We believe that mountains have a magic of their own. They are so mighty and powerful, yet humble and sacred places. We’ve always preferred them over beaches because they give us the peace, happiness and space we need to introspect, understand ourselves, heal ourselves, understand our purpose on this earth and reconnect with nature and the divine. They give our mind some rest, refreshes the soul and makes us feel complete and content.
So we planned a week-long trip to Himachal Pradesh, our love, exploring Waichin – Chalaal – Tosh. We took an overnight bus from Delhi and were greeted by the mountains in Jari, from where we took a jeep (advisable to share with others as it won’t burn a hole in your pocket) to Malana Dam. We were to start our 2.5 km – 4-hour trek from there.
Upon reaching Malana Dam, we found a localite of Waichin, who luckily owned a camp in Waichin Valley and was heading in the same direction. He became our guide for the whole trek. We started our trek but unexpectedly, it started raining. (We’d advise you to check the weather beforehand to avoid such situations). With only two cafes in the whole trek, one at the start and other at the end, we trekked in rain aiming to reach as soon as possible as there was no shed in between and the trek wasn’t easy. It rained half the time, we slipped twice, got all dirty and wet but what kept us motivated the whole time was the mesmerizing beauty and the less traveled trail of the pure and peaceful valley. We saw the snow-peaked mountains, pristine waterfalls and patches of pine and coniferous trees all around, weaving magic for us travelers. The sound of water flowing and the chirping of birds kept us calm throughout. We also crossed the Khiksha Thaj Glacier by walking over it. It was very slippery and probably the most difficult part as it was raining in between. But guess what? It was totally worth it.
Waichin is beautiful beyond words. The place is just so magical – lush greenery all around, so many birds, cool weather, hardly a few people in sight living a simple life, free from all the chaos. It was so soothing and relaxing. It was love. There are mainly tents and camps for staying which gave us the perfect mountain feels.
We stayed there for two days, enjoying the scenery and the vibe. When we went a little up for dinner the second day, we halted for a bit in between. The view before us was surreal. Standing there, with my eyes closed, feeling the chilly breeze touching the warmth of my face and the overwhelming feeling of being surrounded by the snowy and huge mountains filling me up brought tears of happiness in my eyes. I was so content and satisfied in that very moment that I wanted to be there forever. It was a feeling which cannot be compared. The mesmerizing beauty of that place just connected with our souls.
We had a lovely dinner and would recommend you to try Nutella Banana Pancakes and Vegetable Maggi! One experience that will stick with us for a very long time is when we were coming back to our camp after dinner. It was around 9 pm and everyone was inside, hence not a person in sight, nor any lights. It was pitch dark and we only had umbrellas and torches with us. We even got confused with the path back to our camp. The path was steep and narrow and we saw thousands of snails and other insects everywhere on the whole path which came out due to rain. And behind us were dogs barking. It sent shivers down our spine as we had no clue what to do next. We were stuck. After gathering some courage, we decided to move forward slowly, minding our steps, taking triple the time. We were scared but we also had no other choice. We somehow reached our camp after an hour and felt so much relieved and proud that we made it.
We trekked down the next day and took a jeep which we shared with three people from Egypt from Malana Dam to Kasol.
From Kasol, we had tasty Thupka for lunch and started our trek to Chalaal. If you want to escape the crowd and seek solitude in the lap of nature, Chalaal should be your go-to place. This charming village is close to Kasol, yet quite isolated as many tourists leave for Tosh Valley and Kheerganga from there. The gorgeous Parvati River runs along the trail connecting Kasol and Chalaal, the green terrain to this minuscule hamlet. The trail was very short, only half an hour but dusty and rocky. The river tried to pull us towards it by its enthralling sound. We stayed there in a tent again and enjoyed Israeli food and spending time beside the river. It is much safer and cheaper than Kasol.
We headed back to Kasol from Chalaal and enjoyed eating from the famous German Bakery and shopping from the market there. We took a jeep which we shared with a group of young boys from Kasol to Tosh.
We always heard about the beauty of Tosh, which is located at the far end of Parvati Valley but never expected the big surprise it had in store for us when we went there the first time. When we went up to the terrace around 3 am, this sky full of millions of stars is what we witnessed that night. It was magical, surreal and left us speechless. We felt like we were in a different world with a blanket of stars around us. It was something we never experienced before and what became a truly unforgettable moment. Lying beneath the twinkling stars in utmost tranquility is all we wanted. Although Tosh is commercialized, in those moments, everything was peaceful and perfect. We also realized how small we are in the big big world, still trying to find the purpose of being here.
We initially planned to stay only for a day in Tosh but when the starry night and hippie vibe left us mesmerized, we decided to extend our trip for another day and experience the magic again.
We climbed up to the terrace again around 3 am. The twinkling stars again weaved magic in the sky. And this time, we were able to see the Milky way through naked eyes. That was unbelievable! That was the most beautiful thing ever. We stayed there until dawn, seeing the stars fade away gradually and the light falling on the snowy mountains, filling the whole sky with different tones of blue. Tosh has scattered houses and hotels and is famous for its cannabis plantations.
We’d recommend you to definitely visit these places to experience the magic. It’ll be the perfect break from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. ‘WOW’ will be the word you’ll use the most on this trip as nature will surprise you. You can fly down to Delhi or Chandigarh and take a bus from there to Bhuntar or Jari to reach these places further. Don’t forget to plan in advance, keep all the essentials and check the weather conditions and roads. The best time to visit is from June to October.
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