Trek to Beas Kund is an exciting blend of sacred and gorgeous landscapes
Famous mountaineer Greg Child said ‘somewhere between the bottom of the climb and the summit is the answer to the mystery why we climb’. Trekking destinations in the mountains and venturing into the unknown have been forever intriguing to outdoor-adventure enthusiasts looking for that ultimate adrenaline rush, as well as for the devoted nature lovers who find it fascinating to witness nature in its true element.
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Contrary to popular belief, trekking is not something that is beyond
most city dwellers with sophisticated and contemporary lifestyles, or
for that matter anyone else. Though the trail is generally meant to be
challenging, the key is to select a destination with a relatively easier
one (or one with a suitable level of difficulty) meant for beginners,
to start with. One such trekking destination is Beas Kund. I went on
this trek, as a pilot project, with a group of friends in the second
week of June.
A place of historical significance (legend has it that sage Vyasa, the author of the great epic Mahabharata, meditated here), I found Beas Kund to be one of the most beautiful places in the Dhauladhar range (literally, the ‘White range’) of the mighty Himalayas. Besides being regarded as sacred, Beas Kund is where the river Beas originates from and offers spectacular views of the nearby-located Shitidhar, Ladakhi, Friendship and Hanuman Tibba peaks. One of the most alluring short treks through the Solang Valley, the trail took us through an expanse of picturesque mountain landscapes, along the banks of the river Beas.
Manali, the beautiful hill station nestled in the mountainous
state of Himachal Pradesh, was the start of, what turned out to be, a
‘legen-wait-for-it-dary’ trek. Longdistance travellers have an option to
break their journey here, and may choose to stay at a hotel in Manali
for a day or so before starting the trek. In the morning, we took a cab
to Solang to begin the first leg of the journey on foot.
Gradually, ascending from the Solang Valley for around 8 km, we followed the river Beas, many times crossing the stream from one side to the other, and finally reaching Dhundi. This quaint little mountain hamlet had nothing to offer save scenic beauty and resonating silence; Dhundi is another alpine meadow full of wild flowers. Since there are no places to stay or eat, one needs to carry with them good-quality y tents, sleeping bags and mattresses s in their rucksacks, as also all essential sential food items (like vegetables, bles, dals, rice, spices, Maggi, gi, chocolates/energy bars, s, namkeen, glucose, milk k powder, tea bags and muesli to name a few), utensils, cutlery and preferably a lightweight multi-fuel stove for cookking. By evening we had ad pitched our tents and set up camp for overnight stay.
Morning greeted us well. After preparing our meals and interacting with a few locals, we pushed on for Bakarthach, which is a high-altitude meadow and literally means ‘shepherd’s field’. The six-km-long trek took us over loosely held boulders and moraines of a dying glacier at places. We learnt from the locals that these enchanting meadows are popular pastures for the Gaddis – a hardy nomadic tribe of shepherds. Flocks of sheep were all around, grazing peacefully in this pastoral idyll. The sun-and-wind-swept meadows were a feast for our senses.
An early start to the next day and a short climb up the ridge
through Bhoj Patra got us to Beas Kund. Bhoj Patra gets its name from
the fact that the area has a lot of bhojpatra (birch) trees. We spent
quite some time at th the glacial mountain lake of B Beas Kund –
sheltered by a dome-shaped stone formation – and later headed back to
Bakarthach. It took us another day to descend to Solang, from w where we
made our way ba back to Manali in a cab. S Such a holiday experience
come comes with a fair share of preparation and informed planning, right
from arranging for camping gear and equipment, medical supplies and
foodstuff, to navigating and, most importantly, acclimatisation (the
golden rule here is to ‘climb high, sleep low’). Alternatively, one can
go with an adventure outfit or agency that takes care of all logistics,
provides equipment and also offers services of certified guides, cooks
and porters.
Gradually, ascending from the Solang Valley for around 8 km, we followed the river Beas, many times crossing the stream from one side to the other, and finally reaching Dhundi. This quaint little mountain hamlet had nothing to offer save scenic beauty and resonating silence; Dhundi is another alpine meadow full of wild flowers. Since there are no places to stay or eat, one needs to carry with them good-quality y tents, sleeping bags and mattresses s in their rucksacks, as also all essential sential food items (like vegetables, bles, dals, rice, spices, Maggi, gi, chocolates/energy bars, s, namkeen, glucose, milk k powder, tea bags and muesli to name a few), utensils, cutlery and preferably a lightweight multi-fuel stove for cookking. By evening we had ad pitched our tents and set up camp for overnight stay.
Morning greeted us well. After preparing our meals and interacting with a few locals, we pushed on for Bakarthach, which is a high-altitude meadow and literally means ‘shepherd’s field’. The six-km-long trek took us over loosely held boulders and moraines of a dying glacier at places. We learnt from the locals that these enchanting meadows are popular pastures for the Gaddis – a hardy nomadic tribe of shepherds. Flocks of sheep were all around, grazing peacefully in this pastoral idyll. The sun-and-wind-swept meadows were a feast for our senses.
An early start to the next day and a short climb up the ridge
through Bhoj Patra got us to Beas Kund. Bhoj Patra gets its name from
the fact that the area has a lot of bhojpatra (birch) trees. We spent
quite some time at th the glacial mountain lake of B Beas Kund –
sheltered by a dome-shaped stone formation – and later headed back to
Bakarthach. It took us another day to descend to Solang, from w where we
made our way ba back to Manali in a cab. S Such a holiday experience
come comes with a fair share of preparation and informed planning, right
from arranging for camping gear and equipment, medical supplies and
foodstuff, to navigating and, most importantly, acclimatisation (the
golden rule here is to ‘climb high, sleep low’). Alternatively, one can
go with an adventure outfit or agency that takes care of all logistics,
provides equipment and also offers services of certified guides, cooks
and porters.
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