Parashar lake, an unexplored place of himachal

After a lot of google research, and rejecting many other treks and places, i finally decided to go to parashar lake trek, a place 50 km above mandi, and then to kasol and tosh valley. Asked many friends, but this time my fate wanted me to explore all fun alone. So yes my 1st solo trip. And i am excited, but deep down lots of questions, but its all about just taking that one step out of home. So i met these guys on insta, cool brothers with there yayavar club, and finally with a lot of discussions with them, they helped me in planning a trip, with answering my each and every question. So for them it was a weekend trip of parashar lake, but they even told me to help in kasol and tosh. Finally they told me, that i will be joined by 3 more people, from delhi, and we will be boarding our volvo buses from majnu ka tila, delhi. So for that, i left from jaipur ard 2 pm and reached delhi at 7:30 and then majnu ka tila, took my dinner and waited for others, well bus conductor started calling everyone, i am still standing, thinking to go or not to go, then i just boarded bus. But wait a minute, what about those 3 others, are they coming, as i was forwarded there numbers, i tried reaching them, and all of them were running late, so finally one of them came, the other one was picked from middle of the road, as bus already left. But we were constantly coordinating, like we have know each other for centuries. Finally bus left, but wait, again we left our trek leader, where is he. So now as he is late, he will be joining us in morning or at murthal's(every bus stops here for dinner), as he took the next bus. Ahh finally it has started, but still the adventure is not over, the 4th one joins us at murthal's, and yes this is haryana now, and we are in our bus, watching an awesome fight going on outside our bus. We just ask our driver to just leave this place asap. Finally after introducing ourselves to each other, we went to sleep.No more adventure now please.

Well, want to see the most beautiful sunrises, just take a home in himalayas, the golden light over those snows peaks, and waking up to it. Yes still in volvo, got up, and yet to reach mandi in half an hour. Now till then ear phones plugged in. "STFU world". So after reaching mandi, we called the local guide(Humare pyare Prem bhai), who was already arranged by yayavar club. He brought the car, and comfortably we all sat, and started for our next destination 50 km above the mandi. This ride is awesome as we are going up, these clouds are going below us. Now it seems like a swimming pool of milk. I just want to dive in here. Ahhh, these roads, i always wonder, how can people get nauseated in these beautiful roads,(well being a doctor i know it)😛. So finally we reach this "one love cafe". We are provided with a room, to relax and change for trekking, but we are all busy with the view here. Finally we all get changed, take breakfast. And all set for the trek, which starts right from here, also there is a proper road which goes straight upto the parashar lake, but it is blocked ahead by snow, so we are gonna take the jungle route. Right now the sun is shining in sky, yesterday there was a snow fall at the lake, and we all are very hopeful and excited, but as this sun is coming up, our hopes are going down, but yes trek always fills your heart with happiness, so let me just enjy this astonishing view and trek this jungle trail. And just after half an hour of walk, we all now want to take rest, it was a bit steep in the starting, and we all are doing trek after a long time. This parashar lake trek is 8 km long trek, and this winters last 5 km of this trek are covered in snow. So this trek is lush green in summers and snow white in winters. Finally again we all start, now after 3 km, we reach a mid way where we are gonna have our lunch. So in winters normally the police doesn't allows you to stay at parashar lake, even for last 2 days trek has been closed due to snowfall up there, but this is the benefit of having a local guide with you. Finally after a taking a light lunch of rice dal we start again. Now just after 15 mins of trek, snow has started coming on trek, and i just can't resist my self diving into it, even though, i am being told, that there is much more snow ahead, but what can you say to a first timer. And yes i am playing now. And yup seeing me doing this, everyone else is now in snow. Still 4 more kms to go. So now just few more people are going with us and few are coming down as forest police dept. Has asked them to go down, we are worried but this beauty around us, this view makes us forget everything. Finally, there is small lake i am seeing, as we reach there, i am like, not satisfied, is it so small, but now i am being told, parashar lake is still 2 km more, you can find 2-3 lakes(freezed)during your trail in winter, along the side. Now the sun has started going down, and we have started feeling a bit cold. My leg specially my foot are deep in snow, wet, and I can't feel anything. Now we are rushing a bit. Now comes the best part. Last 1 km, this trail is just a small path, in which you have to put just 1 feet ahead of another, no more space and just a misjudgment, there you go down. So it is thrilling, but due snow marks of other people, we are just putting our legs one by one in same marks and going ahead, and our prem bhai is like running here. Man what it is up with him, its like his little playground for him. So finally after crossing it. We have reached a place, where i can see the parashar lake, full covered with snow, all around and the temple by side of it. Now we reach to a place just above that temple, where we have to stay, thus temple too have small rooms, but as in winter, no one is here too maintain it. Finally, i get to open my shoes, to see if my legs are still there. Now we take rest, prem bhai arrange maggie for us with a tea. We roam around a bit as now sun has set, giving us the best views of life. Cold winds are blowing, and with soo much of tiredness,we just go inside our room, and just beneath the blankets, i take a small nap, and then, we all go to take dinner, it was being prepared just in next room, we sit ard the fire, and have rice dal, after this kind of day, you can say it is the best meal you ever had. And then we just go to our room. After that i really don't remember a lot😛.

So, just hearing some sounds of dogs barking, i try to wake up, and then unable to move my body, i decide it better to stay like this. But i have to just roam around. So finally i just get up, see my shoes still wet, and some ice over it, i still wear them. And yes there is no water here, and no toilets, so you can imagine this kind of morning, well even i don't have that urge of pee, it is soo much cold around here with these icy winds, so i just go around, in snow, dogs following me, try to go here and there, up to the fence, and see keep seeing the view, i just wanted to see the sunrise, but clouds all over, so no luck. It seems like, it is going to rain or snowfall. After that just came to my room, pack all my things, ask prem bhai for tea and finally go near the lake, just visit temple first, aarti is going to happen, in some time. So i just roam around. Taking pictures, finally panditji comes, aarti starts, this aarti is they are singing with local instruments, such a nice thing to attend. After that, we come out of temple, take more pictures, just as we are deciding to go to a mountain nearby, as we had time, prem bhai calls us, tells us, weather is not good, can snow very heavily, we have to start trekking down, now only, so we all reach for our backpacks. Now leaving thus beautiful place. Now as you remember, the last 1km of thus trek, YES now this 1km was going to be difficult, but as we step in, actually i was the first one, the snow is not soft like yesterday, it has hardened due to fall in temperature. And my shoes are slippery, even i have enourmous grip in them, i just try to take few steps, and now i am sitting in middle, say, i just can't go ahead, take me, i don't know how. What is happening, this never happened to me, everyone sees me, is getting horrified, that how are we going to cross this. Prem bhai comes running, hold my hand, try to make me cross, after few steps i again get confidence, then he goes to help other, i am walking very slowly, some times taking help of my hand, some times, just sitting, and crawling, then prem bhai tell the technique, of walking inclined in the snow. And after this, it seems soo easy, and by the speed of boult, we all get down within 3-4 hrs. Again reach to one love cafe. Finally happy to see water and washroom. We all change. And take lunch. Taxi is ready, to take us to mandi, as everyone is going to delhi tonight, but i have different plans, i have to go further, i have to go to kasol from bhuntar. So i am confused, how will i reach there, its is already late, but i am told i will get bus from mandi to bhuntar. As we are going, i find a local bus going to bhuntar, from another route, as i discuss, thus will take less time, so i take this bus, say goodbye to these wonderful travelmates, who made thus trip awesome. And with promise of doing few more trips together in future, i take the bus, it is such a nice thing always to travel with locals, stay with locals. You get to learn a lot, i just enquire about the snow fall in tosh, how to reach kasol and tosh. After 2 hours i am in bhuntar, now i enquire about bus for kasol, and take that bus, but they are taking too long, as they wait for it, to get full. So i am just waiting, already sun is setting. And a person comes to me, and says, bhai "maal chahiye", i am like what?? But yeah i know what he is said, then he again says, bhai acid bhi hai, loge kya, i just say loudly, aere bhaiya kya keh rahe ho??? And he just runs away. So yes people traveling to kasol, 2 most important things, don't take this maal and all, from unknown, as they just sell, you and after that they, just tell police, so police comes for checking, and takes it all away. They have full setting. And second thing, please carry cash at kasol specially, ATM's don't work, no one accept cards, and they all just deal in cash. So now bus has started, it takes another 2 hours, to reach kasol, when i reach kasol, its around 8 pm, as it is off season, just a few boys roaming around, and i am confused what to do, have heard a lot of hippies here, which just are always ready to misguide you, so i can call, yayavar club, to ask if they can help, but their contact in kasol, is 4 km away from where i am, so just then i remember, that one of my travel mate shared me few numbers, when i told him, about going to kasol, so, i call him, he attends me very nicely, ask me if i want room near river side camp, or room alone. So i just wanted to rest, so i ask for simple rooms, he tell me to go, to a place, in night, without any lights it is so difficult here, but he guides me very well, and i reach that place his brother attends me, shows me room. I ask, if they have something to eat, so he says, he will see if he has something at home. So after that, i just relax, in my room, he brings me food, and then i just want to sleep after that such a nice meal.

Well, a very chilly morning here, i have started an early morning, and just left room to enjy morning river side. I just take a walk in this village,and find a place from where i can reach river side, as due to over construction, reach to river side is very restricted, i really get depressed when i see so much construction in these natural places, can't we just leave this without any human involvement, or everything has become business nowdays, so yes these thoughts and many things else comes to your mind, when you just sit near by parvati river, alone, and how 3-4 hours passes you don't know. Then i get up, reach to my room, get things packed up, now go out again for a breakfast, and there are many small Cafe's, i reach to a falafal cafe, near by recommended by my junior, take breakfast fast, enjy some music there, then leave for manikaran, buses are available every half hour, for it. It is just 20 mins ride. This place is famous for its hot water springs, which are not sulphur springs, and near by shiv temple and a gurudawara, located in the same premises. So quiet here, i reach gurudwara pay my respects, then go for lungar(tasty food served free of cost by gurudwara), this food is totally made from hot spring water, because this water is sulphur free. After this awesome and tasty lunch, i wash my dishes, and go to see shiv temple, here in between you can take bath, in this hot water, they have made a place, where you can take bath. In shiv temple, a large black shiva idol, is present and a beautiful story about this place us written, that why it is called manikaran and all. Then, as i have to go to tosh today, and don't want to reach in late evening, i decide to leave to kasol and leave for tosh, buses for tosh are available from kasol only, i reach my room, take my things,pay my rents, just 500 INR. And go to bus stand, and after waiting for 1.5 hrs, i enquire that, buses for tosh have been cancelled today, due to heavy snow fall. Now i am like, what should i do, i decide asap, to reach buntar and take a bus to delhi without wasting time, as rain is predicted today in kasol and buntar to, so i reach buntar, meanwhile, book online bus from redbus, for delhi. Reach buntar, take my dinner at 5 pm only, and wait for my bus, which is coming from manali, suddenly news is there due to heavy rains, roads are being closed in Manali, and i am stuck, where is my bus, i enquire about it, no perfect replies, tension grows up. No buses coming people near me getting tensed, suddenly i get bus conductor call, that there is a heavy jam at kullu, but they will reach buntar within 1 hour, after this i get relieved and after 2 hours of wait, finally bus arrives, so for last this, just in bus before leaving buntar, local police stops bus, and do checking of everything, and some young guys are having weed, they just take it, and no action, i am like, is it some kind of setting between sellers and them, so with thus question, i just close my eyes, asking god no more thrills now, just let me reach my home town in time. Finally an awesome solo trip with lots of memories comes to an end. So yes solo trip is a must for everyone in a lifetime. I have found some amazing stories for life time, with some good friends.