Adventure and outdoor travel forum

To be anywhere near the Himalayas is a thrilling experience; the sheer size of the mountain range, with its snow-capped peaks, is a breathtaking sight.

With my starting point in the Indian capital of New Delhi, my mission was to travel to Triund, a mountain walk 11km above Dharamshala, a municipal council in northern Himachal Pradesh, to see some of the world's tallest mountains.

Not only would this visit allow me to see one of nature's wonders but would also give me a chance to understand a little more about the Tibetan exiles who have inhabited the slopes of Dharamshala and the town of McLeod Ganj since 1959.

Getting to Dharamshala from Delhi is fairly easy. Gaggal Airport, to which there are many flights from the capital, is 15km away from McLeod Ganj. There are also plenty of buses shuttling people up the winding mountain roads – levels of comfort differing from mildly bumpy to white-water-rafting-bumpy.

But instead of the one-hour flight and the two hours it takes from Gaggal Airport, my friend and I, an Indian expatriate, decided to drive the 520km, a 17-hour road trip that would take us through the myriad roads of the capital and through three states.

I would not recommend this journey for the faint of heart, having witnessed two accidents along the way. But driving through the Indian countryside and stopping off at various roadside canteens for dal (le-ntils) and roti (Indian bread) and butter chicken in Punjab, was an expe-rience in itself.

As it tur-ned out, we had underestimated the journey. Setting out at the break of dawn, by late evening, we were still 80km or a three hours' drive away from Dharamshala, thanks to the condition of the roads. We decided to stay the night at the River View Hotel just inside the Himachal Pradesh border.

The next morning at eight, our trip resumed as we made the journey up the mountainside under clear blue skies. The potholed and gravel roads however did not seem to stop the buses, packed with tourists from the nearby state of Punjab, some seated on the roof hurtling past at what seemed like 100km per hour.

We passed through Dharamshala, endearingly called Little Lhasa by its people – after the Tibetan capital – and arrived in McLeod Ganj, a bustling town that is distinctly Tibetan, although still very much a part of India. McLeod Ganj is an old hill station, which used to be a British garrison from 1850, named after the then governor of Punjab, Lieutenant David McLeod – and is now the home of the Dalai Lama and thousands of Buddhist monks in exile.

Once there, we parked and strolled around town, the main streets of which were full of restaurants and guesthouses highlighting its popularity with tourists. There were also signs on some of the buildings offering Tibetan cookery lessons and yoga classes for those on a longer stay.

A five-minute walk from the main bus station is the Tsuglagkhang Complex – the official residence of the Dalai Lama and home to the Jokang Temple. The complex is filled with statues of Buddha and also houses the Tibet Museum.

From here we walked to Nick's Italian Kitchen, which offers an array of vegetarian and pasta dishes and has a roof terrace looking over the hills with spectacular views. We then drove to Dharamkot, which is 2km above McLeod Ganj overlooking the Kangra Valley and at the foot of the 2,000m high Dhaulhadar range, which are part of the lower Himalayas.

We stayed at the International Guest House, which was basic but clean and had views of the surrounding hills.

The guesthouse was among a collection of small lodgings and restaurants and was just metres away from the start of the pathway to Triund.

Having seen the temple complex and museum it was time to sample some momos or Tibetan dumplings with various fillings.

Walking around McLeod Ganj, you are constantly reminded that Tibet is still a disputed country and pictures of atrocities on Tibetans are plastered on walls and building murals with "Free Tibet" slogans are also a common sight.

Tibetans are extremely hard working and proud although there is a distinct lack of investment and permanent jobs in the area.

As we stood near the prayer wheels in the main street, we watched a peaceful procession which, I am told, takes place every day at 5.30pm, led by Tibetan monks and compatriots holding candles to highlight their continuing struggle. They were accompanied by tourists who seemed more than willing to join. After some refreshments at the McLlo Restaurant (Pierce Brosnan once dined there), we had an early night ready for the final trek.

The following day we began our ascent to Triund at 7am. After a two-hour trek, we could see our starting point in the Kangra Valley and the towns and villages below. Then, halfway into the journey, we came to a teashop perched on the edge of a cliff, some 2,500m above seal level.

Tired, we decided it was a necessary stop. After this brief tea stop, we set off again. On the way, we passed a few people descending. One woman on a donkey gave us encouragement by telling us roughly how long we had to go. After six tiring hours the glorious Himalayan mountain range began to open up in front of us. And as we made our final steps, the steep slopes, which had blocked the view for so long, began to ease and level out.

The Triund plateau, at 2,900m, is the perfect place to take in the grandeur of the Himalayan range, rising majestically and with strength and splendour. It left me speechless: gobsmacked even. My friend and I stood for 20 minutes staring at the 5,000m high mountains: the largest things I had ever seen in my life.

Sadly, after 20 minutes, a collection of clouds moved across the mountain range and obscured our view. Before making our way down we watched some of the locals play cricket, which could easily have been the highest game of cricket ever played.

As we rushed back to New Delhi discussing future visits, I realised that the little taste of heaven I just had was something I would not have missed for the world.

SOURCE