My whole journey to Hampta Pass!

Hello my fellow readers,

Well I don't blog a lot but whenever I do I make sure it comes from the right place.

And finally I am writing about Hampta, a looooooong awaited blog. (Kabhi kabhi hasi aati hai ki itna delay krke bhi how I don't give up on the idea)

Chalo, thoda shuru se shuru krte hai,

After my last treks in 2017 and 2019 in the Himalayas, I had this really strong urge to do a trek since 2023, but due to my continuous travels last year my health wasn't on point and hence I skipped it for that year. Irony is that my health went on the lowest dip after that in 2024 too haha.Toh, after I started recovering my confidence was still on a low and the only thing I thought could help was conquering a trek, which would really challenge. And that's when I was locked on ki iss saal toh krna hi hai.

Overthinking for a month about which trek should I choose, I finally landed upon

'The Hampta Pass'. Reasons for choosing? Moderately difficult.

Booked it with Himalayan Hikers for 23rd June 2024 batch and left for another solo journey I was craving for, for years now.

Pune se Delhi se Manali. Spent a day there in Old Manali and tab yaad aya 'last time I was here I promised these mountains that I would be coming back to conquer', how life plays it's magic. Toh even after acclimatizing my body to the height I had gained (Really important before a trek up there) my head was still bursting while I slept. Drank a lot of water and woke up next day as fresh as ever. Got ready, all set, for my adventure. Went down to the meeting point at mall road and met the people who would be my family in the mountains for the next 5 days! After a brief briefing we walked down to out vehicles which will be taking us to the place we rent gears (if needed) and then to the starting point of the trek.

Manali se kaafi upar tha humara starting point. Around 20 kms ke baad hum pohonche Jobra village jaha khaa peeke hum nikal pade 14,100 ft ki unchaai dekhne. It had just started but I felt home already, chote chote streams, dense green jungles and huge rocks jinke beech mein se jaa rhe hum 20-25 log bina koi network ya commmunication with the outside world. We didn't knew each other before that very morning but we were now 'together', working towards the exact goal, CROSSING THE HAMTA PASS.

Day 1 our target was Cheeka Base camp (10,100ft), which for me was a bit on the easier side. 4 kms of a river flowing by you coming out of the peaks and us entering the magical landscapes. Breaks lete lete, photos kheechte hue pata hi nhi chala when did we reach Cheeka, our first camp site. The feeling of reaching a campsite in the mountains is the same as a hug from your dear ones. You feel the 'hush feeling' and have your own space on this humongous mountain. As we reached, stretched ourselves a bit and then we played a 'number's game' suggested by Kundan sir (our trek leader) which just raised everyone's energy. It's really important to keep yourself motivated throughout on such treks and these games surely help! Fir chai pakode and chill time was our's to enjoy the evening. After a bit of wandering and observing goats haha we slept early as we had to leave around 7 the next morning.

Day 2 (Cheeka to Balu ka Ghera, reaching 12,400 ft)

The day started even before we could see the sun. Almost everyone struggled to sleep that night which is normal for the first night I guess. Freshened up, had our breakfast and were ready to leave by 7 for our next camp. By the way, the only source of water up here is obviously the river that flows through besides, so you drink the same water and use the same water for all other purposes. Worth mentioning, pipes are used to redirect the river water to the campsites, can't ruin the river directly yea. Now the sun starting to peek over the mountain ridges it was time to say bye bye to Cheeka (Grateful) and hi to 8 kms through the wild.

Soon crossed our first river crossing over a wooden structure alongside herds of sheeps running. Funny animals I tell you. The landscape now stated to take a shape of a valley and we now were climbing through it all the time. Soon started observing pretty little flowers and bushes more and less of tall trees. Now it wasn't dense, everything was vast and open. Could sight mountains having snow if we looked up. Ek chota kissa -

Soon approached our second river crossing and had to cross it in pairs due to the heavy water flow. So me and a guy named Somu started crossing. The water was sooooo COLD and as I entered first I just wanted to run through it, but Somu here wasn't even entering due to how cold it was. Here I was pulling him as I was dying, my feet were freezing and somehow after a lot of back and forth, shouts and hilarious circumstances we made it. Omg I am literally laughing remembering all this now.

Had our lunch on a vast green landscape overlooked by mountains on all the sides. Ate khichadi which we had packed before and rested for a while before continuing.

Another story that happened was, me another Somu and Mansi (Again friends made here) were walking together and were way ahead of everyone. Soon we spotted our first glacier (YAYY) but were confused as to cross it or not. Me being confident af said "Don't be mad, we shouldn't cross it, let's continue straight" and that's how we continued for another 15 mins until we saw our base camp but with a river flowing between us and our camp hahaha. I had completely messed up, just could laugh at the mess created as had no other option to get down and climb again by crossing the glacier. But we made sure we took good pictures there. Finally hiked from the other side to reach our second base camp 'Balu ka Ghera'! (Mitti ka ghera, as one can find beach like sand around it). This part from Cheeka to Balu was a bit tiring honestly due to long walk hours and various crossings but still didn't push me to my max. Anyways, after reaching here as always needed my me time with the new nature around me. Just found a spot facing my next route, river, valley and tall snow mountains and did lie down, my best memory from the trek just because how calm it made me feel, calm, satisfied and at present with my body's will to make it up there. Soon clouds filled our campsite and we were literally in the clouds! Having our gupshup sessions and dinner we all slept soon. Again couldn't sleep peacefully because 1. Mountains do it to you and 2. Saw 4 people taking a fellow trekker from another group on a stretcher down to base camp (Dw she was fine afterwards). So yea had to tell my mind again and again that 'ye trek toh poora krna hi hai darna nahi hai!' It was really important for me.

Day 3 (The summit pass 14,100ft and across to Shea Goru 12,900ft)

This was the hardest and most challenging day of our 4 days on this mountain as we had to climb the pass (through snow) and descend too for reaching our next camp site from the other side of the mountain into the Spiti terrain!

Sun lighting up our next route and the valley ahead we could see the glaciers quite at some distance now. With the disciplined morning routine of 5 am wake up, 6 am breakfast and leave, we got ready again looking forward to what unpredictability this day brings to our day and our lives. Kundan sir ne yaha ek simple si baat boli thi "Tum jitna chaloge, utna aage badhoge", I know it's hilariously simple but trust me it helped me afterwards.

Soon after we started our climb we were welcomed by snow patches and snow slides hihi!

It wasn't the slippery kind while climbing so was wearing spikes on just one of the shoes we continued. It was patches of snow-rocks-snow-rocks....all the time and hence really irritating and had to adjust the spikes every time. The ascent angle was getting tougher as we climbed and I started struggling a bit. The part I was here for. The views were incredibly magical though, snowy mountains on both sides and we antlike creatures trying to figure out our ways between them one step at a time. Feels unreal when you are there. It's completely overwhelming of a sight. But the best thing to do is to just breathe, soak it in and normalize it, makes you and your mind calm.

After hours of such struggling patches we finally reached the base of our most arduous climb of the trek. A vast continuous snow patch having a really difficult inclination which goes on forever.

And well soon after I saw around 5-10 people returning with their guides from above. Not letting doubt myself by seeing these people I set my goal on the highest point I could see and started to climb the snow one step at a time. Continuous climbs, Himalayan dogs, multiple breaks and reassurances to ourselves and others, we were trying to make it. Every human on that mountain just wanted to reach Hampta Pass now. At one point where we were having a break, I started feeling anxious as I was really tired, my breath was heavy and had to push myself mentally every few steps. Genuinely, I was scared, I didn't say this to anyone but knew that iske aage I cannot think but just walk. So as a few people of my group started leaving I joined them even though I was tired. My head down, I just could see my feet, snow and the legs of the person in front of me. After a while we were told that the ascent we see in front is the FINAL thing we need to CLIMB. I was now sure I am doing this, I will be on the other side of the mountain now!

Now as we 7-8 people continued our way towards it, we decided to continue our previous strategy of walking in a line behind Meghavi (her speed was perfect for all of us). Toh mundi neeche daalke, 1-2, 1-2 krte we started. Everyone just pushing each other, remembering why we all were here. It was one of the most wholesome times I had there. Not ignoring the fact that it was really difficult for me still. But I had completely turned my brain off, vested my trust in the person in front and continued putting my right foot after left. This was the 3rd time I was doing this and was constantly reminded on how I felt everytime I did it, how I did it. First time, it was me alone (in my mind), second time it was holding someone's hand, third time I had a whole gang with me.

:) Yes, we finally did it! (aisa bas laga hume) jab pata chala ki Hampta Pass is still yet to be reached :( . Bwahahaha, bas hasi aati hai. Well it wasn't that far now and there was no ascent so all cool. Felt like a victory right here. Rested, had our packed lunch, clicked some pictures and started our final few steps. In minutes we were at THE HAMPTA PASS 14,100ft. AND saying in brief that I FELT SO SO SO PROUD OF MYSELF.

Honestly reaching the top of the last climb felt more special, but this point was where it felt like a transition from this side of the mountain to the other side.

(I know it's a long read, but please be with me, thank you!)

After celebrating and sharing smiles, it was time to descend jiske baare mein kisine socha hi nhi tha, sochna chahiye tha. We were now welcomed by another valley with extremely different landscape, a huge valley, every mountain we could see was humongous with snow covered tops. Nazar na lage uss view ko, it was that beautiful. 'THE GREAT HIMALAYAS' someone rightly said. Bas fir, iss poori valley ko dekhte dekhte ab hum chal diye iss pahaad ko utarne. All I would say is utarna utna hi mushkil hai jitna chadhna. Ask Somu 2 and Maulesh bhai XD. After hours of walking down, we finally spotted our camps which still looked like ants! Oh my god, I so wanted to stop after so much of exhaustion since morning, but decided not to stop until I reach the base camp. I even now feel blank with the overall getting down process because I was sooo done with walking. I stopped feeling anything and just was someone descending without thinking a thing.

Soon after some snow patches the camps were looking achievable and my mind started to wake up. We left at 7 in the morning at it was 4:30 in the evening! A tortoise could pass me at this point. Uparse humara camp was at the very end point, so had to see other trek groups settle up, dardnaak tha haha.

Shea Goru Camp (the coldest campsite) was all ready to invite us warmly, I just put my bag down, and laid down alongside the banks of the stream thand mein for the next 1.5hrs! Yes I couldn't even think of moving. I was done. That's the 2nd most depleted I have ever been. But this was the exact thing I came here for, so I enjoyed the struggle. Every single minute. Aur aise jannat mein aaram kroge toh kise maja nhi aayega. This campsite was the most beautiful of them all, here's a picture -

Haina Khoobsurat? Chalo let's end this one here, I have been writing all morning. Will continue my way down the mountain and the Chandrataal experience in the next one!

Also har ek cheez likh nhi paaya because obviously, joh 'gist' mein aaya likh diya! Well yea I know what gist means xd dw.

I am genuinely grateful if you made it till here. Also I hope after reading this you will be going on an Himalayan trek, please do let me know if you do one! I'll be the happiest to know! Jao please, wahaki jaadu tumhe zinda si krdegi.

See you fam!

Buhbye.