Quick Jumplinks to Navigate
“Somewhere between the bottom of the climb and the summit is the answer to the mystery why we climb.” -Greg Child
Pune-based Sushil Dhaigude has his millennial personality on point: A qualified IT graduate; a full-time professional wedding, travel, street and landscape photographer; and most importantly, a wanderlust soul who loves to travel to unexplored places and experience the beauty of nature.
Working as a professional photographer for more than eight years, Sushil has a knack of knowing which place will enchant him the most and take him to an altogether different world with its splendour. After having researched a lot on places to visit and photograph, Sushil zeroed in on to visit the Hampta Pass with his friends.
Doing it With Your People
Sushil, who usually prefers travelling solo and exploring quaint places to experience solace, chose to travel with his friends this time around because the place was all about experiencing adventure with like-minded people. “They are like my brothers; I could not have imagined a trip to Hampta Pass without them. They have always stayed by my side and I wanted to visit Hampta Pass with them to make my journey memorable. They are all great fun!” said Sushil, hailing his decision to plan a group excursion to Hampta Pass.
“It is my love for mountains, trekking, and bone-chilling cold which made me choose the Hampta Pass as my trek destination,” he said. By now, they were all really excited to travel all the way from Pune to make memories of a lifetime in the lap of nature.”
Tiring Yet Enthralling: The Journey to Hampta Pass
It had to be a long and tiring journey — travelling from Pune to Delhi and then to Manali was going to be a tough task. However, the friends kept each other pumped up and produced entertainment of all kinds. Having known everyone inside out for years, they were very comfortable around each other and set off from Pune to make lifelong memories.
Having reached Manali via Delhi, Sushil and his trekking enthusiast friends were all geared up for the mighty challenge of walking through slippery roads and unpredictable weather. It was the same unpredictability that kept them hooked and surprised them during every moment they spent on the journey.
The travelling bags were soon transformed into trekking bags as the friends were up for the challenge. Thrillophilia had approached them by now, and the excited friends were taken to the base camp of Hampta Pass trek.
Due to the unpredictable nature of the journey, the boys decided to shop the local items of essentials and walking sticks from the market to ease their expedition on a difficult terrain. As soon as they realised that their preparations for the big journey were on point, they marched towards the summit along with experienced guides.
The walking pace was initially fast as the fresh legs began exploring. However, the conscience, weather conditions and a tiring journey to reach the base camp had now started dropping hints. The difficult terrain did not help their situation either. Just when things were starting to get difficult, it was a rejuvenating lunch that upped their energy levels out of nowhere. Sushil also went a step ahead to thank the Thrillophilia team for arranging a delicious meal in the mountains. Having received the required tonic, they were ready to march, again.
The journey was full of adventure and excitement as they passed through tough terrains and streams on the way. After walking for nearly three hours, the friends had a stopover at the tents. The photographer and nature lover in Sushil seized the opportunity to click pictures outside the tent. In the bone-chilling cold, his love for photography kept Sushil engaged as he shot pictures of the clear sky which was adorned by a million stars smiling at him. Star gazing, according to Sushil, was never a so highly mesmerizing affair for him.
The friends had great fun that night as they shared their life experiences and had delicious dinner served to go with the tell-all tales of the friends.
Despite individual instances of weariness, the friends were not troubled by the difficulty of the trek. They finally made it to the summit, and boy were they excited and jubilant! The view at Hampta Pass summit was splendid, and it was worth all the pain and efforts they endured to reach here. The Hampta Pass itself, as Sushil describes, was one of the most attractive destinations on the trip. Covered by snow, the mountain peaks enthralled Sushil and his friends under biting cold.
The Chandratal Magic
The friends engaged themselves in photography at the Hampta Pass summit and managed a breather before moving towards the Chandratal Lake. The route to Chandratal Lake was the most adventurous part of the journey, as Sushil describes. “The off-road exploration to reach Chandratal Lake was one adventurous journey as the terrains challenged Sushil and his friends at every step”.
The view of the Chandratal Lake was exotic as calm waters of the lake reflected the mighty mountains in the backdrop. Nestled between the high mountains, the lake looked like a precious stone adorning a necklace. On the way back on the trek, almost all of Sushil’s friends slipped on the difficult terrain, which ensured hilarity in the mountains.
The journey was full of adventure, accompanied by unparalleled serenity. The surrounding mountains pleased the visitors with their changing views of snows and greens. The biting cold in the mountains made Sushil fall in love with nature all over again. While the Hampta Pass trek challenged the visitors and tested their adrenaline levels, the poised Chandratal Lake filled the air with tranquillity.
While the nature lover in Sushil misses the sky gazing activity the most after returning from the trek, the photographer in him looks forward to capturing more beautiful night shots of the sky and stars on his upcoming excursions. His bucket list, which is an endless affair, marks northeast India as his next travel destination.
