Triund and Ilaka - Up Above the World So High!

Ice Cream Hill on the road to Triund

The hotel in Dharamshala had organized our trek to Triund. The guide was supposed to pick us up at 6am sharp. So the night before we went to bed early. As promised at 6am sharp our guide was waiting in our hotel lobby. We sluggishly walked into the car and were driven to the base of the Triund trek. On the way to the base we crossed the cantonment area where many army personnel were out on their morning walks.

At the base was a tiny café for anyone to relax after or grab a bite before the trek. We made our way up full of enthusiasm and excitement. Soon all the excitement turned into tiredness as the climb was steep in many portions.

Trekking up to Triund

Our first and only stop was a small tea stall almost half way to Triund. Here we rested for 5-10mins and made our way up. The second leg of the trek was more steep and the path was much more narrow. Every now and then we stopped to see the view from the mountains and then moved ahead. Some tuned into their ipods for the journey and some of us enjoyed the sound or silence of the natural surroundings.After approximately four to four and a half hours we reached Triund. As we took the last turn to Triund suddenly emerged a plain of plush green grass surrounded by Dhauladhar’s snow capped peaks. Buddhist prayer flags flapped around in the wind and the only three structures present were, a government building, a tent and a café. We walked to the different sides of the plain and were amazed to see panoramic views of the valley below. Everything was green with a few specks of concrete in between. The sky was blue and the clouds were like white cotton balls floating around the greymountains. At 2827 meters above sea level we felt as though we could almost touch the clouds. Was this heaven?

At Triund Finally

We lay down on the grass and breathed in the fresh air, enjoyed the silence interrupted only by the sound of the rhythmic beating of our hearts. Wow this was truly close to heaven! After resting for a while we had a satisfying and set foot for Ilaka.
 

Ilaka

Our guide told us Ilaka was 5kms away from Triund and our hike up would take roughly 1 and a half to 2 hours. We gathered our gear and moved ahead thinking if Triund was so beautiful how would Ilaka be? As we made our way up to Moon Peak (the area in which Ilaka falls) the path was rock-strewn and uneven, some spots were treacherous too. At a couple of places the path was so narrow that only one person at a time could just about pass through. Once everyone would come across the whole group would breath a collective sigh of relief.

The view from Ilaka

After trudging forward for 2 hours or so, we reached Ilaka. A Shepherd grazing his cattle and a small café/ tea stall owner welcomed us to a High Tea at Ilaka. It was already around 4pm, our bodies were still warm after the trek up to Ilaka when our guide asked us to wear jackets as the temperature up there falls fast. Ilaka is a flat stretch of land on the Moon Peak mountain which divides the Kangra Valley and Chamba Valley and there is also small glacier visible from here. In Ilaka there is a single structure, the café, other than that there is greener than green grass and endless stretches of mountains. Our guide, the chai stall owner and the Sheppard were kind enough to show us the different sides of the valley and the glacier. It was incredible. We almost felt like we were on top of the world.

Evening at Ilaka

As the evening drew to a close and we had taken our pictures of the setting sun within the clouds, the deep valleys and the mountains and of course the sun reflecting off the glacier, we set camp. Some of us set up our tents while some of the male members of our group decided to sleep in the chai stall owner’s establishment. The guide had organized some fresh meat and by evening one of his colleagues had brought it up for us. We set a campfire and roasted our meat, sang songs, had some more to eat and drink and were soon off to bed.

The next morning we woke to the sounds of the few stray birds and witnessed one of the most beautiful, tangerine sunrises. Around 8am we headed back down to Triund and then to Dharamshala.

Morning tea in Ilaka