Tosh

Tosh is a small village in the deep valley of exotic Himalayas. It is less explored and perfect for people looking for some solitude.

Once you reach Tosh you can either do day treks to nearby villages or simply relax and take it slow with no itinerary in mind.

Here I am summing up our 2 days in Tosh.

Day 1 ( Kasol -> Tosh )

We hired a cab from Kasol at around 12 noon which dropped us at Tosh taxi stand at 1:30 pm. Post crossing the bridge we started walking towards our campsite.

Walking through small alleys, and getting lost in this beautiful village where every corner is worth spending some time.

People have painted their houses in vibrant colors and you can't help but click pictures.

Initial one km is steep as we climbed stairs and sometimes even gave way to horses, donkeys, and goats.

Remaining two km is a straight narrow trail with scenic views of snow-clad mountains and beautiful apple orchids on the way.

We reached the Stone Age Inn at around 3:30 pm. After having dal rice and potato fries for lunch we explored the campsite.

It started getting dark and chilly post 5:30 pm. I survived on multiple cups of Lemon ginger honey tea to keep me warm. Since there was no electricity and network we had dinner and retired early.

Day 2

( Tosh -> Kutla -> Budhava -> Glacier Point -> Kutla )

We woke up early since it was freezing outside we took it a bit slow and started our trek to Kutla at around 11:30 am.

We were confidently walking along the Parvathi river for a good 45 min. We met a villager, who told us that we were trekking in the completely opposite direction. We followed her till the base and from there she routed us to the trail to Kutla.

Trek from Tosh to Budhanva is not difficult the first two km is a bit steep and I ended up taking frequent breaks.

From Kutla onwards it is mostly straight walk till the end. Kulta has 2-3 small places where you can camp overnight.

We took a 30-minute break in Kutla. Had tea while we were still contemplating if we should continue trekking till G point, as we had started a bit late from Tosh and then due to the wrong route we were already running late by 2 hours.Out of Sheer excitement, we decided to give it a try anyway.

From Kutla onwards the ground was covered with fresh snow and 2 dogs kept us company. Dogs here are friendly and you will always have a dog accompanying you till the end but these two kept on fighting with each other on the narrow path which made us feel a bit scared.

At one point herd of buffalo was coming from one narrow end and our mischievous duo started barking at them, One buffalo got furious and started running towards us. We freaked out and decided to skip the remaining trek.

On our way back we met a couple who were planning to go further since we now had company we decided to give it another try. After walking for almost an hour on snow with some slippery patches in between we managed to reach G point at 4:30 pm.

I felt views on the way were much more breathtaking than the final spot. I wish we had more time in hand as I wanted to slow it down to enjoy the views around. It would definitely have been a huge loss to miss this part of the trek as it turned out to be the high point of our trip.

Post spending 10-15 min at G Point we started returning back to avoid walking in the dark as some parts were slippery and post-sunset temperature here drops to below zero degrees.

By the time we reached Kulta, it was pitch dark, Instead of trekking all the way back to Tosh Campsite we decided to stay in a small cottage in Kutla. Luckily we got a tiny but cozy room for just 600 bucks (Olive Garden).

We spent most of the night in their Kitchen cum cafeteria area which was warm and where we met 2-3 trekking groups. Since there was no electricity and the space was tiny, we all quickly got comfortable with each other shared food and travel stories and had a memorable time together. After a night of fun, we retired at around 1 am.

Stay -> Olive Garden Distance -> ~ 8kms Time Taken -> 6 hours Difficulty Level -> Medium due to snow and some steep patches.

" I felt a unique connection with Budhavan. My mom called me around the same time when I had just passed Kutla village and was walking on the snowy patch towards Budhavan.

May be snow or the grassland or those tall trees, I am not sure what it was which reminded me of Pahalgam, where we would visit my grandparents as kids. My Nani would cook something special pack it in hot-case, and then me,nani, mom and my mischievous brother would walk some distance, spread a sheet unpack food and then have a small picnic almost every day during our stay. Post lunch we would wash our plates in a stream nearby. On some days we would just carry pink tea in a thermos with some kulcha and enjoy it while watching horses and herds of sheep pass by.

Tiny fragments of my memory were making me feel nostalgic. Sometimes we wish we could roll back all the events in our life to take us back to that single moment where we can stay bit longer, not knowing what lies ahead is a blessing "

Day 3 Kutla -> Kasol.

We woke up at 7 am and without wasting any time we started to descend to our Campsite in Tosh. After freshening up and a hearty breakfast we packed our backpacks and trekked all the way back to the taxi stand.

On the way back we requested a lady to give us some apples from her orchid and she generously gave us 8-10 apples which we kept on munching for the next few days 🙂

Tips

Wear proper shoes "all-terrain trekking shoes" would be the best choice. Carry a trekking stick to help you through steep and slippery patches. Carry warm clothes. The best way is to layer it up as during the day when it is sunny you can manage even in a basic T-shirt but mornings and evenings get really chilly. Keep hydrating yourself even if you don't feel thirsty. Carry basic medicine. Carry enough cash, there was not a single ATM in Kasol. Avoid heavy breakfast before the trek, stick to non-oily non-fried and easily digestible food items. Wear cap sunglasses and some sunscreen, I got sunburns all over my face and look like a ghost now 🙁 Carry some dry fruits, biscuits. Small backpack to keep your hands free while walking. Please don't litter - just leave your footprints and take back memories 😉