McLeodganj : A happy place and a beautiful journey

Travel tales

The endless wait for exam results deserves a trip away from the ‘bizarre’ weather of Delhi to the mountains covered with snow. And when I say mountains, I don’t mean Nainital, where half of Delhi migrates during Indian summers.

I decided to explore McLeodganj, Kangra district ,in Himachal Pradesh which is otherwise known for its beautiful Tibetan Monasteries and the Dalai Lama’s home.

I boarded a government bus for McLeod at six in the evening from New Delhi with two of my classmates. The driver promised us that we would reach the valley by seven in the morning. On reaching McLeod, the chilly breeze that swept across my face made me forget the backache, I had from the bus ride.

Get a taxi or just walk through the beautiful lanes packed with budget hotels to find a comfortable stay. We chose to stay up in the hills in Dharamkot, three kilometres away from the main market of McLeod. However, if someone wants a Mall road fun, like every other hill station, then McLeod has numerous budget hotels just across the bus station.

Referring to what our friends had suggested, we decided to trek up to Triund, which turned out to be one of the most exciting trekking trips.

We took a cab to Bhagsu Nath, the starting point for the trek. The path was a gentle slope with lots of rhododendron trees all along the way blooming with pink and red flowers. It even had a few shops where we rejuvenated ourselves with packaged water and juice. However, it’s much better to carry liquids while trekking because the prices shoot up by every kilometre.

By the time we had covered almost five kilometres, the path got steeper with large boulders. There were tall oak and deodar trees as well. I had even started spotting a little patch of snow and more the snow, more slippery the path.

We met other fellow trekkers who were climbing with rucksacks and tents and I felt energised at the sight as I was losing my breath by then.

Being scared of heights, it became difficult for me after seven kilometres. But, the view, the snow and my friends kept me going with motivation. The last one kilometre was steeper than the rest of the path, covered in snow and quite difficult to trek. But when I made it to the top, it was all worth the effort.

The view was breathtaking. I could see sheets of snow in a few places along with little grassy green areas. But what mesmerised me was the Dhauladhar mountain range on one side and Kangra valley on the other. We sipped hot chai (tea) and spicy ‘maggi’ (before the ban) which saved my fingers from freezing. We even had someone play the guitar and sing songs with shivering voices, until the sun was kind enough to shine on us.

We stayed up there for about three hours absorbing all we could see and feel. If it wasn’t for time, I would have stayed longer but the stall owners told us to head down in time before the dusk to avoid trekking at night and there were monkeys and bears in the forests (which I didn’t see while climbing up, Thank God!).

I stayed in McLeodganj for four more days and it’s definitely one place I would want to go back to. The place has a list of some very good café’s offering delicious food and music along with friendly people which makes it my favourite hill station.