Place Name: SARPASS
Duration: 10 Days
Best time to visit: May - June
(visited in MAY 2014)
Things to carry : Warm
Thermals, Jeans, T-shirts, Good waterproof jacket (light weight), Gloves,
Woolen socks, cotton socks, Sunglasses, good waterproof rucksack (light
weight), water bottle, Tissue paper, general Medicines, Hand sanitizer, good
shoes (preferably with good grip and which can stand for rain and snow)
Facilitators: YHAI
As the cold was
slowly retreating back from Bengaluru, and summer was slowly gaining its way,
that’s when I heard about the YHAI SARPASS. With lots of apprehensions in my
mind, I finally booked a slot on May 15 2014, and started preparing mentally
for being a part of the trek. Simultaneously, I was taking breaks to get the
required accessories for the trek. Days rolled by and soon the D day neared. Despite the dilemma running on my mind, I
dared to venture for the trek, which was in my wishlist. The dawn, marked a new
day at 5 am when I started my journey, with a pit stop at Delhi and Manali. At 11:30 am, I reached Delhi, alighted at Indira
Gandhi International Airport, the announcement that grabbed my attention was
that the temperature outside was 23 degree, because Delhi was much cooler than
Bangalore but by afternoon the mercury shot up again. I visited RedFort and took
time off gathering info from the guide about the historical less known facts on
the monument, clicking pictures and enjoying the splendid Architecture. After
having my dinner, I boarded the Himasutha bus to Manali, which was my next
pitstop before reaching my destination – Sarpass. Enroute I took bus from
Manali - Kullu, Kullu – Buntur, Buntur – Kasol. The entire journey is traversed
through steep and curvy roads, which are at times risky to drive. The trek lasted
for 10 days and I have penned down the reminisces, which I cherish always.
Day 1 : I alighted at the bus stop
at the base camp – Kasol in the evening 4 pm. Once the dust settled down after
the bus passed on, I noticed the “Warm Welcome” board for the Basecamp of Kasol,
The beauty of the place is truly admirable, as it was situated between a
mountain and the river – Parvathy. I checked in with the registration desk and
completed some of the formalities. I reached the camp, and unwinded for a while
after the long journey. I could catch up with few fellow trekkers. We went
around the place at 6 pm and had some snacks and tea. Meanwhile, I got
introduced to many others in the group. We had dinner at 8 pm, comprising of
chapatti and rice, which was well cooked. We also had a sendoff party with the
bon fire for the team that began its trek the next day. Since I was exhausted
after the long journey, I had a sound sleep.
Day2: I
was woken up by the sound of the whistle which was a morning alarm to us. The
chirping of the birds with the clatter of the river added to the serenity of
the place, away from the hustle and bustle of the city. The morning exercise started with a 2 km jog as a warm
up. This was followed by breakfast. Team 13 was set to trek and we were to acclimate
ourself to the trek. It was a test of stamina and in the process got to know
many co-trekkers. Being back to the camp we had our lunch and identified a team
leader for our group and got discussing on the farewell party for the team that
just returned after a successful trek. Based on the suggestions from the team
members, it was decided that my friend and myself would anchor the entire
program. We ventured out to Manikaran in the evening. The place is known for a
big gurudwara and also has a hot spring bath. We visited the gurudwara and also
the shiva temple nearby. The hot spring is used to cook food in the langar. We
then returned to the camp to have tea and snacks. It was good interacting with
the other team members. The dinner was
served at 8 pm and we began with our farewell program. The audience enjoyed the
program, which included singing and few who exhibited their talent. I sang a
kannada song and also explained the meaning of the lyrics to the audience. The
program was much appreciated by the director of the camp, as well. Lying down I
gazed at the open sky and the stars, and soon dozed off in my tent, remembering
my grandpa words, “A person who can adjust to anything, the world will be
friend to him”.
Day 3: As we were accustomed to our routine, we woke up as soon as the
alarm went on and quickly freshened up, well prepared for the exercise. After
finishing the breakfast, we got ready for the rock climbing and rappelling.
Though I was familiar with the exercise, I was excited to give it a try. When
my turn came, I did face difficulty, but succeeded eventually. The lesson which I had learnt during this
exercise was to remain deaf to demotivation and stay committed till you
achieve. Returning to the base camp, we
had our lunch and spent time in the tent as it was raining outside and we
couldn’t proceed with the rappelling. We packed the stuff to carry during the
trek and had them checked and approved by the instructors. After dinner, we
spent time speaking to each other and knowing about them. The serenity of the
place and the quiet music of the flowing river put me to sleep.
Day 4: The D day finally arrived
and we woke up by 7:30 am and had breakfast. We got the lunch packed and
started flagging off with the hymns and chants of the lord. We moved to our
destination – Grahan. It was 8 Km walk through the forest and we reached a
village. Our team comprised of people from all age groups – from 16 yrs to a 40
year old. All filled with energy and excitement. After covering a distance of 5
km, we rested to have our lunch by afternoon. I always felt that YHAI did not
compromise with the quality of the food that they served. We reached our
destination by 4:30 pm and the camp leader made the necessary arrangements for
our stay and also, gave us some instructions to follow. Had a great time with my peers and had tea.
Also, loitered around the place to look around. I was thrilled at the
resounding silence of the place and the chirping of the birds. As the dusk was
setting in, soup was served. My peers were playing cricket with the kids from
the village and I joined them. We had our dinner – roti and curry at around 7
pm and also had the camp fire where we played Anthakshari till 10 pm. Wishing
everyone goodnight, I fell asleep gazing at the stars – something that we never
get to do in the urban life.
Day 5: It was almost 5:30 am when I
woke up in the morning. I ventured out to feel the beautiful nature, awaiting
the first rays of the sun to kiss the mountain peak. Had our morning tea and
breakfast which had roti and subzi and packed some for our lunch too. Few of my
pers wore the traditional dress and took photographs with the villagers. The
camp leader appreciated the team for the cooperation and also wished us luck for
the journey ahead. The next destination was Padri which was
almost 10 km from grahan. Since the journey involved a lot of climbing and
skidding down, the camp leader urged us to speed up during the journey. After
walking through the jungles for about 6 km, we stopped enroute to have our lunch.
Interacting with the team, I felt I had build a good rapport with all the
fellow team members. By 4:30 pm in the evening, we reached the destination
paadri. Our camp was located admist the hills. We met the camp leader who
briefed us while we enjoyed the soup that was served. We had a glimpse of the
mighty Himalayan Mountains and the clouds that lined the giant. It had just
snowed and we took some wonderful snaps. The camp leader lit the camp fire and
we again played Anthakshari till 10 pm. I sunk into the sleep, looking at the
stars that lit the sky.
Day 7: Today the destination was Nagaru
- the final camp before reaching our dream destination – SARPASS. I woke up at
5:30 in the morning, and came out of the tent. It was dam cold outside due to
the heavy snow fall in the night but the scenic beauty of the sunrays falling
on the mountains made the good start. We clicked photos of the team and the
camp leader. Finishing our breakfast, we set to reach Nagaru. The trek was
quiet challenging as the mountain range was filled with snow. The camp leader
gave us some useful info along with some tips for a successful trek. I could
see my team members sliding on the snow. A Sherpa from Darjelling, joined us as
the previous few teams had encountered some problems. The journey was steep,
and we did slip in some places but managed to catch up with our team. We had
maggi and omlet for lunch, and were able to spot the Biskeri village. The trek
was scary at times as the snowing was tough and the steepness was 70 degree at
some places. With the help of our team leader, who guided us effectively, we
were able to manage reaching our camp. It was a roar of cheers from everyone in
the team. We also, got some instructions from the camp leader and he did
mention that the place had religious significance. Since we had to start
trekking at 4 am the next day, we were off to our beds early.
Day 8: The weather had turned damn
cold during the night, with the temp being - 4 degrees Celsius. By 4 am we were
all set for beginning our trek, with the camp leader wishing us luck. We had biscuits
and Chikki as we began trekking. At 5 am, we were able to catch a glimpse of
the first rays of the sun. The beauty of the nature is worth admiration and an
amazing experience for life. The trek
was a difficult one, but we managed to move on with grit and determination. When
we finally reached our destination, our happiness was beyond all the words. Having maggi at 12000 feet was truly an
ethereal experience. We rejoiced and lived every moment of accomplishing our
dream trek. The scenic beauty of SARPASS
is impeccable and worth the struggles we encountered to reach the place. I was
truly amazed seeing the breathtaking beauty of the place. It is rightly said
that one finds the light of success after the long tunnel of struggles. I could
notice a mixed reaction from the team. While some wanted to visit the place
again, some were overwhelmed at the visit. After enjoying the serenity of the
place we started our way back to Biskeri, fighting against the snowy weather.
We slided our way carefully and had some food mid-way. As sliding was the only
option to reach down the mountain, we did so with a lot of obstacles in between
and we were soaked in water. We reached our destination by 4 pm where we were
congratulated by the camp leader for being successful. The excitement in the
camp was evident with all the team recollecting the efforts during the trek.
Everyone fell fast asleep, by 8 pm. I heartily thanked the ones who supported me
in accomplishing the trek and slept through reminiscing on the wonderful
experience.
Day 9: We woke up with a pride of
accomplishing our dream trek, with the rise of the sun. We started our journey
towards the base camp, after having delicious breakfast. Our destination - Bandakthach, was a difficult one too, as the path was very
slippery due to snow and hail storm. We took shelter beneath a huge tree, till
the hail storm subsided. One
of our team members slipped and hurt himself, and required medical attention. As
a solidarity, the team decided to skip the next destination and return to the
Base camp. I appreciated the team spirit and lead the team to the path leading
to the base camp. Reaching the village by 6 pm, we soon had cabs which drove us
to the base camp. Soon medical aid was given to the injured person and he was
taken good care. The camp leader goaded us to not let go of our excitement for
things were bound to happen and one needs courage to overcome those. As we got
our trek completion certificate, the happiness was evident in all of us for
having achieved it. As we clicked pics and packed our luggages back home, I bid
adieu to my friends and team members who were a part of this wonderful journey.
The SARPASS trek
was indeed one of the best memories that I will cherish for the rest of my
life. The beauty of nature, the happiness after the hardships, the supportive
friends, who later became my best buddies, the motivating camp leaders, the
serenity of Himalayas, still lingers in my mind. The mighty Himalayas invites
me again…
The links for the PICS :
