Trek To Triund

"Of all the paths you take in life, make sure a few of them are dirt.” – John Muir

This is a quote that I relate with immensely! At one time or another, most of us at have had the impulse to leave behind our daily routine, office and responsibilities and seek out a new life, at-least temporarily. With  this thought in mind, we keep on searching for this proverbial.

I remember how eagerly I searched for Triund Trek long back (in 2013), when I saw one of its pictures for the first time on FaceBook, when one of my friends visited the place. That day I made a promise to myself to visit Triund some day in my life. Finally, during my last heavenly escape to mountains from the chaotic city life, I visited a paradise called Triund in April 2017.

Triund is a paradise in Himachal Pradesh one must visit in their 20’s/30's for a thrilling and adventurous experience. Triund is a large land of green grass. One can see the mighty Dhauladhar ranges just above the eyes. The ridge elevation is between 2,810 and 2,875 meters.

To reach Triund, one has to cover a 9km long mountain trail. The trail starts from McleodGanj bus stand and can be divided into three parts (0-3km,  3-6km, 6-9km). The first three kilometers from Mcleodganj bus stand takes you to Galu Devi Temple in Dharamkot and can be covered either walking or in a taxi/auto. Since a good way to commence a journey is by getting some blessings on your side, you could go and ring some bells at the Galu temple, beyond which no vehicle will be willing to take you. From here on in, you start, on an uphill journey, on foot. From Galu Devi temple there is an unambiguous byway which goes through a beautiful forest of Oak and Devdar trees. This stretch through the woods is known as 22 Curves, because of the 22 switchbacks one has to walk through to reach Triund. The trail is rocky at most of the places and cut in steps at some places. The HPCA stadium is your constant companion throughout the trek. Half way up the mountain (3km from Galu Devi Temple, or the second part of the trail) you would "Magic View Cafe”, a tiny little shop where you can find nice food (Maggi and Bread Omlete) to eat. It proclaims to be the oldest tea shop on the trail – established in 1984.

And just 50 meters away, there is another cafe known as "Best View Cafe" from where you can see Dharmsahala in the valley on one side and Triund at the top on the other side. I leave it to you to make the painful decision between magic and best. I chose the magic on way up to Triund and Best on way back to Dharmsahala. 

Further (After Magic and Best View Cafes) the path is a lot of uphill task. It is continuously tilted at an angle ranging between 15 to 45. The last stretch takes your breath away, and so does the first view of Triund. They somehow compensate for each other and allow you to become a kid wanting to roll down the meadows. We kept on walking and after almost 3 hours from the start we reached the top.

To our surprise is was just a hill and a few cottages of the local people and 2 -3 tea shops but the view from the peak was magnificent, amazing and worth all the hardships. The gigantic mountains, the clear blue sky and the tiny houses dotting the hills- a gorgeous view you can admire for hours. The trek is tough no doubt, but the view at the end of it is totally worth the climb and you’ll forget how tired you are. We could see the Dharamshala Cricket (HPCA) stadium on one side and the Dhauladhar mountain ranges on the other covered with Snow.

But remember, there are no washrooms, no electricity and no mobile network at all! Life is very tough there for locals. A plain Maggie costs around Rs. 100-120 whereas a bottle of mineral water costs Rs. 50-80 depending on the season. So when you pack your bag, make sure you keep lots of dry food, chocolates, tissue rolls, water, battery backups and a torch. In spite of all this, the peace and serenity you will feel there, just can’t be expressed in words. Do carry your camera as well as tripod and don’t miss the chance of capturing the beauty of nature. The picturesque is unforgettable to me. 

There is plenty to do at Triund and nothing at all, depending on your choice. You can eat, drink, read, walk, trek further, click photographs, eat, roll on the grass, sit by the bonfire and gaze at the numerous stars. Or you could just borrow a blanket from the dhaba and laze around indefinitely. We sat at a stone from where the whole view was just amazing and no one spoke much and just quietly enjoyed the sunset with amazing tea from the kitchen of Forest Guest House. The feeling of being secluded, the feeling of relaxation and the beautiful weather was just enough to not feel tired. The basic meals of Indian Daal and Rice we got at dinner were far more delicious than any cuisine in the world. It was simple and maybe we were so hungry that we loved every bite of it.

At nightfall we stood under the open sky and admired the sky full of stars. We hardly see sky full of stars in urban areas. The full moon-light on the snow capped peaks was awesome. One thing you will notice is - Moon is white when you see it from Triund and is Yellowish when you see from Delhi. The difference is 'Pollution'. Admiring stars full sky and full light moon was just like a dream coming true. After all life is about chasing your dreams right!

We live the moment and it’s gone. All that is left becomes the story or an experience. Triund was different experience all together in which I realized some times leaving behind luxury and technology and enjoying a simple trip in the lap of nature is more fruitful...