Hampta Pass Trek - Day 01

Day 01: 02-Oct-2022

Route: Jobra (2850m /9350ft ) To Chikka (3075m / 10090ft)

Distance: 3km (2H)

I chose Hampta pass trek for two reasons – One, I wanted to trek in a state that I have not trekked in before. Second, I wanted the best trek that can fit into my 9-day Dasara holidays. As many organisers were not offering this trek post monsoon, I had to go with a new organiser this time - Moxtain. They offer same service as some of the best in the business and charge much lesser than them. So, it was a great deal. Here are the basic details about the trek. 

Hampta Pass

Highest Altitude: 4270 m (14010 ft)

Distance: 27Km

Days: 4 Days

Difficulty Level: Moderate

Base Village: Jobra (16KM From Manali)

So, on Day-01, all trekkers were supposed to assemble at Nehru Park around 11AM. Some of us were on time. By the time the guide arrived, it was noon. After a lot of waiting for no reason, we finally left the place at 2PM. Until then, I got to know all the other trekkers. Apart from Girish and I, there were four more trekkers from Karnataka, 1 from Kerala, 2 from Madhya Pradesh, 1 from Rajasthan, 1 from Uttarakhand, 1 from Bihar, 1 Punjabi and 4 from Delhi. So, we had a good representation from several parts of the country. I will write more about them as we proceed with my narration. 

We walked to the taxi stand where a Tempo traveller and a Bolero was waiting to take us the trail start-point. On the way, we stopped at the company warehouse, where the trekking gears for rent are stored. Some of the trekkers rented trekking poles and ponchos. 

The drive from Manali to Jobra is 16km long and involves several hair-pin bends as you drive up the hills. The taxi will drop you at Allain barrage (Hydropower plant), from where the trail begins. By the time we reached there it was 3:45 PM and we had not yet had our lunch. At the taxi stand, there is a Dhaba run by three women. That is the only thing you will find there. We ordered some food – Bread-omelette and Maggi. 

At 4:30PM, we began our trek. The trail is straight forward. You can do this trek on your own too. No special permission is required. You will of course need to carry a tent, a sleeping bag and some food with you. You will also have to arrange for a drop at Allain Barrage and pickup at Chatru. The taxi price can be costly, unless shared. 

 

The Hampta pass trail begins on the kullu valley side with some great views of the lush green surroundings. River Rani Nallah flows between the gorge on one side and the meadows on the other. 

We had three guides – Jeevan, Johnny and Sohan. Sohan was supposed to be a lead or something. But he had a bad attitude and never gave a modest response to a query. Most of us disliked him from the very beginning and never tried to engage in a conversation with him. Johnny spoke very less. He was kind and helpful, but mostly silent. Jeevan was interesting; witty at times. He was leading from the front and therefore, we mostly interacted with him. But overall, on this trek, the engagement with the guides was minimal. Which in a way was good. 

Within two hours (6:30 PM), we were at Chikka, our first campsite. But unfortunately, due to a late start, we did not get a lot of daylight when we reached the campsite. We threw our backpacks in the tents and assembled at the tent reserved for dinning. We were served tea and biscuits.

Someone brought up a conversation about ghosts and shared some experiences. Others joined in. Except Rageeth, Adarsh and me, most of the group members were relatively younger. After a while, the discussion shifted to politics – The most relevant topic in India today. 

Dinner was served at around 8PM. Dinner comprised of roti, sabji, Rice, Dal and Kheer. The dessert (Kheer) was absolutely delicious. At night, the sky was clear and we saw a spectacular display of stars. After a short chat, we retired to our tents. 

CONTINUED HERE - Hampta Pass Trek - Day 02