A Solo Backpacker’s Journey to Kheerganga – Mountains, Maggie and Milkyway

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Every year, when the temperature soars above forty degrees, we usually think of going somewhere cooler. I’m no exception. But once I turn on my AC, I postpone my plans.

Lockdown has increased views of several YouTubers and I seem to have made a significant contribution to that. My YouTube viewing journey has really taken off since the lockdown days. I’ve devoured so many travel videos that I feel like I could give people a guided tour of anywhere in India!

The videos definitely inspired me to travel, but sometimes laziness kicks in. That’s when we all need a little external push.

Sometimes, that push can be as simple as an Instagram post by a friend trekking in the Himalayas.

That was the push I finally needed to make the move. Now it was time to explore the unexplored.

But where to?

I sat down with my mobile, iPad and started watching travel videos on YouTube and simultaneously did the travelling calculation.

After watching several videos on the Internet, I finally made up my mind that this time its going to be a trek. I had been wanting to go out on a trek somewhere beautiful and is achievable solo, so I continued scouring the internet and watching videos.

Other than the Instagram photos I have several more reasons, one of which was to put my latest camera and video gear into test, before their battery dries out.

I needed to test my new mirrorless camera and my new DJI Mini 2 drone, which I had recently purchased. However, due to my proximity to the airport and height restrictions, the only viable place to fly the drone was from the mountains.

My first drone flight was from Matheran, but that exploration was cut short due to an encounter with a monkey and the rain. Yes I did went there post monsoon.

Taking all these factors into consideration, I carefully analyzed the Indian map, the climate, and the potential encounters I might have with non-domestic animals.

After thorough consideration, and watching over 20 hours of video in 1 week, I finally settled on the Kheerganga trek.

The Kheerganga trek is considered an easy trek. The nearest well-connected town is Kasol.

With hope in my heart and salary recently credited to my account, I booked my flight ticket to Delhi, a Volvo to Kasol, and a room for one day in Kasol.

Journey to Kasol

From Kolkata to Delhi: The Beginning of My Adventure

I started my journey from Kolkata and arrived in Delhi early morning. My bus was at 5:30 PM, so I needed to rest.

Exploring Delhi Before Heading to Kasol

Having a free place to take shelter for a few hours was a relief. I had already informed my friend about my arrival, and he was ready and waiting at home.

Visiting Delhi after a long time was a bit exciting for me. I decided to use this opportunity to explore India’s largest metro.

I started with the express route and then reached Rajiv Gandhi Chowk, where I decided I needed some sunglasses to look cool while taking my selfies, so I bought two pairs.

The temperature was around 40 degrees, and it was 11:00 AM. With so many restaurants in sight and hunger in my tummy, I had to eat. To satisfy my appetite, I went to a restaurant and ordered a Maha Thali, which I finished. Then, I called my friend to warn him about my arrival.

Rest at Friend’s Home

Afterwards, I went back and boarded the metro, reaching the station where he asked me to meet him. My friend came to pick me up in his car, and finally, I reached his home, empty-handed. They welcomed me, and after an hour of talking and freshening up, they asked what I would like for lunch. I initially hesitated but later agreed to stick with rice, rotis, dal, and sabji, I guess that’s a complete lunch too.

By some miracle, I managed to conquer this “after-lunch-lunch” as well.

Race to Catch the Bus to Kasol

We then went out to meet our mutual friend, where I ended up spending too much time, almost making me late to catch my bus. Kashmiri Gate, from where I was suppose to board the bus is around 1hr 15mins away, and I had 1hr 20mins in hand. May be Just in Time strategy is not applicable every where.

As I was riding through the city of Delhi, my head was thinking about the intro of the movie Darjeeling Limited, where Bill Murray missed his train. However, I was not that unlucky.

I had to call the bus and ask them to wait for a couple of minutes, but they refused. Luckily, I reached the bus stop just two minutes

I finally reached Kashmiri Gate and boarded the bus just in time(almost), and the seat beside me was empty, a perfect place to keep my backpack. And then I was off to Kasol.

The bus halted at some place for dinner, but as I was already given Puri achar for dinner by my friend’s mom, I didn’t have to disembark.

The Road to Kheerganga: Arriving in Kasol

The bus rumbled through the night, passing Delhi and Chandigarh before I drifted off to sleep. By the time I woke, I could feel that the bus had halted, and it was almost morning. Checking my watch, it was around 5 am.

The bus had a pit stop for a tea break, and the best part was that we were near Kasol. I grabbed my sweat jacket from my backpack and stepped off the bus for a break, greeted by the roaring river.

“Beauty with fury.” It was river Parvati.

I took a deep breath. Yes the air was pure, just exception of few exhaust from moving cars and buses. Finally, back in the Himalayas.

After spending a few minutes enjoying the breathtaking panorama of the Himalayas, I boarded my bus and resumed my journey to Kasol. But my enjoyment of watching the scenic review didn’t stay enjoyable for long as a familiar rumble deep within my gut announced a different kind of scenery appreciation.

I must say I am a routine person, and my stomach knows it too. And with all those input I took yesterday, it was quite expected.

So it was time for operation “Relief”, the plan was to reach hotel as fast as possible and hopefully they would give the room or at least a toilet.

We arrived at around 7 am. So, my first order of business was to head to the hotel. Hopefully, my room would be available, and I could comfortably tend to my morning pressure.

Being a lowlander, navigating the mountains, especially uphill, was always a challenge. As soon as I got out of the, I pulled out my phone and typed the name of my hotel into my map to get directions and operation “Relief” was on.

On my way, a few people were trying to sell me something, seem like some local candy, but I declined saying “I am too big for that and my body was urgently seeking relief.” I don’t know they gave me a shocking glance.

After a short strenuous uphill climb, I finally reached the hotel, where nobody seemed to be around but a furry dog, who could I think understood the pressure I was feeling.

My check-in wasn’t until 11 am, and it was only 7 am. However, after a minute, a man appeared. What a relief it was.

I informed him that I had a reservation, and he asked me to wait, which i would happily do, but I was under heavy pressure and I was in no mood to sit around. Thankfully, they have a toiled outside too, by outside I don’t mean outside, but a toilet just outside the hotel’s main premises.

So, I asked, “Can I use the restroom?” to which he replied, “Sure.”

Without even bothering about my belongings, I hastily locked myself in the restroom and relieved myself.

Operation “Relief was successful”

Finally free, with a few hours to kill before I could check in, I sat outside and admired the picturesque hamlet. I was joined back by the furry friend, who didn’t seem particularly interested in me and left after a few minutes.

Deciding not to waste any more time, I resolved to head to Manikaran and make the most of my stay. I asked the hotel caretaker to look after my belongings, and he happily obliged, stashing them in a nearby room.

Considering it a warm-up, I opted to walk to Manikaran.

Day Trip to Manikaran from Kasol

I began my walk to Manikaran, with the camera slung around my neck. The beauty of Kasol mesmerized me; a flowing river, a shining bright Sun, and the majestic snow capped Himalayas, the picture is straight from a drawing book. I snapped almost 20 photos on my way to Manikaran.

After a solid hours of walking, I finally reached Manikaran. It took almost 1 hour 15 mins. I said “Not bad for a guy from city;”

The beautiful Gurudwara and the mighty Parvati River flowing in full force are sights that will stay in my memory forever.

According to Sikhs, Guru Nanak ji came here with his disciple Mardana and they were suppose to cook food for langar, however they didn’t have any source of fire. Guru Nanak then asked Mardana to lift a stone and as soon as he lift the stone, a hot spring appeared.

According to legend, Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati liked this place so much that they stayed here for over 11,000 years. During their stay, Goddess Parvati once lost her Mani (precious stone) and asked Lord Shiva to retrieve it. Lord Shiva asked his attendant to bring it, but he failed, making Lord Shiva angry, and he opened his third eye. This led to turbulence all across the universe. Seeing this, an appeal was made to Seshnag to pacify Lord Shiva. Seshnag hissed, giving rise to boiling water and resulting in the emergence of the Mani, thereby making Goddess Parvati happy and pacifying Lord Shiva.

I went to Gurudwara, bowed and paid my respects at the Gurudwara. After sitting for a few minutes in , I went to the Manikaran Shiv Parvati Mandir, where I saw people buying rice and boiling it in the hot spring. I bowed and paid my respects and headed back to Gurudwara langar for lunch.

An interesting fact: The rice in the Gurudwara langar is cooked using the hot spring.

The lunch was delicious and then it was time to head back to Kasol following the same route took earlier to reach Manikaran.

Finally after an hour of walk I went back to my hotel where they handed me the room key. I was feeling tired and was tensed about what to do next morning, so I started surfing the internet once again for possible weather conditions, what to expect on the trek, and which route to follow.

I got more tensed as few of the videos even mentioned possible encounter with a Himalayan bear. “What was he saying?, a bear” I have never seen any bear post Baloo’s appearance in Jungle Book.

So what if I encounter a bear, I looked at some of the videos, after encounter with monkey, I didn’t want any type of encounter with any kind of animals.

I was a bit concerned about my ambitious solo voyage, and a part of me was hoping for a divine intervention to halt this trek.

But no such thing happened, the weather was supposed to be sunny, however rain was expected the very next day. Without worrying too much, I decided to take my afternoon nap and finally woke up at 4 pm.

A Hike to Chalal Village

When you are trip, you must not waste time taking nap. So, it was time to explore Kasol.

Chalal is a small village, and the hike is beautiful. This wasn’t initially part of my plan, but I was advised by one of my colleagues, a professional travel vlogger, to go for it.

With my bag on my back, I set out. But first, a quick prep for tomorrow. The first thing I grabbed was a plastic raincoat – well, that’s it. I have everything else.

Then I continued my walk along the beautiful Parvati River, strolling through the pine trees and occasionally encountering a few humans.

Finally I found a rock by the river which was not occupied and was perfect place to feel the river.

Wow, what a location! This view is amazing. You could easily lose track of time just sitting and enjoying it. A perfect place for digital detox. Words are few to suffice the view so serene – A beautiful mountain river gushing down the hill, its water sparkling like a white pearl. The setting Sun bathed the river in golden glow. Tall green pine tress standing sentinel all around and the majestic Himalayas piercing the blue sky.

Well, look at this happy little fern by the river! So many… uh… enthusiastic fronds? Maybe it’s trying to high-five the whole world? ️

After digitally detoxing myself for few minutes I came out of my poetic mood and entered into reel mode and started taking photos, and then I resumed by journey

This scenic walk through the pine forest, by the river, is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. After walking for a few hours, I reached the village and explored it and then it was time to head back home. By home I mean back to Kasol.

I crossed the river, and then it was a tiring uphill journey back to Kasol. This time, I was on the road, so no river.

Finally, I reached the town, and it was time for dinner. I took out my phone and meticulously searched for vegetarian restaurants, finally settling on one for Veg Biryani(no argument please).

Then again, I walked back through those tiring uphill roads to my hotel room. As soon as I reached my room, it was time to charge my gadgets.

Solo Trek to Kheerganga

Finally, the day arrived – the reason for being in Kasol. I successfully completed my morning routine and checked out from my room. However, I couldn’t carry all of my luggage with me, so I left it at the hotel that I had booked for the last day.

After handing over my luggage, I began my walk with dilemmas. I was still unsure of my stamina. So I created a few alternative plan if the main plan doesn’t work.

• So the first Option 1 was, if the weather turns bad, I’ll return and explore Kasol,
• the second was, if the weather is okay but solo climbing feels treacherous, I’ll return and explore Kasol,
• and the last option is when everything is fine and smooth, I’ll start my climb.

Now that I have all three options, I have little less to worry or disappoint.

Before starting my journey I finished my breakfast, the aloo paratha was delicious.

After a short wait at the Kasol bus stand, I decided to walk to the taxi stand and book a taxi instead of taking the local bus.

Within minutes, I was on my way. I had a brief chat with the driver, who surprisingly arranged for a camp booking and provided me with a trekking stick from a store he knew. I paid the half price for the camp, and I was on my way.

Climbing via Kalga Village

After analyzing and listening to YouTube experts, I decided to start my trek via Kalga. The trail is covered with trees, making it perfect for an uphill trek.

Sure, I’ve totally climbed Lohagad, (almost) and walked a whole kilometer to crazy high Tso Moriri (it was high, I must say), but this? This was a whole new ball game for me.

Walking on plains and mountains is not the same. I walk several miles every day, but climbing is a different challenge. So, the first part of my trek involved climbing a few stiff feet, and I became so tired that I was on the verge of giving up and turning back.

Then, I encountered the first food stall, actually a group of food stalls and shops. I sat down, bought a bottle of water, and a few energy drinks.

I just sat and breathed.

After resting for a few minutes, I gathered my strength and continued my journey. I was determined to reach to the top.

The trail to Kheerganga was mesmerizing, with greenery and snow-capped mountains in the vicinity. I took out my mirrorless camera and started taking photos every few minutes because each path had its own beauty.

After walking for a few more minutes, I encountered some people, and I was relieved to know that I was not alone, even though it was a weekday.

Streams, waterfalls, mountains – what more can I say? My bag was heavy, as I was carrying few camera gears.

I kept walking, but I tired out again. Taking a break on a rock, I watched the amazing Himalayas and enjoyed few minutes catching my breath as I say two guys walk past me. I started questioning my ability, my stamina, as I saw two young guys walk past me.

Later I resumed my trek, saying “We each have our own pace, I am not competing,” until I reached the next food stall, where I ate the famous Maggie noodles and bought a few chocolates and energy drinks.

Its a real bummer to see people throwing wrappers and plastic bottles all through the trek. I mean why???

After a few hours of walking, I finally heard the Parvati River roar, which felt good, as if I found a known companion.

Then there, I came across a sign.

The sign read: “Amihay Cohen (RIP) Here fell and died a dear man and good friend. Please be aware of shortcuts…”

Then I sat down at one of the rocks catching my breath and I started thinking about the sign. My mind felt heavy, and for a few minutes, I realized the entire trek is synonymous with life.

Sometimes, in life things get difficult, and we feel like giving up, while some positive moments boost us up and help us move forward, with more enthusiasm. Sometimes we even try to take shortcut winning and sometimes we are not so lucky.

With a slightly heavy mind and keeping the warning in mind, I strengthened my grip on my trekking stick and continued my trek.

After a few hours, I reached the point where the Nakthan route and Kalga route intersected. It was almost 1 PM, and I reached a point that had a waterfall and quite a few food stalls. Upon asking how far Kheerganga was, they replied “It would take around an hour to reach Kheerganga”.

Gathering some courage and drinking more energy drinks, I continued my final phase of my Kheerganga trek, and it was even steeper.

After walking a few more miles, I noticed the two boys who overtook me earlier were resting. Then I guessed I am not that slow after all.

Reached Kheerganga

After a tiring 5 hours and 30 minutes trek, I finally reached Kheerganga. I was exhausted and wasn’t ready to trek any further. The sight of the camp made me weaker. I was ready to enter into the first tent I saw, but I had already booked one before the trek.

Luckily, the tent I booked, thanks to the driver’s help, was closer. Stepping inside felt like entering a haven after the long trek. They offered me a complimentary tea, which I gratefully accepted, then I asked if anything was available for lunch, in which they replied “we can make Magie”. And I said “yes” to the third round of Maggi.

To my surprise, the tent had Wifi, and I was able to call home.

After taking photos of the Maggie and consuming it, I went to take a few hours’ nap. I woke up at around 5 pm and was too exhausted to explore the place in the evening, so I continued strolling around the camp. The beauty was magnificent: snow-capped mountains, horses grazing over the green grass, furry dogs staring at me.

After taking a few more photos, I went back and took another nap, finally waking up around 8 PM. Then the camp’s staff came around 8:30 PM asking whether I wanted to have dinner inside the tent or outside. “Well, yes, of course, inside the tent, if that’s possible.” I said to him.

Rajma chawal and roti—it felt awesome, and it was unlimited, I think, but I was happy with the initial quantity. After finishing my dinner, I headed out to catch a glimpse of the sky, and it was cloudy I gave up on my hope on star gazing. So, my next plan was to reach Kheerganga temple and start my descent as early as possible.

Stargazing at Kheerganga: First Milky Way Experience

With no hope of stargazing, I fell asleep. But for some reason, I woke up around 3 AM. I thought, let’s have a look outside.

My heart overflowed with happiness as I experienced the Milky Way for the first time. My previous experience was in Kolkata’s Birla Planetarium.

I went outside, stood there, and kept staring at the beautiful sky, marveling at its vastness and beauty. My eyes got filled with tears. This was perhaps the most beautiful part of my trek. The light was dimly lighting the mountains, to be honest the feeling of seeing it can not be described in words it was just WOW!

Before the Milky Way would fade away, I realized its time to capture the memory. I quickly head back inside my tent and grabbed my camera and mobile.

I tried capturing what my eyes were seeing, but it wasn’t working. And I hadn’t brought my tripod. I attempted to attach my camera to the mobile tripod and managed to get some long exposure, slow shutter photos. Mostly it came out blurry.

Though the photos weren’t satisfactory, the experience was. I headed back to my tent, with my mission 50% successful; only one thing remained, flying my drone.

Final Part of the Kheerganga Trek

After waking up, I began my ascent to Kheerganga fountain and the temple. I noticed that the Kheerganga hot spring was partially closed, but there were arrangements for taking a bath.

I visited the Shiva temple, and then it was time to take off. With a bit of fear and doubt in myself, I started my drone. I have to admit, I was quite scared of losing it, so I flew it for only about 5 minutes and captured some beautiful views of the valley.

Heading Back to Barshaini via Nakthan

I returned to my tent, packed my belongings. Although there was complimentary breakfast available, I opted not to take it and start my descent early.

Finally with camera full of photographs and mind full of memories, it was time to say goodbye to Kheerganga and I began my descent to Barshaini village.

Continuing my downhill journey, this time my plan was to descend via Nakthan. I stopped at a food joint and had aloo paratha for breakfast. There I had chat with the shop owner who warned me about the Nakthan route. The Nakthan is a lengthy route and also difficult. However, I had already made up my mind, why view the same thing twice.

Gradually, I started realizing that it might have been better to return via Kalga, which was a bit simpler. The descents here were brutal, with some drops where so sharp that I had to literally grab onto trees, rocks, and whatever I could hold onto and slide down carefully. I was a first timer afterall.

After a few hours of walking, I crossed a dangerous bridge, below which the roaring Parvati River was flowing. The roar was much louder, hence the word dangerous. And then I reached Rudranag, which had a beautiful Shiva temple.

The journey continued, with the heat taking its toll, making it more difficult. The trail was slippery at some points, adding to the adventure.

After hours and hours of walking, I reached Nakthan village. I sat at one of the food stall and grabbed few bottles of energy drink.

I was so tired that I briefly considered staying there for the night as they had accommodation facilities.

However, I regained my strength and courage and continued my journey. Finally, I caught sight of Barshaini dam and reached there by 12:08 PM.

Thanks to my shoes and the stick, I successfully completed my first solo trek.

Heading Back to Kasol

After descending, I grabbed a mango drink from the first shop I could find and headed to the Barshaini taxi stand. It had started drizzling, and I thanked God for allowing me to complete the trek without rain. It would have made the trail slippery and more difficult.

Finally, I reached Kasol and returned to the new hotel I had booked for that day. They had kept my luggage safely, and it was finally time for a nap. Maybe I would explore Kasol in the evening.

I was too tired, and I think God understood that, as it continued raining that night in Kasol.

Checking Out of Kasol

I woke up to the view of a greener, drizzling Kasol. I hadn’t needed my plastic raincoat for my Kheerganga trek, but it seemed like I might need it for the remaining time in Kasol.

My checkout was at 9 AM, and my bus to Delhi was at 7 PM. I had to spend 10 hours.

I packed my luggage, checked out from the hotel, and waited for the rain to stop in the hotel lobby.

Finally, the rain stopped, and I went out of the hotel. I decided to spend a few hours in the Kasol park, so I bought a ticket, went in, and spent some time there. Then, it started raining again.

Fortunately, around 12 PM, the sun came out, and I decided to leave the park and shop for a few souvenirs.

I bought some traditional shirts, a sweater, and finally, around 4 PM, I went for lunch. Finally, after long hours of waiting, it was time to bid goodbye to the beautiful town. I boarded my bus to Delhi and at 7 pm we were off.

Reflections on a Trek and Life’s Journey

Kheerganga may not have been a walk in the park, but it was an experience I’ll never forget. The challenge of the trek pushed me outside my comfort zone, and the breathtaking scenery filled me with a sense of peace and wonder.

This solo adventure wasn’t just about reaching the top; it was a journey of self-discovery. I learned about my own resilience, resourcefulness, and appreciation for the simple beauty of nature.

It made me realise that just like this hike, there are tough climbs in life, times you wanna quit. But then there’s sunshine, and you keep going strong. We meet people on the trek, just like in life. Some become friends for a while, others just pass by.

Kasol is an ideal place for people to stay and spend few nights. It has several nearby treks as a solo traveller I choose Kheerganga trek. I agree Kheerganga doesn’t have blooming flowers, or beautiful lakes, but it is a perfect getaways for city dwellers to detox themselves in the lap of nature.

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