Thursday, August 11, 2022

Pin Bhabha Pass

 

Life should be more mountains and less stress - always

 

It would be a cliché to say that the last the couple years have been hard on us because of the pandemic. Sandeep and I did our last trek in 2019 and on our previous trek, Ved mentioned that we could do the “Pin Bhabha Pass” next. Sandeep already knew about this trek and many times thought of it as a next potential trek option. Multiple plans were made in last couple years but alas, none worked out. The other trek partners too were itching to go to the mountains, and finally sometime in May-June, the plans for Pin Bhabha started to formulate. Most of us were in for a trek in the first week of August.


The idea of a Himalayan trek vacation always excites me and keeps me motivated way before the actual holidays begin. 


The Pin Bhabha pass is well known as one of the most beautiful and dramatic cross-over hikes. The trek starts from the Kinnaur region of Himachal and it leads into the Spiti region, after crossing over the pass which itself is at around 5000mts of altitude. 

 


 


 

If one compares it with its other sibling, the risky Pin Parvati Pass trek where days are longer with multiple river crossings, the Pin Bhabha pass is a relatively safer pass crossing but providing equally amazing if not more, stunning views and landscapes.

With a group of around 10, we decided to meet at Chandigarh on 29th July. Although all of us are close friends and know each other very well, we were traveling from different places. Some of us were traveling from Bangalore, some from Gujarat and while others were coming from Madhya Pradesh.

Ved picked a few of us from railway station and few others from airport. I was feeling excited not only for the trek but also because I would be meeting my friends, few of whom I would be meeting after a long time. After a sumptuous lunch at a fauji dhaba on the outskirts of Chandigarh, we started for Narkanda. 

 


 

It was hot and humid in Chandigarh but as we got first glimpse of the Shivalik hills, the weather started to keep up with the monsoon season. The drizzle changed into heavy pouring rain and in these mountains, there are always chances of getting stuck due to rock falls or landslide, specially during the rainy season. The TT driver was taking all the precaution but at multiple places, large stones had rolled down from the mountains, sometime right in front of us, which was scary. When we had started the journey to Narkanda, I was thinking it was to going to be pretty uneventful ride, but how wrong was I.

 

We reach the guesthouse at Narkanda at almost 11pm after almost 9-10 hours, a travel that should have taken us 6-7 hours in regular weather. We were greeted by the staff and had a sumptuous late night dinner. John, who was delayed due to his work commitment was supposed to meet us the next morning at Narkanda. After what we had faced enroute from Chandigarh, I thought it would be difficult for him to make it on time. But to our surprise he made it next day at 6am to Narkanda safely.

 



 

The Pin Bhabha trek starts from Kafnu, a quaint Himalayan hamlet nestled along a river amidst mountains. It is about 6 hrs drive from Narkanda. We started at 10 the next morning after a hearty breakfast. Just as we hit the road beyond Narkanda, the vehicle started giving some trouble. It took couple of hours for the nearby mechanic to fix it, the time which we utilized by what else, having some hot chai and pakoras.

The drive to Kafnu was through some scenic mountains roads. The muddy Sutlaj river was on our left and seemed to be playing hide and seek as it camouflaged itself in the rocky background for most parts. Some part of the road was really narrow, with deep gorge on one side and the other side prone to rock fall. In some section, the road actually passes under hanging rock ledges. It was not a smooth ride but was very enjoyable. After crossing the bridge at Wangtoo , we could see the Kinnaur ranges. They were like large rocks, resting one on top of other. The last stretch to Kafnu did not have good roads these sections took a lot of time to navigate. 

This back-breaking journey ended around 6pm in a warm wooden, cozy homestay at Kafnu. Our hungry and thirsty souls were satiated immediately with hot chai and delicious dinner by the very hospitable family with whom we were going to stay the night. It had taken us two days to reach the start point of the trek.


The grasslands of Mulling and relentless rains

The next morning, few guys went for a stroll to explore the surroundings while I decided to stay back in the homestay, sipping hot ginger tea and enjoying the surroundings. We had planned to start after breakfast, but just as we brought on our rucksacks and poles, all of a sudden it started raining heavily. I had been doubting our decision to trek in this season but Sandeep told me that this was indeed a good season and hopefully it wouldn't be raining as we start gaining altitude.

The rain stopped after an hour or so and we started our trek in a light drizzle. I was feeling grateful to be standing at Kafnu finally starting for the trek, I decided to soak in the surroundings and enjoy each and every moment of the next few days. 


 

The initial walk is on a motorable road throug apple orchards, right alongside the gurgling Bhabha river. With the sound of Himalayan birds and the Janglik Range alongside we were all enjoying this walk. Today’s distance was around 12km with the altitude gain of 1000mts. 


 



 

We knew it was going to be long and easy day but no one knew it was going be adventurous too. After some time, it started drizzling which changed to pouring rain. On the way we got multiple streams which we could hop and jump. At some places, the log bridges had washed away due to rain and we had to wade through water after removing our shoes. Avi very correctly mentioned that these are “out of syllabus” river crossings which we had not prepared for. 


 


 

After about a couple of hours of walking, we had gained around 400mts of altitude and then halfway through the day, we were at the doors of a very beautiful pine forest with majestic sky high cedar trees. But we could not rest and enjoy the beauty as most of us were fully drenched by now and didn’t want to rest in the rain which was incessant.

 




We continued to walk in the forest through slush and mud for a few more hours. After a steady and gradual climb through some rocky patches, we reached a vast meadow. Only if the rain hadn't spoiled the party, we could have enjoyed more on this meadow, which is one of the beautiful campsite. The grasslands of Mulling, where we were supposed to setup camp, were another one km of steady walk from here.  We were all totally drenched, mildly irritated by the weather playing spoil sport, but overall the spirits were high as there was a lot of chattering and laughing amongst us. It was still raining although it wasn't pouring like earlier. We waited for our camps to be setup and that hot cuppa of tea.




I have read somewhere that there is nothing like bad weather in the mountains. The weather is what it is, just that you are either not prepared or not equipped to handle the conditions. And I found it to be so true. Despite having all sorts of rain gear, most of us were drenched. (I thought, after going back to Bangalore, I should give feedback to Decathlon for the rain gear bought from them) Avi was carrying an umbrella throughout the route and he was the least affected amongst us and had surprisingly managed to stay dry mostly. 

 

As we settled in our respective tents, Ved and team provided some hot chai/soup and food which provided some much needed warmth. The rain eventually stopped in the evening and the weather too cleared after sometime. We got first views of small ice fields and hanging glacier on nearby mountains from our tents. We took out all out wet clothes to dry but it was like “birbal ki khichadi” and would have taken ages to dry.

 

I have done many treks in this region but this was the first time I had found rain throughout the day. Well, add that to my experience. For Satisha, this was his maiden Himalayan trek. Although he is a very fit guy otherwise, he was feeling fatigued and said he was feeling feverish too. We we were hoping that after a nights rest he would feel better.

Kashmir like meadows of Kara

 

Before hitting the bed (my sleeping bag 😊) last night, I was praying for no rain days ahead. Quite a few of my clothes and my shoes and socks were still wet.  It was not a great feeling to trek with wet shoes and socks. I really wanted the Sun God to bless us for the next few days.

Next morning, the good news was that although the sun was still not up, the skies were clear clear but the bad news was Satisha was not feeling well. He had not got his rest in the night and was throwing up as well. This made all of us worry a little as he was showing signs on altitude sickness and we were relatively still at a lower altitude. 


 

Today was supposed to be short day as compared to yesterday.  The distance was around 6.5km and altitude gain was 400mts. There were two challenges ahead of us today. One, is the crossing over of the forceful Bhabha river and the other a short but sharp climb of around 300mts to the campsite.

 

Post breakfast, we started a little later than what we had thought, but since it was going to be a short day, we did not mind. Satisha showed quite some courage to start the day with us although we were contemplating on all possible options. But he said he was feeling better and we were slightly relieved after he said he would walk with us.

 



The first hour was a straightforward walk in the meadows which lead to a small climb in the pine forests. The wild flowers in the meadows were deep yellow and purple color and were blooming all around. We climbed through the forest which was again on a well marked trail and then negotiated some small, scattered boulders to reach the river bank for the river crossing. We were expecting the crossing to be tough and challenging, but to our surprise, the river crossing turned out to be very smooth. So the first hurdle of the day was negotiated without any trouble, 


 


Immediately after crossing the river, the trail starts to climb up. It was around 1.5 km of steep ascent to the meadow and then easy walk to the camp site. We were really enjoying the day today. Although the sky was still cloudy, there was no rain throughout.  Even the climb, although it is steep, was very enjoyable. We trudged slowly along the trail and at one point the grasslands of Kara were visible. Kara is another of those pretty campsites in this part of the Himalayas.

 



There were couple of other groups which had started the trek on the same day as us and they too had put up their camps.It was beautiful a site at Kara to see all the colorful tents pitched on lush green meadows with a river nearby and majestic mountains on both sides. 

This campsite is very windy and later in the afternoon, it was really blowing very hard. Since the day was short, we had plenty of time to kill today. After lunch, some of us went around to explore the campsite. The surrounding mountains were also lush green and we could see our mules grazing on top of these mountains with other goats and sheep. We just while away the time soaking in the nature.

 

The evening as usual was filled with riots of laughter and back slapping. We used to assemble in a big dining tent and whiled away the time by playing dumb charades, cards and general chit chat and leg-pulling. 

 


 

The river delta of Phutsirang


The next morning was bright and sunny. Everyone was in good spirts which made me wonder about how just a little bit of sunlight can uplift the overall mood of  everyone.  

 

The sunscreen, caps and sunglasses all came out of the bags today and overall very happy mood in the campsite.

 



We wanted to start early today because the base of the pass is small ground and since there were other groups trekking with us, we wanted to reach earlier and find better place for camping. 

We had sumptuous breakfast and started the day. After about 500mts from the campsite, there were multiple small streams which required crossing and we all had fun doing it. Some of us removed the shoes and some of us tried to jump with the shoes on.

 



As I got out of the freezing water and was wearing my shoes, I couldn't help but notice how different forms and colors had got added to the surroundings. The color palette was even better and richer than yesterday or maybe it was just because the sun was out in full glory today. It was a gradual climb on well-marked trail, we met lot of sheep and goat en-rout. I greeted and said "Hi" to them, but they rudely ignored me and nibbled away at the grass which was more interesting than a party of humans crossing their land.

 


After a while we again had to cross another stream which was a little tricky because the trail had all but broken and there were loose stones on the river bed. Ved and team helped us get down from the trail and all of us crossed the stream safely.It did take quite a while before all of us were safely on the other side.


 


Today we were walking along a ridge on the mountains and trail was undulating. We negotiated the trail and went from one small dale to another.  The surroundings were breathtaking and we had a lot of different kinds of butterflies who gave us company. And in the end, there was small climb to the campsite of Phutsirang. By the time our mules reached, the main campsite which is next to multiple small rivulets, was used by other groups. But we still got a relatively secluded place on a slightly higher ground. The multiple rivulets on the ground below gave the appearance of a delta :-). 



 Anil, showed us the way to the pass which was a very steep and daunting climb and looking at that I thought surely I wouldn't get sleep in the night. It was that daunting.

The sun was out again and we dried our wet clothes on the campsite. Meanwhile, Vipul Bhai was testing and checking all the tents and made sure he got the perfect tent for sleeping. Although, the campsite is on a flat ground, sometimes, even a slight tilt on the ground can ruin your nights rest.  As we chatted out in the sun, we had lunch outside and decided to rest a bit before exploring the campsite. Satisha seemed to very exhausted. He wasn't eating properly and despite the harsh sun, he insisted on sleeping which made me worry a little bit as the next day was going to be very challenging. 





Later in the afternoon we went around the campsite, met few other trekkers from other group. They were planning to start around 4:00 am next day and were attempting to cross the pass early. By the time we reached back to the camp, we got a surprise. A heap of "pani-poories" was waiting for us. Pani Poori in any trek is very unusual but I must say they taste even more delicious when had above 4000mts.

 


We were thinking of having an early dinner and hitting the sack. When we assembled in our usual adda for the evening, no one wanted to go back to their tent early and a round of Antakshari started. The hidden gems of Antakshari were discovered today. Mohan (fondly called as Anna) and John (John the Don). All kinds of Hindi, Kannada, Gujarati, Tamil and Marathi songs were sung and I totally forgot that we had a long day ahead.


Finally at 9.30pm , we decided retire for the night. We too had planned on starting early the next day. As we went to the tents, we could see millions of stars in the sky which was a very good sign. We were praying for good weather at least till we cross the pass and get sufficiently down on the other side. I knew I was not going to get much sleep tonight. 

 


D-day. Balder via Pin Bhabha Pass

 

Today was the THE day. We woke up around 4:15 am and got ready by 5 am. I made multiple rounds to the kitchen tent to check if the breakfast was ready as I was eager to start early. The other trek groups were already on the trail and we could see their head torches bobbing about in the dark. That made me more anxious on why we were not on the trail early.  However, Ved was confident that even if they had couple of hours of headstart, given our speed, we would still be able to catch up with them before the pass.  There was no competition but we wanted to make sure that we reach the pass early before 9 am. Suddenly I noticed, that the sky had turned pastel glow of yellow behind the mountains signalling the crack of dawn. This was indeed one of the highlights of the day. Brijesh immediately said that we would have missed this moment if would have started early.

  


We grabbed some poha for breakfast , did a quick huddle and started for a long day ahead at around 6 am. I was slightly nervous as we started, but I kept on telling myself that I could do it without issues. 

The first climb of the day was very steep but the saving grace was that the trail zig-zagged along to the top. We were just concentrating on keeping one foot behind the other while negotiating the steep climb. I was very focused and wanted to save every ounce of energy and not feel fatigued.

We were taking smaller breaks and all the while keeping an eye on each other. Satisha too was keeping pace with all of us despite feeling feverish the whole night. The tailenders Ashwin, Avi and Brijesh were having quite some fun, pepping themselves,  listening to music.

 




After about an hour, the rocky and loose moraine section started and that’s when Anil mentioned during the rain it is usually difficult to cross this section and even if trekkers can climb around (although it is risky), it becomes challenging for the pack animals and they refuse to cross. 

This rocky patch lasted for around 45mins and we reached the top of the first climb in around 90mins.

 

By the time the Sun was out and it was time to don the sunglasses and wear sunscreen. We took a short "makeup" break applying sunscreen and started again. This was the second climb which was now through boulders. It was not as hard as first climb but the pass was still not visible. We descended onto a small snow section which was fun and climbed again through rocks and moraine. After climbing up this snow section, now we could see the prayer flags of the pass.

 





It was almost 9 am when we reached the top of the pass. The views from the pass (which is around 5000mts) were nothing short of spectacular and it was very windy, so much so that we had to raise our voices to talk.  The prayer flags, the panoramic view of green mountains on one side and coffee-colored ones on other side, snow fields all added to the exhiliration. It was passage between two distinct worlds; the verdant and seemingly alive Bhabha valley in Kinnuar to dry but resilient Pin valley in Spiti.

 




It was an ecstatic environment on the pass. Ved and team did a small Pooja. We clicked possibly a million pictures, did our routine garba dance to celebrate being on the pass.

 

We spent around 30mins on the pass and were ready for the descent. We all knew that "Dilli abhi door hai". The descent from the pass is equally treacherous and steep and one has to exercise utmost caution negotiation the scree and boulder fields.   I have read in multiple blogs that if there is enough snow in the season, many people can go down sliding on the snow which is far easier than negotiating the boulder and scree and saves time too. Satisha was happy thinking it will be an easy task now to go down until we started. I had to remind him to be extra careful now.  The initial descending was through snow and ice which was slippery. All of made a chain instead of roping up that made it little easy.

 





Later on, while we were descending on boulders and loose moraine which was little tricky, many of us including Sandeep, John and Satisha had falls but fortunately no one got hurt. The change in terrain is so stark, it’s mindboggling. We had now entered the Pin Valley. We were invited to witness barren landscape of brown and rusty red. The Pin river was flowing majesticaly through the sun kissed rocks. We had descended till we hit the river bed and it was time to cross the Pin river. Anil assured that this was the last river crossing. This was again through chilly glacial waters. Fortunately the river levels were not very high for us to cross over wading in ankle deep or just below the knee deep waters.


Once we crossed the river, it was now a monotonous walk on the boulders. Mind you, it did require a lot of concentration and energy and can really tire you out, but the scenery did not change a wee bit. It was post noon now and we had been walking for more than 4 hours after crossing the pass. We were all hungry and waiting for Ved and the mules to join us because our packed lunch was with him. We found a small section where we sat, had a nice lunch and some much deserved rest. The campsite was nowhere to be seen yet. We left the river bed and climbed up the ridge leading to more rocky terrain. For the next couple hours it was this same walking on the ridge. Finally from one point, the guide pointed out the campsite. It wasn't really visible, but we got the idea and it took us another hour before we could see the tents. We were at the Balder camp and it was around 4pm.  

 






Woow. what a day it had been. We had woken up early, started early and taken around 10 hrs to cross the pass and reach the campsite. We were all happy that all of us made safely to the camp without any incidences as the chances of untoward events was very high today. 

 

It was a very relaxed atmosphere once we reached the camp. We sat outside, soaking in the sun and the surroundings. None of us was eager to change. We congratulated each other and were all generally very happy to have reached the safety of the camp. Ashwin was being the DJ and played on demand music while we chatted and shared our experiences of the day.

 

To the village of Mud ( pronounced "Moodh" )

 

Today was the last day of our trek and as usual I was feeling gloomy simply because the trek was ending. This is exactly what has been happening to me on all treks. After the first couple of days, I am used to the staying in tents, lack of sleep, no hot water baths, harsh weather and do not miss the comfort of the city home at all. By the end, I do not want to leave and want the trek to continue and therefore the feeling of sadness. 

Anyways, today's was a  long walk but a fairly straightforward affair. Nothing very stressful or challenging. We had to cover about 12-13 kms to Mud but we were not in any rush.  We had a good breakfas. Ashwin got the bluetooth speaker from Ved and I realized it was going to be "musical" walk today.


 

The walk, again is crossing one ridge after another. There were some small river crossings, some where the shepherds had placed a plank to cross over while others which we just negotiated with ease.  After walking for maybe 2-3 hrs I could see the village of Mud from the distance. Anil, although assured us that the village was still more than an hour away.

 




A new thing which we encountered on today's trail was, hundreds and thousands of different kinds of stones. Some of them were multi-colored, while others were of unique shape, some others had a strange gleam to them, but they were all very beautiful and for "stone collectors" like Ashwin and Brijesh this was an opportunity heaven sent. They were ecstatic like kids in a candy store and managed to increase their checkin luggage by a few kgs. 


 

Mud is again another of those beautiful himalayan hamlets. We could see people working in verdant peas and barley fields. In order to reach the actual village, which is perched up on a high ridge, one has to cross a 30 M long swinging bridge. We did not go to the village as we were going to hit the road head ahead.

 


At around 1:30 pm, when I saw our vehicle waiting near the Mud campsite, I  realized our beautiful trek has ended.

 


 

Reminiscing

 

Pin Bhabha is definitely one of the most beautiful treks I have done so far. In beauty, it comes very close to the Sara Umga trek I had done a few years back. A word of caution though, this trek is not for the first timers. The trek is not difficult, except the pass is at a decently high altitude and a couple of days can be very long and demanding. One has to have some basic fitness to do this trek, simply because then one can enjoy the beauty of the trek much more.

 

The memories of the trek are even more special because I had company of some wonderful people. As part of the group we had Sudhi, Mohan, John, Ashwin , Satisha, Vipul , Brijesh , Avi .

There was not a single day on the trek when Ved, Sandeep and I didn’t miss Satya. When I was trekking, I felt I was carrying his legacy and he would be so happy to see us in the mountains.

 

All the friends showed so much courage. Satisha, despite being not well, showed a lot of grit to complete the trek. Mohan Anna was always calm and composed, Vipul bhai kept us cheerful with his smiles, Ashwin was always there to help for any of us and John too was courageous despite all the uneasiness of high altitude.  Sudhindra too with his quips at unexpected times, kept all of us fully entertained even in tough times. I am so proud of all you warriors.


I am so grateful that I could be part of this trek. This trek is dedicated to my husband Sandeep, who thinks I can do anything in this world and to my friends Brijesh and Avi who wanted me to be on the trek more than I did.


Till the next odyssey in the Himalayas - Take care. 

For more pictures see this Pin Bhabha Photos