TTT - Terribly Thrilling Trek (TRIUND)

Trekking is something that nourishes our famished soul with nutrients that mother nature supplies with a little bit of adventure thrown into the mix. The fresh aromatic air, the chilly winds, the mountains depict everything that rejuvenates our mind and soul. Triund is one such paradise on earth where a person can rejoice for a short 2N 3D excursion.

LOCATION

Situated in the lap of the Himalayas, this place is located at the foot of the Dhauladhar ranges and is at a height of 2,828 m. It is a small hill station in the Kangra district in the state of Himachal Pradesh, India.

COMMUTATION (from 4 major cities in North)

Chandigarh: Triund is about 248km from Chandigarh via NH503.

Travel Time: 6 hours of drive approximately.

Delhi: It is about 470km from Delhi via NH44 and NH503.

Travel Time: 10 hours of drive approximately.

Lucknow: It is about 1041km from Lucknow via Agra-Lucknow Expressway.

Travel Time: 17 hours of drive approximately.

Dehradun: It is about 412km from Dehradun via NH7 and NH503 highways.

Travel Time: 10 hours of drive approximately.

Best time to visit this place: March to May, September to December

Triund Trek Cost (applicable as per guides): 1000-3000/- per traveller

Best places to visit in Mcleodganj: Bhagsu Nag waterfalls, Namgyal Monastery, St. Johns Church, Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium.

Reason(s) why to pack your bags for this place!

If you want to soothe your senses and experience the serenity and livelihood enchanted by Tibetan culture and its splendid monasteries, then Triund is one of the most promising treks you could partake in. You can enjoy bike rides while experiencing the finest views of lush green mountain ranges, steep roads and the dense pine forests. One of the best experiences to be had on this trek is gazing at the myriad starry constellations setting the night sky dazzling. If you'd be lucky you might get to experience snowfall too.

Notably, the Triund trek is a steep ascent of over 1,100 metres. It is a trek which can be completed in 3-5 hours. From Galu temple, it only takes around 3 hours to reach Triund. The trek becomes quite steep after about two-thirds of the way but it's quite easy till that point.

Reaching Triund from Mcleodganj

Many travellers start their trek from Bhagsu Nag which is famous for the mizzly waterfall. Moreover, while trekking from Galu, one has to follow a path which goes through dense forests with deodar and oak trees.

For 1st timers, We would like to share our experience for this adventurous excursion to make the readers be acquainted for a real-time encounter before packing their bags!

Day 1:

We planned the trip in late February and our journey began at 6 pm from ISBT Kashmere Gate. We booked a Volvo for about 25 people that we're soon going to leave their old lives behind (for a short while of course!) to have the trip of their lifetimes. One of the perks of this trip was the Chandigarh-Karnal Highway (NH-1) which made the journey quite enjoyable. We indulged ourselves in the renowned tandoori parathas from the exclusive "Amrik Sukhdev Dhaba" with creamy lassi (We still can reminisce the taste). We reached Mcleodganj at 4 am and went straight to our hotel rooms as it was quite cold outside. On Day 1 we went to Bhagsu Nag temple and St. John's Church. We did shopping at the famous mall road and had wheat momos with authentic chutney at Aunty Momo place. We all keenly waited for the pre-booked trek for the next day with 5 guides (1 guide per 5 people) to prevent us from getting lost or doing something crazy and make it safely to the top.

Day 2:

We reached Bhagsu Nag to begin our trek at 12 pm (We advise people to visit early) by booking local cabs from our hotel. We started trekking at 12:30 pm with all the necessary items in our backpacks. For us, it was quite a challenging trek as the light breeze turned into moderate rain and later hailstorm that made the path quite slippery. We were carefully climbing dodgy and wet rocks that became a hassle due to the weather. We had the most encouraging guides because of whom we were able to reach the hilltop by approximately 6 pm. The serenity of the mountains, the rocky path, the deadly turns and the foggy surroundings that we went through were full of adventures. The mist mesmerised us as we were able to feel the clouds around ourselves. Yeah! We were among the clouds. Mcleodganj and Dharamshala looked like miniature towns including the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium were looking like some tiny hill station model. The earlier plan was to reach the snowline and the fabled Indrahar pass but we couldn't continue past triund due to weather conditions. We successfully completed the trek at 6:30 pm and celebrated by sipping masala tea with my most favourite pahadi maggi. We were literally enervated but we had a feeling of immense satisfaction upon reaching the summit which was 10,000 feet above sea level and the view was astonishing. At 7 pm we entered our cottages (tent-camping is also available depending upon the weather conditions) and had to warm our bodies due to the temperature which was below 5 degrees (frostbite is the most dangerous affliction believe me!). We had our supper while gazing at the stars that appealed to us from such heights so much that we were almost awestruck. After a few hours after dinner, we all were singing songs, sipping rum and playing games inside our cottages and then suddenly Sachin (one of our guides) shouted: "Arey Bhailog sab bahar aao aur dekho". We got stunned as we stepped outside since we never imagined that we would be able to see snowfall at 2 am. It left us all amazed. It was the first time for us experiencing snowfall and our eyes seized every bit of that moment. It lasted for almost half an hour and after that, we spent the night packing ourselves into sleeping bags and waited for the next amazing part "the sunrise". Most of the sleepy bugs got awakened by the tender rays of sunshine seeping through our cottage windows. The sunrise from this height with snow-covered peaks feels exhilarating.

Day 3:

As we were basking in the morning sun, we were asked to descend by our guides. No sooner had we opened the door of the cottage than a ball of snow busted on our head. Yes! the crazy bugs were playing with snow! Few of them were showing off their artistic side by making a snowman (half an hour with snow was enough for all their artistry!). All of us including our guides were hurdling snowballs at each other like crazy. After we were drenched with snow, we started our downhill journey at 11.30am. Our guides had arranged a lip-smacking breakfast at The Shiva Café where we all had pahadi maggi, bread omelette and chai (of course!) while posing for photographs from every possible angle. After filling our tummies, we resumed our journey and in about 3 hours we were back to Mcleodganj and back into our rooms. After some rest, we went for the bullet ride on the steep roads to visit the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium at Dharamsala. We went for sight-seeing at Rajaji Lake before ending our one of the most memorable trips by lighting sky-lanterns as a token of everlasting remembrance.

So, what did you get while reading these long stanzas?

Takeaways! Yes, we've created a list of Do's & Don'ts, this & that from our own experience. Have a look!

Things to carry on a trek: A light-weighted backpack First-aid with necessary medicines, balms and ointments. Water bottle of course Music system (a portable one) An extra dress and an extra pair of socks, caps, shades (goggles/polaroids) Some dry fruits and chocolates/energy bars Power banks (you will not get charging points at this height) DSLR/good camera phones Cotton buds, Torch, cloth bags (for wet clothes and wastage) Raincoat/Umbrellas Rum bottles Things to wear on a trek: A light puffed jacket with a warmer inside Prefer warm leggings inside trekking trousers Sport/training shoes (don't wear sneakers at all on a trek) Gloves, mufflers etc. Things to do on a trek: Be hopeful, as it is quite a beautiful scenario post reach above Forget bad memories, try to capture as much serenity as you can Take Pictures (not to forget) Always have a light diet before starting Beware of slippery rocks while trekking. Keep hydrating but not over-hydration (as there are no washrooms in middle) Sip rum as the temperature is quite low (don't burn cigarettes as we should not heat up the mountains) Dance with your group, play games, play music, play with snow, be mad.