Trekking in Triund, in India's Himalayas

[Moustache Escapes]

For anyone visiting McLeodganj, Triund, a small hill station in the Kangra district of Himachal Pradesh, India, is definitely a must-go spot. It is 2,828 m in height and is a part of Dharamkot. Unlike McLeodganj, where you can reach Triund by bus, you have to trek at least 6 KM to reach Triund.

You can enter Triund from either of the two roads, one from Dharamkot via Gallu Devi Temple or the Shiva Café from Bhagsu Nag. It is recommended to reach the top via the Dharamkot route after triund trekking on both routes and to descend via the Shiva Café route.

Gallu Devi temple, which serves as the starting point for the triund trek, is 2.5 km from the Main Square and can be reached on foot and even in cars/taxis, but they charge a premium that can be easily avoided by walking all the way to the temple of Gallu Devi

If you intend to stay at the top for the night, do not forget to stock up on water (from McLeodganj market or your hotel) because there is a water shortage due to the lack of a natural source of water. At the top and even in the stores, a 1 L water-sealed water bottle costs a whopping Rs 50 mid-way.

Do have some frooti or appy from the shop if you want to walk all the way from McLeodganj to Gallu Devi temple. Drink it slowly and taste the taste as it will definitely be the best experience of drinking frooti/appy, trust me on that.

As there are some steep steps in places, the trekking route is at an Easy to Moderate stage. If you plan to bring your own tent/sleeping bags, before trying the hike, you better do some leg exercises like squats and lunges for a week. We brought our own tents, sleeping bags, yoga mats, and food that resulted in a heavy backpack (about 12-15kg) and regular muscle spasms because of the steep steps in the calf muscles, a lesson learned the hard way.

The entire route is properly marked and draws a lot of people on a regular basis. As it is exactly situated halfway, Magic View Café serves as a milestone and you can guess how much time they are going to take to cover the other half. Depending on your fitness and the load you are carrying, the 6 KM trek from the Gallu Devi temple all the way to the top usually takes somewhere between 4-5 hours. The last KM is generally referred to as "22 curves" because to reach the tip, one has to navigate these 22 tilting curves.

After reaching the Triund ridge, the view you are greeted with is absolutely unreal and mind-calming, making the 4-5 hour ordeal totally worth it. It is highly recommended to camp on the hill for the night in order to enjoy the beauty of nature and to see the magical sunrise and sunset.

In various groups and campsites, tents are spread all the way along the mountain, so choose your camping ground wisely. If you want peace and relaxation, go the extra mile in either direction and go farther away from the main floor. Tents can be booked from McLeodganj in advance or from Rs 500 per head on the spot at the top (Rates may vary depending on the footfall and weather).