Sar Pass Trek: The mountains are in you

Day 1 of the trip I landed at #Kasol after my overnight journey from Delhi. I had booked my trek with #adventurenation. The campsite is located adjacent to the Parvati river. I spent the first day in taking a short warm up trek to #Chalal trail. Its a peaceful and simple pathway along the Parvati river and you can stop at multiple points to witness the amazing river along with its brute strength. The evening was spent with a brief introduction by the #trek guide and making friends with the fellow trekkers. The most enjoyable part of the evening is sitting along the river and just letting yourself submerge in the music of flowing water.

This is the first day of the trek where we start from Kasol along a tributary of the #Parvati river and march our way into the unknown. Its a long day ahead but the excitement of what lies ahead will always keep your enthusiasm high. The second half of the day is more demanding and you will move through steep rocky ridges after grahan nahal. The #weather can change very quickly here and so does the landscape. We trekked for 12 km and had an elevation climb of almost 1400 feet. The evening was spent with a bone chilling bath in the nearby #waterfall and ended with ghost stories to further the chill down our spines.

Day 3: Grahan Village to Min thatch

This is the most strenuous part of the #journey as you will #climb through steep mountain trails. It is always preferable to stay with the group here as the trail may be confusing sometimes. You will be climbing through the woods at a constant elevation of more than 45 degrees but every step you take forward will make you want to move further. Plenty of locals can be met on the way and you can experience their #hospitality at some of the stopover points. Although the distance between #Grahan village and Min thatch is not much, its the elevation that tests your legs here. With a mere 6 km of trek you will climb more than 2100 feet. The last part of the trek is the trickiest where we climb down a steep cliff to reach the campsite. Don't close your eyes..

Day 4: Min thatch to Nagaru

Overexcited and full of enthusiasm we make our way to #Nagaru camp. The air starts thinning past half way mark, but the #landscape is what actually takes your breath way. You can witness amazing #mountain peaks on the route and the best part is the #sunset. It gets very cold very quickly here and it is advisable to sleep early, since the trek for next day starts at 4:00 AM. Lack of a water source, strong winds and snow all around you- what more can you ask for. Do watch the sunset and the peaks here, it is like a movie scene come alive.

Day 5: Nagaru to Biskeri Thatch via Sar Pass

The most amazing part of the trip is waking up at 4:00 AM and walking in the #snow uphill. After an initial climb of an hour we land in the middle of a snow desert. Vast expanses of mountains covered in snow and the best part we got to experience heavy snowfall during most part of the day. Its like living an actual #discovery channel show. The walk along a thin path to cross #SarPass and eventually slide down the other side is an experience that cannot be defined in words.

Day 6: Biskeri Thatch to Barshaini and drive back to Kasol

We always wonder why good things end, but in my experience #BiskeriThatch is the best ending you can have to a journey. The landscape is like a #wallpaper come alive to life. The return journey to Kasol was filled with great laughter, descent down the steep mountains and most of all with great satisfaction of having lived to experience something wonderful.