This is a report by Lay Naik, who went on a recce of the Pin Bhaba Pass trek before the season began. The recce team conducted the recce between July 1st and July 2nd, trekking 50 km over a span of two days. Please note that the recce team is highly acclimatized and trained to cover the trek this quickly. The otherwise recommended itinerary can be found on this page.

Yesterday, I returned from the recce of the Pin Bhaba Pass trek. I was blown away by the mesmerising beauty of the entire trek. I can totally agree that this is The Grand Cross Over Trek 

Day 1 ( 22 km )  - Kafnu (8275 ft ) to Phutsirang (13520 ft)  (via Mulling and Karah Campsite) 

Day 2 ( 28 km ) - Phutsirang (13520ft) to Mudh(12420 ft) (via Pin Bhabha summit and  Mangrungse) 

1. To get an idea about the entire geography of the  trek 

3  Document tricky sections on the trek where safety plays a crucial role. This year we got late snow and the Pin Bhaba Pass trek goes to 16,000 ft. This is why we are expecting snow on the trail. 

5. Spot water sources at the campsite (whether they are available and potable) and on the trail 

6. List possible challenges, and come up with solutions to mitigate those challenges

7. Build a relationship with the locals of Mudh

We started our Trek from Kafnu on 1st July at 8.40 am. Our target was to reach Phutsirang by 6.30 pm. The weather forecast was cloudy on Day 1 and on Day 2 we only had a window of 4 hours of clear sky. 

We started the trek by entering a forest section. What an amazing forest! It was an incredible experience of walking silently in that forest with the sound of birds chirping and the river flowing. I hadn't been to such a beautiful forest section so far. I was speechless. 

The dense forest on the Pin Bhaba Pass trek

You hear the birds chirping, and the Bhaba river flowing nearby

Immediately after the forest section, we ended up in meadows. And soon we reached Mulling. 

The best part of trekking in Himachal Pradesh is that you can camp in the meadows. What a setting!   

Just before Karah, I got a view of the whole valley. It reminded me of Kashmir meadows. It feels like you can just keep walking anywhere. It's lush green all around. 

A stunning view of the valley just before Karah. It reminds you of Kashmir meadows.

After crossing the stream which had decent flow, we had lunch. Then we started ascending to Phutsirang. 

The blooming has started all tiny flowers Gereniums, fleabae, potentila, forget-me-nots, and their natural hybrid versions.

Flowers blooming on the meadows of Pin Bhaba Pass trek.

We reached Phutsirang around 6.45 pm, pitched our tent, took a breath and said thank you to the mountain God for being kind to us.

A rare sight of snow at the Phutsirang campsite.

we started our day at 4.45 am. From 14,600 ft till the pass we found snow. But earlier to the snow section, for almost 300 m we loose rocks and scree. I found this to be the most difficult part of climbing to the pass. 

Once the snow fields started, the climb got much easier due to the microspikes.  

Trekking on snow to reach the pass is easier with microspikes.

A charming sight of sheep in search of greener pastures

We reached the Pass at 8 am. Spent an hour there soaking in the sun. With our DIY kits, we even made chai and kheer. Trust me, it was amazing! 

Thanking the mountain Gods for good weather and blue skies.

The snow made it much easier to climb the pass. I am saying this in comparison to rupin gully, where there were only rocks during pass crossing, which added tp the difficulty. 

I climbed a little higher on the pass to take in the view of Pin Valley. And the colours totally caught my attention.  Red, yellow, different shades of brown, and far away there was also a tinge of green. I had never imagined Pin Valley to be so colorful.  I was expecting it to be a barren desert. 

Descending into the Pin Valley covered in snow.

We started descending from the pass at 9 am.

For the first 3 km, we slid down on the snow. Then we reached the mouth of a stream. From here the trail was a path of stones. And each stone was tinged in a different colour. I was in awe! 

I was so curious about these stones. They didn't look like sedimentary rocks because they were in trans-Himalayas. At the same time, I wondered, how are there so many different colors?

"Most likely these are Quartz Arenites(sandstone). Pin Valley is a very rich geological place.

This entire region of Spiti is the remains of the Tethys Sea. You can easily see the rock strata from different geological eras. A lot of marine fossils have been found at Langza.

In fact the village of Mudh holds an important place for geologists as Moravian(present-day Czechia) geologist Ferdinand Stoliczka studied the rock layers at Mudh in the 1860s and currently, it is known as the Mudh Series or Mudh Formation," shares Trek Leader Diptarka Gupta.

This experience made me feel like I was in a whole different world. 

I enjoyed descending on the stones, rocks and pebbles. 

We reached Mangrungse around 11 am. From there, we continued our trek to dwalder.  There we took break to eat and started again. 

The nearer I was getting to Mudh, the brighter the colours of the rocks became. 

All the four campsites of this trek -- Mulling, Karah, Phutsirang and Mangrungse -- stole my heart. I am unable to pick a favourite.  

We reached Mudh by 4.45 pm. The last 4 km were tiring. But the moment we entered Mudh, green fields of green peas refreshed our eyes. 

Note: Trek Leader Lay Naik completed this recce with Guide Sahil. All photos are shared by Lay Naik. 

A mind-blowing recce of Pin Bhaba Pass trek

The post I’m writing today is very dear to me. It’s been three weeks since I’ve returned from one of the grandest adventures of my life. The adventure went beyond my Rupin Pass trek experience (which I hold extremely close to my heart), it went beyond trekking solo in Switzerland, it even went beyond trekking in the grand sceneries of Kashmir. 

It’s an experience that will go with me to my grave, because it was my first ever chance to be in an exploration team. 

We explored a new route to Gidara Bugyal. 🙂 

I had the honour of trekking with our founders, Arjun and Sandhya (for the very first time in seven years!), and a close colleague of mine, Izzat, who heads the Experiential Learning division at Indiahikes.

The four of us, along with our guide, Pravesh, set off to Gidara Bugyal from the village of Barsu — a route that’s seldom trekked on. Only shepherds usually roam these trails. We were looking to see if approaching Gidara Bugyal from the Siyari meadows would make a viable trekking route for the future. 

Pravesh was sent on a recce of this trail earlier this year. Even though some parts of the trail were unfamiliar with him, what he knew was still enough for him to play the guide’s role. 

Also, we were attempting the trek DIY style, experimenting with our new lightweight tents, sleeping bags, cooking gear and food. 

What followed was 5 days of sheer adventure. We saw some unbelievable mountain scenery. Of course, the meadows of Gidara took the cake, but I’ll get to that later.

The backstory of the Gidara Bugyal exploration

“Gidara Bugyal is an unfinished story from ten years ago,” shares Sandhya, our co-founder. “Back in 2010, when I was recce-ing Dayara Bugyal for the first time, a local shepherd had told me about Gidara Bugyal. He was singing praises of these meadows like it was paradise on earth. He had said, ‘You haven’t seen anything until you’ve seen Gidara.’

“I got so excited that I called Arjun immediately and asked him if I should go alone and explore Gidara right then. Though Arjun was equally excited, he said we had too many things going on to do the exploration right then. The exploration did not happen,” she says. 

Two years later, it was now Arjun’s turn at exploring the back corners of the Dayara and Siyari meadows. Siyari was almost halfway to Gidara Bugyal from Barsu. Though Arjun was tempted to explore Gidara, the uncertainty of the terrain and his lack of preparation made him hesitate. Again, the exploration of the Gidara Bugyal remained an unfinished dream. 

“It never went out of our minds though. I always knew I had to go back, I was just waiting for the right time,” says Arjun. “I had to find out for myself if the route to Gidara from Barsu, via the Siyari meadows, was a worthwhile one.”  

Finally, in 2021, ten years later, on a crisp November morning, five of us set off from Barsu, exploring a new route to Gidara Bugyal.

Arjun, Sandhya, Izzat and me at the highest point on the trek. Picture taken by our guide, Pravesh

You may know that we already run the Gidara Bugyal trek (see trek here). Currently, we start this trek from Bhangeli, a small hamlet around 50 km from Gangotri. It’s a circular trek that touches the Gidara meadows and comes back to Bhangeli. 

This time, we were doing the trek from Barsu to Bhangeli via the Gidara meadows. 

Take a look at this map. You’ll see our current Gidara Bugyal trek in blue. The red trail is the new route we explored. The green one (just for reference) is our Dayara Bugyal trek.

The benefit of this new route was immediately apparent to us — we were doing what seemed like 2-3 treks within a span of 5 days. This needs a bit of explanation. 

We started our trek from Barsu, across a ridge from where we could see Dayara Bugyal. From there we touched the Siyari meadows (a great trek on its own!). From Siyari, we climbed to a high point called Surya Top, and further up to 13,600 ft, which was the highest point on the trek. 

On the third day, it was a challenging journey to reach the Gidara meadows. We had to squeeze through nooks and crannies in the mountains, across jagged cliffs and trail-less moraine sections. 

Even though the distance wasn’t much (30 km), it felt like we had walked 50 km. The trek was not easy on my legs — I’ll admit I am not at my fittest best at this moment. But what we were bombarded with — the many scenery changes everyday made it feel like so many different treks. 

I want to take you through some of the biggest highlights of the trek. 

To me, this was the first “Wow” point on the trek. Even though the first day’s trek was beautiful, through oak forests and lovely clearings (in one of which we camped), the moment we got to the meadows, I was stunned. 

A view of the Gangotri ranges from Siyari. Picture by Sandhya UC

Out of nowhere, a vast expanse of golden brown grasslands opened up in front of us. Oak trees bordered the meadows. The Gangotri ranges formed the ever-perfect backdrop, against a spotless blue sky. A light stream tinkled through the meadows, shimmering in the morning sun.

My heart longed to camp right there, in the middle of this golden cauldron. 

Here, I have something special I want to show you. Perched at a high point in the meadows, we made a video for you, to get an idea of where we were, and what you should do if you’re ever planning to do the Dayara Bugyal trek DIY style. I recorded it with Arjun. Take a look: 

Proximity of the views of the Gangotri range and Mt Bandarpoonch

The mountain views on this trek are something that will remain etched in my memory forever. Even now, when I close my eyes and transport myself back to the trek, I can see the entire range before my eyes. 

Starting from the left, Mt Srikanth, the three Gangotri peaks, Mt Jaonli, Draupadi ka Danda. For five days, these mountains accompanied us. We saw them from the rarest of angles, the closest of distances.

The Gangotri range is a constant presence from the very first minute to the last minute of the Gidara Bugyal trek. Picture by Sandhya UC

On our left, playing sneak-peek with us was the daunting Mt Bandarpoonch. 

At one point, we were so close to Mt Bandarpoonch that we thought “why not just get onto that ridge, climb Bandarpoonch and come back.” 😛 (Bandarpoonch is a 6000 m massif btw).

Even from the forests on the last day, we saw such a different view of the ranges. I’ve never been on a trek where big Himalayan ranges accompany you almost every minute of the trail. Right from the base camp, all the way to the very last minute. I got to experience that at Gidara.

Spot the trekker! Mt Bandarpoonch stands towering over the Siyaari meadows. Picture by Sandhya UC

I’ve put “reaching Gidara Bugyal” as a highlight because our entrance into the meadows was so suspenseful and dramatic, that the adventure alone is a story! 

On Day 3, when we started our trek from a campsite called Pailatu towards Gidara Bugyal, we did not know what was in store for us. 

“I knew the general direction and the nature of the trail, but that was only by instinct and prior experience trekking in this region. I was cautious, since we were at the end of November. I knew there would be snow and verglas on the trail,” recollects Arjun.

The trail we trekked on that day was an adventure of a lifetime. 

The entire trail was through an alpine section. Moraine that crumbled under our feet. Sections with 2-3 feet of fresh snow into which we sank knee-deep. Scary descents that overlooked deep chasms. Many times, we had to take off our backpacks and get on all fours to navigate big boulders. Such was the approach to Gidara Bugyal. 

“I remember the moment that we first spotted Gidara Bugyal from a distance. I first saw the sheer cliff. It was a straight drop, like someone had sliced a cake neatly. At the top of the cake was where the meadows started. After all the rocks, snow and moraine, my heart soared when I saw soft golden meadows,” recollects Izzat.

Despite having spotted the meadows, we still had an hour of arduous trekking to reach the meadows.

Our first view of the Gidara Meadows, on top of a sheer cliff. We were wondering “how do we get there from where we’re standing.” Picture by Swathi Chatrapathy

Gidara Bugyal and the terrific ridge walk 

We reached Gidara bugyal just as the sun was casting an evening glow. Somehow, all of us went quiet when we entered the meadows. 

A large snow patch stretched out in front of us, forming a beautiful contrast with the sun-baked golden meadows. The meadows stretched out as far as our eyes could see. So vast was the landscape that even Kashmiri meadows seemed small in comparison!

The vast stretch of Gidara Bugyal in the evening light. Picture by Swathi Chatrapathy

“It was like being transported to another world,” recalls Sandhya. “Despite having trekked the best treks of our country, including Warwan Valley in Kashmir, I had not seen anything like these meadows,” she says. 

To add to it, the Gangotri range stood calmly in the distance, soaking in the evening sun. 

For Arjun and Sandhya, being in these meadows was like coming full circle. A dream from ten years ago finally come true. I could sense a deep sense of happiness and gratitude in both of them. Both were a little teary.

The next morning, soaking in the morning sun walking down the grand meadows. Picture by Swathi Chatrapathy

Here, I want to add a bit about the ridge walk — something we didn’t do, but our trekkers do. On our regular Gidara Bugyal trek, trekkers approach the meadows from the opposite side and walk the entire length of the meadows until the very edge. 

Once there, they turn around and climb onto the ridge on the right side and cover the entire length of the meadows from the top of the ridge. This is an incredible experience, being able to see Gidara Bugyal on both sides of the ridge, — something we couldn’t do. It’s a very cleverly designed trek by our Senior Trek Leader Nitesh, and every trekker must experience it!

The descent through oak and maple forests 

On the last day of the trek, when we were done with the toughest parts of the trek came the most pleasurable trek through a dense oak and maple forest. 

Given that we were trekking in early winter, the trees had shed their leaves and the forest floor was a soft mattress of maple leaves. 

But the forest alone did not enchant us. There were two other things. 

First, the clearings. There were so many clearings and small ponds in the forest that trekkers would love to simply drop their bags and rest there. The clearings opened up to views of the Gangotri range from a completely different angle.  

Some of the clearings as we descended. Picture by Sandhya UC

Second, the birds that we spotted. “You know, most trekkers would fawn over spotting a Himalayan monal. Even on my past treks, with great difficulty, I’ve seen one or two monals. But in these forests, we spotted so many Himalayan monals!” exclaims Arjun.  

We spotted martens, blue sheep and even a full-grown bear on this trek. A first of everything for me, especially the bear part! 

The final stretch of the forest, the last of the clearings and the mountain views. It was with a heavy heart, yet a light feeling that we ended the trek. Picture by Arjun Majumdar

There are so many other highlights I’d love to talk about — the Dokrani meadows, the campsites, the stream-crossings, the unreal sunsets and sunrises that we saw every single day, our moonrise experience from behind the Gangotri ranges, but I’ll save these for another day. 

If you remember, last week, I told you that we had re-launched our DIY Treks. (If you missed it, read about it here). We have introduced brand new lightweight tents, sleeping bags, food and cooking gear after months of research and experimentation. 

Our Gidara Bugyal trek was a final experiment before we took the DIY treks live. And boy were we impressed with the gear! 

Our new Crosstrek Lite tents, which weighed as less as 2.4 kilos, worked wonderfully in temperatures up to -10 degrees. 

Our new lightweight Crosstrek Lite tents at the Rikoda campsite. Picture by Swathi Chatrapathy

Our new sleeping bags were so light that with all my winter layers + my sleeping bag, my backpack weighed just 7-8 kilos. 

Our cooking gear was particularly impressive, especially because it out-did all the cooking gear we have used in the past (watch a video on it here).

Finally, the food was finger-licking-good! Of course, we made the premixes in-house, with our own recipes. But having hot manchow soup with crispy noodles, sitting in the middle of a forest on a cold night was a one-of-a-kind experience. 

I know I seem to be gloating about all the DIY gear, but this big success has come after many failed experiments and small wins. 

“Reducing weight of gear at such unprecedented levels (almost halving them in weight), yet not losing out on their efficiency has been a huge challenge for us. I’m going to be very proud when DIY trekkers use this gear and remain warm and comfortable on a Himalayan trek,” says Manish Pasad, head of Research and Development at Indiahikes. 

The first question that you may have in your mind is “When are we opening the Gidara Bugyal trek?” 

The answer is, I’m not sure. This route does have its share of uncertainties. The approach is difficult in summer, because of the section between Surya Top and Gidara Bugyal — the trails are narrow, and snow doesn’t melt in many sections because they are west facing. From mid-September to mid-November the trek could be doable, but we need to do another exploration, but this time with real trekkers. 

The trail will need a bit of designing as well. Some campsites need to be changed, water sources to be more sure of.

So we will have to wait for sometime before we open this trek from the Barsu side. Maybe if you want to be part of the first exploration team, you could send me your interest in an email. 

But whatever it is, if ever this route opens, then it would be a royal treat for the trekker. This route is worth the wait. 

If you have any thoughts, questions, or experiences on this route, drop in a comment below. 

We’ll be back with more trek talk soon.

Exploration Story: A New Route to Gidara Bugyal

| Editor’s Note: Here’s a trek experience documented by Kabil Ghhogra of the Jalsu Pass trek. If you plan to do the trek on your own, this experience will surely help you. (Jalsu Pass is a good solo trek too.)

Jalsu pass is one of the oldest routes connecting Kangra and Chamba. Gaddi Shepherds have used this pass from centuries to travel between the plains of Kangra and their homeland, Chamba (Gadheran).

The trail is well marked as it is still used as a pilgrimage road to Manimahesh Kailas. The best season to travel is between April to September, especially before the monsoons when the valley starts to blossom with a variety of flowers to live up to its name of “Flower Valley Of Himachal”.

We — me and my 2 friends, Nitish and Akshit — planned for an easy to moderate trek a month ago in mid-June 2020 and started running for half an hour everyday to prepare our body and mind. Checked a few websites, blogs, vlogs and contacted local people who have done the trek before. (For anyone planning for this trek, hiring a guide is always recommended)

We talked to each other over phone and decided on the day we would start the hike by checking weather forecast and chalked out the itinerary.

On the day of the hike, we texted each other that it has started raining, but we were sure of the forecast and that rain is only expected in the lower regions, and the high altitudes would have very less rainfall. (Even if it rains, it will pour for an hour or so in upper regions during this time of the year before the arrival of monsoons.)

So, we decided to go ahead with our plan.

We started around 4:30 AM from Palampur and reached Uttarala at around 6:00 AM. We started our trek at 7:00 AM from Uttarala after the rains stopped completely. The road we followed was still under construction for about 2.5 km after which we started trekking uphill with a little guidance from a local.

In about an hour we reached a place called Bakludu, where a local Gaddi lived. He was waking up to his morning chores when we reached. It had started drizzling by the time we reached Bakludu.

He invited us inside his cave-like mud hut, and we spent half an hour there until it stopped raining again.

This is where the actual trek starts, with the trail making its way up and down but mostly ascending. You don’t have to carry a lot of water on the trek.

A bottle or two of 1-litre each would be enough as there is a ground water outlet on the way. Do not drink water from little rivulets (many animals die on the trail and the water that flows over the trail gets intoxicated upstream).

Watch out for the small mud huts on the top from around the corners of the valley while you are trekking but be aware of your footing as it could be slippery, especially on the descents.

After walking for about 3 hours we reached a spot across a small cement bridge and decided to fill our lungs with fresh air and our stomachs with home-made food we had packed. We could spot some mud huts from this spot and thought we are almost near Preyein, our destination for the night.

Thankfully Preyein was another 2-hour trek away from here and reaching there before dusk would ultimately reduce the distance to Jalsu Pass the next day.

We experienced mountain rains here — the drops are so big that they can get you soaking wet in seconds — luckily, we quickly opened the big umbrellas to save ourselves and our stuff from getting drenched.

We Reached Preyein in about 2 hours and found ourselves a Gaddi hut where we stopped to drink tea. After speaking with him for long, he offered us a night’s stay at his place and asked about our plans for the next day so that he could cook accordingly and pack us lunch.

Next day we woke up before sunrise and started our trek to Jalsu pass.

First we had to cross a small river and reach another hut on the way. Soon after that we crossed a small wooden log bridge to get to the other side of the valley.

From here, the walk in the valley for about 3 hours was relatively flat and as a result, it was a lot less tiring on the legs. We witnessed the valleys one after another, all of them were full of blossoming flowers.

In minutes, we were walking amidst the Deodar trees (the Divine tree of Himachal Pradesh) until we reached a spot where we had to cross another river, barefoot, believe me it was colder than we thought it would be! Eventually it got better with socks and shoes on, much warmer than before.

Now, we faced the toughest section of the trek — as we climbed approximately 3,600 feet, the final push to Jalsu Pass. The gradient of the slope was so much more demanding than the rest of the trail, but we kept on walking slowly and steadily and reached the top around 2:30 PM.

From Preyein, Jalsu Pass is exactly 10 km and it takes 4-5 hours approximately to reach at top.

On reaching the top, weather cleared a bit and we were able to see the magnificent glimpse of Chamba Kailas to the right of the pass. We spent around half an hour there and started our journey back the same trail. We did not cross to the other side of Jalsu Pass to reach Chamba.

On our way back, just after descending down from the pass, we met a Gaddi who started at 6 AM from Uttarala and reached Jalsu Pass at 3:30 PM. He was going to Nayagram in Chamba where the Jalsu Pass trek ends and had plans to reach there by 6 PM, which meant he would cover 45 km in a single day!

We reached Preyein around 7:30 PM and stayed at the same Gaddi hut for the night. Next day, we reached Uttarala to mark an end to this amazing journey.

Sleeping bags (preferably that support temperatures of 5-10° C)

No need to carry tents as stay option is available, unless you want to carry

1. If you want to see a complete list of treks that we run: Head over to our upcoming treks page. You’ll find help in choosing a Himalayan trek in a specific season.

2. If you want to work with us: Head over to our careers page. We have lots of positions open. We also have lots of applications coming in. So the sooner you apply, the better.

3. If you have trekked to Jalsu Pass, share your experience in the Comments section below.

A blog on the Jalsu Pass trek in Himachal Pradesh which is famously known as the Flower Valley of Himachal! Written by Kabil Ghhogra.

The Adventure Of Trekking To Jalsu Pass - The Flower Valley Of Himachal

Ever since I started trekking around Bangalore, Western Ghats or in the Himalayas, I have felt the positive effects of trekking. And there have been many learnings. Treks impacted my mind, body and spirit. And leading an exploratory trek to Phachu Khandi justified this fact even more. The exploration not only helped me return as a stronger, clear-headed person but also took my decision-making skills to a whole new level.

My work as a Trek Coordinator at Indiahikes involves making decisions on a daily basis. Here, timing matters. And for a long time, I felt I wasn’t doing justice to my role. Especially when it came to decision-making.

You see, I take a long time to decide. I hesitate to decide unless I have processed a thought many times. To top that, I’m shy, which keeps me from consulting proactively. This is why decision-making is a challenge for me. It has always been so.

When I look back, I notice instances where instead of taking a decision to solve a problem, I have merely adapted to the situation. I’ve lived with the problem. This has led to delays. For example, a quick, decisive call about a team member not fitting in the team would have helped. But delay in making such a decision hurt my team in the long run.

Good thing is, the exploration to Phachu Khandi changed that. And today, I would like to share my story and reflections with you.

Our preparations had started well. A couple of months before D day, we looked at all the different options to explore. It was an exciting phase. Going through maps of Uttarakhand, speaking to locals to get a better idea, double-checking our Garmin devices to mark the trail. Out of the 5 shortlisted treks, my colleague, Venkat and I narrowed down on a trek to Phachu Khandi, starting from Sankri.

Starting from Sankri and making our way towards our first campsite. PC – Indranil Aditya

This is a crossover trek. This meant we had to cross the Phachu Khandi mountain pass and trek to the other side, descending towards Yamunotri.

The first two days of the exploration were smooth. We easily crossed the treeline and the meadows. The trek was exceptionally beautiful and we were blessed with clear sunny weather!

Day 3, for us, was the big day. It involved trekking more than 9-10 hrs and crossing the pass.

And I clearly remember the evening of Day 2. The sun was setting across the valley, painting our tents in lovely colours. We had crossed the tree line and were close to the snowline. Our tents were trembling in the cold winds.  And that evening, my mind raced with thoughts. So, I called for a late evening huddle.

Colours of sunset from the second campsite. PC: Indranil Aditya

After an hour of discussion, we broke down D-day into different sections. The first section in the alpine zone involved a big climb and reaching the saddle. The next section took us through the rocky terrain of the ridge towards depression and a lake called Sarutal. This section would continue towards the pass until we cross it and reach the other side.

We had to cover 16.5 km, during which we would climb 2,615 ft and then descend 4,483 ft on the other side. It was a race against time. But it wasn’t a first. We had crossed mountain passes before. By the end of the huddle, we gained clarity on how to tackle the big day.

Owing to all the nervous excitement, I woke up early. The sun wasn’t out yet. Stars still twinkled in the dark blue sky. It was a perfect morning start to the trek.

The exploratory team split into two. One team of five started early while the second team – with four local guides – decided to catch up after un-pitching our campsite. There was not a cloud in the sky and the warm sunlight felt great on our skin. It was a glorious day for the big climb!

Our team maintained a steady pace. The ascent was steep, but we kept going. After covering 2 kms in two hours, we reached the snowfields. Promptly, we put on our microspikes and trekked for about 40 minutes. Even with microspikes crunching the snow beneath our shoes, the team maintained a good pace.

The Big Day – Ascent to the alpine section. PC: Indranil Aditya

Soon we entered the alpine section. Views started to open up. Now we could clearly see the ridge we were climbing, the ridge that was running towards the pass.

With mountains looming around us, we saw the first glimpse of the pass. It looked like a speck, far away. Clouds hung low on the mountains around the pass. We paused for water and regrouped the team. Mountain goats grazed in the distance as we started mapping the next phase to the pass.

That year (2019) had witnessed the heaviest snowfall in a decade and this was visible across the slopes. Right in front of us, stood four tricky mountain slopes. The sight was unsettling. We had to traverse these slopes and we discussed how to do that.

With plans in place, we started on the trail again. The trail was narrow enough for just one of us to stand on it. To the right, there was a sheer drop of nearly 1500 ft!

After trekking for half an hour, we were almost at the end of the first of the four tricky sections. And then, it happened. It happened in a moment.

Before I knew it, I’d lost my footing and was hurtling down the drop on the right. My trekking pole was up in the air. I tried using my microspikes to arrest the fall but couldn’t get my footing right.

Everything happened within a fraction of a second. Just then our guide caught my hand. Thankfully, he was just inches behind me and acted within a second. He hurled me up.

With shaking legs, I pulled myself back onto the trail. I was saved by the skin of my teeth. Had our guide not acted so quickly, I wouldn’t be here typing this today. Shaken, we carried on and crossed the first tricky section. The second mountain slope stared at us. And a third and then, a fourth.

The sun was high in the sky now and snow was melting faster, turning soft. Our spikes weren’t as effective in soft snow as they were on hard ice.

And as the leader of the exploratory team, I had a decision to make – should we carry on? Was it safe? If yes, we had to move ahead immediately. We had no time to lose. I had to make a decision quickly. It was an acid test for my decision-making skill.

And somehow, my hard-wired pattern of decision-making didn’t hold me back. I didn’t think a hundred times or procrastinate. My thoughts were as clear as the sky above me.

I was not okay with risking the life of any of my team members. And so it was decided; it was not going to be a successful exploration. Not at the cost of anything, not a broken leg, or a life. We would not cross the pass.

I asked my team to hold on and retraced the path to intercept the second team which was still catching up. They had just reached the alpine section with the ridge. We had a quick 5-minute discussion and debate on returning. Some of our local team members, who were open to taking risks felt we should still try going ahead.

I did not want to come down or complete the trek with one team member not being alive. That was a terrible risk to take when Indiahikes stands for being the safest organization. The team understood this perspective and agreed to turn back.

As we were descending, we looked back. Thick clouds shrouded the pass. And they were headed towards us. There was a deep rumble in the distance. As we reached the lower camp, the team acknowledged that the decision to return was a good one. It felt good to hear this.

We descended further down. I did not feel wistful about an unsuccessful exploration. All the learning from the past few years at Indiahikes helped me make this quick decision.

The first challenging section on the trek with melting snow and slippery surfaces. PC: Indranil Aditya

While descending, hopping across boulders and streams, I could hear the voice of our founder, Arjun Majumdar, in my head. His voice, sharing stories on how there are more failed explorations than successful ones.

Once we reached our first camp, everyone withdrew in their tents to take a nap. However, I had so many thoughts running through my mind. I came out of my tent and was immersed in the sounds of the river gushing near the campsite. Sitting on the lush green grass, I silently reflected on the trek. The magnitude of the day’s incidents slowly hit me.

The spirit of being alive and the adventures we had experienced that day lifted me as a person. Although this was not a successful exploration, the learnings that I took back were enormous.

Recently I took up the role of heading the trek coordinators’ team. As a leader of the team, I bear the responsibility of making decisions for the team, for the organization and/or for the well being of the trekkers.

And I often reflect back to this incident. Whenever there is a tough decision to take, learnings from this exploration gives me the confidence to go ahead with my gut instinct. The impact of this exploration reflects on my decision-making ability. I have learnt to take the plunge.

Has a trek changed your life in any way? Drop your experience in comments below. Would love to know about it!

Can a trek impact your decision-making ability? Here's the story of an exploration to Phachu Khandi that changed the way Suhas Saya took decisions in life

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