Kuari Pass Trek: Exploring the horizon

June 4, 2024

prashanth-sarma

Sometimes life feels so clogged with all the monotony people stay buried in. our roots fading into the constant flow of time. modernity engulfed humanity and took away the natural resonance of humans to this universe. cars, pollution, electricity, and social media are some major clogs to this resonance.

In order to unclog myself from all the negativity, I set up on a quest to find the ethereal ambience of life I have been looking for. That’s when I got to go on a trek to the Himalayas and every time I go there, something inside me changes. This is the tale of the Kuari Pass Trek.

Day 1: Dehradun to Tugasi

As I reached Dehradun, I felt my spirits uplifting into the air, I was so anxious about what would happen next, as I was a solo traveller and a teenager a long way from home. We had to meet the driver provided by Himalaya Shelter. It was 7 in the morning, and we were loading our luggage into the vehicle.

We started our journey around 8 in the morning, There was a group of 12 people, including me. we introduced ourselves along the journey. we travelled along the mountain terrain with the air getting chilly as we approached the proximity of The Himalayas. We stopped for lunch at a restaurant and had a hearty meal. We boarded the vehicle and had a good nap till we reached Tugasi village where the trek was about to start.

we reached there around 5:00 p.m. in the evening and were welcomed by hot Pahari Maggi along with some hot chai. we went to our allotted rooms, freshened up, and explored Tugasi with its rich cultural heritage. we had a mouth-watering dinner provided by the Himalaya Shelter, they prepared some local dishes with different side dishes and rice, after which we were briefed on the upcoming trek. we retired for the night and I could not sleep as my body was flushed with adrenalin.

Day 2: Tugasi to Guiling

we woke up early the next morning and after having a hearty breakfast, we set out to trek the mesmerizing Himalayan terrain. I forgot to switch my charging port switch on and my phone’s dead for the entire trek.

As we started ascending, we bid farewell to the small village which hosted us with a bright, hospitable glee. the first magnificent sight I got to see was paddy and wheat fields slowly oscillating to the motion produced by the winds. I thought I was gonna be bored without a phone, but the tropical birds whistling were music to my ears along with the occasional harmonious sound of streams rushing down the mountains.

Our team leader was kind enough to give me enough breaks to catch my breath. whenever I felt thirsty, I quenched my thirst using the fresh Himalayan water rushing down, it was refreshing, and I felt like I was back in touch with my ancestors who used to survive out in the wilderness. after trekking through the thick patches of alpine coverings, with occasional panoramic views of Mount Kamet and other monstrous peaks through the patches of pine and oak.

We reached Camp 1 at Guiling in about 4 hours and were welcomed by the staff at camp with a hot snack meal suitable for the gruelling day of trekking. Our campsite was beautiful. I was isolated from humanity as there was no network or phone with me, therefore, I had to explore the Himalayan terrain, and it was absolutely stunning. As night dawned, we had our dinner and retired to our tents to rest as we went to trek again the next day.

Day 3: Guiling to khullara

Today was a separate class in itself, we walked through patches of oak rhododendrons, Himalayan birch, and pine forests. khullara is an open meadow with an astounding view of surrounding peaks like Hathi Ghoda, Dunagiri, Nanda Devi, Trishul, and many more magnificent towering beauties.

Today was a very easy trek, We walked for an hour and had a brief pitstop on our way, and we were already walking through the clouds, It was like heaven on earth. we trekked for another hour to the summit, there was no visibility as clouds were sweeping the summit with a cold breeze. another highlight of the day was having lunch on the summit at 12,500 ft above sea level amidst the clouds. we started descending right after that, and by this time all of the company members were like a family, we shared memories, our past, our tears, and some snacks too.

I got to try different snacks, some from different parts of India and some from other countries, brought by members of our team. We got back to the camp in about two hours. I gained at least 3 – 4 kg thanks to the open buffet the Himalaya shelter provides and god the desserts were out of this world. we were tired so we retired early after having our dinner.

Day 4: Khullara to Guilling

We woke up to the resounding tweeting of birds in the valley, acting like a natural alarm. We had scrambled eggs with bread, butter, jam, and some pancakes with honey. we started descending right after our breakfast, and I was sad as we were leaving our camp. but Mother Nature soothed my soul on our way back as we again got to listen to the ecstatic alpine forest ambience.

We went across many ice-cold Himalayan streams on our way to camp one. And I saw huge pine trees pinned to the ground due to thunder strikes. We saw a dog on our way to Camp 1, which tagged along and played with us the whole time. Our trek leader, Nithin, was skilled in explaining all the details we asked him about Kuari Pass. We made it to the camp early.

Somehow this all felt like a dream, the stars, the streams, the birds, the aroma of wet trees, and mud still lingering through my soul. I took my sleeping bag and slept outside the camp for a night which pushed me to reconnect with my personal self which existed before the internet. stars twinkled all night through the dark night just like a white paint spilled on a blank black canvas. I closed my eyes to sleep embracing the universe through my soul.

Day 5: Guiling to Tugasi

On the way down, I was depressed as I had to leave Mother Nature and return to humanity, we packed our bags and started descending after a hearty breakfast. we treaded along the mud trail of the Garhwal Himalayas. On our way back, we once again got to see the scenic paddy fields along the path, and the panorama of the Garhwal Himalayas surrounding us was breathtaking.

I bowed down to the mighty Himalayas, showing my gratitude for making this trek possible by providing a stable weather window and making this trek a scenic memory to remember. We reached our homestay in Tugasi, as we still had a night left in our hands according to the itinerary. we had a small party with the group members exchanging all the pictures we took the entire trek, and everyone was visibly sad with the anticipation of returning to the dull monotony of city life. Nevertheless, no matter how far humanity progresses, we are the children of Mother Nature and someday we become one with her again. Every time I visit the Himalayas I feel returning to my mother’s comfortable, warm lap.

Day 6: Tugasi to Dehradun

Kuari Pass, day 6 is the conclusion to a small quest by a teen trying to find his lost younger self. We boarded the vehicle back to Dehradun. we were tired and in pain having to leave the mountains, so for most of the time, everyone was quiet. our trek leader tried to cheer everyone up. We stopped at a restaurant one of our group member’s anniversaries was the same day so they threw a party for the rest of the group, we had fun for some time at the restaurant had some hearty laughs and were on our way back to Dehradun with million memories in our hearts.

Kuari Pass Trek: Exploring the horizon

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