My Bhrigu Lake Trek Experience

I’m a newly graduated doctor who has spent the better part of my life in the library and the hospital. Planning a Himalayan trek came as an unusual decision for a routine-bound city girl who could very easily spend her holidays in the comfort of her home and Netflix. But my heart yearned for adventure; a trek in the mountains, a plan that had waited long enough on my bucket list, soon to be realised.  Due to the untimely postponement of my NEET PG exam, unavailability of my friends and news of bad weather in North India, I found myself planning a solo trek, a challenge I hesitantly accepted. But Indiahikes made this first-time solo female trekker’s experience so comfortable and dependable; I can vouch for a fantastic trekking experience for anyone planning a trek with them. 

From even before selecting which trek to do, the excellent communications team of Indiahikes guided me on which trek would be most suitable for a first-time trekker with a decent fitness level like mine. Once they suggested the Bhrigu Lake trek, I fully placed my faith in their judgment and registered for the same from 17th to 20th August. I was upgraded from the waitlist to confirmation on 8th August, and I quickly began my preparation for the trek in terms of fitness, travel logistics and shopping. 

At every step, Team Indiahikes supported me a lot. From travel advice, fitness routines, shopping suggestions, and even alleviating our anxiety with respect to the weather conditions, team Indiahikes actively answered all my queries on email, the WhatsApp group and over calls. The Crosstrek rentals made my life much easier in terms of trekking gear, cutting costs and packing light. And now that I’m back from the trek, I can vouch for the quality, hygiene and durability of all the rentals provided to us at the Palchan camp before our trek began. 

Getting to Manali, however, wasn’t easy. Due to the landslide between Mandi and Manali, my bus was cancelled, and I was struggling to find a way to get to Manali from Chandigarh.  Vishakha ma’am, my experience coordinator came to the rescue. Aware of the fact that I was a solo female traveller, she connected me to a group of trekkers of the Chandrakhani Pass Trek with whom I shared a taxi from Chandigarh to Manali and the 13-hour-long taxi ride in heavy traffic not only became safer and bearable but was also extremely fun and through this ride, I made some great friends for life!

I would suggest everyone keep buffer days while travelling in case of such uncertainties, and thanks to my buffer time, I reached Manali stress-free, without exhaustion and in time for my Bhrighu lake trek on the 17th August. 

The driver and our technical guide were on time for our pick up from Beas Bridge to Palchan and we met two of our cotrekkers with whom we headed to Palchan for rentals and briefing. At Palchan, we met our trek leader Archana ma’am and Technical guide Deshraj sir who gave us a very detailed explanation of our trek, what to expect, the rules and spirit of trekking and answered all our queries. I was delighted to see the commitment towards sustainability and the essence of it in the way Indiahikes treks, when Archana ma’am gave us our ecobags, for collecting everything that we find on the mountains that ‘doesn’t belong there’. She even shared her stories of how she had found packets of Maggie and other disposables on high mountain summits. She reiterated her dislike for ‘Pahadon waali maggie’ and other emotion-driven advertisement propaganda that ends up polluting the mountains, a sentiment that resonated with me. Indeed, Indiahikes and all its trek leaders stand by their motto of sustainable and transformative trekking. 

After lunch we were driven to the Gulaba roadhead, where we commenced our trek. Two of our trek mates had reached Manali late due to the roadblocks and were expected to come by 10 pm that night. While it would have been very convenient to cancel their trek, our trek leader and technical guide made every effort they could by coordinating with the slope manager and the officials at the Gulaba roadhead to bring them to the campsite in time to acclimatise them before the steep ascent. Their commitment to make this trek happen comfortably for every trekker is commendable. 

Our vitals and pulse oximetry were checked thrice a day and entered in our health cards, as our trek leader patiently attended to all our needs and queries regarding AMS. We were served delicious snacks and meals, freshly cooked by the spectacular kitchen staff who also trekked along to serve us hot meals. Both the camp sites, Jonker Thatch and Rola Kholi, were very well managed by Mr Deepak, who set up our tents, drinking water and an innovative hand and dish washing set-up that minimised water use. We were shown how to use sleeping bags and handed out hygiene liners that made tent living in the cold bearable. Even the biotoilets were so impressive, and there was absolutely no stench or discomfort with them, even at the high altitudes, low temperatures in the wilderness. Kudos to the camp management and kitchen team for their effort to make our camp stay so comfortable!

The trails were my favourite part of the trek. Long ascents through grasslands, meadows, slopes, plains and boulders in rain, fog and clear weather became so engaging and fun with our awesome trek leader and technical guide, it didn’t feel exhausting at all. Archana ma’am showed us every wild flower, golden oak tree, wriggly worms and animals that we came across on the trail, ensuring that we enjoy and appreciate the wonders of nature instead of just a transit from point A to B. It was my most fun botany class ever! Deshraj sir engaged us with interesting folklore, stories of the mountains and the culture of Himachal Pradesh. What a blend of history and geography it was!

On our summit day, we were prepared for the worst depending on the weather, and we trusted our experienced trek leader and technical guide who led us on until eventually the weather cleared, and we made it to the Bhrigu Lake. After our customary photos and a moment with ourselves, we embarked on our descent. We were always given tasty trail snacks if we felt like having a quick bite; the luxury of a picnic in the mountains. Our trek leaders also ensured we were adequately hydrated and gave us necessary breaks so the journey never felt exhausting. 

Once we were back in Rola Kholi, we were greeted with a welcome drink and fist bumps, and we gathered after a while for our debriefing and a small celebration. One of our trekmates celebrated his birthday on the trek, and the kitchen team baked us a cute little cake that we cut in the mountains; a memorable birthday celebration for us all. The debriefing was one of the highlights of my trek. An experience in which each of us shared how we had connected with nature, our cotrekkers and with ourselves in the mountains. It was an emotional moment for all of us, and even Archana ma’am and Deshraj sir opened up on how the mountains healed them and how all of us are so lucky to be together in the mountains. This exercise could have easily been done away with or cut short, but the very fact that Indiahikes chose to have a detailed debriefing is a testament that a trek is not just a walk on the mountains but a reflection of the transformation that nature has on all of us while we are there. And I’m so grateful to experience this transformation in me.

The trek was bedazzled with several moments of kindness and joy when we helped each other out. It reflects the spirit of trekking. When we helped wash each other’s feet so that we could enter our tents clean, and when we supported each other through the challenging parts of the trail. I remember Archana ma’am specially coming to my tent to check my sleeping bag’s zipper when I told her I was cold at night. Deshraj sir handed me his poncho when mine was too wet to be worn. These are acts of kindness that were beyond the duties of fellow trekkers or trek leads; they were acts of kindness that showed that they cared. And moments like these made my trek special, more than just another holiday activity. 

The closed-knit group of eight that we became, I now consider my trekking family. I celebrated my exam result success with them, a fond memory I will cherish forever. The ethos of sustainability, minimalism, quiet trekking to savour the music of nature, these lifelong bonds and stories, they will always have a place in my heart. And with that, I left the mountains, eager for a return soon, not knowing when or how, but definitely one with Indiahikes!