Triund hike in Dharamsala

Dharamsala is a beautiful city on the foothills of the himalayas in the state of Himachal Pradesh. It is the place that has hosted the Dalai Lama for the past several decades.

There are several beautiful hikes that start from Dharamsala and I decided to do a short day hike with a guide.

The route to the start of the hike is a dense forest and the road is uneven. The tall old-growth trees are mesmerizing and remind me of California forests.

After about an hour of driving on really undulating road, it was time to park the car and start the hike with a view of snowclad mountains in the distance.

Wherever I went in Himachal, I was amazed to see the beautiful large trees with red flowers. It is the Buransh tree. It looks pretty and is used in the local cuisene. Regrettabley, I was not able to taste the chutney they make out of the flowers.

At the start of the hike was a place to take a picture with bragging rights to having completed the hike.

It was a narrow path, and it was quite steep. There was a cliff on one side and the mountainside on another.

The houses that dotted the hills of Dharamsala were visible from various vista points.

The dense forest covering the mountainside was very heartwarming.

What I had not realized was that last night it had rained, and it had resulted in snowfall at the higher elevations.

The multitudes of mountain ranges were now visible.

I was pleasantly surprised that there were very few plastic bottles and other debris on the trail and was glad that the sign from the government was being heeded.

The snow covered more of the track now and it was still possible to jump over rocks to avoid the snow patches.

Every now and then I could see beautiful mountain peaks.

The dense forests, mountain ranges and snow patches made for a great view and some dark clouds added mystery to what kind of weather was to be expected next.

Soon I was close to the summit, about two miles more to climb.

All around I could see very pretty sights and the trail was quite pleasing.

Proceeding further, the snow got denser and more treacherous.

At this level of about 9,000 feet, the snow was everywhere, especially on the trail. It was quite hard to avoid stepping in snow or cold-water puddles. I was wearing Keen sandles which allowed the icy water and snow underneath my foot.

I kept going until a point that I realized my feet were frozen due to the icy water and snow. It seemed foolhardy to continue, and I decided to stop and turn back.

With a last glimpse of the next vista point, I started on my return trip on the trail.

The densely forested mountainside was on my right side now and its greenness was very soothing.

The colorful Buransh tree and paths in the mountains were visible in a distance.

Soon I was back to the parked car. The return journey was as rocky as before and I stopped to take a picture of it.

Soon I was back to the hotel with half the day to relax and enjoy Dharamsala.

It was a rejuvenating hike and if I had worn proper shoes, it would have been even more fun as I would have had a picture with the bragging rights!