main road, take the small path that leads to the forest of pine trees. Twenty minutes into the trek, you will reach a bend that overlooks a lush green meadow strewed with small rocks. The Rani nallah comes into view which flows directly in between the meadow. You can pass through the meadow or climb up the hill on the left-hand side. Either way you will reach Chika which is at the end of the vast meadow. But, climbing the hill and descending to Chika is a better and easier route. Chika camp site is a huge, spacious patch of green. The Rani River flowing in the middle makes this place perfect for setting up the tents.

Day 3: Chika to Balu ka Gera

The next destination is Balu ka Gera which is not visible from the Chika camp site, but you can make an idea as it falls to the right. Follow the left bank of the river that will appear at your right-hand side. The trail leads the way to a slope of boulders and rough terrain. The path is an easy one and can be accomplished without any difficulty. You will find an entire stretch of the river's right bank lined up with amazing dwarf Rhododendron trees. These trees will cover the lower and the central region and cluster of silver birch trees cover up the upper region. Once you have reached the end of silver birch trees, wait a moment and look back to marvel the entire range of Dhauladhar snow clad peaks in front of you. The view is very picturesque. You will reach a clear stream waterfall to the left at a distant. Best place to fill in your bottles.

After crossing the waterfall, the next route is towards the river to your left. You can go to the other side only by crossing the rivulet by wetting your feet. The water is super cold and will prick your feet. You can also jump from one rock to another in the stream and get to the opposite side. You must have finished half of the day's trek when you enter Jwara. Jwara is a beautiful scenic sheltered valley; huge snow clad rocks at one side and the valley drops down to the river on the other side. You will feel like immersing yourself in the beauty of God's nature. You will find snows melting into the river and cattle grazing the land. In front of the picture is snow clad mountains and behind them lies the Hampta Pass. From here, the trail would be by the river side which will lead you to another rectangular valley. The path is covered with multi colored flowers. The last of the tree lines vanishes out of the sight and is left behind. It will take another half an hour or so to reach the end of the valley, which is the finishing part of Jwara. After Jwara, the path is a slope covered with snows and rocks. The end of the path is Balu ka Gera, the name has nothing to do with the place. The place is covered with snow and greens whereas the name implies mound of sand. But it is said that this place was formed with the sands and dust deposited by the river. Balu ka Gera campsite is a flat ground amidst the mountains that you will cross the next day to reach the pass. Balu ka Gera is at an elevation of 11, 900 ft.

Day 4: Balu-Ka-Gera to Shea Goru crossing Hampta Pass

The day's trek encompasses 9 hours. You can split the journey in two halves, a steady ascent on moderate steep slope to Hampta Pass, thence a sharp descent to Shea Goru. The highest altitude will be achieved on this day at Hampta Pass (14, 100 ft). The day starts by heading towards the mountains you spotted the previous day. The trail is along the river side. The view is amazing, tiny yellow and orange flowers give a pleasant picture to the river. The river side trails take you further to the base and then the actual climb to the Hampta pass takes place. It will take an hour to reach here. Another hour of walk will take you to the first plateau. In summer, the place is completely covered with thick fresh snow. Otherwise, it is just patches of snow everywhere. The Deo Tibet peak will fall right in front of you.

You will reach another plateau and then to a ridge. It will take another half an hour to reach the ridge's end. Then from the first ridge trek further up to get on the second ridge. Hampta Pass is just a few meters and a bend away from the second ridge. The climb to Hampta Pass is a vertical one and is a hard mount. It will take about 15 minutes to reach the pass. Yes, by the time you reach there, you would be extremely tired but the site which enfolds in front of you is stunning. Enjoy for some time in the pass, relish the beauty around, have your lunch and then get ready for the next descent to Shea Goru.

The descent is trickier than the journey to the pass. The decline is so steep that you would not be able to locate the base of the mountain, not even by craning your neck. The best possible way to get down is either by sliding down the slope or with the use of ropes for support. The route is a little meandering too. You will also spot Spiti from this point. In an hour and a half, you will reach the base of the valley that will lead you to Shea Goru. The valley is secured by snow clad mountains, and the side which is open is Shea goru's way. The trek to Shea Goru is easy on flat land.

The Shea Goru camp site is also by the river side. Set your camps on the grounds and retire for the night with a feeling of contentment at the heart.

Day 4: Shea Goru to Chatru

You will cover Shea Goru to Chatru by foot and it will take approx. 5 hours of easy downhill trek. Shea Goru is placed at an altitude of 12, 900 ft and Chatru at 11, 000 ft. It is a gentle trek downhill from Shea Goru. The trail here again is by the side of the river valley between mountain ranges. Chatru can be located at a distance. No vegetation’s can be seen in the barren mountains. The tricky part comes next.

You must be careful as the trail might sometime lead you to edges of mountains and ridges. The route has slippery parts too. So, sure footed and careful navigation is required to go further. Nevertheless, the trek is not that difficult as it sounds. You will for sure enjoy the sliding and heart pumping mounting. Getting down the mountains will consume another two hours of your time. You will notice the Chandra River flowing below and a road that goes by its side. More than two Glaciers comes next which are to be crossed. The other side of the Glacier is Chatru, the next camping zone. Choose a location which has the river running around.

Chatru is a magnificent camping site; it is a consensus of the three passes, Hampta, Rohtang and Spiti. You can also camp at the Chandratal camping site which has better sceneries. The location is just about another two hours.

Day 5: Chatru to Manali

We were moved to the base camp Prini through a bus via Rohtang Pass.

How to Reach

By Air: - Bhuntar, which is 52 km away from Manali, is the nearest airport. Taxi services are available from Bhuntar to Manali, which costs about Rs. 700- Rs1000. Bhuntar is well connected to Delhi by air. The airliners that take you to this Airport are Indian Airlines, Kingfisher airlines, MDLR Airlines and Jagson Airlines, operating flights from Delhi and Chandigarh to Kullu.

By Road: - Manali is well connected to Delhi. Take an overnight bus from Delhi and you will reach Manali in 12 - 14 hours. Tickets can be booked online at www.redbus.in or www.hrtc.gov.in. Tip: Since Delhi Manali is a long journey most Volvo private buses leave Delhi between 5 pm and 6 pm. The last govt bus leaves at 8.30 pm from ISBT Kashmere Gate. Manali to Delhi

Like the onward journey, buses leave from Manali to Delhi between 4 and 5 p.m. Your tentative arrival at Delhi may be anywhere between 6 a.m. and 10 a.m. Plan your onward journeys only post noon giving enough buffer for bus delays.

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