Hampta Pass Diaries: The Magnificence of The Mountains

The glory of mountains on earth is incomparable. They are the islands of the sky. And their might is perfectly balanced with the deep, quiet, and mysterious valleys. 

Imagine yourself in an amphitheater. One that only the mountains can create. You’re standing on a broad plain surrounded by rich, earthly inclines that have tall and ancient forests. The air is filled with the violent roar of the river as it slices the plane into two halves. And scores of sheep are seen flocking on the green pastures of the plain. Such is the arrangement of mountains that wherever your eyes fall, they will be refreshed. For you would think that you were looking not at the earth but at a view painted to the highest level of beauty by a power that cannot be controlled by Man himself. 

Hampta Pass, Himachal Prades

At 14000ft, Hampta Pass is a rare dramatic pass crossing that connects the lush green valley of Kullu and the barren mountain landscape of Lahaul. What makes the climb to the Hampta Pass thrilling is that you get a diverse and grand range of experiences — streams that run along the entirety of the valley, beautiful forest trails, challenging rocky sections, ice-cold river crossings, and off-beat waterfalls. It is a great tale of adventure, full of surprises that leave you in awe. Each day in the 5-day trek was different than the previous one with rapid changes in the scenic terrain. 

Our group of 21 had a diverse range of individuals from engineers and directors to government consultants and food scientists. Even our trek lead, Shivank, was a young guy who left his corporate job to find his true calling in the mountains. Our love for the mountains united all of us to an experience that was nothing less than a dream. It didn’t matter where one had come from, what beliefs they held, how privileged they were, or what problems they were fighting. All of us were escaping our realities and giving ourselves a chance to learn from one another and change our perspectives in life. For the majority of us, it was our first Himalayan trek and our diary of experiences was waiting to be inked forever.

Day 1: Manali to Jobra

We started from Manali in a traveller to head to our base camp at Jobra. Every moment of that drive was filled with panoramic views of the Kullu Valley. I remember spotting everyone glued to their windows for the entirety of the drive. From apple orchards to deodar forests to oaks, the flora perfectly enhanced the picturesque drive. After a quick cup of chai and coffee at the base camp, we headed out on our adventure beginning with a narrow passage into the forest.

All our senses were immediately attacked. It was a visual overload with tall conical pine trees whose thick bard would reach all the way to the skies and some beautiful maple trees. The 30-minute trek through the forest trail eventually opened to a huge rock that overlooked a meadow adorned with small rocks and the iconic yellow tents at the campsite. It even had a river in between, the Rani Nallah, which was surrounded by hills on both sides.

The first night at the campsite, I found it hard to sleep in the tent. It wasn’t tardiness that made me uneasy but a weird combination of excitement and discomfort. I just laid there in my sleeping bag listening to the water of the Rani Nallah trickling past the rocky deposits. Several flashbacks of the nights I would play calming river sounds in my headphones came to me but it wasn’t even close to what I was experiencing — a poetic song with an aura that could only be created by Mother Nature herself. At some point, I got lured into a deep sleep but it was cut short because we were to get up early in the morning. After twisting, turning, and wiggling in the sleeping bag for a while, I finally gave in and got up to seize whatever that was coming for me.

Day 2: Jobra to Jwara

On day 2, I could see more people casually indulging in conversations over a hot cup of black tea. It was literally “Chai Pe Charcha”. The energy that everyone radiated was warm, welcoming, and friendly. Or like gen Z would like to say, “Good vibes everywhere”. And before long, we packed our bags and left the campsite at first light.

In front of us was a moderately long trek of 4 hours to gain an altitude of almost 2000ft and reach the Jwara campsite. There was a river crossing early in the trek but fortunately, a metal plank was placed atop two stony structures to act as a bridge. With hills on either side, nature was at its absolute best as sheep and cows grazed the meadows that were lined with maple and pine trees. Rocks were sprinkled throughout the entire path like seasoning on a perfectly baked pizza. And the closer we got to our destination, the rockier our path got. The path led us to a walled valley, where on one side were the rock faces and on the other side was a cliff-like ridge of land with the river flowing below.

With a short descent, we reached the most thrilling part of the journey which was to cross the river on foot. We tied our boots to our backpacks and split ourselves into two batches to form a human chain. The thrill of holding hands and negotiating with the river in a single file is unbelievable. The water literally pricks your feet as if you were stepping on a thousand thorns. Our poor legs got so numb that we had to scream in exhilaration and motivate each other to continue taking that next step. All the fatigue and pain in our legs vanished as soon as we came out on the other side.

Would I call it one of the hardest parts of the trek? Definitely. Because god knows that, the moment I stepped into the water, all I prayed for was to be able to get out of this torture. Maybe that’s why it turned out to be my favorite moment in the trek.

At the campsite in Jwara, we were welcomed by an ocean of white flowers. It was like we were walking through a stunning aisle of sweet-scented flowers as we do during weddings. And what added to the experience was the fact that there are several bigger-than-life boulders that you can climb to get an aerial view of the entire valley. Remember those drawings we used to make of mountains with the sun shyly setting behind them? Yeah, I saw it with my own eyes. The sun likes to hide.

By now, many of us were acquainted with each other and started hanging around more. Every time we gathered in the dinner tent, hours would pass by and we wouldn’t even realize it. Games, stories, and finger-licking tasty food. Who’d want to leave the warmth of the tent when it’s so comfortable inside? With temperatures dropping sharply at night, we found ourselves in three layers of clothing and still struggled to embrace the cold. But with the eventful day that it was, sleep was only seconds away when my eyes closed.

Day 3: Jwara to Balu Ka Ghera

Our trek on the third day was comparatively easier, yet somehow tiring. We climbed around 1000ft from 11005ft to 12220ft in around 3–4 hours. The trek leader, Shivank, and the two trek guides were on a break today, and 3 trekkers of the group were to fill in their big shoes. From leading the team and motivating them to handle the communications and distributing the food, they had to manage it all. It was special in its own unique way.

The trek started with a slow-paced walk through a boulder section where you can literally jump across rocks and a couple of hours into the trek, we spotted snow-clad mountain peaks on the horizon. It was the first time we saw snow during the entire trek. I was wishing we came across a small patch of snow so that I could do my first snow butterfly! But it doesn’t snow in September on the lower levels of the mountains. * insert sad face *

Toward the end of the trek, we came across silver sand that was as soft and smooth as the sand we see on the beach. Balu Ka Ghera translates to The Bed Of Sand. The ground is formed mainly by the sediments and dust brought down by the river. This is the closest one can get to having a beach in the mountains. How cool is that? And within 500m of the campsite was one of the most beautiful waterfalls in the mountains that was hidden from plain sight.

Shivank told us that we’d have to climb a very steep segment of boulders to get to that that would be comparatively harder to climb. But some of us were ready for an adventure and we also had time to kill. The climb to the waterfall was a strain on the knees as we had to take big upward leaps from one rock to another. From afar, it looked as if the mountain had thrown up to recover from a bad hangover. And we were the little insects who took fascination in that. The view from the top of the rocky ascent was a bird’s eye image of the entire valley. With the strong gusts blowing into your face, one could almost trip and sail with the wind. But it was worth all the effort. 

We got back to the campsite just in time to witness the sunset. Timelapses, videos, and landscape photos, all the cameras were waiting for the perfect shot. But the mountains don’t like to be stared at too long, so a blanket of clouds rushed in to help them feel more secure. With the temperature dropping very quickly, we had an early dinner and decided to hit the sheets as soon as we could. Gradual cloud blankets kept creeping into the valley from all sides. And by the time we decided to call it a night, we were already in an ocean of white vapor. Even the light from our headlamps would barely disperse into the distance. I guess it was the mountain’s way of wishing us good night.

Day 4: Balu Ka Ghera to Shea Goru Via Hampta Pass

The day that matters. Day 4 was the hardest day of the trek. It was the reason we signed up for it — to face different adversities, overcome them with resilience, and get rewarded with a visual treat that deserves to be feasted upon. 

We woke up at 4 am in the morning, packed our breakfast and lunch, and left by 6 am. On this day, time was of the essence. We did not have the liberty of stalling necessarily or delaying the timeline. There was a 40% chance of rain and if I knew anything about probabilities, it was that anything more than 20% should be considered real. In my defense, I’ve always seen the odds being harsh on the days shit actually matters. So it’s better to accept the worst and be prepared rather than live in denial and cling to false hope. 

The trek could be broken down into two parts — the climb to Hampta which was a challenging ascent followed by a sharp descent to Shea Goru. We begin by heading into the mountains only to be greeted by some red and yellow flowers along the path.

After an hour of a gentle gradient in a rockfall-prone area, the incline gets really serious real quick. I swear I felt like I was doing three days’ worth of workouts on that day. There were certain segments in the climb where I could feel my lower back screaming. Part of the blame goes to the bad packing I did in the morning which displaced the balance of my trekking bag. And I was also carrying more weight on this day as I had the essential belongings of my sisters, who decided to offload their bags to the mules for the remaining part of the journey. 

Watching everyone climb along with you and exchanging conversations made the climb less intimidating than it would be if you had no company. Every time I looked ahead, I could see someone pushing themselves to continue taking the next step and that helped me push myself too. After the first steep incline, we had a quick recovery in the plateau and set out for the next one. There were a couple of steep inclines followed by a gradual one where we could conserve our strength. It was a battle against nature to explore the land that wasn’t the friendliest to its visitors. Determination, mental strength, and willpower. We climbed to the end of the first ridge. Even though 4 hours had passed, we were an hour away from the Pass. But in terms of distance, we were only one ridge away. 

DESTINATION LOADING: HAMPTA PASS

Finally, as I turned at the bend of the second ridge, I spotted the trek leader and the trek guide congratulating us with claps. “Congratulation on completing the Hampta Pass trek! You have arrived”

“Thank you”, I said while I was still panting. It took me a while to settle down and process it all. I was overloaded. My heart was pumping and all my senses were activated to the point where I didn’t have the liberty to feel the satisfaction immediately. But eventually, it hit. 

WE MADE IT.

A tired boy in the mountains

In the distance, I could see several peaks covered with snow. The 360-degree view of the mountains was breathtaking. Honestly, I can’t put the experience into words even if I tried. All I can say is that everyone should trek and experience that feeling. What are we even doing on this planet if we are not exploring what it has to offer? The panoramic terrain along the two sides of the pass was dramatic. Standing on the pass we could see three valleys, Kullu, Lahaul, and Spiti converging. The Rocky & lush-green Kullu valley behind us and the desert valley of Lahaul. We had switched worlds. 

Fearing the bad weather that was due to come, we decided to descend to our next camp. The descent was trickier than the ascent. With the path narrowing down in a zig-zag route, we were in a race against the weather. We could hear thunder in the distance. And the next thing we know, we were slipping and sliding down on the wet soil. The rain wasn’t too heavy but it was cold. Like very cold. I’m certain that at some point my hands were so numb that I could light a fire in my hand and still feel chilly. The trail downhill even had loose stones that made your footing quite unstable. So it felt like a neverending walk that you are so eagerly waiting to finish. The worst part? We couldn’t see the base camp even after 2 hours of the downward run.

The only silver lining was that we were finally back to level ground. But our luck was limited. The closer we got to the campsite, the harder the rain was pelting. Fortunate were we that all of us had safely entered our tents before the weather gods decided that it was time to shower some ice pellets into the world. Yes, it was hail storming! I felt so thankful that we had a roof over our heads that could protect us from this harsh weather. God bless waterproof tents.

With exhaustion kicking in, I eventually fell asleep listening to the pitter-patter music of the rain. The sleep that came to me on that day was the most magical and satisfying sleep I’ve had in my life. It was a culmination of unnatural, calming weather, a sense of accomplishment, and fatigue. I woke up feeling disoriented like I was in a completely different world. After stepping out of the tent, I looked up and realized how powerless we were in those mountains. The mountain that was dry and arid while I entered the base camp was now covered in snow. How can something change so much in such a short span of time? I really couldn’t believe it. It was entirely possible that the Hampta Pass may have gotten covered in snow as well and we were the last batch of the season to conquer it. 

At that moment I realized that an odds of 40% was actually a gift in disguise. It could have been way worse. A living reminder of the Nova Effect! (The blessing of bad luck).

It should come as no surprise that even though we slept in the afternoon, we were so worn out that we immediately fell asleep after dinner. The cold got nothing on us compared to our climb through thick and thin.

Day 5: Shea Goru to Chhatru

The last day of the trek started with a river crossing. The level of the water was lower compared to the first one and so was its temperature. Armed with the power of vaseline & coconut oil on our feet, we were all mentally prepared this time. The first step in the water sent a shiver down your spine. But the consecutive steps did not prick like the first river crossing. There were rocks in the river bed that were slippery making it hard to balance ourselves. But otherwise, we weren’t unsettled.

Day 5 was the only day we did not have to climb. But we were descending along the edge of the mountains. The route was slippery owing to the loose sand and the rainfall of the previous night. We were out of the mountains after about 2 and a half hours and even caught a glimpse of our campsite. But dividing our half of the land with that of the campsite was the river Chandra, flowing with its full might.

With the heavy waves beside you, there was no way to cross the river than to take the longest route up to an iconic metal bridge and walk back all the way to the campsite on road. It reminded me of Bangalore where to take your car to the other end of the road, you have to travel at least a km just to take a U-turn. Maybe I was finally missing home :’)

Once we were back at the Chhatru campsite, we had time to kill. No one seemed to want to spend time inside the tent as we would all be leaving each other in a day to go back to our individual worlds. Frisbee, Tic-Tac-Toe, and long conversations about what we loved about this trek kept everyone engaged in what I would like to call a very warm and satisfying end to a life-changing experience.

It’s crazy how 23 individual worlds united into a single experience of grit, determination, newness, and accomplishment on this trek. 

Standout

There was one experience that I think holds a special place in my heart — writing a letter in the mountains. Being disconnected from the world was something I was really looking forward to. And to add a cherry on top, our trek leader, Shivank had brought with him a set of inland postcards to write a letter to whomever you would want to — yourself, your parents, your loved one. 

So while I was sitting amidst the mountains, and my thoughts were flowing very freely, I wrote a letter to my parents — something I haven’t done since school. I poured my heart out into the letter and wrote about all the small things I never thanked them for. It was a complete moment for me because I was finally acknowledging how important a role they played in shaping who I am today — something I haven’t done enough. 

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The Hampa Pass Diaries will feature another set of articles that will tackle the philosophical aspect of the trip. There are so many more detailed blogs yet to come! You can check them out on the Travel Page when they do. Or you can also subscribe to my email list by submitting your email at the bottom right corner of the website.

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I also make content on self-help and personal development through blogs and podcasts that you can find on my website. The podcast, Within 5 Minutes, is heard across 52 countries and I continue to upload episodes twice a week.

Coming soon:

Hampta Pass Diaries: Travel List & Essentials

Hampta Pass Diaries: Indiahikes experience

Hampta Pass Diaries: You are an insignificant being