I could feel it within my veins, my adrenaline had been building up over the last few months and I needed to find release. My friend’s instagram post featuring a story of trekking through snow-capped peaks offered me the ideal outlet. I roped in my friend, Simran and together we decide to conquer the Hampta pass. One of the most famous treks within the country, the Hampta pass trek offers stunning vistas of mountain ranges, pine forests and vast meadows in addition to thrilling challenge for anyone with moderate levels of fitness, even first time trekkers. The pass is most accessible from the village of Prini, located in Himachal Pradesh, which is where Simran and I started our adventure along with a few other trekkers who were part of our group. The path was steep and difficult but our spirits were high and we hiked our way through in about two hours cutting through thick forests, apple orchards and some endearing villages. We found a clearing among the dense forests where we had dinner and rested our weary bones for the night. I fell asleep as soon as my head hit the sleeping bag. The second day of the Hampta pass trek took us through Chikka, a surreal place, as if right out of one of those stock internet photos. Huge conical columns of bare rock kissed the sky creating a horizon unlike any I have ever witnessed. Simran’s jaw was left hanging when she caught her first glimpse. We cut through the chilly waters of Rani Nulla and decided to camp for the night on the other side, in a meadow. The views at night were just as mesmerizing as those in the day. The third day was one of the most defining days of the trek. Simran and I were dreading it and looking forward to it in equal measure, for this is the day of the ascent. Thankfully, the slope was not too steep and had us climbing gradually while our eyes soaked in the views of Deo Tibba and Indrasan peaks. We reached our destination and I found out that I had been lied to. The Hampta pass was nothing like I had been told, it was much more gorgeous. From a height of 14000 feet we sipped on some warm tea and feasted on panoramic views of tall peaks and beautiful glaciers. Reluctantly, we made our way back to Juara camp to catch the last sunset of our unforgettable adventure. We woke up the next day with heavy bodies but light minds. The group traced its way back to Jobri from where the trek culminated in the village of Manali. I and Simran could not stop talking the trek for days on end even after coming back to the city and were already planning which mountain range to conquer next.
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