I always wanted a job in which either I get a lot of holidays so that I can travel or my work includes travel. Unfortunately in India, if you are working in private sector, then forget about getting holidays, they might even snatch your weekends away! So I was left with one option that of finding a job related to travel. And last month I joined Bikat Adventures and it fits my expectation.
Recently, I went on a trek to Bali Pass with my company and the experience was completely unforgettable & unique because it was also my first solo trip. My work was to experience the trek and gather information, photos, GPS trail data, etc. and develop content. The work was not a difficult task except photos because photography is not my cup of tea, but still I gave it a try.
Bali Pass trek is a challenging one that requires a person to be physically as well as mentally fit. So I was supposed to do some exercises and yoga, but due to excitement I didn't do it for a single day. Before the trek, I was little worried about my physical capabilities because during the last few treks my performance was not so good when, in fact, the treks were also easy. Fortunately during Bali pass trek (I don't know how but) my fitness didn't cause much trouble, rather I performed well.
Before starting with my journey, let me tell you some facts about Bali Pass trek. And even before that, let me first explain that what a mountain pass is?
A mountain pass is a route on a mountain range or over a mountain ridge that connects two valleys. Most passes have been used conventionally as a trading route, for exchanging goods.
Bali pass is a high mountain pass that links Har ki Dun valley to Yamunotri valley. Situated at an altitude of 4950 m, it offers a perfect panoramic view of some remarkable peaks such as Swargarohini & Banderpooch, Garhwal ranges and Yamunotri valley. The trek starts from the forest of Taluka and passes through rich vegetation, river, lakes, meadows, waterfalls, mountain ridges and snow.
The added advantage of doing Bali Pass trek is that one can complete two treks at a time. On 3rd day of the trek, there comes a campsite called Ruinsara Tal, which is also a renowned trek in itself.
My journey started from Delhi, the national capital. Boarded the overnight bus and reached Dehradun at 0430 hrs. I reached a bit early, so I waited there for around one hour, had some tea & bun there. At 0630 hrs, Rahul (our trek leader) came and I got into the jeep. In the jeep, I met my trek mates and from there onwards 'I' became 'we'. There were four participants named Navtej, JD, Vikas and Anand. The other two participants were about to join us from Sankri and Seema camp.
Day 1: Dehradun - Sankri
We started our mountain journey to Sankri at around 0645 hrs and reached there at 1400 hrs. Amidst the way we had our breakfast at Kempty near Mussoorie. The best thing I like about mountains (not on crowded hill stations) is that most of the things such as food, accommodation, etc. are available at very reasonable rates, except travel.
The overall journey till Sankri was beautiful. We drove through Mussoorie, Nainbagh, Naugaon, Purola, Mori and Netwada. The road up to Mori was well laid down except for some patches and it was full of scenic views, as we were driving along pine forest. From Netwada, we entered into Govind Pashu National Park and from there onwards, the road turned bad. The drive was almost like off-roading, but we enjoyed nonetheless. I was getting a feeling of nausea due to the road full of curves but fortunately I didn’t puke.
Sankri is a small scenic town situated at a height of 1920 m. There are several hotels and guest houses available because most of the treks such as Har Ki Dun, Kedarkantha, Ruinsara Tal, Bali Pass and Borasu Pass start from this region and Sankri is the only town in this vicinity where one can easily stay and purchase daily need items from the shops available. However, there are no big restaurants available, but one can easily find a place to eat.
