Pin Parvati Pass trek

Prelude

I had been itching to do a "big trek" for a while. The last time I had trekked was in December i.e. Pangarchulla peak, while it was a good experience, it certainly didn't leave the imprint on my mind like some other treks I've done (Markha, Roopkund etc).

And so I decided to hike to Saptkund along with a couple of friends.

But, that was also not in my destiny (of which I'm the master of, ofcourse, pfffbt!).

Both the gentlemen bailed on me, leaving me to ponder if I really want to do Saptkund. 

Quite often, I entertain random hunches. Pin Parvati was a random hunch. I had heard so much about the place, that too from a credible source, that I wanted to "test my luck". I say that because I wasn't entirely sure if it would be in my capacity to do a trek of a difficulty grade as high as Pin Parvati's. 

Here's a day by day itinerary of what transpired on the entire trip (all accounts written at the end of each day) : 

Day 0 - Delhi to Manali 

I left from Delhi, unsure what I'm walking into. All too familiar apprehensions. Going solo is always a bit harder. You are defying what people call "normal" and there's a certain social pressure on you. 

I had the mental blueprint of the journey in my head. A long road trip, followed by a long trip, followed by another long road trip. I decided to not get anxious of how things will go but to experience each day on its own merit.

I had to catch the 6 pm bus from ISBT kashmere gate and I made it well in time. 

The long, arduous journey had begun.

Day 1 - Unplanned Leisure day in Manali

I woke up while the bus was still in Kullu. 

I reached Manali at 7 in the morning. What I didn't know was that all the buses/cabs for the onward journey to Kaza leave by 5 am.

Bus timing for Kaza from Manali - 4 am (the same bus starts from Kullu at 3 am)

I did all the inquiry I could and came to know that Hotel Kiran in Manali is the hub for cabs going to Lahaul/Spiti, but even they all leave early morning.

I booked a bus ticket for tomorrow morning at 4 am and decided to stay back in Manali at Zostel, which is cheap shared accommodation, dormitory style and ideal for backpackers like me. 

Zostel is located in Old Manali near Manu temple. One can take an auto from Manali bus stand or just walk for half an hour. It is quite isolated from the usual hustle bustle of Manali's roads. 

I spent most of the day sleeping in the common room of Zostel. Rest of the day was spent hunting for supplies for the trek. Batteries, lip balm, dry fruits etc

Zostel Manali, Common room

With a huge sigh, considering the long road trip to Spiti tomorrow, called it a day right after dinner.

Day 2 Manali to Kaza

I woke up at 2:45 am, got ready in a hurry, walked a couple of kilometers from Zostel to the Manali bus stand. Passing through dark roads flanked by forests on both sides was a bit unsettling. I have this irrational fear of some animal snatching me back to the woods.  :-/

The bus for Kaza arrived at 5 am. The wise thing I had done the day before, was, that I had booked a ticket. Booking a ticket equals a guaranteed seat, otherwise if the bus is full, you might end up standing all the way.

The journey was really long, about 13 hours.
Imagine traveling 14 hours from Delhi to Manali and then traveling 13 hours more the very next day on a non-reclining seat.

My body was tired of sitting.

The journey was quite a mixed bag. Initially, I got stuck into lots of traffic, this was prior to crossing Rohtang pass (13078 ft, super touristy place, apparent because people get to see "snow" there) but after that it was just a bumpy ride almost all the way to Kaza. The roads are in a very bad condition and it is quite common to find broken down cars/bikes.

The scenery, however, was stuff sweet dreams are made of. The terrain transcended from thick green forest cover to a barren, rocky landscape. I was tired but never did I get bored. 

It is now that I realize why people covet and cherish a trip to Spiti valley so much.
It was quite unlike anything I've ever seen.

We also cross Kunzum la (15500 ft) en route. It has a monastery and the spot is quite picturesque. I clicked a few pictures.

I think that's what the bus stops there for, touristy endeavours.
After walking a few paces, I started breathing heavily, reminding me of the altitude. 

The awesome Kunzum La

I reached Kaza at around 5 pm. The bus diverts from the road going to Reckong Peo and descends towards the road going to Chhatru. You also pass through various places like Batal (which is the starting point for Chandratal lake trek), Lohsar (where all the foreign nationals are checked for their documents) and then finally Kaza itself.

First rest point after Rohtang, Chhatru

Batal, Trek to Chandratal lake starts from here

Lohsar

I checked in at Zostel and went out to buy spare socks.

So far, I haven't met anyone who's doing Pin Parvati. I wouldn't be surprised if I'm the only one doing it. This is usually an indicator of not being the correct season.

The plan for tomorrow is to reach Mudh early and take a call from there. If I get something early morning, a cab probably, I'll start trekking tomorrow itself.

Zostel Spiti, Common room

I don't agree with point # 6

Day 3 Kaza to Mudh

I woke up late at 5:30 am, had a cup of tea at zostel, packed my bags and left to board the bus going to Peo.

The plan was to get down at a place called Atharva pul which is the point which demarcates the split between the road going to Keylong and the one going to Pin valley (Gulling, Sagnam and lastly Mudh).

At Atharva pul, as per the plan, I had to hitch hike all the way to Sagnam. There were only 3 people there, including me. A man and a lady, both waiting for an onward lift. I had an interesting conversation with the lady, telling me how men mistreat women where she's from and how they're all mama's boys. 

Waiting for a lift @ Atharva pul

When the first car stopped, the lady got a seat and I was then left with no option but to continue my wait. Hitch hiking, every adventure story needs at least one hitch hike, I said to myself. 

And with that thought, a car stopped and gave me a lift.

It took around an hour to reach Sagnam. I offered the driver of the car money but he politely refused, apparently, they accept the currency of handshakes!

The next task was to find my guide's home. I asked people around and after searching for 15 minutes, found my guide Rajesh peeking out of the window of his house.

"You're late" he said. A fact I was very well aware of. He offered me tea and biscuits, which I 

promptly devoured. I hadn't eaten during the bus journey out of the fear of motion sickness.

Packed bag at Rajesh's house

We decided to not start hiking today and just reach Mudh by evening.
We also split the load between us. He would be carrying the stove, oil,  kerosene and sugar.
I'm carrying tea, milk powder, protein powder, onion, garlic, dry fruits, dal, oats and the tent.

I tried putting the bag on and it felt fine. It's amazing what proper strap adjustment can do.

For the altitude, I persisted with my decision of not taking Diamox, although, I'm carrying it.

The bus to Mudh arrived at 5:40 PM and I reached Mudh in 40 minutes.

Mudh is the last village accessible by road.

The road trip has finally ended and I'm now facing my true test.

Beautiful Mudh

Mudh Bus Stop

I would admit that this road trip has been so self satisfying. I've met so many people "who get it". Who get why some people travel under such amazing duress. It felt like I'm with my tribe. 

But now I'm on my own, well, almost, if you discount Rajesh's existence.

I met a trekker who had just descended from the pass and he was in pretty bad shape. A bad case of snow blindness. He also told me about the heavy snow conditions at the pass and how there's a free fall if one slips from the other side of the pass.

I'm slightly bothered but then.. Never have met someone who has completed the trek and said " Meh, it's tricky but not that difficult". People ALWAYS glorify their achievement.

I know it's going to be tough, I didn't come all this way expecting a walk in the park.

It has been a lazy day and I feel it could actually help me with acclimatization and recovery from fatigue.

Tomorrow.. Mudh to Base camp 1

Impossible? I don't know
Difficult? Definitely

Day 4 Mudh to the camp across the river ahead of Base Camp 1

I knew today was going to be hard but I had no idea, this hard.
I woke up today at 5, got ready by 6 and started hiking by 6:30. All according to the plan.

The trail starts with a mild ascent from Mudh and then there's a long spell of level walk. Around 12 km long. In between there was a snow patch with valley exposure.

I slipped, my guide fell, I grabbed his hand, he got up, helped me get up. Phew!

But this was nothing compared to what I faced today. Let me tell you, this has been the most tiring day of my existence.

It was me against the mountains and I took the beating of a lifetime.

So, after the snow patch, there was considerable ascent. My legs were tired from the 20+ km they had already walked and the backpack, which I assume was at least 16 Kg was digging a hole in my shoulders, or so it felt.

Day 1 Trail to Base Camp

There were also various river crossings. No you don't get to jump Boulder to Boulder. Take off your shoes, fold your trousers, dip your feet in icy cold, fast current river. And then, you yell. You feel the nerves screaming in pain. You feel pins and needles. No, you can't rush it. Slow, slow punishment. You can yell your choice of curse words.

But I'm not complaining about the ascent. Next came the long walks on boulders and then long stretches of spider walls. One mistake and you're in eternal Union with Pin river. Now, when you're tired, you want to walk slow. That's a luxury spider walls don't provide you with. Move fast or slip.

By the end of it, not only were my legs spent but I was severely exhausted. 

I reached base camp by 4:50 pm. 10 hours of hell in heaven. But no, that wasn't all.
There was no water source at the base camp, so I had to walk another hour, cross yet another stream and then I reached the campsite.

There was just one more tent besides ours. Clearly, this trek is unpopular. 

I pitched the tent, me and Rajesh made tea, oats with almonds and raisins and lots of sugar.
I filled my glass from the nearby stream and had a protein shake. 

It's 8 pm and I'm off to sleep. Tomorrow, I cross the pass and endure a day as difficult as today.

I have walked around 30 kms today. Climbed at least, 800m altitude. Crossed ice cold rivers, traversed on extended spider walls, snow slopes. Walked on boulders. 

All this suffering and I still have a grin on my face.

The plan for tomorrow is to reach Mantalai lake.

Day 5 Base camp to 100m below Pin Parvati pass

This has been an unfortunate day.

Started climbing from base camp @7 am.
The climb was steep and relentless with a lot of boulder negotiations. Also, the altitude made it really hard. 

After climbing for 5 hours, reached the glacier but then due to a total whiteout, couldn't see anything.

The weather screwed me.

With nowhere to go, we decided to camp where we were, having no idea what place that is.
We camped at a place which is 5200m altitude with no idea if we were walking in the right direction.

We were lost.

It's a pity that I couldn't make any progress after 12 pm. The initial aim to reach Mantalai was definitely out of the window. 

I also didn't have much dry food, no water. I was at a very high camp so I didn't know if AMS will hit me later on when I sleep. Before this, the highest I've slept at is 4900m (at Nimaling) and that was a horrible night. 

Neither did I have clothes for this kind of cold since this was unplanned. 

I'm royally screwed.

The mood is very grim. It feels like a herculean task to just survive.
I am sufficiently scared. There are a lot of apprehensions on how or if my body will be able to endure these circumstances. I have to stay strong to overcome this.

It's a total WHITEOUT!

  

Day 6 - "Advanced" base camp to Mantalai

I survived the night, it was cold but I've faced cold before (Chadar). The snow stopped but there were violent winds later in the night.

Today, I woke up with the best view I've ever come across. All the fog gone, no wind, bright and sunny. 

Turns out, we were literally half a km away from the pass!

For the water situation, It occurred to me that melting snow would be a good idea, Rajesh agreed. Since the weather wasn't turbulent, it was possible to take the stove out.

From Rajesh's recce early morning

A breakfast in snow, pure bliss

Today's breakfast :

Melted snow water tea
Melted snow water Maggi

We set off for the pass at 7:10 am. The distance was just half a km but the altitude gain was 100m+.

I really struggled to get to Pin Parvati and had to resort to the 15 steps, 15 breaths rule.
The cold air irritated my throat a lot and I had to take long pauses just to catch my breath again.

Finally, after giving it my all, I made it. Now, your happiness, while it's there, is cut short when you have a look at the path ahead.

On the way to the pass

At Pin Parvati Pass!

I checked my GPS which showed an elevation of 5312m which is close to Kongmaru La's 5270m that I've done before but this has been way tougher and has literally taken my all.

The view from the pass however is breathtaking. So, is the altitude, breathtaking, it takes away your breath, literally.

After a brief halt and a lot of clicks, we descended towards the base camp on the other side. Since there was a lot of snow, thanks to yesterday, we had to walk on fresh powdered snow. It was a feet deep at some places near the pass and half a feet elsewhere.

Pin valley from the pass

Parvati valley from the pass, the way ahead

The more the snow, the quicker it tires you. Imagine hauling a huge chunk of snow every time you take a step.The snow receded till the base camp and I thought the worst is behind me.

Oh, how idiotically wrong I was.

Now I'm not the one to glorify but I shit you not, reaching Mantalai lake, alive, from Base camp 2 sits on top of my achievement list. Ever.

First, you have to cross a river which I didn't have to since there was a thick layer of snow on it. Then, there are those tiny ledges with full valley exposure. I assume, at least 3-4 broken bones if you do fall.

And I was fine with that, walking on ledges is how I started trekking in the Sahyadris. It is not the same difficulty but you do learn how to maneuver yourself at tricky patches.

Mantalai lake panorama

Go (wash your) sock yourself @ Mantalai Lake

Then.. There was this huge rock patch. At least 60 feet drop, 80 degrees steep descent and to top it all there was slush, water and scree. "Wasn't this a non technical trek?" I said to myself. There was a bloody bandage there too, I mean, a bandage with blood on it. Not what you want to see on a trail you're about to cross. 

I saw the steepness from the start of the patch and I asked my guide "Yahin se jaana hai", in the voice of a 9 year old girl who has been confronted by a vicious monster. I did ask him again, after clearing my throat (being alpha is important even if it might be the last time).

And then we started the descend. My mind stopped working and I merely followed my guide's instructions. My legs were too tired from all the glacier walk and were not obeying my commands. Also, you think you can hold your weight with 18kgs strapped to your back? Maybe you can, I couldn't. I wasn't even able to be at one place to take a breather.

Move or die.

After a long while of negotiating with that rock and snow patch, I made it to the normal descend patch, only with a bloody knee due to a minor scrape.

Due to the psychological impact of what I had just gone through, my legs were shaking even at the simplest of patches. I was being too careful and it was making life miserable for me.

I did however make it to Mantalai lake at around 2 pm, after 7 hours of walking, legs were still shaking. We decided to camp near a nice place besides the a small glacial stream.

The view however was spectacular. Long plains interspersed with tiny streams of fresh water.

I pitched the tent, Rajesh prepared the "kitchen". I told him how thankful I was for his assistance in helping me cross that dreadful rock patch. 

We decided to not go for Odi Thach, since we were both really hungry and my legs were exhausted.

Campsite at Mantalai Lake

Tomorrow, we aim for Pandu Pul, I don't even know how far that is but what I've been told, it's also a very tricky terrain to cross.

This trek, there isn't any respite, is there?
I'm gonna eat and take lots of rest.

I guess I'll die another day, it's not my time to go. - Madonna

Day 7 - Mantalai to Pandu pul campsite

So, yesterday, I slept at 5 pm and woke up today at 6. That is 13 hours sleep, which meant that I  missed dinner. Just dozed off like there's no tomorrow. 

My legs didn't recover despite all the rest. Both quad muscles were still sore when I woke up. I think it's because I'm eating less.

After packing up the camp, we started moving at 8 am. The trail was a bit tricky at certain patches but involved long walks along the steam.

There are also many patches where you need to cross those streams but nothing that makes you take your shoes off. There were a LOT of boulder strewn stretches.

I hate boulders

Also, I came across many meadows (thach) before I crossed Odi Thach. 

Odi Thach

Lunch with the shepherds

There were an average of 3 shepherds per meadow. We had a conversation with most of them, asked them about their routines. Most gaddi (shepherds), stay in the meadows for a period of 2-3 months for grazing.

Their complain is that the government does little to make the Meadows accessible.

There are two big hurdles to reach all the meadows before Mantalai from Barshaini, one is called Pathar ghat, the main antagonist of this trek and Pandu Pul.

After crossing various meadows, a steep descent leads you .. To.. Pandu pul.

So, What is Pandu Pul?

A huge boulder supposedly erected by Bhim, from Mahabharata to help folks cross Parvati river.

It starts with a boulder stair.. All the way to the top of the huge rock. Then you walk on that rock which slants towards the river but has good grip if you know where to keep your feet. The margin of error is low, if you slip, you fall into the meat grinder of a river you call Parvati.

Pandu pul from above

This is more intimidating than it looks

I treaded carefully and with help from Rajesh, made it across. After crossing Pandu Pul, there's another rock bridge, smaller but similar risk equation.

After crossing the bridges, one might think the job is done. No.
You climb steep and then walk on a narrow trail with exposure to the river for a bit. The trail then wounds into a campsite besides a glacial stream (which everyone calls "Nala").

On top of Pandu Pul

On top of Jr. Pandu Pul, this comes after Pandu Pul

And this is where we are camping for today. Nice, serene place, the river on the right of the onward trail.

Stunning campsite at Pandu Pul

I'm so close to civilisation. There's just one final antagonist. Pathar ghat. A spider wall section with full exposure to Parvati river for a distance of 1-1.5 km.

I'm just hoping my legs recover by tomorrow. Walking was all pain today. I would often stop, moaning in pain. My shoulders and back screaming for mercy too. My body is unraveling. 

This is the day that I just had to endure. Things would've been a lot different if I had actually prepared, physically, for this trek.

I wouldn't be like Jesus bearing a cross, having a voluntary crucifixion.

But hey, one more day, I got this. 

Day 8 - Pandu pul campsite to Kheerganga

Woke up at 6, I felt extremely lazy in the morning. My legs were still cramped up. Felt like there were lumps in my quads.
Today was the day, full lunge towards Kheerganga. 

We started walking at 7:10 am and at around 8:30 am, we were at Thakur kuan.

Thakur kuan campsite

This is when things start to get interesting and next you face.. Pathar Ghat.

Pathar ghat is a series of rock patches with exposure to Parvati river. Sometimes it's a waterfall you'll be cutting across, other times, you'll be scampering on small grooves on rocks to reach the trail on the other side. 

The grip is very minimal. You have to be precise and ensure your hands are free to hold on to protruding rocks for body balance. Crossing this section requires use of all four limbs. 

I packed my hiking stick into the bag.

I would like to add, that even though the grooves are small, you get good grip on the rocks. If you choose to cross this patch, ensure there hasn't been any rain lately. 

Do not proceed till you've tested the grip can hold your weight.

After about 5-6 tricky patches, your ordeal is over. 

The toughest patch in my opinion was crossing across the final waterfall which looked like an esselworld slide, to death. 

I came to know that going through Pathar ghat wasn't needed a few years back when there was a bridge across the river. Trekkers would simply go via Thakur kuan to an alternate, greener trail, descend down to the river banks and cross via the bridge.

That bridge, due to wear and tear, is history now and all you see are it's remains, leaving trekkers with no option but to scamper on the dreaded... Pathar ghat.

Not having the time of my life

The Broken Bridge

A fairly simple trail along the river leads you to Tunda Bhuj. It took us around 3 hours to reach Tunda Bhuj.

Tunda bhuj is a campsite with a dhaba. The dhaba is run by an old baba (everyone calls him that).
This is a good place to give away all your spare ration, medicines, fuel etc (if you're doing Spiti to Parvati)

Tunda Bhuj campsite from afar

Baba has been an ascetic for 40 years but one look at him and you'll know god doesn't exist. 

He told me that it takes 2 hours to reach Kheerganga from Tunda Bhuj. Later, it turned out to be not true :/

Me with Tunda Bhuj "Baba"

I wish I had the distances memorized in my mind. It helps set your pace. But then, I didn't do a lot of background research that I usually do for this trek.

After 3 hours of walking uphill and downhill there was no sign of either Kheer or Ganga. 

Rajesh wasn't too familiar with this side of the valley and wasn't confident when I kept asking him how far away we were.

We even took a wrong turn and got lost in thick jungle. The trail was way below us and we had veered off into the trails used by shepherds.

Descending from thick vegetation towards the trail was difficult as I couldn't see what was underneath all the green cover. 

It wasted a good 20 minutes, getting back on the trail.

Things were normal from thereon, the trail from Tunda bhuj to Kheerganga is mostly a mix of downhill and uphill.

Welcome to Tent Ganga

After walking for 4 hours, from Tunda Bhuj, we finally reached Kheerganga. You can see it from a distance. Tents, tents and more tents. It's like a mini party place, standing out like a sore thumb. 

For 5 days, I was in paradise. And here I am, in the hub of debauchery in the Himalayas. Bunch of people desperate to show off their "swag". Loud speakers blaring everywhere. 

I cringed hard. 

I wanted to go full John wick on everyone, 5 days of isolation and I thought I'd be happy to see people. I couldn't have been more wrong.

While I was happy that I made it, I was sad at what has become of Kheerganga. 

If I wasn't so tired, I would've avoided this place.

The trek is over (No, I don't consider Kheerganga to Barshaini a trek).

 

I took a bath in the hot springs and reminisced about all that transpired during the course of the trek. It felt so unreal, especially giving the contrast of how things were and how things are now, at where I am, in Kheerganga. 

Looking back, From Day 1 when it was a 30+ km walk, to that miserable day below the pass when I thought my survival was threatened, to that dreadful  Pre-Mantalai patch, there was always a huge deterrent, always something to keep you on your toes. 

Even Pathar ghat, how can I leave that out.

Make no mistake, there are no easy days if you're trekking Pin Parvati Pass.

There are sections where you get to breathe, savor them, you'll need it for the difficulties that are always present on the trail ahead. 

Day 9 - Kheerganga to Barshaini

Last night was miserable, loud speakers blaring till midnight, I could not get any sleep.

I just wanted to get out of Kheerganga so badly. We left Kheerganga at around 5:30 am and reached Barshaini at around 8:30 am.

The trail is something I don't need to describe. Just follow the trail of garbage left by idiots, I promise you'll end up in Barshaini.

Disgusting.

PS -

Pin Parvati can be made into a somewhat easier trek if

• The wooden bridge after Pandu pul is repaired so that one doesn't need to walk on a huge rock to get to the other side
• The bridge after Pathar ghat is repaired so the entire rocky section notorious for getting people injured can be bypassed 
• A permanent all weather ladder is installed at that Mantalai rock patch

I hope none of these things ever happen.
After witnessing the savagery at Kheerganga, I am reminded of the potential of nuisance people can create.

Pin Parvati has been the best experience of my life so far. Such serenity, such cleanliness, such purity. If you can bring yourself to reach this place, you'll find yourself in the company of finest grandeur nature has to offer.

A grandeur which can only be respected by people who risk their lives to reach it.

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