A group of trekkers from Mysuru and Hassan have returned safely after a five-day-long trek in the picturesque Himalayan valleys of Himachal Pradesh, parts of which were battered by heavy rains and landslides last week.
The seven-member team led by veteran trekker and adventure sports enthusiast D.S.D. Solanki trekked through lush greenery, and past the crystal clear waters of streams and lakes in the backdrop of snow-capped mountain peaks for five days and four nights in Kullu region starting July 22.
They braved incessant rains and cold weather, besides being stranded on the roads during their journey from Chandigarh to the base camp at Chheti in Kullu district and back. They completed their 41-km-long trek from Hampta valley to Spiti valley situated at a height of 14,100 ft. in the Pir Panjal ranges of the Himalayas.
The expedition, planned after the second wave of COVID-19 began declining, initially saw an encouraging response with a total of 14 enthusiasts enrolling themselves. “But, as the departure date approached, seven of them withdrew for various reasons”, said Mr. Solanki.
If the pandemic was the reason for some, it was the monsoon and inclement weather for others. Some withdrew due to pressure from their respective families. But, seven intrepid trekking enthusiasts coming from diverse backgrounds packed their rucksacks and boarded the flight from Bengaluru to Chandigarh on July 21.
From Chandigarh, they drove to Chheti base camp in Naggar village of Kullu district. After an acclimatisation walk on July 22, they boarded a vehicle to Jobri hydro-electric project from where they started their trek through Hampta valley to Chikka amidst maple and oak trees. “Our first camp was at Chikka, second at Balu Ka Ghera, third was at Sheagaru and fourth was Chhatru”, Mr. Solanki said.
Though vaccinated with one or two doses, the trekkers maintained social distancing and other COVID-19 protocols. “Though monsoon had set in and the fear of rains haunted us, we were spared of heavy rains during the trek. It, however, poured during the night.”.
After reaching the summit of Mount Hampta, the trekkers culminated their trek on July 26, which co-incided with Kargil Vijay Diwas.
Accompanying Mr. Solanki were Adithi R. Rao, a student of architecture; Krishna Murthy, software professional; Manjunath Nayak, entrepreneur; and Manjunath Gowda, all from Mysuru, besides Nagesh Kumar and Harish Kumar from Hassan.
