It was a Friday morning when I was finally packing my bag once again. I was planning for the past few weeks but constantly failing. As It was monsoon so going to a trek or hills was not safe. Person who were truly caring didn't suggest me and even resist me to go there. I canceled some of my plans because of them. this was finally a trip on which I was going.
I am a backpacker type person love to explore new places, meet new people and communicate with them. I don't want to stay at a place which is full of tourists . I like to go to some off beat places , away from the crowd and industrialization . So this time I choose "Bhrigu Lake Trek".
Bhrigu Lake is a trek in Himachal Pradesh's Kullu region. It is at 4400 meter or 14000 feet height, so quite cold. I searched about the trek, trails and other necessary things for this trip and leave my place at 7 pm on the same friday. I reached the Majnu Ka Tila , place in Delhi from where you can get the direct Bus for Manali. As I got some good offer on online booking so I booked AC bus otherwise mostly I travel through government buses. Trust me they are more trustworthy and safe. So as I said I booked AC private bus this time so it was very obvious. Bus started at 12 in the night. I thought its okay will reach few hours later to Manali, but the height of frustration was that , bus reached Manali next evening 4 pm. Can you Imagine I spent 16 hours in the bus. My whole planning was faded away, as till this time I planned to reach the trail to Bhrigu or the Base Camp near Gulaba Village .
So in a hurry I did my shopping for food and some necessary stuff from Manali mall road and booked a taxi till Gulaba village , with the help of some local people. The taxi costed me 800 rupee after a lot of bargaining , which is our birth right in India. These 800 rupee was more than I spent on a 16 hour long journey from Delhi to Manali.
Now I was very late, as it was 6 in the evening and I have to reach the base for my tent setup before the sunset. I was searching for the trail on Manali-Leh Highway. after wandering here and there for 45 minutes I didn't find a single person who could help me. Sun was not in the sky only some lights were there, now I was in a dilemma whether I still search the base camp or find a place to set my only tent for tonight. At last I settled at a place in between the Jungle, above the Manali-Leh Highway and set my tent there. Night was dark and silent, only some sound of cricket, insects and drop of rain was audioable. Yes I was fearful , not of thieves but of some Animal or snake. I heard that there are some beers in the jungle, so it was hard to escape from the fear in my mind and heart. Some how I tried sleeping, My portable speaker helped me a lot to divert me from my fear. Generally I am a type of person who enjoyed these type of natural sound but that day I was trying not to hear them. I played some old Bollywood melodies and slept. I don't remember when I slept inside that cold, dark and scary tent.
It was 5:00 early in the morning, when automatically I woke up. Normally I always woke up late but that day had something for me. I just opened the zip of my tent and I was hypnotized for few minute. I can not forget that amazing morning view, those green hills upside filled with clean white snow. That slow rain made everything more beautiful and clearer. I came out of my tent , it was very cold outside but that landscape beauty was much more than that so I forgot that I even did not wear my shoe and was walking on the wet cold grass.
weather early in the morning outside my tent.
only my tent was there....
It took me 1 hour approx there to fold my tent and to fresh and get ready for the further trip. It was second day of my trip so today I had to cover the distance I did not last day because of bad schedule. I again started at 6:30 am and went back little down in the search of the trail to Bhrigu Lake. after a 15 minute of searching , I saw a thin trail going upward , I was not confirm but I had no other choice to follow that only because no one was there at that time to guide me. That trail was very muddy and slippery because of the continuous rain all the night. I was trying for some footprints at least , sudden I found but it was foot prints of some Horse or Mules. In Himachal and Uttarakhand villagers generally use Horse and Mules as a carrier for their daily things and woods. So I thought may be I'll reach some village soon and they will help me for the right trail.
It was only ten minute trek I completed and I felt that I am feeling uncomfortable in breathing and tired. It was a straight height and I was not used to of that so it was normal. The one major reason for this was my trek bag which was approx 25-28 Kg heavy. I stayed at a place , looked the height , settled my trek bag and started again. Here I was quite lucky as I was expecting some village but I reached the base camp of Bhrigu. There were some other tents too so I went to those people. That was a proper travel and trek company. I met their trek leader and asked him about the way to Lake . He told me I am on the right trek, and just have to follow the trail. I did not wait and stared trekking again.
On the trek towards the Bhrigu Lake.
In the starting 2 or 2 and half hour, the trek was in between the high trees or Jungle. After that there were no trees but only Meadows and high mountains in front of you. I was walking slowly in starting but after few hour of trek, my speed was quite good . I was following the trail and leaving behind the jungle and meadows. After a point I reached a place where I found beautiful green view till the end my eyes can watch. It was raining again so I wore my poncho or rain coat to prevent myself and specially my bag.
All green and beautiful followed by clouds in front of me.
Now I was enjoying it a lot and every thing seems me very attractive and peaceful. Even the rain drops touches my head and face was like giving me more adventure. It was 5 hours approx and I completed more than half of the trek. Now as I was feeling the cold air, the rain drops and that breeze sound , I reached the last base camp of Bhrigu Lake Trek . It was the Rola Kholi Camp Site, approx 11,400 feet above. Every trekker who came for Bhrigu lake, settled their tent here and following the rest trek after taking some rest here. So I searched a place for my tent and soon I made it. There were already some tents of the trek company people.
I met three people in between the trek , they were also coming for the same so we completed our rest trek together. They also settled their tent near mine and we had a Lunch there. We were very hungry and dying for some "real-food" as on the whole trek we ate only biscuits and chocolates. At Rola Kholi , there was a small shop by some local people who came up during the trekking season for some earnings. They provide the Rice, Dal , Kadhi, Maggi and tea at that height to the trekkers. That Dal Rice was more than any of the delicious food I have ever tasted. I was very tired too so did not eat much but had two cup of tea. After the lunch I rested for one hour there and planning for the rest.
Tent settled at Rola Kholi Camp Site.
Dal-Rice at 11,400 feet approx and Trekking Company tents.
Now its 1:30 pm and I decided to complete the remaining trek. I had two options , one is to complete the trek and came back to this camp site and other was to going down from other side via Vashishth. Weather was not good and also I came to this trek for the first time. I discussed with those local shop people, even they told me not to go from another side as it was continuous raining and that decline was much to straight and not safe this time. As already my this trek was "very adventurous" , I did not find the trail and base camp on the first day so I was not ready for more. I agreed to return to this same camp site and will back from the same trail.
Beautiful Mountain and Clouds in between
Shop of Local Himachal people at Rola Kholi
I started the rest of the trek with my those travel companion. After that rest and lunch I was feeling comfortable as I left my heavy trek bag in the tent. we all were going fast as Bhrigu Lake was approx 2 hour away and we need to back to camp site before the sun set. We were going straight and now following some stone sign made my other trekkers who went before on the same trail.
Now It was one and half hour already and still there were no sign of Bhrigu Lake. I was very tired as I traveled much extra to reached the first base camp site and then continuously I was on the trek. After one more hour after crossing three high mountains , some how we reached the place. We all were very tired and it was 5 in the evening. Sudden weather was changing dramatically and there were a lot of clouds around us. It was very hard to see each other ever after 10 meter away only.
We were stepping down fast and looked at the mobile watch after every 10 minute. It became more cold and dark sudden. After 45 minutes of decline we all were stop at a place and looked at each other. We were not saying anything but we all knew that we are "lost".
It was something I was not prepared for. Alone I was more active and watched the trails and places but with other people I was carefree too. Now we were discussing what to do. I suggested strongly that we should reach the camp site as staying here not an option. Soon cold will increase and we don't have our sleeping bags and other stuff to protect us. There is no hard and fast rules of mountains for their weather. " Mountain make their weather themselves. " It will worst in night so we should try much harder for camp site.
After half and hour of hustle and bustle , we found a trail going downward. We started following that trail with a lot of confusion but just after 15 minute of decline all confusion escaped as we found some familiar stone mark which one of my companion made during the trek. After 20 minutes, our tents were visible from that great height. We were very much away but that tents visibility gave all of us a great relief and happiness.
Soon I reached the camp site and went to that local people shop and asked for Tea and Maggi.
Frozen lake near Bhrigu Lake
Camp site from a great height
Stone marks made by Trekkers
After reaching the camp site , it was a great feeling and inside satisfaction of achieving something. One more trek added in my trekking list. I was feeling like winning some of my Table Tennis match. That night I ate some dal, kadhi-Rice and went early to sleep in my tent. I was so tired so I thought I can sleep more easily. I was wrong, I did not sleep for the whole night and again I was listening those sound of insects, breeze and rain drops. Now these sounds were no more scary and I did not use my speaker to escape from them. I was enjoying those sound now.
Next day early in the morning again I packed my tent and other stuff, had tea and maggi and started decline for Gulaba camp site. Now I was more confident and aware of the trail and going down was not difficult as was during the trek.
Ready for going back from Rola Kholi to Gulaba.
Going back from the trek on the same trails.
It took me 4 and half hour approx to reached the starting point of the trek. I made some signs there at starting point so that some other trekker find the trail easily. Other of my Travel Companion were looking for some Taxi, I decided to ask for lift till Manali. Me and one of my Friend stayed and other left after exchanging the phone number and promised to go for some together in future. They made the trek more awesome and adventurous.
After few minutes me and my friend got lift from a Uncle going towards Kullu. He was very kind and gave us lift without asking anything till Manali.
We reached Manali at 3 pm , after that we went to Mall road and then to Vashishth and explored that place. We booked our bus ( AC bus again) but just before two hours we notified that our bus is cancelled. Again, why I trust government buses more. My friend decided to go by another Volvo or AC bus as he had his office next day. He got a ticket in Volvo said bye to me. I was wandering here and there on Mall road of Manali as I was not in a hurry.
I took normal bus towards the Kashmiri gate - Delhi at 7 pm and reached next day early in the morning at 7 am.
It was a great experience and awesome feeling now after completing a trek of 14000 feet or 4500 meter approx. When I am writing all this I can again feel all those views , that weather and coldness etc. It is a beautiful place to visit .. a must go place for travel and trek lovers.
