This is the story of that world situated in the Himalayas where the craftsmanship of nature is visible in every particle. Where you can see the world which you might have seen in your dreams. This world is situated at an altitude of 14100 feet and there the lush green mountains meet the dry desert. In this magical world you will find mountains, forests, grasslands, flower beds, snowy peaks and the Himalayan desert. The name of this area situated in the Himalayas is Hampta Pass which is also called the magical door of the Himalayas.
This is one of the most beautiful tracks of India which connects the lush green valleys of Kullu in Himachal with Lahaul and Spiti. Let us tell you how you can reach this beautiful place. How can you see this miracle of nature with your own eyes?
Where is Hampta Pass?
Hampta Pass is situated in the Pir Panjal mountain ranges of the Himalayas and to reach here, first you have to come to Manali. This place is quite popular among Indians. Especially North Indians often reach Manali for their holidays. But those people are unaware that it is about 20 km from Manali. A track starts from a distant Jobara which takes you very close to nature.
Yes, to reach Hampta Pass one has to first reach Jobra village and then trekking starts from there. The road ends at Jobra village and to go beyond that you have to track.
Journey from Jobra to Cheeka
The journey to Hampta Pass starts from Jobra village and the first day’s stop is Cheeka. The distance from Jobra to Cheeka is about 3 km. And it is called the first base camp of Hampta Pass. After crossing the wooden bridge over the river and the lush green forest, you reach a place where the trees start ending and you find lush green grasslands. It takes about 4 to 5 hours to reach Cheeka and here you have to spend the night in the camp. Cheeka Campsite is built on the banks of Rani Nala River and a beautiful waterfall here adds to the beauty of this place. Another special thing about Cheeka is that the weather here remains fine during the day but as soon as the sun sets, the temperature of this place falls very fast.
Chika to sand circle
After spending the night in Cheeka, the next day you have to go to the sand circle. This is considered to be the most difficult challenge to reach Hampta Pass. That’s because to reach the sand circle you have to travel 10 km. One has to climb a steep slope. Even very fit people seem to lose courage on this path. But if you go with preparation, have confidence in yourself and have the courage not to give up, then there will not be much difficulty in reaching here. As soon as you leave Cheeka, you have to cross the river through a thin wooden bridge and walk about 2 km. After walking you reach Jwara which is a very beautiful place. It may take you about 7 to 8 hours to reach the sand circle.
You will definitely feel tired on this route, but when you see the river, forest and snow laden mountains present here, you will get the courage to move ahead. The biggest challenge before reaching the sandbank is to cross a river stream which lies between the high tide and the sandbank.
To cross this stream you have to enter the river yourself. This water is so cold that many people cannot even bear it. However, it is not impossible to cross it and most of the people cross it and reach the sand circle by 4 to 5 pm.
characteristic of sand circle
A sand ring is a field where you will find sand all around. Rani Nala river flows along the banks of this plain and here you will find icy glaciers which are as hard as stones. To reach the sand ring, you have to cross these glaciers too, but believe me, this is just a trailer because on the third day of the Hampta Pass trek, you have to cross these glaciers by walking and slipping.
The night temperature in the sand circle goes below 0 degrees and it rains throughout the day. The night in the sand circle is very special. It is cold here but at night you can see the blanket of stars. Due to being situated at a very high altitude, the stars are visible very clearly here.
Sheya Goru Camp via Hampta Pass
The third day of Hampta Pass trek is considered to be the most difficult. On this day you reach a height of 14100 feet where it is difficult for many people to even breathe. It takes about 10 hours to reach Sheya Goru Camp from Balu ka Ghera and this track is about 10 km. Is. This track is also difficult because to reach here you have to walk on snow. This track starts from the sand field and then starts the snowy climb.
Slipping while climbing here is very common, so it requires good shoes and a stick to support you. In about 7-8 hours you reach Hampta Pass which is the highest point of this track. You get amazing Himalayan views on this entire track but then a very dangerous slope begins.
To reach Sheya Goru you have to descend from Hampta Pass. Believe me, descending the Himalayan track is more risky than climbing it. Because if your feet slip while descending, you may get seriously injured. Therefore, one has to descend here very carefully.
Visit to Chataru Camp and Chandratal
In the Bollywood film ‘Lootera’, Ranveer Singh is seen telling actress Sonakshi Sinha that he wants to see Chandratal once before he dies and you get to see the same Chandratal on the Hampta Pass track. Chandratal means the lake of the moon which is situated between the peaks of the Himalayas. This lake is situated at an altitude of 4300 meters in Lahaul Spiti district and if you have come on the Hampta Pass track, then it is not complete without visiting this lake.
From Sheya Goru camp site early in the morning you leave for Chataru and about 5 km. After walking, you reach the sandy and rocky desert of Lahaul-Spiti district. Chataru is situated on the roadside and from here you leave for Chandratal in traveler or SUV car which is about 70 to 75 km. is far away.
Why is Chandratal special?
The biggest specialty of Chandratal is that it is in the shape of the moon. When seen from height it looks like the moon. Chandra Bhaga river flows from Chandratal itself and flows into Lahaul Spiti and later on this river becomes Chenab. The color of Chandratal changes several times throughout the day. Sometimes it appears blue and sometimes its color is green. This lake looks even more beautiful when the shadow of the surrounding snowy peaks falls on it.
After spending time at Chandratal, you return back to Chataru and if there is time, you can also return to Manali. So this is the journey of the magical Hampta Pass trek which starts from the lush green forests, passes through the snowy mountains and ends at the rocky and sandy land of Spiti. One has to see this miracle of nature once in a lifetime.
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