Fast and Furious at Hampta Pass - Day 1

Crazy as it may sound, Onkar and I had a dubious record. We had never been a successful team, unless you count the trundle up to Triund which, as a matter of fact, had left us breathless at the end of it. Those were our really super naïve days in the mountains, not that we are any smarter, we’ve just learnt to respect them. So coming back to our failures, we had never been able to do a successful endeavour together. Weather thwarted us at Nag Tibba and Yunam, but more importantly, I reckon it was because you only get to do the stuff that you’re physically fit enough to do.

Mt Yunam (6110m) the failed objective (pic by Onkar Munje)

So after a long wait at Bharatpur tent colony in Lahaul where the weather gods decided to deny us of a shot at our first 6000er, we hitched an oil tanker for the way back and immediately got thinking. What next? We had a week’s vacation left but the late monsoon rains on the greener side of Rohtang left us with a dearth of projects. Onkar was really keen on crossing the Sara Umga pass for his first foray into the mighty beautiful Chandra valley. I, to my own surprise, played the devil’s advocate and argued about the unpredictable weather in the northern reaches of the Kullu Lahaul divide and our lack of preparations.

Finally we decided to cross the Hampta Pass, a presumably moderate trek based on online opinions. We did some quick research, printed some maps, talked to a few people and after a sumptuous dinner at the Blue Moon Café in Old Manali which, by the way, had a live reggae band playing that night, we were ready to take on the pass which the locals of Lahaul and Spiti regularly crossed in the days of yore to get to the greener pastures of the south.

Hampta Pass Trek route

It was late August and although no heavy rains were forecast for the next couple of days, we knew that weather above 4000m could never be dependable. Despite having about 4 days we could use to do the trek, it was prudent to minimize the risk and move as fast and light as possible and try to get it done in two days. Yes, you read that right. Hampta Pass in two days, that was our plan. And we were confident we could manage that. It would need us to be extremely nimble, but it was possible.

So with that thought in mind, and 15 kg sacks on each of our backs we reached Jobra, after crossing the 42 or so hairpin bends in the road, at about 10am. Little did we know there were so many lessons in store for us on this trip that would humble us to a pulp, show us how insignificant humans were in the nature.

Brothers in Arms at the start of the trek at Jobra

Some coffee, biscuits and a selfie later, we started to walk through the easy terrain through the jungle which had a clear track and a lot of horse shit on the way to guide us. There were humongous pine trees all around us and the trail was gradually ascending. A short while of walking led us to a wide opening in the valley which the rani nullah divided into two. This huge area is pastured and one could spot several herds of sheep and harrases grazing. There is small tea shop at this point post which a makeshift bridge helps one cross the stream towards the true right bank which is then to be followed to the end. This particular meadow, about a couple of kilometres long, is called Jwara and at the end of it is Chikka, used as the first camping point for a few trekking companies. The altitude gradually rose from about 2800m at the start to about 3000m till this point. We took a short break here which gave us an excellent photo op that was used to capture the subliminally green pastures in the valley and a couple of waterfalls around.

Looking towards the vast stretch of the Jwara meadow. At the end of this is Chikka, a camping spot.

Looking back at our route through Jwara meadow. Onkar is thinking about the Trout fish he had the last night at Blue Moon cafe and the one he'll have after the trek. The Dhauladhars stand tall in the distance. With enough zoom, you can see the yellow hut in the centre at the end that serves as a tea shop.

One of the several beautiful waterfalls on the way

The trail becomes a little bit steeper hereon and the valley consistently rose towards north east till about 3400m where it turns eastward at Chikka and opens into some of the most beautiful mountain vistas we had yet seen. It was an sea of green around us with the treeline steadily receding and the vegetation changing from huge pine and deodar trees to a lot of flower bushes and shrubs which lined the trail while the gurgling stream hurtled through the valley. The overlooking precipitous mountain walls echoed the sound to create an amphitheatric ambience that one only has to be there to experience.

Looking back at the trail a short while after leaving Chikka. It is a bit exposed route here. Notice the receding treeline

It was about lunch time and I had a fortuitously strong day in the mountains (yes, the great leveling story of day 2 comes later). Moving fast and consistent, we decided not to stop for lunch since the camp site in the pastures of Chikka was only a short walk away. Chikka is a beautiful square meadow which serves as the camp site for the first or second camp of various trekking companies conducting this trek. There were so many tents here, obviously the amount of horseshit on the way was very well justified. Resting here for a few minutes, we munched on a few energy bars and filled up our water bottles. The tea shop owners here were drying fresh meat in the bright afternoon sun and we could only imagine the feast other trekkers would get for their dinner. Onkar and I silently brooded about our supplies of noodle soup and condensed milk. Didn't talk much, but we knew what the other was thinking about. Salivating much, we marched on and moved eastwards. Our target for the day was reaching as far as possible and camp at a place which could give us a headstart for the next day, which obviously was going to be tenaciously long.

A little after Chikka, looking back. Notice the clear weather.

But what is a mountain walk if not for some entertainment on the way. I was leading the trail with Onkar following closely. As I looked over my shoulder to catch a sight of him, I was swept off my feet by witnessing a divine dance of shadows and clouds that had gathered in the valley and moved up very fast. Although the weather held on, the possibility of rain or even a sleet shower pushed us to walk faster and reach a reasonable campsite before we get drenched. But again, the mountains dish you with the unexpected at every turn of the way. There were several stream crossings that slowed us down considerably. A particular one of these was pretty deep and it was an exhilarating experience fording the raging rivulet while holding our shoes in one hand and a trekking pole in the other. The heavy backpack threw us off balance all the while. Crazy shit I tell you! Fortunately, both of survived the scare of slipping and getting washed away, before it actually happened later in the much safer confines of our tent. More about that on day 2! We clicked a few pictures here underlining the accomplishment of crossing the swollen stream. Ah! The little pleasures of life.

Clouds gathering en route without warning! This photo was taken within ten minutes of the last one!

That's how they roll!

Another hour of walking led us to Baloo ka Gera, a wide valley with rocks the size of small pebbles to boulders strewn all over, hence the name. It was a wide clearing that had several ideal campsites, though most of these, of course, were already occupied by the permanent tents of the trekking companies. The place was bustling like a rain forest in monsoon. Particularly, humans of the fairer sex could be found on the top of boulders, in (yes, in) the stream, caressing the flowers, kissing the grass and jumping in the air most probably in attempts to get post-worthy pictures for the several hundred instagram followers they had. The boys were clicking the pictures of course. Bemusedly, we decided to camp here since the next suitable camping spot at Ratan Thoy was still a few kilometres away and it was already dusk. We had reached Baloo ka Gera from Jobra in a little under five hours, which was commendable for our measly souls, given the weight we were carrying. Several trekkers swarmed us like bees to a comb and were left wonder-eyed upon learning that it was just the two of us carrying our own sacs, looking for an adventure. Most of them had had their bags carried by the ponies/mules and that again drew me back to the eerie smell around.

Views from Baloo ka Gera towards the Hampta Pass

This place had a breathtaking view towards the pass and one could clearly make out the way. It was cloudy as we reached there and while we had the customary argument about who would put up the tent, the sky cleared and we were treated to some of the most stunning mountain vistas. The valley was flanked on two sides by vertical rock walls and at the end stood a majestic snow-capped crown bathed in the golden hue of the receding evening sun. After putting up the tent and unpacking our stuff, I spent the evening lying on a huge boulder and soaking in the ephemeral beauty of the wondrous surroundings.

Baloo ka Gera Camp site. Notice our odd looking little tent in orange

The clouds clear and scintillating views reveal

Flora at Baloo ka Gera

The evening wound up with Onkar cooking us, for the lack of a better word, some noodle soup and we munched on the condensed milk for dessert. Resolving to make an alpine start the next day, we wandered happily into a sleep sweetened with the tiredness of the long day. Story of Day 2 in next post. Adios!


Go here for the Day 2 story