My first snow trek: Brahmatal trek, Uttarakhand.

Majestic peaks, pristine snow and seasoned hikers, the brahmatal trek provided me the best time of my life to enjoy snow, peace and winter.

I can once again relive the journey as I pen down my breath-taking experience I had trekking the snow-capped mountains of Uttarakhand.

It was before my marriage that my better half, Anish and I decided to start our new life differently, to do something offbeat. I always wanted to experience snow so the first thing that popped in my head was a snow trek. He was a bit sceptical about it but then later accepted it. Yeah, like he had any other option.

We booked our trip with Riding solo https://www.ridingsolo.in/. They made impeccable arrangements from Kathgodam to Lohajung to Summit and back.

It may sound a bit unconventional, off the. road honeymoon trip to you but it actually turned out to be an experience I decided to take on every year. It was fun and extremely adventurous.

27th Dec 2019.

High spirited, excited and chirpy my journey started from the Mumbai airport. I was so excited for my first snow-date that every minute at the airport turned to an eternity. Ah! How time slows down. Chilly winter winds greeted me at the Delhi airport and I. excitedly headed towards the Delhi station, where my friend Chanchal and her husband, Rohit were waiting. Our journey led to our first stop, Kathgodam, ‘Timber Depot of the Kumaon Himalayas’.

From Kathgodam we started our 217 km road trip to Lohajung in a pre-booked taxi. We drove in a rickety car and were jam packed with a few other hikers.

Sitting in the front passenger seat had me enjoying the uninterrupted views of the majestic mountains and valleys along the way. Gossips and stories kept me entertained for the trip and nothing, not even the broken roads and the inconvenience of changing our vehicle twice, could dampen it. Gossipy. passengers. Very gossipy. But gossip drives me so it was fun to have them. If you have any, I am all ears.

Dm me at https://www.instagram.com/vibhajain30/

After reaching Lohajung, we met our coordinator Laxman. He took us along a small hike that led us to our stay that had five rooms. Our room was nothing but four walls fused together with no pattern. Four beds with pillows and colorful quilts completed it. It wasn’t anything I expected but was warm and cozy. After settling ourselves and racking our backpacks, Laxman took us to the nearby shops to rent snow trekking shoes (around ₹250-₹450) and walking poles (around ₹150-₹900) post which we had our dinner, Dal-Chaval, Roti and a Sabji, nothing luxurious but homely and filling.

A small bonfire was arranged that night to mark the beginning of our trek the next day. Fellow hikers, who had accommodated the house with us, joined in with some exciting travel stories.

Next morning, as I stepped out of my cozy room, my eyes were hypnotised by the grandeur of two majestic mountains, Mt. Nanda Ghunti and Mt. Trishul, their tranquillity obscured the chaos of the city and filled me with peace.

Jaw dropped! I seeped in the beauty of the scenery around me. The morning greeted me well and excitement to be on the mountains, in the snow, into the scenery took over me.

After having parathas for breakfast at a nearby restaurant, we started our hike from the middle of the one-street village at around 10 a.m.,

Our group was led by Inderjeet and like any other Pahadi guy, he too was thin and bony, but strong. We walked for three hours sighting only wild old oak trees. The winter trek started to look like a summer camp instead. HUh! Snow kidhar hai?

Sposh dirtied my track pants while my scarlet down-feather jacket and the fleece rested in my rucksack.

Famished and dried out, I saw a tapri at a distance. . After having a bowl of maggi and a cup of tea and revitalising myself with a munch bar I started my hike toward the basecamp. Tan ki shakti..Mann ki shakti..humari chocolate bar! Inderjeet was kind enough to offer me help in lifting my extremely heavy rucksack all the way up till the basecamp. Note to self: Always travel light. Always. Coz khud ka bhar khud uthana padta hai.

It was a sigh of relief when I got to know that I had covered half the distance to our basecamp.Our hike from there till the basecamp was beautiful, surrounded by mountains, oak trees and visually appealing kache ghar piping out smoke from the chimney; it reminded me of my childhood days when I used to draw the same scenery in my art class; It felt incredible.

As we neared our basecamp, the wild forest turned to a snowy carpet and I soaked my hands in the white, pure but fragile snow. Ah! It was a peaceful solitude close to nature. My first snow experience.

And in no time my jacket and fleece were out of the rucksack and my body was once again wrapped up warm.

Anish and I shared an orange and grey coloured tent. It was clean and fresh. Every tent had sleeping bags to keep us warm in the night; pockets to keep phones and stinky socks; extra space in the front for dirty shoes and trekking poles.

Since hygiene was my first priority, the use of the washroom was quite troublesome to me. It was just a pit covered with a tent. Thank God!!! I packed extra tissue rolls and sanitizer bottles.

After relaxing and having lunch and hot tea,I went to a nearby snowy area with Anish. I had never seen something so beautiful, so pure in my life, I had never held snow before, I was so engrossed in the beauty that I didn’t notice a giant snowball coming at me. Before I could gather myself up, he started making another. The more I stood on the snow, the more he attacked me.

Ah! What a day it was. Shiny. Vibrant. Euphoric. My red jacket. complemented the white canvas in a way the rainbow does the sky. I brushed off snow from my clothes as I neared the tent. The day was not over, the trip was not over but I was already reminiscing about the snow, the mountains.

The dark was silent and icy but the sky shouted with flamboyant stars. The kitchen where the food was cooked was warm and comforting. Chanchal and I stayed in the kitchen for a while and warmed ourselves a bit. But nothing lasts forever. Does it?

Second day: Bekaltal. 30th December.

I espied a beautiful philosophical view of mountains coated in white snow as I stepped out of my cozy tent in my winter dress. I breathed the crisp and cold air; sipped hot tea; sat on the snow ; stared at the big snow clad mountains. Ah! The mesmerising scene. The whole area was covered in a white blanket and for just a moment, a part of me wanted to be snow; a part of me wanted to take the scenery forever with me but not just as a memory.

I walked around the area leaving footprints in there. I wanted to stare at the scenery a bit longer but our hike was to commence soon, so I started packing necessities : energy bars, dry fruits, tissues and a water bottle. After having sweet porridge and rice khichdi our hike toward Bekaltal started at 9:30 a.m. The trek was a bit tough and the path was stony. But every step was worth taking. Our walk had snowy mountains on the right and sweeping valleys on the left. There I had my first fall , my first band-aid. And there after many more falls. Ughh….! But my excitement and enthusiasm was intact perfectly ( OK. a little bit embarrassment also)

After two hours of an adventurous hike, my naked eyes witnessed nothing but pristine, cold, virgin snow. As far as I could see, I found nothing but mountains of snow. I was knee down in snow and my hands were full of snowballs. I made one snow ball and hit Anish. A mischievous grin flowed across his face and he threw one at me as I did the same.

After spending a few moments of joy , we hiked for an hour to reach Bekaltal lake. As I walked to the edge of the lake, naked feet, I let the freezing water lick my toes. Lake was almost frozen but a few sparkling, thin pieces of ice were floating weightlessly in an intricate pattern on the sides of the lake.

After having our packed lunch we started our trail back to the campsite. Chanchal feared nothing but fall, and guess what happened next… It came soon. Her enthusiasm broke and all she uttered after was “ Mujhe Ghar Jana Hai”. Rohit accompanied her, falling just behind her. And they slipped on the slippery path and rested for a while before they could stood up. They laughed, we laughed. We were back to our campsite by 4, had snacks and rested. And we laughed again. And again.

The night was the same. Silent and tranquil. I was cold and sleepy but also happy and relaxed.

Third day: Brahmatal.

Uninterrupted and peaceful sleep had a refreshing effect on my morning. Contrary to what I was feeling the day before, I was vibrant and lively. The spark of concluding my first snow trek was visible in my eyes and happiness was radiating from my body. It was 31st December and the new year was just a day-long wait. We ate Maggie and Chole-Puri at 8:30 am and started the trek later. The trail was dominated by wild oak trees and it was a steep and dusty walk. The terrain became adventurous. and joyful because of the other hikers. Our group wasn’t perfect but it was definitely a limited edition. Turbocharging one another. A coterie with high regards for mockery and witty comments.

Somewhere in the middle of the hike, Inderjeet told us about the group that decided to camp there in an isolated place and was marooned in the mountains for three days without food and water until the storm halted and they descended towards the base camp. The story was a bit horrific but I was so engrossed in walking on one of the beautiful creations of this world, SNOW. My mind was constantly engaged in the serenity of the sight. and I could think of nothing but my life.

Since we were not allowed to rest much at any stop, we headed towards Jhandi Top, from there the summit was a km and a half. It was an incredible sight to behold. While I was gazing at the untouched snow and. soaking the entire bewitching view, my shutterbug husband shot some amazing snaps. Find the beautiful snaps at https://www.instagram.com/truepixer_anish/ .

Half an hour of pure beauty was paradisiacal enough to take away all my worries.

When my heart felt the alacritous change, straight-out I deciphered what is to be in the middle of snow-clad mountains. Far away from urban, in the isolation and seclusion, I found myself, I found peace and contentment. We made it to the final destination, the summit, Brahmatal. When my body and snow mingled, when I took the scent of it in, when I breathed the pollution-free cold air, it gave the meaning to my life. Taking off my eyes from the beautiful landscape became the hardest thing of the entire day. The pain melted away and my hunger for peace was well fed.

“Winter is a season of recovery and preparation.”

– Paul Theroux

The panorama of snow-clad mountains calmed my never ending thoughts.The sun shined on the thick layer of fluffy snow and I, for the first time, celebrated winter; as my perspectives on life widened, I craved for more adventures in my life.

We could see the valleys of Nanital and Almora, the soaring peaks of Trishul, Nanda Ghunti and others of the Himalayas.. In the end we regret the chances we didn’t take. The hike had its own challenges. We did take the risk; we did accept the challenge; we did complete what we once decided.

What did we get in the end?

Sense of accomplishment.

Was it worth?

Every second. Every minute. Every moment.

Tell me if you have achieved something, tell me what thrives you, what drives you, tell me your purpose of living…..just write me your experience. Write and mail me at vibhabhandari13@gmail.com…!

Sparkling, breezy and over the moon, I started the descent towards our campsite as Brahmatal Top was shut due to snowfall that happened recently.

It was 4:30 when we reached our tents. As I

unpacked myself and stretched out my body, Inderjeet slid a bowl of warm popcorn without getting anyone’s attention. Ah! I must have forgotten to mention how sweet he has been .

We played for a while and had a tea session at 5:30 and dinner at around 7:30 , egg curry and Puri.

At 11:30 p.m. everyone emerged out of their tents to celebrate the beginning of the new year. After the countdown, guys toasted, couples kissed and singles saw each other’s faces. The sky was starry and silent and I kissed Anish thus fulfilling a long dream of kissing a man at the midnight of 31st Dec. After wishing everyone I jumped into my tent and poured myself into the sleeping bag.

Life would be beautiful without chaos, but chaos is needed to understand beauty.

We walked down the trail, through the same route we came up, stopping for a final coup d’œil at the mountains, the snow, the tranquillity.

Lohajung was freezing, we arranged a bonfire and had dinner and drinks. I offered Inderjeet 250 extra bucks for the help and support and I could read in the expectancy on his face that those bucks meant a lot to him.

Mundane life took over as the hike concluded.

I survived. I was at peace. I bought calmness as a souvenir.

If you’re a first timer, ask your queries.

Snow trek in India?

Snow trek in Uttrakhand?

Snow trek for beginners?

Things to carry ?

Prerequisites for trekking?

If you’ve been there, share your experience.

Did the trek change your lifestyle?

Did you meet someone interesting?

Did you do something offbeat?

Was it worth all the trouble?