Hemkunt Sahib

[Romy]

My parents are planning to go there in August to celebrate their 25th anniversary and asked if I wanted to go with them as well. I really want to, but what's stopping me is that they're going during rain season. I heard it's really dangerous going then. I know there was a topic made on hemkunt sahib but that was a year or two ago. I'd like to hear stories about your trek up there and back down. =]

If we were just going to Punjab, I'd go to India in a second even in August, but it's the scary trek that's stopping me. Also, I'm scared I might get altitude sickness since I'm so prone to getting sick.

Please help

 

[Navkarn]

My parents are planning to go there in August to celebrate their 25th anniversary and asked if I wanted to go with them as well. I really want to, but what's stopping me is that they're going during rain season. I heard it's really dangerous going then. I know there was a topic made on hemkunt sahib but that was a year or two ago. I'd like to hear stories about your trek up there and back down. =]

If we were just going to Punjab, I'd go to India in a second even in August, but it's the scary trek that's stopping me. Also, I'm scared I might get altitude sickness since I'm so prone to getting sick.

Please help

Hey Romy, I have a pretty intense Hemkunt Sahib story. I went in the rainy season in 2003 and will never ever go back after my experience. I don't want to scare you or anything, but this is a true real life experience and it might answer some of the questions you have. Alright so here goes nothing. The drive to the base point (Govind Dham) is pretty damn scary. It's about a 6 hour drive alongside a a VERY narrow mountainside and every minute of the drive i feared we were going to fall off the edge any minute. The roads are rigid and some people drive like idiots simply put. There was no rain on the drive along the mountain side but about 20 minutes after reaching Govind Dham (the base point) it began to pour and almost never seemed to end. We stayed in a "hotel" that night and prepared for the first part of the 2 part journey up the trail the next morning. Okay so i must admit, the journey and hiking up the trails to Govind Ghat (2nd base point) is SO MUCH FUN. You have the option of walking it all or taking a donkey ride up. We chose to walk it all the way and it took close to 7-8 hours. The scenery along the way is breath taking and it was this part of the trip that i really enjoyed. Day 2 we took donkeys up and descended down later the day as well. Okay, now the story takes a turn and this is when i realized i never wanted to go back and was lucky to even be alive to type this right now. On the way back the rains would not let up and the mountain sides LITERALLY BEGAN TO FALL and roads which were the ONLY way in and out literally collapsed and went flying down the side of the mountain into the river below. We got stuck in a very small town called Joshimat for NINE DAYS because there was no more road, it had washed away and literally just the side of a mountain remained. We slept in our car for NINE days, wandered aimlessly around the small town, and prayed every night the rain would stop so something could be done. Food was running scarce and i really felt like i was not going to go home again. It got even worse when loose boulders from the rain came crashing down onto the cars killing some people. It was SO UNREAL. After the ninth day rain stopped and immediate "construction" began on the mountain. They literally planted dynamite into the mountain to form a new road. After hours and hours of this dynamite process, enough road had been created to move on for the short time being. We made it back to Chandigargh and i was in total awe. This experience was UNREAL. As much as i look back on it and thank god we made it, i also can't ever forgot the trek up the mountain. It's unlike any other and please please please do go visit Hemkunt in any other time but the rainy season ... we learned our lesson.

here are some photos from my trip:

if you look closely in the picture above, there is a yellow construction vehicle on the left and then another one on the very right ... in between is what WAS a road. it had totally collapsed. the heavy endless rain caused so many of these landslides making it impossible for us to leave at the time.

view from the beginning of the trek up

looking down from the very top of Hemkunt Sahib. so high in the clouds.

view from the town we were stuck in Joshimat

 

[Dippy]

http://bhangrateamsforum.com/discuss/index.php/topic,2625.msg30799.html#msg30799

^ My trip in a nutshell!!! I say GO FOR IT!! It's only open during the summertime so there's no other time of the year you can even get a chance to go....TRUST me it's culture shock to the max and you'll meet really cool people along the way, I'm not going to lie its really scary but you should just risk it for a biscuit, you only live once and its something that should be checked off everyones bucket list!! I would totally go again!!!

 

[justAguy]

Romy, my bua goes frequently, and she always warns against making the trip during monsoons. Granted that it is a fulfilling experience which I've been dying to have myself, the precautions must be taken in these times of severe weather conditions ... I would recommend you warn your parents too, to maybe postpone the trip for a better time (November is a great time to go according to my bua). Like Navkarn showed landslides and deteriorating roads, these aren't aberrations in traveling up the mountains during monsoons, going to any hill station this happens, you see trucks flipped over and all kinds of scary stuff. We had a similar situation going up to tibet through Himmachal a few summers ago, we were stuck in a remote village (not like a hill station but a very barren place with little help) and it was scary ! Your parents are awesome for coming up with such a great way of celebrating, with mine it's usually an overpriced dinner with a side order of arguments

 

[Romy]

Thanks everyone! I decided not to go, cause my heart truly isn't in it right now and my grandpa won't be alone at home either. My parents, however, already booked their tickets. Thanks for the tips, and I will warn them about the dangers.

However, more tips are welcome! I wanna prep my parents as much as possible before they go. Gotta make sure they'll be fine.

 

[Govind]

yea it's pretty terrifying at times but i think as long as you have faith you can do it!
check out my hemkunt sahib pictures on my fb!!!

 

[nine16jatt]

heyy.. u should go.. i went liek 3 years back.. and it was great experience... you feel a little queezy at times... but at the end it pays off. great all around experience.. jus dont get a ride on a donkey its better to walk.. my horse almost went off the cliff.. verry close but go for it

 

[Manjot]

I can't wait to go 1 day! I heard its beautiful and really peaceful.

whats a good time to go? Isn't it closed in the winter due to snow?