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Before proceeding on a weeklong trek along the Beas river starting from Manali, I had never imagined that I would be exposed to such awesome landscape. The serene water of the Dashavar lake surrounded by snow-covered mountains, takes on the blue hue of the sky, giving it an enchanting glow. Every year on 20th Bhadon, considered auspicious by the locals, pilgrims from far and near come to this lake to pay their obeisance. For me, reaching here was the grand finale to the trek which had begun six days ago at Manali. The trek took me through the Solang valley, Dhundi, Beas Kund, Kothi and Rahalla Falls

From the outskirts of Manali town, we started a 14-km trek to Solang Nala, passing through some villages around Manali. Walking through these villages was like stepping into a different world. All houses, most of them two-storeyed, were built of wood and crudely shaped stones. The ground floor was used to keep cattle and the upper floor for personal living. The streets in almost all the villages were narrow and unclean. In fact, nothing much has changed here. The occasional sight of a dish antenna, indicated the gradual penetration of modern technology in this part of the world.

However, old Manali definitely presented an altogether different picture. With perhaps the presence of foreigners in the area, a few restaurants serving Chinese, Tibetan and continental food have come up. The small Manalsu river flows nearby. One important attraction here is the Manu temple. It is dedicated to the founder of this place from whose name the town derives its name — Manali. The temple with exquisite engravings and woodwork was recently inaugurated.

Passing through apple orchards near the Beas riverbed, I saw lofty peaks of Mt Friendship against the backdrop of the clear, blue sky. To the left, there were ‘seven sister peaks’, presenting a magnificent sight. Gradually after wading my way through a small stream, I met a group of six trekkers who were on their way to Hanuman Tibba. They were to get training at an international mountaineering camp organised near Beas Kund.

Since I did not know the exact way to Solang Nala, I accompanied them for some distance until I spotted my guide. It was around 3 p.m. and I was near our base camp at Solang Nala where the advance party had already put up green tents and were ready with steaming hot tea for us. This was an ideal site for camping— on the banks of the Beas, amidst tall pine trees. On the opposite bank, a rocky hill’s vertical incline seemed to tell a story of the might of the river and its eroding powers over the ages.

As the sun went down, we built a campfire and exciting rounds of antakshri made us forget the chill. As the night progressed, the chill worsened and we slept to the gentle roar of the river.

Beas Kund is fed by glacier water The next day, our cooks had a morning cup of steaming tea prepared for us on kerosene stove. Coming out of the tent I found nature at its pristine best as I tried to identify coniferous species — pine, deodar and fir. The ice-cold water of the river forced me to abandon the idea of having a bath. Back at the campsite, the breakfast of toast, omelettes and hot tea was waiting for me. Soon thereafter, we dismantled the tents, packed up our rucksacks and set out for the next 8-km trek to Dhundi. This trek along the left bank of the Beas was pretty smooth and comfortable and it took less than three hours to reach Dhundi.

Dhundi is a green alpine plateau. This time we pitched the tents on our own as we were told about that art at Solang itself. Again in the evening, we had a campfire and sang songs long into the night. Nearby there was a weather and avalanche-monitoring station set up by the DRDO. As no powerline reaches here, the station stores oil to run generators throughout the year. During winter with snow all around, the grass helipad here serves as the only transport link between Solang and Dhundi.

The next morning we began the journey to Beas Kund. Though the distance was not more than 6 km, the difficult terrain over the loosely held boulders made it risky and tiring. Midway, there was a beautiful meadow with the majestic view of the hanging glaciers of Hanuman Tibba. As I looked around taking shots of this picturesque place, I heard a thundering sound. No...It was not thunder but the breaking away of a hanging glacier from the top of the peak. It was once-in-a-lifetime view and I instantly captured it on camera. Looking back, this place presented a breathtaking view of the peaks of the Pir Panjal range, making it the most scenic spot on the trek.

Shortly thereafter, we reached Beas Kund, the source of the mighty Beas. The great sage Vyas, author of the classic Mahabharta, is believed to have meditated here. The Beas river has been named after him. The small Beas Kund (pool) is fed by glaciers.However, the sprawling valley goes on to prove that once there might have been a huge lake there. The Beas river originates from the kund.

Next day we started our trek to Rahalla Falls, along the second stream of the Beas. Getting back at the Solang Nala, we rested for some time as we witnessed the exciting paragliding at the slopes in front of us. The charges varied from Rs 350 to Rs 2500, depending on the duration of flight. Incidentally this place offers excellent ski slopes which makes it a popular resort in winter.

Our next resting place was Kothi, a small village 12 km from Manali. Kothi used to be a camping site when, before the construction of the road to Keylong, people climbed to the Rohtang Pass on foot. We had got our accommodation booked in advance at the well-maintained PWD resthouse, offering a panoramic view of the surrounding mountains. The Beas river here becomes extremely narrow, just 10 to 15 ft. wide with many beautiful cascades upstream. The climb here was tough and dangerous as a minor slip could prove fatal. Some of us abandoned the idea and decided to reach Rahalla by road. This trek was thrilling as it offered a beautiful view of the cascades and tested the expertise of trekkers. After trekking for another two hours and crossing the turbulent and icy Beas, we pitched colourful tents amidst the magnificent Rahalla Falls at an altitude of 2500 mt. A closed plain area surrounded by high mountains and with a stream flowing by became our camping site. In the evening, we marched off to collect wood for the campfire. As all my friends from other states insisted on a Punjabi song, I obliged them by singing the romantic folklore of Heer-Ranjha. The night at Rahalla Falls was most comfortable, as it was a closed place. The meadow was peaceful except for the rhythmic sound of the stream flowing nearby.

The next day we reached Rohtang Pass, 51 km from Manali. Before that we rested at Marrhi. It offers all comforts that a tourist or trekker could require. A few eateries offering Indian, Chinese and continental food come as a welcome relief to a weary and hungry tourist coming from Manali on a serpentine road having over 17 loops. The Himalayan greenry ends here. The green gives way to barren, rugged and rocky mountains with sow-covered peaks.

Rohtang Pass offers a majestic view of the 400-km long Pir Panjal range, known as the lesser Himalayas. After taking tea, we started the steep climb to Dashavar lake. It was a tough and difficult trek. On reaching the top, we had to go for another 2 km on broken and slippery rocks to reach the holy lake at an altitude of more than 4500 mt. A partial view of the lake could be obtained from the ridge. We were enchanted by the sight and felt we were on the top of the Mt. Everest. The time ceased to exit for a while as I felt one with the nature. The weeklong trek had been a great learning experience for me as I felt stronger, rejuvenated and was filled with fresh ideas of reaching higher next time.