Dharamsala, McLeodganj, Triund (India): December 2009

We decided to celebrate the New Year in the popular and scenic hill station of Dharamsala/McLeodganj, located in the north Indian state of Himachal Pradesh. McLeodganj is 9 km further from Dharamsala and is the bigger tourist center of the two. It also houses the Government in Exile of the Dalai Lama, the Tibetan spiritual leader.

Number of travelers: 9

The itinerary:
Day 1: Take night train from Delhi to Pathankot
Day 2: Take a taxi from Pathankot to McLeodganj early morning, spend the day in McLeodganj (New Year eve)
Day 3: Head for a trek to Triund (9-10 km from McLeodganj), stay overnight in Triund
Day 4: Trek from Triund to Laka, then head back and reach McLeodganj by afternoon
Day 5: Take a taxi from McLeodganj to Pathankot, take the night train back to Delhi
Day 6: Reach Delhi early morning

Our train from Delhi to Pathankot was delayed by a couple of hours due to fog, though we didn't mind since we had booked the swanky first class compartment. The privacy of the compartment ensured that we could crack stupid jokes, laugh aloud and dance around freely. We missed this fun in our return journey since we could not travel first class.

We reached Pathankot early next morning. Considering our large group size, we were thinking of hiring two taxis from Pathankot to McLeodganj, but were happy to spot big vans lined up at the station to ferry upto 10 tourists at a time. The ride takes around 3.5 hours and is generally pleasurable, however there's a catch - the cabbies treat Dharamsala and McLeodganj quite differently, even though they are just 9 km apart. We were unaware of this and made a deal till Dharamsala for Rs. 1500, however when we asked to be dropped at McLeodganj the taxi charged us an extra Rs. 400, that too after much bargaining (a discussion which one of us cheekily videotaped! We laughed at the video later.)

We needed to look for accommodation since we hadn't booked any in advance. McLeodganj's main square looked quite crowded, so we went 2 km further ahead to Bhagsunag (commonly called Bhagsu) and took a nice hotel with a large terrace on each floor and an excellent view - that of the destination of our planned trek for the next day. Prices were around Rs. 1000 per room (we took 4 rooms), though there was a fallout while checking out four days later when the owner backtracked from the quoted price. The issue was settled amicably after a few heated discussions.

As planned we spent the day roaming around the main square. We had an amazing lunch at the McLlo restaurant, which proudly features a photograph of Pierce Brosnan enjoying a meal at the restaurant. The pastry shop right below the restaurant made for excellent dessert. Then we visited the main temple complex, which is attached to the residence of the Dalai Lama. It wasn't crowded or overflowing with security personnel like we had expected. Later in the evening we had wild New Year celebrations with drinking, dancing and hookah (which we had brought along from Delhi) that ran pretty late into the night. This put our next day's planned trek to Triund at risk, since we had to start early morning and no one seemed to be in a mood to wake up before noon. However we did manage to pull ourselves up together, even if it was after our guide Ricky said he would call off the trek if we delayed any further!

The trek to Triund was tough - it is not your regular mountain kachha track that you'll walk along to reach to the top. It is filled with boulders of all shapes and sizes and is quite steep at times. We did not find any snow on the way. We burnt more calories in those six hours than we did in the whole year, and it showed in the way we devoured food on a wayside cafe. The owner of the shed was kind enough to share a few puffs with me and I was then at peace.

The destination, Triund, is a flat ridge which overlooks the Dhauladhar mountain range - named so because of its permanent white, snow-covered slopes. From Triund the Dhauladhar mountain looks tantalizingly close; you feel you can touch it with a little extra effort. We reached the destination in time to catch the sun set over the horizon and to witness the visual spectacle of the gradually setting sun making the Dhauladhar mountains change color from shimmering white to golden yellow to supernatural red. What a start to the new year.

Triund has no electricity other than a few solar-powered lamps. There are no hotels, though a couple of sheds (brick-walled with tin roofs) are present, one of them run by the government (the Forest Rest House). You can choose between the sheds and the tents which the couple of tea stalls stationed there rent out to tourists. Our guide Ricky made arrangements for us to stay in the private shed (the one not run by the government). We took up four rooms here too. The shed owner arranged for a bonfire and piping hot dinner. There was utter darkness and freezing cold. Rum helped us survive the night and we woke up to bright sunlight next morning.

Not all were interested in trekking further to Laka - the snow line. Three went ahead with Ricky and six, including me, headed back to McLeodganj. We reached back by afternoon and had a much deserved hot shower. Going out in the evening for dinner seemed out of the question and we ordered room service. (By the way, we had retained our hotel rooms in McLeodganj (Bhagsu) when we spent the night in Triund since we had left our luggage in the hotel.)

Next day we did some shopping for folks back home - yak wool shawls, souvenirs and plum wine, the local specialty. Then came the highlight of the trip for me - it rained! Mountains, winters and rain - the land of Monks gave me my salvation. It must have snowed in Triund - guess we missed it by one day!

It rained the entire way as we did the usual 3.5 hour downhill journey to Pathankot. From there we took our night train to arrive back in Delhi early next morning.

Key expenses:
Return train tickets (Delhi-Pathankot-Delhi)*: Rs. 2000 per person
Taxi from Pathankot to McLeodganj: Rs. 1900
Hotel (Spring Valley Resort - Bhagsu): Rs. 1000 per room per night
Shed in Triund: Rs. 500 per room
Guide: Total Rs. 1500 for the group
Taxi from McLeodganj to Pathankot: Rs. 1500

Total expenses per person: Approx. Rs. 5000

Photographs are on my Facebook page.

*Note: Another way of traveling between McLeodganj and Delhi is by bus - Volvo night buses ply between the two destinations and take around 12 hours one-way. You can book the bus tickets from the main square in McLeodganj (below McLlo restaurant) - it costs around Rs. 800. Personally, I'm not a big fan of bus rides in mountains, or otherwise.