Pin Bhaba Pass

Take the pass crossing for example. I remember it was early in the morning, the sun had just broken out in the valley below. The valley was awash with the colours of the early morning sun. The colours took me by surprise. The valley was a deep green, in the golden light it was beginning to turn a lighter hue.

The higher hillsides, where some rare wild bushes grew, were bright orange. The white snow summits above them made for quite a contrast. At 15,000 ft I was still climbing to the pass. From that altitude, I didn’t expect to see such richness of colours.

An hour later we were at the pass at 16,100 feet. On the other side were the deserts of Spiti. I had not expected to see a valley that was pink in colour. But there it was, right in front of me, miles and miles of pink. How could earth turn pink?

Even now I cannot imagine how in less than an hour the lushness of green could change to the most unlikely colour of the earth — pink.

I have not seen such dramatic colour change on any other trek.

Leave that aside. Take the forests on the Bhaba side on Day 1 of the trek. I don’t think I have seen such good forests on a trek before. I remember at that time I was already rating it as the best “day one” that I have done.

It is unique because the forest is in many layers. We climb from one layer to another, each with its distinct forest cover, with brooks running all over. This was interesting because I hadn’t come across many forests with tiny streams running through it at such frequency. The sweet scent of pine lingered always.

I remember, in one beautiful moment, the blue waters of Bhaba curved through the forest in a giant arc. I found myself right next to it, on a grassy patch under the shades of deodar trees. On small stretches, the river spilled on the grass in tiny waves. The grass was damp but not soggy. The trail was wide at that part, as it wound itself around the trunks of the deodars.

Together with the river, the grassy patch, and the deodar trees, I thought this was one of the most beautiful forest scenery I had seen. If you ever do the Pin Bhaba trek, look out for this section.

The forest is with you almost the entire day — easily one of the biggest forest sections I have seen on a trek.

Mulling almost took me to our treks in Kashmir, with the Bhaba river running broad, with big grassy patches on either side of the Bhaba river. On the other side of the river, past the grassy patch was a dense pine forest where even sunlight didn’t pass through. Our camp right next to the river in the middle of these beautiful grasslands was more than what an eye could take.

Karah is at the junction of three green valleys. Tall grasslands climb high into the mountains on every valley slope. High up on the hillside, right next to our camp, I found hundreds of rare pashmina sheep grazing. Just before the slope merged with the valley floor, pink wildflowers carpeted the entire hillside. At some places, I had to skip my way to avoid stomping on the flowers.

The Karah camp in itself was on a large flat grassy ground. A tall rock, almost like the pride rock of Lion King, guarded our tents. Behind the rock, a large pond nestled in the grassy landscape reflected the snow peaks that overlooked Karah.

I have done a lot of treks in my life. Yet, there was a campsite that still managed to mesmerize me with its beauty and setting.

Later, the next day we camped beside the river delta at Phutsirang. We were almost at 13,000 feet. Even at that altitude, we were at the entrance of a valley that stretched far into the mountains, straight ahead. The river fanned out into multiple magical branches, our tents right next to it, on slightly higher ground.

The setting was magical because I have rarely found camps next to mountain river deltas. This one was even more special. Here I was on a river delta, in the middle of a narrow valley, sitting on a grassy hump.

On my right across a moraine-strewn mountainside, almost touching the sky was somewhere the Pin Bhaba Pass. Right ahead, snow-covered mountain tops stretched on either side of the valley until it merged with the mountains. We were right in the middle of this orchestra!

For me, I would like to do the Pin Bhaba trek just to camp at these three campsites.

People talk a lot about Ladakh. Movies are made in Ladakh. When I saw the beauty of Spiti on this trek, I began to think differently.

The first thing that struck me was the riot of colours. I had never imagined I would trek past sections of purple rocks, black earth, pure white, and pink one after the other.

It is a long stretch, the last day. Anyone would expect to get tired but you don’t. The whole day is a change of colours that just keeps surprising one after another. Stone tablets with their inscription for the dead lie everywhere. When we finally walked into Mudh, with its white chortens surrounding the village, I had stepped into an ancient civilisation.

The harmony of villages in Spiti stunned me. All houses faced the same direction, every house was similar in design and colour. No house spilt over the boundaries of the village, farmlands surrounded the village in an exact perimeter, and a clear stream always ran through the centre of the village, making it a lifeline. If this was not modernity, then what was?

The smell of commercialization hasn’t touched Spiti yet. The Buddhist culture is deeply rooted. People are more endearing. You’ll feel it at every moment in Spiti.

Driving back on the mountain roads of Spiti, I was transfixed by the scenery. Tall mud minarets would suddenly spring up beside the road. Rivers big and wide would come and go. A small oasis of land would suddenly be a riot of colours.

We climbed to the high Kunzum pass — a raw beautiful open land. It was not a typical pass, yet it was every person’s imagination of Spiti.

I think just Spiti trekkers will love the Pin Bhaba trek. But, frankly, the green side is equally stunning.