Trek To Har Ki Doon Ruinsara : Valley of Gods and Alpine Lakes

I wanted something new on my first expedition. This desire took me to beautiful mountains. I found Himalaya Shelter using Google, and their website and Instagram feed caught my eye. Har ki dun trek was one of the best treks of the season that caught my eye. As a first-timer, I wanted an amazing, unforgettable experience, as shown by YouTube videos. Finding out that Ruinsara Lake was part of the Himalayan Shelter made me even more sure that I wanted to go on the Trek to Har Ki Doon Ruinsara.

Itinerary of Trek to Har ki Dun Ruinsara

Day 1: Dehradun to Base Camp Sankari

Finally, we got to Dehradun and spent the night in a motel. We were really looking forward to the next morning because it would be the start of our trip and our first adventure. Shiv Bhaiya called us and told us that our car would be at the pickup place about 7 am. My mind was already on mountains before I went to bed. We went to the pickup location in the morning and called our brother, who was going to transport us to the Sankari basecamp. We spotted the other trekkers but since it was everyone first meeting, no one was talking. Everyone was looking at each other with interest, eagerness, and shyness in their eyes. Some of us were Har Ki Doon trekkers and some were from Phulara Ridge on the trip from Dehradun to Sankari. We were all travelling together because we were all staying at the same base camp. Finally, we set off on our trip and started driving through Dehradun's busy streets and roads. It took us a while to get to the mountains, but I recall the first mountain we passed. The view from that mountain was amazing. The green forests, the blue clouds, the large mountains next to each other and the birds on the trees singing to welcome us to their mountains. I could not believe that something like that could happen in this rapid and noisy environment. I loved the fresh air coming in through the window, beautiful views, rain, and everything else about those mountains.

The trip was quite magnificent through the mountains that welcomed us with open arms. We also stopped for lunch halfway through the trek and we talked to some of the other trekkers. It took us 7 hours to get to Sankri, which was our base camp. We got out of our cars and took our bags to the general hall, where the great staff of Himalayan Shelter was waiting for us. We attended our welcome session, ate some snacks, and got our room assignments and dinner instructions. Then we proceeded to our room, which was huge, clean, and quite comfy. The view from our accommodation was great because it looked right out to the big mountains full of trees.

We were extremely happy when we saw several snow-capped peaks from our room's balcony. It was fantastic and made us feel like we were in the Himalayas. We relaxed in our accommodation for a while, talked to other trekkers, took in the view, and took some really nice shots. We got to the main hall at 8 p.m. for dinner, just like we were told to. The food was excellent, and the view of the mountains was breathtaking. We met a party from Maharashtra and shared a table with them for supper. They were very courteous and nice. We talked to them and learned that our hikes were different. They were there for the Phulara ridge trek since they were experienced trekkers, so they provided us some pointers for first-time hikers. We had our briefing for the next day after dinner. We learned that Mukesh Rana Bhaiya and Rishi Bhaiya were responsible for our trek. They told us all we needed to know about the walk, including the important points and the amount of difficulty. We also talked to Bachchan Rana Sir, who was there. He was extremely nice and accommodating. We were told when to leave and how to unload our bags. We subsequently brought hot water to our room due to the temperature being quite cold during the night. We were somewhat exhausted from the lengthy trip to the base camp, which was around 190 miles. We finally went asleep, dreaming of the next day and how excited we were.

Day 2: Trek from Base Camp Sankari to Taluka and Pauni Garaat

We wake up the next morning, got dressed, and made it to the shelter on time. We had breakfast, put our bags in the cars, and left Sankri for head to the taluka and say goodbye to the other trekkers. Driving from Sankri to Taluka was a little scary but also exhilarating because the roads were quite rocky, narrow, and close to valleys. It was beautiful how the tall pine trees were lined up, one after the other. Finally, we made it to Taluka. We were ready to start the hike now that our luggage were packed. We took a group picture right then and there, and then Mukesh Bhaiya urged us to start walking. We saw that there were a lot of trekkers from different groups, some of them were just starting their journey and others who were finishing it.As soon as I arrived into the mountains, I felt like I was in a dream.

The woods were incredibly calm and quiet. Now we were able to talk to our fellow trekkers in a normal way. We learnt that a family from Australia was with us till Ruinsara, a family from Mumbai, an uncle who flew alone from Punjab, and two brothers from Kolkata who came to Har Ki Doon just for the occasion. We also talked to Mukesh Bhaiya, who was very nice, funny, and respectful. We really enjoyed being around him. We were quite excited because it was our first trek, so we were ahead of everyone else. Mukesh Bhaiya informed us that we all had to walk together, so we waited for everyone to catch up. Mukesh Bhaiyya told us that the Supin river flows through the valley. It flows into the Yamuna River. The river was really broad, wide, and full of water. That sound of running water is still fresh in my head. It's like any kind of therapy for your mind that makes you feel calm. I was wondering when I would reach to those beautiful snow-covered peaks so I could enjoy everything about them. The gorgeous snow-covered peaks looked like white flags that showed where you were. But as the saying goes, the journey is always better than the destination. Over time, we started to see how beautiful the forest was, with its charming birds, vivid flowers, unique trees and plants, pretty butterflies, small booming waterfalls, and many other things.

We stopped at a tea stall for lunch halfway through because we had packed lunch in the morning. It was great to have lunch on those rocks, with all the trees and nature around us. We started walking again when we finished lunch. We finally saw our camp after hiking for around 4 to 5 hours. The campsite was great; it was just next to the river. The lovely Supin River flowed directly by our tent, and the sound of the water was something we will never forget. There were mountains all around the campsite as well. When we eventually got to the campsite, we were given some instructions on how to set up the tents and sleeping bags. Then we proceeded to our tents. The tents were big, cozy, and well-organized. It was my first time sleeping in a tent on the floor in a sleeping bag, and it felt great. We all had a great time talking to each other in the communal tent, just like we were told to. Then we went to the riverbank, which was, like, amazing! I wanted to stay here forever. We took some great shots and rested on the rocks to watch the sunset in the calm and quiet setting. We went to dinner and had Subhash Bhaiya's dish for the first time. What a meal it was! I've never eaten food this good in my whole life. I thought it would be best to eat with Subhash Bhaiya. Then we sat by the bonfire because it was so cold and spoke. In the end, we went to our tent and slept in our sleeping bags. It was my first time sleeping in a sleeping bag, so the first night was quite unpleasant for me, but I somehow made it through the night.

Day 3: Pauni Garaat to Boslo

We had to depart early that day because the third-day hike was lengthier than the preceding days. We got up early in the morning to the sound of birds chirping in the hills and the beautiful sound of water flowing from the Supin River. We were ready to travel after we ate breakfast, packed our things, and got our bags. That day, Rishi Bhaiya was in charge instead of Mukesh Bhaiya, but we didn't understand why at the time. We left Pauni Garaat and went toward Boslo. As we crossed several bridges over the Supin River and Rishi Bhaiya instructed us to stop at a tea stall shop and eat Maggi. We also visited several communities. The architecture, culture, and way of life in the village were entirely different from what we observed in the rest of the world. I felt like I had entered another world when I saw the colorful and magnificent costumes of the people in the villages. Their houses were all made of wood and rock. I wish to say that the people that live in these mountains are incredibly kind, helpful, and open-hearted. We would ask them to fill our bottles at the tea stall whenever we ran out of drinking water. They'd do it with big smiles, even though they knew it was a long, hard walk to get the water. We usually had large smiles on our faces when we saw people, and some of them said hi to us from their balconies. There were also some extremely lovely and innocent youngsters who tried to talk to us, which was incredibly sweet.

As we got closer to Boslo, the snow peaks got closer and closer to us. We saw some incredibly gorgeous waterfalls, red and pink rhododendron blooms and the famous Kedarkantha Snow peak. We were lost and separated into two groups because of a slight misunderstanding. Rishi Bhaiya is not very experienced either. Later, JD Bhaiya and Rishi Bhaiya talked about it and were able to gather everyone together. Later, we found out that Mukesh bhaiya had to leave us since he was hurt and needed to go to the hospital. JD bhaiya and Rishi bhaiya were in charge of us. We ate lunch at the next tea stall, which provided us some energy and helped us get back on our feet. I remember how everyone looked that day. It was a long trip, and everyone was tired. That day's hike was a little harder than normal. We were fatigued, but we finally got it to Boslo, the campsite. The campsite was beautiful because it was close to the Supin River and had snow-capped mountains all around it. We went back to our tent to relax because everyone was tired. Then we came back for snacks. We met three other folks there who had just gotten back from Har Ki Doon. We had a wonderful conversation with him. As the day came to a close, the weather was getting cooler. We were blessed that Rishi Bhaiya made a fire for us. Next, we met Suresh Bhaiya, who was in charge of the excursion. He had just gotten back from Har Ki Doon with the three hikers. He was going to show us how to go to the next couple days of hiking. After that, we had dinner and enjoyed the bonfire while we looked at the stars. We also saw the amazing satellite train. Finally, we went back to our tent and slept since we were so tired.

Day 4: Boslo to Har Ki Doon and back to Boslo

This was the most important day of our walk because we were going to Har Ki Doon. We chose to depart a little later, between 7:30 and 8:00 am, because it was not as far as the day before. We got up, had breakfast, said goodbye to the other campers who were going down, and then we started our trek. We were so enthusiastic about the day that we wore the same T-shirts we bought for the walk.

The energy of the journey was substantially different today since we were finally getting to what we had set out to do. The trek from Boslo to Har Ki Doon was very beautiful. There were a lot of small and very attractive flowers on both sides of the trek, and they were all different colors. That day, we were also going back to the same campsite, so we didn't have to bring all of our bags with us, which was a big relief. We had a great time with Suresh Bhaiya, who was really kind, humble, and a gorgeous person. He called me and my sister "Fafada" and "Dhokla" because we are from Gujarat, which was very important to him. We didn't bring a lunch with us that day, but we did have a hot lunch when we got back to the campsite. Along the way, we stopped by a site on the banks of the Supin River that was full of pine trees. The grass was lush and green, and there were small yellow flowers all over it. Snow-capped mountains surrounded it. It was like a dreamland, and it was one of the most beautiful places on the walk. We finally got to the Har Ki Doon site after strolling for a few minutes.

I couldn't believe how beautiful the view was from the place. I was really surprised that nature could make such a beautiful environment. The Har Ki Doon Valley was quite deep, full of trees, and beautiful. The Supin River was running through the valley near to the Swargarohini hill. There are no words to describe Swargarohini Peak. It was so big, full of snow that it was hard to believe. The top of the cliffs looked black because there was no snow on them, and it looked like they were peering out from under the white sheet of snow and congratulating us on getting there. Some of the other people on the trekkers told us that Swargarohini is where the Pandavas are thought to have gone to paradise. We shot incredibly nice group photos, photos with trek posters and movies to keep that beauty on our phones forever. People who had been there before told us about Marinda Lake, which is not too far from Har Ki Doon and is worth seeing. We followed Suresh Bhaiya's advice and started trekking again to see Marinda Lake. The road from Har Ki Doon to Marinda Lake wasn't very long, but it wasn't very simple either. There was a lot of snow on the path we were walking on, which made it very hard to walk on because it was so slippery. We finally got to Marinda Lake, and it was amazing!

The snow was melting here and we let go of the river Supin, which had been with us the whole time. There was so much white that I cannot even explain what I saw or how it made me feel in my heart. I could not believe what I was seeing. And we were lucky that it snowed soon after we got to Lake Marinda. The feeling of being in heaven was overwhelming. After enjoying the whole view, the snowfall, and clicking some good pictures, we finally said goodbye to those snowy mountains, and we started walking towards our campsite. I really didn't want to go.

Day 5: Trek from Boslo to Devsu Thatch

The next morning was hard and upsetting for all of us because we had to say goodbye to several of our fellow hikers. We were travelling to Ruinsara Lake with family from Australia, while the rest were returning back to Pauni Garat. After we ate breakfast together, we traded phone numbers, said goodbye, and went our own ways. The camaraderie we made in those five days was incredible. It felt like we were leaving some of our greatest friends behind with our families. The trek from Boslo to Devsu Thatch was extremely different from the hike we had been on for a few days. The track went through thick trees. I remember that portion of the forest because the road was bordered with rhododendrons full of purple rhododendron blossoms. The trees were extremely near to each other and were arranged in a precise and beautiful way.

There were many trees, yet it was very peaceful and nice. We could only hear the sounds of all kinds of birds and the sound of the Tonnes River flowing not far from us. A man from Australia who loved birds used his binoculars to find them along the way. He also showed us several gorgeous birds and told us some interesting and unique things about them. He showed us a bird called "Monal", which is the state bird of Uttarakhand. He told us that there are male and female versions of this bird. Male monals are quite colourful, but female monals are black to grey. We walked for a while and then got to the banks of the River Tonnes. Finally, we noticed a big waterfall, and Suresh Bhaiyya told us that our campsite for the night was right next to it. We were extremely excited about that. That day, we walked really fast so we could get there before our mules and camp. Suresh Bhaiyya told us to sit in a tiny cave & rest for a while. It started to rain a few minutes after we went into the cave, and we thanked God for making it. We had a great meal in the cave while looking out at the mountains and the rain. Finally, after a few minutes, our mules and their camping gear came, and they made it to the campsite. We put on our ponchos and started trekking through the cave while it was still raining. We crossed a waterfall on the route to our campsite. We had just got our mules and camping gear, so not all of our tents were ready yet. We sat in the common tent for a bit. We went to our tents after a while when they were all ready. Suresh Bhaiya called us to breakfast. There was a campfire and onion pakoras because it was too cold outside due to the rain.

The pakoras made by Subhash Bhaiyya in that rainy weather were the best moments of my entire trek. Then we had a great talk by the fire until dinner. After dinner, we went to our normal tent and played some games. We played various games using the cards Suresh Bhaiya gave us and then went to bed.

Day 6: Devsu Thach to Ruinsara Lake and back to Devsu Thach 

After breakfast in the morning, we were all ready to explore Ruinsara Lake and come back.  Since this trek is about 4 to 5 km, we decided to go a bit late.  We were happy that we didn’t have to carry all our luggage with us as we were coming back to the same campsite.  We finally left the campsite and started walking towards Ruinsara.  It was a beautiful route full of small waterfalls, along the mighty and huge Tons River and full of adventure.  We were not too tired on this day as it was a short trek compared to our other days.  We had really good conversations with other trekkers who were from other groups.  In fact, most of them were trekkers of the Bali Pass trek as the route of that trek passes through Ruinsara Lake.  After a long time, of trekking and enjoying nature we reached Ruinsara Lake.  The view was amazing as the lake was surrounded by mountains on all sides.  The lake was not completely filled with water because the snow on the peaks of the mountains had not yet completely melted.

                      We sat there on the big rocks and enjoyed the view of the environment and the peace.  We took some good group pictures and selfies with Suresh Bhaiya.  Then we started walking back to our campsite.  We saw the large beautiful rocky flood plains of the Ton River which accompanied us all the way to Ruinsara.  Then following the same route, we reached our campsite where Subhash Bhaiya and JD Bhaiya were waiting for us for lunch.  We took our lunch and went to the tents to freshen up and came back outside to enjoy the bonfire in that chilly weather.  We had a really good conversation.  Again, we got pakoras with hot soup that day.  We captured some good pictures of the waterfall and the beautiful purple rhododendron flowers that were at our campsite.  Then after dinner with very good memories and happiness in our mind, we slept in our tent.

Day 7: Devsu Thatch to Pauni Garaat

This was the day we started back to our old campsite.  After having our very good breakfast early in the morning we started walking.  Honestly, the excitement was a bit low now because we weren’t going back to a new place.  Nevertheless, we enjoyed the day a lot.  We saw some very different plants, flowers and birds even going back the same way we came and I felt that no matter how many times you pass the same place, it will continue to show you different colours of its beauty.  Suresh Bhaiya also showed us a very famous mountain peak called “Black Peak” which was beautiful.  There was a very big cliff on the way and Suresh Bhaiyya climbed that cliff without any climbing equipment and jumped to the floor from there and we were all amazed.  This day we were again passing through dense forests and mid-way we changed our route which was not the same route we had come from.

Small hikes and steep trails were really tiring and difficult that day.  As we walked further, we reached a grassland called Devsu Bugayal from where Suresh Bhaiyya showed us some famous peaks which were “Black Peak” and “Bandarapunch Peak”.  He looked so huge, mighty and mysterious.  On the way we met Subhash Bhaiyya and JD Bhaiyya who had come from a different route which was comfortable for mules.  They took us to a tea stall where they asked us to try the local juice which was very sweet.  The juice was tasty and delicious made with some local flowers and fruits.  After a few minutes of walking, we reached the campsite beside the river Supin where our first camp of Tech no.  As we had packed lunch that day we went straight to the tent and came back for breakfast and hot soup.  We met two other groups there who had come straight from Har Ki Doon.  We chatted with her a bit and she was very sweet and nice.  We all had dinner together and played card games in the common tent for a while and then we went to our tents to sleep.

Day 8: Pauni Garat to Base Camp Sankari                                  

On this day we had to follow the same track that we followed on the first day of trekking.  Honestly, I wasn’t that happy to go back to the real world and real life where peace, trees, flowers, forests, rivers, birds and mountains don’t really exist.  However, we really had no choice but to come back to that world so after our breakfast we started walking.  I was looking at some of the places I saw while starting the trek and thinking that one day I was entering this beautiful world and today I was going to exit.  I was thinking that I will really miss this little world where there is only peace and happiness.  I remember a funny incident that happened to me and my sister on this day.  As we were very fast, we were far ahead of our co-trekker and Suresh Bhaiyya was also with him so we reached a place in those forests where there was no one ahead of us and no one behind us for a long time.  And I remember my sister telling me that we were lost in the forest.  Finally, a local guy came up behind us, through which we knew that was the right way to reach the taluk and we breathed a sigh of relief.  On the way very close to the taluka we met Subhash Bhaiya and JD Bhaiya who were returning again after reaching the taluka with a mule and another group.  We bid him goodbye and thanked him for a really good meal and all the services.  Finally, we reached the taluka from where we didn’t have to walk, we had to drive towards Sankari.  There we also got to know that Suresh Bhaiya was also not coming to Sankari with us as he was also going again with another group.  We said goodbye to him and put our luggage in the vehicle, sat in the vehicle and we were ready to go.  It didn’t feel good to leave Suresh Bhai there because the bond he formed with all of us over those many days was truly beautiful.  Finally, we drove the same way and reached Sankari

We met Mukesh Bhaiya again there.  He welcomed us there, congratulated us for completing the trek and we also asked him about his injury.  He then took us to the General Hall for some breakfast where we got our loaded luggage and room allocation.  Then we went to our room freshened up after so many days and went for dinner.  Also, we told Mukesh Bhaiya that your best friend Suresh Bhaiya was with us after you left us.  After dinner, we decided to leave the next morning with another group as they were leaving early and we had to reach Dehradun early.  We said goodbye to our co-trekkers in the night itself as we were to leave early in the morning, exchanged numbers and asked each other to keep in touch and slept.

Day 9: Base Camp Sankari to Dehradun

We woke up early around 5 am and after freshening up had breakfast.  We packed all our stuff into the vehicle as we were about to leave.  We bid farewell to Mukesh Bhai and thanked him for always being polite to us and told him that you and Suresh Bhai are coming to Gujarat and whenever you come tell us the need.  Finally, we left for Dehradun and said goodbye to Sankari.  We were riding the same way we had come.  I thought that I was a complete stranger to these mountains when I came here but after so many days it seemed like they were my very close friends.  As we moved forward, the mountains were receding from us and my heart felt really sad.  Honestly, I didn’t want to go back even though it was my first trek but leaving those mountains brought tears to my eyes.  But as we say we cannot change the reality.  After so many days I felt so many vehicles, people, markets, malls, cafes and noise instead of peace, forests, birds, rivers, flowers and butterflies.  Driver Bhaiyya dropped us from where he picked us up and finally, the trip ended with the Himalayan Shelter which was very beautiful and amazing.

Summary

Wow! What an experience it was. It has been a wonderful journey for me from being a stranger to mountains to becoming my favourite. Himalayan Shelter, is really a very pure and beautiful group of trekkers. The staff members at Himalaya Shelter surprised me and filled me with gratitude that I chose to join them. Whether it was the humble and funny Mukesh bhaiya, the entertaining and respectful Suresh bhaiya, Subhash bhaiya who has magic in his hands, the very helpful and hard-working JD bhaiya and Rishi bhaiya or Prabodh bhaiya who welcomed us on our first day of trek at Sankari, all of them were truly amazing. I also want to mention Shiva Bhaiya who we interacted with before trekking to know all the details he was very calm and very nice to us. We met Bachchan Rana Sir too at Sankari Basecamp and he was full of respect and helpful for us. The trek with Himalaya Shelter was so organic and free-flowing that I loved it in all aspects. Trek to Har ki Doon Ruinsara was one of the best experiences of my life. Really looking forward to having another experience with Himalaya Shelter soon. Thank you, Himalaya Shelter, for this unforgettable experience and what you guys have done for us. Thank you!