Click it and Unblock the Notifications
We as a family are an active lot. My cousins are always up for anything involving outdoors. I send them pictures whenever I take up a trek. They are always gushing about how lovely and majestic the Himalayas look.
So when I was looking for trek-mates for my upcoming Patalsu Peak trek, it was no surprise that they were up for it. We booked tickets to fly from Bangalore to Chandigarh, and started shopping to prepare for the trek.
A Wonderful Trek In The Lap Of Nature In Kullu Valley
Patalsu Peak is a stupefying peak at a height of 14000 feet above sea level. It is located at the head of the picturesque Kullu valley. This is one of the most bankable and sought-after trekking destinations around this valley.
PC : Ashish Sharma
The trek starts from Manali and goes past the villages of Shanag, Solang and Burva. During this trek, you will pass through the enchanting snow-capped mountains, coniferous forests, green shiny meadows that are rich in blooming flowers along with resounding streams.
Best Time To Visit:
Between April and June is the best time to opt for this trek. Winter ought to be avoided, because of the landslides. Monsoons are dangerous because of the blinding rainfall. There is minimal snowfall during April to June, so fret not about not being able to see snow-capped peaks.
Things To Carry:
Trekking backpack, trekking shoes, ponchos, snacks, water bottle, sun shades, sun hat, sunscreen, toiletries, lip balm, raincoat, thermals, warm clothes, socks, gloves and medical kit.
So, finally the day had arrived and we drove from Chandigarh to Manali. We just lazed around, ate and slept a lot to prepare for the impending trek. The trek started from Manali.
PC : Rohan Babu
We started from Manali, following the trail of the River Beas to our left. After crossing Burwah, Shanag and Ghoshal villages, and crossing the river; we reached the gorgeous Solang Nallah neighbourhood. We camped there overnight, beside the roaring river.
Day 2: Solang Nallah - Shagadugh
PC : Silver Blue
The trail goes through Solang village and a mountain trail. Solang Village is the last village in this area; and it is advised to fill up the water bottles right here. We continued the uphill trek to witness the view of the grandiose Friendship Peak.
We took a break here to rest. We spotted some unique birds and enquired the guide about it. We were informed that they are Monal and Khaleej variety of pheasants. After continuing for 5 km, we reached a stunning open meadow. This was the Shagadugh camp, where we were to camp for the night.
Day 3: Shagadugh - Patalsu Peak
PC : Ryan Weller
We started the day very early, as we had to traverse back to Shagadugh after hitting Patalsu Peak. I checked my watch to see the altitude. We were at a height of 11,000 feet above sea level. We started walking through the grasslands and saw many gaddis with their herd along the way.
After walking 3 km, the forest started to make an appearance. After walking some more, we could see a snowcapped peak in front of us. This is the Patalsu Peak. As we found no trail leading to it, we started walking around the ridge line. We saw amazing views of Hanuman Tibba, Deo Tibba, Friendship Peak and Solang Valley.
At this point, there was a lot of ice and it was beginning to get difficult to walk on it. Our guide asked us to walk diagonally across it, sticking the side of the shoes on the ice. After 30 minutes, we hit the Patalsu Peak. There is nothing but lots and lots of snow around, but somehow it looks utterly opulent and delightful. We started descending down to Shagadugh to retire for the night.
Day 4: Shagadugh - Solang Nallah
PC : Balaji B
We arose early and started to walk towards Solang Nallah. It was an easy walk of 3 hours. We clicked a lot of pictures along the way.
From Solang Nallah, we were given an option of walking or being transported in a car to Manali. I chose the latter because I got sick during the trek and didn't have any more energy left in me to do some more walking.
It was a fantastic trek, I must say! I enjoyed it so much that even my sickness could not spoil the fun. We now call ourselves the "Trekking Troublesome Cousins" and I can see our family is kind of wary of us now. All in good fun and spirit.
