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| Yet to bloom wild lilies sprinkled everywhere |
I was on a weeklong vacation in Tirthan valley, a
remote fishing hamlet located in the northern, hilly state of Himachal Pradesh.
Cutaway from the rest of the world, it seemed like the perfect place to unwind
and do some climbing. My brother, Aman, and I booked a quaint B&B by the
river set in a deep canyon. After learning about the nearby Crystal Mines &
Lambri Top (3600 m) trek, we were keen to explore the surrounding area. While I
had been on many treks before, I had not climbed up a known mountaintop in a
while. This seemed like a great opportunity to do so. However, due to inclement
weather, we were advised against venturing there due to heavy snow lodged at
the top. Undeterred, we decided to find someone who would agree to take us
there. Luckily, one of my contacts led us to the right person. Pratap, an
experienced mountaineer and the head of a local trekking cooperative, would
take us to Lambri Top the next day.
Generally, a 3-day trek, we planned to attempt it in one day.
I checked the weather forecast for the next day. It
seemed to be clear; a perfect day for hiking. The next morning, we woke up to a
glorious, spring day. Sweet birdsong, gentle breeze, and light sunshine peeked
into the gorge. We were lucky to get a good weather window. We met Pratap who
had brought along a colleague to chalk out an alternate trekking route. He was
unable to find crampons anywhere in the tiny village so we decided to carry on
and try our luck.
The starting point of the trek was located 20 kms away
from the village of Jamala, the endpoint of the Sarchi road. We drove on a
smooth, narrow road snaking up through a deep mountainous valley, on the fringe
of the Great Himalayan National Park (GHNP). A UNESCO world heritage site, the
park spread over 754km² is known for its rich biodiversity including
medicinal plants and several threatened species, and is characterized by high alpine peaks,
alpine meadows, and riverine forests. Lush green, picturesque surroundings,
outlined by craggy white peaks as far as the eye could see. It felt like I was
in the lap of the Himalayas, being gently caressed by the gentle breeze.
As we gained altitude, a fabulous view of the
magnificent, snow-clad peaks came into view. I gasped at the natural beauty
surrounding us and tried to capture it on camera. Thick deciduous forests,
colourful houses peppered along the mountainside, and apple orchards covered
with white plastic sheets to protect them from unseasonal hail and snow. The
white sheets gave the illusion of snow from a distance. Global warming seemed
to be increasingly prominent.
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| A first glimpse of the snowy climb |
It took us roughly an hour to reach our starting
point. We could see a white Lambri Top in the distance. As we could only spot a
small section of the peak from the road, it was hard to tell how much of the
mountain was covered in snow. We walked past a handful of traditional Himachali
homes in the tiny settlement of Jamala. Curious village folk peeped out of
their homes to look at us, while the cattle and sheep grazed leisurely in the
early morning sun. A young girl asked us where we were going. She told me that
I would not be able to make it. I smiled and told her that she would be
surprised. There were a handful of homes and a couple of guesthouses under
construction. The closest market was in the nearby village of Sarchi.
As we exited the village, a verdant green meadow
opened up in front of us. Our guide, Pratap pointed at the view behind us. I
turned around to find a breath-taking view of the Western Himalayas as the
first light tinted the snow-clad peaks. We walked on a narrow trail through
thick deodar and pine forest. The trees were more than a hundred feet tall and
would have witnessed many adventurers like us across centuries. Its needlelike
leaves swayed gently in the light breeze as if to stir up a conversation with
us. The ground was still moist with dew. I breathed in the damp, crisp air
diffused with the scent of pine. My trekking poles helped me maintain a steady
pace and keep my balance while walking over slippery pine needles and loose
stones that covered the thin mountain path. The melodious song of the oriental
white eye and blue whistling thrush kept us enthralled.
Thousands of yet to blossom wild lilies were sprinkled
all over the hillside. I imagined what a beautiful sight it would be to walk
amongst them in full bloom. Pratap asked us to fill our water bottles at a
streamlet flowing down from the melting snowcaps over boulders covered with
moss. ‘This is the purest water you can ever drink. It will rejuvenate your
senses and clear any ailments’, he said. As we crossed over a makeshift wooden
bridge onto the adjoining mountain, the real climb began.
It seemed that the entire hillside had been ravaged by
a terrible storm. We climbed over uprooted tree tops blocking the path. The
steep gradient coupled with scree, leaves, and a barely-there path slowed us
down. We were the only ones on the trail. At 2800 m, we came across chunks of
muddy ice from time to time. I looked up at the tree-lined blue sky and
listened to the whispers of the rustling leaves under my feet. Three hours into
the trek, we stopped for a refreshment break. Pratap, also an avid birder, told
us about the various birds surrounding us based on their unique call. As we
started to make our way again, a pair of shrieking Himalayan monals darted
across the sky. Their colourful greenish-blue foliage glinted in the sunshine.
We came across our first stretch of soft snow.
Excitedly, I stepped forward, only for one of my legs to get stuck knee-deep in
it. I laughed as both guides pulled me out. Aman seemed worried. He was not
wearing waterproof shoes unlike me and was skeptical about navigating a near
400 m vertical incline in deep snow. He kept suggesting that we turn around due
to a bad experience in the past, but I was keen to go all the way. I reassured
him that we were in good hands. While I told him that we could always turn
around later, if required, I was determined to reach the top. When I gave Aman
the option to wait it out, he did not want to leave me alone.
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| A near 400 mtr vertical climb |
Soon, we neared the sharp ascent and looked up. A
solitary tree stood tall near the summit. As the sun had been out for a few
hours, the ice had melted in some sections making it easier for us to get a
grip on soft snow. It seemed to be about 4 - 5 feet deep at places. As our
guides were familiar with this route, they were confident of climbing without
much difficulty. Pratap advised against walking close to rocks as there was no
way to tell how deep the crevice would be in case of a fall. We walked in a
zig-zag fashion. I dug my boots into the snow to get a good grip. It was
difficult to walk more than ten steps at a stretch. I turned around to witness
an even better view of the snow-clad Himalayas. The camera could not capture
the beauty my eyes could see. I could feel my heartbeat in my chest. Other than
that, the calming sound of silence. A solitary raven glided in the azure skies
above us. We were all tired but happy.
We started to make our way again. Each step felt
reflective. We were so close to the mountaintop. I could hardly contain my
excitement. We came across a dark, moistened rock wall on which
water trickled off icy crystals into a small pool. I snapped off one of the ice
crystals and pretended to eat it for a photograph. We filled our bottles again
and kept climbing. Aman seemed anxious but did not turn back. It took us about
an hour to reach the halfway point. I rested on a rock while gazing at the
scenic views and the precipitous slope we had just traversed. A curious marmot
came out to see what the commotion was about. Satisfied, it returned to its
hiding place. ‘Another 40 - 50 minutes’, Pratap announced. I leaped forward
with excitement. It took an immense amount of effort to trudge my way up.
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| Almost there |
The virgin snow glinted under the afternoon sun. My
energy levels were depleting but my determination to get there was at its peak.
I could not walk more than five steps at a time before stopping for a break. I
took a deep breath as my heart thumped in my chest. ‘Almost there,’ the guides
told us. I was brimming with joy. We moved slowly and soon, we were there. On
top of the world.
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| Sweeping views of GHNP |
An extraordinary view of the entire Great Himalayan
National Park and the extensive Himalayan range - all the way from the
Dhauladhars to Kinnaur left us spellbound. Majestic snowy peaks, undulating
mountain valleys, luscious green forests and sapphire blue skies. On the other
side of the valley, we had a lovely view of Jalori Pass amidst thick forest and green meadows bespeckled with snow.
The sweet melody of a pair of alpine choughs was music
to the ears. It reminded me of my time on the Everest trail where they often
gave me company on solitary walks. At a short distance, we noticed a small
shrine made of stones - a temple for a local deity. I bowed my head in prayer
and gratitude.
