5 days
15
12+
Kullu
The secret journey of Tonkin is designed for travelers who want to touch, taste and feel the souls of
Sar Pass is a perfect trek for beginners. It’s apt for those who want to experience all kinds of terrain. Forests, meadows, quaint villages, or snow-covered mountains, this trail offers a gamut of experiences to trekkers. Prashant Jha, a post-graduate from BITS Pilani shares details of this well-explored trek, which lies in the Parvati valley of Himachal Pradesh.
The trail from Kasol to Grahan is a marked one through forests, following the Grahan nalah. It starts from the centre of Kasol and keeps to the true left of the nalah. The trail is easy to navigate and is frequently used by villagers. The gradient being gentle, one can effortlessly cover much distance in a matter of hours.
From the camping ground at Grahan, a trail goes north, climbing up gently. Villagers use this path often in the morning. This is the way to Min Thach.
From Min Thach, as the crow flies, Nagaru seems not far, but the route doesn’t go straight up the ridge-line; instead, it veers up to the south (looking up at the cliffs, towards the right) and goes into the woods. Depending on the weather, one may find snow here. It is always advisable to start early, for the weather is generally favourable before noon and the snow becomes more slippery later into the day.
Wake up before dawn. The previous day’s trek would have acclimatised you for today’s long trek – the same techniques need to be employed. The climb to Sar Pass follows the ridge-line in a southward direction and is steep in some stretches. Feel free to keep up a slow but steady pace as you climb through snow at high altitude.
From Biskeri, a steep path goes down, keeping to the left of the stream. After some time, cross the stream and walk across a plot of land with fencing. The trail ends here, so one has to go through the plot (search for a breach in the fence) to find the trail again, which leads into the dense forest.
The twin villages of Pulga and Tulga are separated by a stream. From Tulga, one crosses a bridge on the river Parvati, which has been dammed ahead for a hydroelectric power project, to reach the village of Bursheni. Bursheni is the last village in the Parvati valley connected by road (a bumpy one) and is used as the road head for treks to Kheerganga, Mantalai Lake, Pin Parvati Pass and for treks in the Tosh valley. You can get buses or taxis to Kasol, Bhuntar and other places from here.
Thus comes to end a trek, the memories of which would be cherished for long.