Around midnight we heard the sound of a jackal from the direction of the stream, about 300 metres away. Then we heard another jackal call from behind us.
We later realised they were probably headed towards the fields where were camping, in search of rodents. Alas, we had disappointed them by camping on their hunting grounds.
We started our trek at 6.30 am the next morning. The cold kept us awake most of the night, though we caught up on some sleep in the early hours. We walked for about half a kilometre and followed a footpath bordering the first Lobo house, which led us to the peak.
As we climbed the shoulder of the first hill we got a panoramic view of the hills and valleys leading up to the Kudremukh. It was easy to see that it was a tough task ahead.
The Kudremukh peak, part of a range of four to five tall hills, stands to the left. As we climbed further up, every turn gave us a better view. The mist was rising from little pockets in the forest. Clouds formed a white blanket over the forest. The views of the hills, ravines, streams, which we came across, were all a real treat to our eyes.
The view and the beauty all around pretty much allowed one to ignore the strain of walking. We quickly made it to the base of Kudremukh peak. Climbing diagonally to the right we reached the smallest of the peaks (over 4,500 feet!) in this range. We were offered an amazing view of the valley and forests bordered by grassy hills. The valley resembled a `flowing river of forests'.
Also read: Feeling the heat? Head to Manali
Advertisement
