48 Kugti HP

In March 2012 my Trekking friend Sadanand (SK) Kamath was asking what trek we should do this year. I said I may not be having time or inclination to do a typical long trek this year; but game for a exploration of any unvisited areas especially in HP. Then he mentioned that he has been wanting to explore the Bharmour area, where the Gaddi sheperds of HP did a annual summer migration with their flocks of sheep to high grazing areas over Kugti Pass and down into the slopes of Chenab River in Lahaul.

So based on my tentative return date from US, SK booked some train tickets to Delhi & Chakki Bank, in late May, if we decide to go to the Kugti area. And for the first time, he agreed to my suggestion, of keeping the day-to-day details of the trip unplanned!

When I got back to Mumbai on 15th May my jet-lag was so bad that it seemed unlikely we will go to Kugti; but by 23rd I was feeling Ok and so we left as planned.

23-April-2012: Sadananad (SK and I) boarded a summer special Rajdhani Express at Borivali 10 minutes before midnight and slept off.

24-April-2012: We reached New Delhi next day at 5:50PM and discovered that our onward wait-listed berths to Chakki Bank were not confirmed. So we rushed out of the station and found a travel agent shop outside the Railway Station to see how we can go to Pathankot. He dialled some Bus companies and found that a few berths were available on a AC Sleeper Volvo Bus to Katra Via Jammu, Pathankot at a premium price!

We had no choice and so took 2 berths on the 7PM bus, that actually left only around 7:30PM. The cramped berth space on that Bus was claustrophobic. Plus there was a group of noisy youngsters who were talking loudly and creating a racket, till way past midnight in the nearby berths. I hardly slept.