Family Adventure TrekDay2 : Serolsar Lake to Shepherd’s Hut
That was the original plan for Day2 of this family adventure but destiny had its own ideas. Read the story as it unfolds !
I think (since I was not awake to confirm), sunrise happens at 4:30 am in these mountains! By around 5:15 am it was bright inside the tent. I woke the kids up at 6 as the plan was to leave by 8:30 am. It was going to be a long day. I was told it was a 8 hours trek. Keeping the kids (and our) convenience in mind, we agreed to stop closer to 6 hours.
Today, we had our first glimpse of snow in the Himalayan range of Dhauladhar and Kinnaur.
Out first view of the snow capped peaks
Post a sumptuous breakfast comprising of eggs, toast, porridge, parathas, fruits and tea/coffee , we were ready to take on what lay ahead. We started Day 2 of our family adventure with a steep 1 hour uphill climb !
The uphill climb on Day2
There were more rhododendrons up close.
The Rhododendrons were as fresh as us – start of Day 2
Our first break after the climb. The view was more magnificent, if possible. There were Rhododendrons, lush meadows flanked by green trees and snow clad mountains in the backdrop.
Stop and smell the flowers – literally. Our first halt during day2 of the family adventure
The entire hillside was strewn with pretty yellow and purple flowers and I was loathe to step on them.
These wild yellow, purple and blue flowers were all over in the meadows
The meadow of our first break
All this beauty around and then the trek became tough. After the 1 hr climb, it was ok for a little while. Then there was a downhill route which, as per our guide TC, was a bad stretch. There was literally no road and we had to make our own way. Of course, the team was excellent and they guided us exactly where to step and how to descend. During this stretch we came down steep slopes covered with leaves and loose mud, crept sideways along really narrow ledges and climbed down steep stone cliffs. This stretch gave us a real family adventure feeling.
All part of the family adventure. Yes, we climbed down these rocks !
I am certain that I would not have managed to do this, if not for the guide and his team. What I really admire is the resilience and attitude of my kids who managed this independently of their parents, without any fear or angst. At the end of the descent, our guide, TC cheerfully announced that now that we had come downhill, the only way was forward ! The thought of having to climb back up gave me the jitters, so we marched on (as if there was an option, ha ha)
After another hour of an uphill climb we broke for lunch on a scenic mountain top, where we ate burgers packed by our talented cook Inder.
Stopping for lunch was never this welcome #tiredfeet
Backdrop to our lunch site
Here we met another group of travelers heading towards the same destination. They were surprised that kids managed to do the last stretch of climbing down and I was so proud of them (again !).
After the welcome break, the terrain was more of less flat. It was starting to get cold due to winds and the camp was nowhere in sight. The guide had sent people ahead to look for a place with water for us to camp.
This was the easy part of the trek
The beautiful view with Rhododendrons as we trek by
We encountered remains of snow on the way and I decided to eat some (as I had seen some in the team do). It was a good substitute for cold water 🙂 .
Happy to pose with a patch of ice left from the last snowfall
We finally reached an amazingly green meadow with a closer and much more magnificent view of the snow clad peaks of Dhauladhar and Kinnaur ranges.
Spotted finally – Crystal Cave where we pitch our tents
I was hoping there was water here and was so ever glad that they found a small source. So, Crystal Cave was going to be our camp site on Day 2. Could I ask for more ? Apparently, I could 😉 . We decided to make this our base camp for the next 2 days 🙂
Campsite with a view
The sunsets were amazing, the snow capped peaks glistened in the setting sun and we were served pakoda (fried fritters) with tea !
Welcome drink and snacks on arrival at the camp site 🙂
Soon it started to get cold and we got inside the tent, played Uno (a card game) and waited for the soup to arrive.
We are getting a hang of Uno
As we enjoyed the sunset, I knew, soon there will be a bon-fire lit and we would have dinner around it before retiring for the night. Ah, the luxury life 🙂
Day 1 sunset in the Himalayas
Things you may want to know before the travel (Travel tips)
- Duration of Day 2 trek was a bit much for the kids, in my opinion. Unfortunately, there was no camping place with water along the way
- There are other treks in the Great Himalayan National Park that can be taken instead (our heart was set on Lambri trek though)
- Apply LOADS of sunscreen. The sun is harsher in the mountains, even though you don’t feel it due to the lovely weather. We all ended up with deeply sun-burnt skin
- Carry enough water for the trek duration each day, as there are no sources of water other than the one you leave behind at previous camp
- Know what motivates your kids to keep going. It is natural for them to tire during a long trek
- Carry games or plan on things to do in the tent to occupy yourself. It gets windy and cold as the sun sets making you tent-bound
- Carry a rechargeable lamp, if needed. We were provided one by the crew, though we had carried torches and head lamps
Link to other days of the family adventure trek
Day 1 – Jalori Pass to Serolsar Lake
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A daughter, sister, wife, mother, friend, IT professional and now – a travel blogger. I just love traveling, exploring new places and this inspired me to share travel experiences and memories with others.
I love the sunset photo ! And the photo with dry leaves are giving nice color contrast to green forest around you. Serolsar looks like a beautiful lake and an excellent place for hiking and camping 😉
Thanks so much for your kind words. The place is so photogenic, it is a photographer’s delight 🙂
I’ve been following along as you vacation with your family. Keep the pics coming, I love them! Thank you for including the tips – definitely don’t forget the sun screen!
Thanks Shannon. Do following my adventure. More blogs on their way 🙂
Ummm … wow! What an absolutely beautiful place … and pictures! (I think the one of your shoes is my favorite – so creative).What an adventure – going back to read your “Day One” …
Thanks so much :). Did you like Day1 ? Day 3 and 4 coming out soon, stay tuned !
You are SO brave! I don’t think I would have been able to take such climb. Great job!
Thanks so much. I had a great team to support us, without them we could not have accomplished what we did. Also, my kids were awesome throughout the trip 🙂
What a great adventure and I am proud of your kids. The trail is quite rough for them. Good thing you also brought adequate amounts of water for hydration. This kind of adventure with family is truly great for bonding and it is memorable. Also, I love the view of the Himalayan National Park. So stunning!
Thanks so much :). It was a beautiful trek, nature at its best ! It was our first trek as a family, so yeah – proud of my kids for being so great throughout. We had a great time as a family
This sounds like a great trek and beautiful. What a wonderful experience for your kids. The tips are really useful too!
Thanks Tanya. Glad you liked the tips.
Wow I am impressed by your kids! That is a commendable trek that they did.
Probably it could have been stretched to 3 days for families. The scenic beauty so well captured.
Thanks Indrani. It was a 4 day trek. The other 2 days I am yet to write up :). For anyone , the recommendation is a minimum 4 days to be able to enjoy the trail at a decent pace. Day 2 was a little tough as it is normally 8 hours of walk before we find a water source !
Hats off to your kids and t proud mother. They are too young to carry on with this trek. Your pictures are amazing and I am completely enjoying this series.
Thanks Suruchi, glad you liked the series and the pictures. I thought they were small too, but they did fabulously well. We under-estimate our kids sometimes :). Stay tuned for Day 3 and Day4 !
Wow this seems like such an exciting and adventurous trek. Kudos to your kids for completing this trek. And really amazing pictures!! If I may ask do you plan these treks by yourself? I would like some information.
Thanks so much Karie. Glad you liked the pictures. This was my first trek with kids, so I selected the trek after a lot of research. This trek was booked through Himalayan Ecotourism. They are a co-operative and have partnered with members of community living in the ecozone of Great Himalayan National Park. You can read more about them in my Day1 post (http://www.recipe4travel.com/2017/06/04/day1-trek-jalori-pass-serolsar-lake/)
Wow! That looks like such a beautiful place and what an adventure! I’m seriously impressed that your kids were able to complete that trek!
Thanks so much. Yes, they were amazing !
What a beautiful family! I love hiking but I haven’t done it with my whole family. It’s on my bucket list. I enjoyed looking at your photos. The place is amazing.
Thanks Karla. Glad you liked the pictures 🙂
Ooh wow the view is amazing. I bet the best is experiencing this with your family! Fun, crazy but lovely.
We did have a great time, thanks Kenneth !
Such a great adventure
I love this kind of trip but not all the time cos i hare hiking urhgggg
Amazing..the views from up there are amazing. It sounds like such a beautiful camping vacation with family. And the trek seems to be easy enough for me to try 🙂 I have bookmarked your post for future reference
Thanks Neha. When you do this trek, you will love it. It is so serene and beautiful there
I am so happy for your family, you have great bonding activities such as hiking! I wish i could also take my son with me when i go to the mountains. I wonder when you started taking your daughter to hikes?
Thanks so much for the appreciation Erica. This was her first official hike but she has been traveling (and walking) since 5. You can try a day trek with your son. How old is he ? He might surprise you with the energy he has 🙂
Tbh I envy you right now !The tent uno and the pakodas before sunset watching sound so much fun.I feel that kids are more energetic than adults during treks.My family always worry about younger cousins who are like 10-12 years old but they end up going ahead of us and guiding us.Eating snow seems like a great idea but I did that once and landed up with a sore throat lol
Thanks Harini. The trip was lovely and the kids outdid the parents :). It was fun to find remnants of snow which we could eat !
Wow! Beautiful photos! That sunset looks so pretty! I wish my son was old enough so we could take him hiking with us like that.
Leelo, he will grow up sooner than you like. Enjoy him while he is small, you will get there soon enough 🙂
Hey loved the Crystal cave exploration! Your post looks like a treasure hunt! Interesting! I still haven’t pitched a tent and stayed in it for a night but your post has given me serious travel goals! Thanks for sharing your experience in a lucid manner.
Thanks Ambuj :). It was our first trek as a family and I was so excited about it. You should try it too. Camping is such fun when food is made and served. I felt like royalty 🙂
Must have been a thrilling experience for the entire family. Wonderful pictures.
Thanks so much. Glad you liked the pictures. It was a superb family trip
Such an amazing experiment!
Thanks Clara for stopping by
I never had such an adventure with my family when I was young, I wish we did. Your children are sure lucky to have parents like you who love traveling. They are able to go to many beautiful places even at young age. For sure this trek would make for a wonderful memory. I love how you described the trek, by the way, makes me feel like I was right there with you. The view is simply stunning, would love to trek it if I can someday.
Thanks Marge. I am sure you will enjoy trekking even if you start now. It is so much fun and develops the appreciation and respect for nature. Thanks for reading and for your kind words.