3 days, 9,200 feet of pure bliss - My first solo trek to Prashar Lake

11/04/17 - I woke up in my bed in my PG, and realized that I had a whole free weekend ahead of me (Thu-Sun). And almost instantly the thought of going to the mountains struck my mind. I went over to Tripoto, yes, and looked up for some easy weekend DIY treks one can do in Himachal Pradesh. As a result of its hilltop location and the peaceful atmosphere it had to offer, I booked my first HRTC bus ticket to Mandi. I slept, dreaming of sitting right in front of the Prashar Lake in the next few days.

13/04/17 - All packed and ready for my first solo adventure in the mountains, I grabbed my bad and hopped on to the bus towards Vaishali metro station. I was well before time for my bus which was supposed to leave at around 3:30 PM from Kashmere Gate, I decided to offer my prayers at Gurudwara Sis Ganj Sahib in Old Delhi, which was on the way to the bus terminal. Thanks to the newly-opened violet line, I had almost an hour to spare which I spent listening to Kirtan, coincidentally on Baisakhi. Everything was just falling in place perfectly. I boarded the bus and listened to music to pass my time during this 12-hour drive.

I would like to mention the absolutely commendable driving and sense of responsibility of the HRTC employees. Halfway through the journey, just before Kiratpur Sahib, the bus makes a stop at what seemed to be an HRTC rest house, where a well-rested driver takes over for the one who had driven for about 7 hours, taking us to our destination - Mandi.

As the bus entered the hills, I saw Chandigarh shining down far below. I slept for only about 3 hours, and woke up when the bus reached the bus terminal of Mandi. It was 5 AM.

14/04/17 - I got out of the bus and walked around, watching the Beas river flowing right from under me while I stood on a bridge in the middle of the town, waiting for the Sun to show up. After strolling through the chilly night right before dawn, I went back to the bus terminal, freshened up, got changed into trekking pants and a jacket, and asked the helpdesk about the bus for Prashar Lake. They told me the only bus for the lake leaves at 8 AM from the counter labelled 'Baagi', which is the village from where the trek begins, about 9 kms before Prashar Lake. Be careful, since there's no other bus for the lake. It's the only one.

As I waited for the bus, I had a steaming cup of tea along with some biscuits and also bought some fruit cake and juice to have during the trek.

The clock struck 8 and the bus was right on time, as all HRTC buses are. The bus got full as soon as it stopped at the counter. I was the first person inside and was all excited to have my first glimpse of the snow-capped beauties. The bus takes 3-3.5 hours to reach the lake, but the ones who wish to trek get down at Baagi.

Luckily for me, I was joined by two guys in the bus who were from Noida and Gurugram and had come for the same experience. We got down at Baagi and had sandwiches and omelettes and tea at Krishna Cafe at Baagi. I guess it was the only place to eat there on the side of the road.

We started our trek at 10:45 AM under a scorching Sun and crossed the first checkpoint, a small Trishul, after about 40 minutes of trekking. One has to go off-road and go straight into the valley ahead, along a small stream. Then one needs to hike up the hill right in front of you. After this, it's a straight walk for a while and one crosses the Trishul and then a small waterfall along a well-defined path. There are also a couple of small settlements down below on the left side along with the stream.

After about 20-30 minutes of walking, there comes a section of forest area, known as Prashar forest, that takes quite an effort as it is quite steep. Me and my fellow trekkers took some time to cross the forest, which was a good experience overall. I was very slow compared to them as it was my first trek, and they clearly had plenty of experience, and we talked a lot about their treks in Manali and Kheerganga.

After getting out of the forest cover, I was welcomed with a delightful green meadow, overlooking the whole valley, that's when I realized that this trek covers a large area with a gradual increase in altitude. Afterwards, we were in another forest area, trekking through the pine trees and bushes and we decided to take a break and have our refreshments under the shade.

There comes a time when there is no defined path, and one has to look for trodden areas. Fortunately, we met some people who were coming down and we asked them if we were on the right path or not. They told us to just go straight up ahead and look out for overhead cables. Once we see them, then all we need to do is just follow them to the top towards the lake.

After the second forest cover, we finally got out of the valley into the open. That's when I got the first glimpse of the forest rest house and the fencing surrounding the hill of the lake. We still had about 30 minutes to trek, but first we clicked some pictures sitting outside a shepherd's hut.

As the distance between me and the lake decreased, my feet forgot all their pain and I was the first one to reach our destination and have a glimpse of the clean, shiny lake covered with beautiful green grass all around it. It was truly amazing. We took our time and reached the lake at around 3 PM. We sat on the dhaba right beside the lake on the left side and ordered three plates of their famous Rajma Chawal. I even knew the price beforehand - 60 bucks per plate.

That's what I've always liked about Tripoto. It helps one plan their treks perfectly, since all the articles are written by travellers who give a vivid description of their journey along with the costs and timings of the buses and everything.

We walked around the lake barefoot, with a full belly and a happy smile. We went up the hill in front of the lake and sat on a big rock and admired the view of the lake along with the whole valley with the Sun going down.

I went inside the Prashar temple and offered my prayers at the shrine, while I talked to the head priest for some time, who told me that the rooms are available for free, but one has to pay 20 bucks each for blankets and pillows.

We had aloo paranthas for dinner and then we went to sleep at around 8 PM, as it was too cold to walk outside. The only thing that disappointed me a little was that I couldn't get a good view of the mountains as the sky was a bit cloudy. I hoped for a much better view in the morning.

15/04/17 - I woke up at 8 AM and got out to freshen up. As soon as I got out to the back of my room, I was greeted by a wonderful 270° view of the Dhauladhar mountains in their full glory!! It was a magical moment and I just forgot everything and sat down and just admired the beautiful view in front of my eyes.

Later, I got ready for the day and had a hot plate of maggi and a cup of tea, with the lake reflecting the sunlight all around. I was eating and watching while the priest opened the gate of the fence surrounding the lake and accompanied a family who wanted to have a sip of the holy waters. That's the only thing that's allowed, since taking a dip in the lake is forbidden. Also, the depth of the lake is unknown since no survey has ever been done.

I went back to the top of the hill in front of the lake, only this time, I crossed the surrounding fence and further up the next hill, and sat down and listened to some Pink Floyd while watching the snow melt and shine off the mountains, and little kids of the dhaba and tent shop owners playing cricket. After spending about an hour there, I went back down and packed my bag. I picked up my blankets and pillow and put them back in the storage room. I greeted Pandit ji one last time, looked over at the lake, took in the view and started walking back on the dirt road towards the forest rest house, since that's where the bus arrives. It was the same bus, and I sat on the same seat. And please, remember, there are always people waiting for the bus before it arrives, since it's the only available option for travellers. The bus arrives somewhere between 11-11:30 AM and leaves at exactly 1 PM. Since I didn't want to take any chances, I sat in the bus for the entire 2 hours before it began its way back to Mandi, again thanks to the articles! All the seats were claimed with luggage left by people so it was a good decision to see the mountains from the window while I took some pictures of horses going by and feasting on the grass with the white, snowy mountains in the background.

I had already booked my return ticket to Delhi when I planned my trip, hence I was well on time and my planning was perfect. I reached the bus terminal at 4:30 PM and left for Delhi at 5.

I was back in my room Sunday morning..... I threw my bag on the chair, took off my shoes and I slept like a baby.

Pro tips :

• The first and the most important thing, people, is to carry your trash with you. We had our snacks and we carried our wrappers to the lake where we put it all in the dustbin at the dhaba. So please, be a responsible traveller.

• There's only one bus that goes to Prashar Lake everyday, at 8 AM. It leaves from the lake for Mandi at 1 PM, so be on time.

• Look for overhead electricity cables after you clear the forest, since they run straight up to the lake.

• One can opt for trekking for 9 kms from Baagi village to the lake, or drive all the way to the lake.

• There's no need to book the rooms in the temple complex in advance. Tents are also available for rent right at the lake. However, if you wish to stay at the forest rest house, you'll need to make a reservation.

• It is one of the most pocket-friendly treks I've ever done!! Bus tickets, food and a free stay made up for a total of less than 1600 bucks.... And the views were totally worth a lot more. Although, not everyone can be as lucky as the rooms were empty when I went there.