Have you guys noticed that this last year there was extreme heat during summers and extreme cold during winters, well its all happening cause of the global warming and its effects. I was going through the gallery of my camera and to my surprise I found some pictures of my winter trek to Narkanda, India done two years ago. Well I'm happy and sad at same time cause by looking at the pictures i can clearly differentiate how much changes in the environment has occurred and we barely notice them. These are not minor changes, but we are busy enough to not pay attention to them.
Snow Covered Route
Winter treks are much more adventurous comparatively in the Himalayas as the whole trail is under snow and you don't know which way to go. Narkanda is a small hill town in Shimla, Himachal and it offers jaw dropping view of the Himalayas. Most of the are in covered with forest of deodar and rhododendron trees. The beauty of the Narkanda can't be expressed in words and the people of this town are even better. They are sweet loving and the hospitality is on another level. Located at an altitude of 2700 meters this is perfect escape for adventure lover's and for those who loves Himalayas. You guys can see jow it has turned into winter wonderland during winters.
Me along with the fellow trekkers started this trek towards the Hatu Peak which is nearly 8 kilometres away from Narkanda. Its a famous destination for adventure seekers and at the top there is famous Hatu Mata temple. The Hatu Peak is located is an elevation of 3400 meters and from the top every valley and the the Himalayan ranges can be seen easily. This place is full of adventure as you can do trekking, camping and can explore the nearby villages and forests.
We started our trek towards the Hatu Peak and we have to cover almost four kilometres and I love to walk in snow. The condition is I must not feel cold. So we were group of 6-7 people belonging to different age group but united by the love for adventure and Himalayas.
In the pictures you can see that along the trail there were wooden poles in order to aware the trekkers to not walk outside them as it can be dangerous. The whole area was covered under 2 feet snow and it was looking mesmerizing although I was unable to open my eyes.
In the picture above tou can see my fellow trekkers, we were walking close to each other so that we can take care of the fellow trekkers walking with us. On our way we were cracking jokes, laughed and played with snow. The whole experience was magical till now I can't forget it.
On our way toward the Hatu Peak we made this snowman between the lap of Himalayas. Guys, we have also made the second eye 👁 which is missing in the picture as it fell down before taking the pictures and our hands we cold enough to not touch snow again. Consider this Snowman is winking at you, haha.
Meadows Around
Moving forward we saw these huge trees on our way and look how tall and green tey are. As snow is heavy, its weight has bended the trees a bit and it feels like they are welcoming us with love and gratitude. Nature has given us much more but as humans we are failing everyday to recognize it and cherish it.
The sunlight falling on the snow covered tree is making it look more magical and totally surreal. If we want our future generation to enjoy nature we must take care of whatever God had gifted us.
Theses are some of the pictures of the view around us and I have taken these pictures with the help of my camera. Aren't they amazing?In these pictures you can see the true beauty of the mountains and Himalayas covered under snow, totally magical.
Finally by crossing the beautiful view we reached near the Hatu Mata temple and it looked really beautiful from a distance. It took us almost 2 hours to reach here and the journey was challenging no doubt but it was rewarding too.
Finally we reached near the tample and whole experience was amazing. Located at the highest region this temple is made up wood and dedicated to Hatu Mata whch is also know as Maa Kali. It is believed that Pandavas cooked gmfood on this meal and there is a large stone near the temple which is believed to be stove of the Pandavas. This whole place is magical.
The tample is made in traditional wooden Hamachali architecture and is full of small details and all the design is handcrafted. And as it's covered with snow it seems much more prettier. Hope you enjoyed reading.
Thank you for your precious time.
You can check out this post and your own profile on the map. Be part of the Worldmappin Community and join our Discord Channel to get in touch with other travelers, ask questions or just be updated on our latest features.
Thank you so much @worldmappin 🌎
I never think of India with snow, but of course it's such a big country that parts of it get cold, just like Australia. Enjoyed this post.
I'm glad to know that you enjoyed @riverflows and yes as you mentioned it gets cold at some part. Thanks you for the lovely comment 😀
Amazing photos! Though it was hard as you described, it was all worth it! Beautiful scenery! 😍
!PIZZA