Buran Ghati?Trek: A Walk to Himachal’s Best Kept Secret

Close your eyes and picture?the ideal Himalayan trek. Maybe it’s a stand of dense oak and pine, or perhaps an open meadow?where the grass seems like a velvet carpet under my feet. Perhaps you see a remote mountain pass where you can glide through snowy terrain or an idyllic village that feels lost?in time.

The Buran Ghati Trek is not one of these things; it is?all of them. Nested in the core of Himachal Pradesh, this trek is popularly known as the “Grand Buffet” of trekking since there’s something about everything?on offer. Every step feels like a new chapter in a storybook, from the ancient architecture of Janglikh to exhilarating highs of?the Buran Pass at over 15,000 ft.

The Start : Through the Wilds of?Janglikh

The?adventure begins long before the laces of your trekking boots are tied. There is a?150 km drive from Shimla to the base village of Janglikh taking one through the noisy mall road to dense, deep Pabbar River valley.

In?Khadapathar or Narkanda, you drive and the air gets crisper. Janglikh itself is a marvel. A heritage village where you see the original wooden and stone?houses and people smile with their hearts. The best way to shake off the city and acclimatize, sleeping out overnight doing a bonfire?under the star dusted sky.

Then I Walked in the Meadows: Dayara and?Litham

The opening days of the journey are unexpectedly gentle on the?soul. Traversing Janglikh to Dayara?Thach takes you through forests that would not be out of place in a fantasy movie. When you eventually emerge from the treeline into the Dayara meadows, it’s impossible to miss the sheer?expanse of landscape. These?are endless, rolling grasslands of changing colors depending on the season.

The?trek further proceeds to Litham Thach. Arguably one of the most?stunning campsite in the Himalayas. It lies at the confluence of?three valleys. Towards your left, the white thread of the Chandranahan waterfalls can be spotted falling?from the cliffs. Before you, the snow-covered Dhauladhar ranges loom?like giant sentinels.

A Pro-Tip for the Trail:

A?high-altitude trek is a lot to organize: permits, good gear and experienced guides who understand the weather patterns. To ensure that I could concentrate fully on the landscapes without being bothered by the stress of planning,?I booked my trip with TrekYaari. With their local knowledge and support staff, the difficult pieces?of the climb felt remarkably more manageable.

The Sacred Waters: Chandranahan Lake

There’s a mythic detour to the route, to?Chandranahan Lake, even before you cross the pass. This is a glacial lake nestled in a natural?amphitheatre of rock and ice. The hike up to?the lake is on a shepherd’s trail and it takes some grit, but getting to the top is like: Spiritual experience. The lake is sacred to the locals,?and the silence here is so complete you can hear your own heart beating.