Standing at 2850 m, Triund is a small hill station situated in Himachal Pradesh, India. It is a part of the Dhauladhar ranges. While the trek is called Triund Trek the magic of this trek starts from this beautiful place named McLeod Ganj.

A few minutes outside the serene and religious town of Dharamshala lies the mesmerizing McLeod Ganj. It harbours so much within itself that you feel all that you need is right here. I wanted to get lost in the streets of McLeod Ganj.

So it started in the month of Dec’19 when I called my buddy from college and told him about my past treks. For some reason we both decided that the next time I go for a trek, my friend Nikhil will join (no matter what!).

2 months passed and here he was. All the way from Bombay and ready for his first ever trek. I am glad that I was the one who got to share this experience with him. It was Mar’20 and we were all set to climb and experience the infamous Triund.

Part 1: Mumbai to Delhi via Jaipur 😛

So this story consists of 2 friends. Let’s talk about one of them here. He boarded a flight from Bombay which was scheduled to reach Delhi at 5:30 pm but due to Delhi’s ever persistent air traffic, our friend Nikhil ended up circling the capital for almost 2 hours or so before his flight captain decided to divert to Jaipur.

Result: We missed our bus from Delhi to Dharamshala that day. It was 6-Mar-20. Nikhil reached Delhi late in the night. But… little did life know that we two are perhaps the most stubborn of people when it comes to plans. We booked for the very next day and handled the minor hiccups.

Part 2: Delhi to Dharamshala to McLeod Ganj

So, it was 7-Mar-20 and time was 8:30 am. We reached Kashmere Gate bus stop and started with our trip. It was a slow but a steady start. The journey was of 10 hours but we had so much catching up to do that time flew by and amidst laughter and nostalgia we reached Dharamshala at 8 pm (bus was running late).

Time flies when you are enjoying it, doesn’t it?

Even though the distance between Dharamshala and McLeod Ganj is next to nothing, I really want to share this experience with you all. So we reached Dharamshala and were hungry as ever. Luckily we found this Street food Vendor who was selling some version of Bread and Lentils and Spices and Potato and whatever…  I was hungry. We ate and fixed ourselves a cab. The Cab driver took in two puffs and raced Maruti Suzuki Alto 800 on the drenched & narrow roads running from Dharamshala to McLo (McLo is what they call McLeod Ganj).

Talk about SWAG! 2 Puffs and Vroom!!!!!!!

Part 3: Now the fun begins (8-Mar-20)

After a good night sleep, both Nikhil and I started our TREK. We reached the starting point where we met a couple of interesting people and bonded over our shared love for adventures and nature. It was cold and thanks to our lucky stars, it had snowed the day before. Good things happen to good people. We were all geared up and fired up to climb this mountain. Let’s go now!

This trek consisted of some beautiful waterfalls and views along the way and we made sure we live each and every part of it. Well at least we tried to. The calming sound of water falling from the top and resonating echoes in the valleys made us forget about music. Here are some pictures for your eyes and soul. (Enjoy the Slideshow)

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After a climb of 4.5 hours we reached the top and it sure was welcoming. We were greeted by Snow and a lovely view of the mountains at the front and a valley at the back. What more could we have asked for?

Oh and yes, we also made a friend over there. Man’s best friend. A mountain dog.

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We stayed there overnight and once again were lucky because it was Full Moon that night. Good things happen to…

We talked for a while, wandered in the mountains for a while, had the most healthy of dinner (so healthy that we took two plates each), drank tea and coffee, heard someone play Guitar which echoed in the valley and just stared at the vastness of the Mountain that was standing right infront of us with all its might. Once again, I am falling short of words here.

Unfortunately both of our phones ran out of battery and we did not have with us a good camera so we couldn’t click those images properly.

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In the morning we met some of the beautiful sun rays and it seemed as if someone refreshed the green paint in the valley at night. It was so lush, so mesmerising, so…

Part 4: Down Trek and McLo

So on 9-Mar-20 we trekked down from the top of Triund and came back to McLo. Trip is not over yet. We, being the explorers as always, decided to wander into the streets of McLo and understand the place that it was. We went to the famous Monastery which also happens to be the residence of His Holiness The Dalai Lama, explored the narrow market roads of McLo and Nikhil being the food fanatic, found this beautiful authentic Tibetan restaurant. Later we visited a famous Church in McLo which was built in the 1800s.

It’s the simple things in life which should excite us for they are true to the core.

 

So yeah, later we came back to Dharamshala and waited there for a while for our bus to take us back to our lives in the cities. But while going back we both had a big smile on our faces because, we just got to live these beautiful 3 days which gave us the much needed boost and happiness.

What started on 7-Mar-20 ended on 9-Mar-20 and each and every moment in these two days was utter bliss. I don’t know how to convey such a feeling through words. Being a Poet I am falling short right now because this is much bigger than me and I love this feeling. Maybe this image will help.

In the end all I could say to Nikhil after Triund and the entire experience was,

Hey! What about the next trek dude?

He replied: Anytime you call me.

Last Part: The Learnings & Experience

On 8-Mar-20 we conquered Triund and stayed there for a whole day. What Triund gave me was

1. Positive Reinforcement
2. Fresh Perspective
3. An old Friend
4. Lots and lots of Love

Thank you for walking with us. Lots of Love. Take care.