जब भी किसी चीज को दिलसे चाहो तो पुरी कायनात तुम्हे उससे मिलाने में लग जाती है, but sometimes in opposite direction. That’s what we were experiencing when we planned for our workation. The Location was finalized, flight tickets booked, and there came the news “Pune Airport will remain closed for a few days.” This could well be the reason for canceling the trip, but not for VERVE-INAS. We changed the location, mode of transport changed, what didn’t change was the desire to make it to workation. McLeod Ganj, Himachal Pradesh. In no time, we got into the zone….चल…संग चल…हिमाचल.
Being a part of an organization that works entirely virtually, it’s always good to meet Teammates in person but what caught our attention in a flick when we gathered at the Pune railway station was the Luggage we all were carrying. Massive it was!! Eventually, we boarded “Jammu Tawi Express- Pune to Pathankot”. We took little time to settle in as Luggage kept us Engaged. The train was going to be our home for the next 38 hours. Yes, you read it right. We knew it is not going to be easy to be in for such a long number of hours but being VERVE-IANS टोली around it wasn’t as measurable as we thought.
For the very first time, we all were having such a long train journey, and a few things we realized about our co-passengers are, nobody knew that “Earphones” exist. Everybody was playing some random videos on their mobile without earphones. कोई न्युज सुन रहा है, कोई भोजपुरी गाना सुन रहा है, कोई इंग्लिश मूवी देख रहा है,सब कुछ बडी आवाज में. Trust us, we didn’t have this kind of diversified entertainment ever. Seriously, if one more thing that has to be made compulsory in the train after Mask and Sanitizer, it has to be Earphone. On top of this noise going around, चायवालाज in the train with their typical “चाय…चाय” sound was little difficult to handle. Despite we all being Chai-Lovers, but listening to “चाय…चाय” at 5.30 in the morning was definitely not our “Cup of Tea”.
Having said that, can we say we did not enjoy our journey. Nopes…definitely not. Throughout the journey, we laughed a lot, talked a lot, also played “Raja-Rani-Chor-Shipai” game. Our Director turned “भेलवाला” for a while and made an awesome भेल for all of us. (Courtesy- One Borrowed Onion from Railway Pantry). All these things happened around and there we came to know that one of our Team Members (Who has a “पहाडी आंखे”) lost her mobile. Guess What? It fell down on the platform while she was busy collecting Chai Thermos from one of VERVE-IAN who made it all the way to Jalgaon railway station at 1 o’clock in the night to serve us a “Special Home-made Chai”. We will always remember this Midnight Tea for three reasons, first for its wonderful Taste, second, the lost mobile and having those chai sips without being irritated by “ चाय…चाय” noise, was a pleasure…sheer pleasure.
Amidst this eventful journey, here we reached “Pathankot”. We stepped out of the train oops..sorry..our 38- hour Home, it was 7-7.30 in the morning, got out of the station where a Tempo-Traveler was waiting to take us to McLeod Ganj, another 3-3.5 hours road journey. We met the Driver who helped us with our massive luggage and started cruising towards McLeod Ganj. Meanwhile, to share the location of the Hotel we would be staying in, we asked for his mobile number, saved it and there we saw his whatsapp Dp as ”मौत”. Which Driver does that? He was supposed to drive us through these hilly areas, the sharp twists and turns, looking at his whatsApp Dp…what do you think, what must have crossed our mind? Needs no guesses. Right? But he drove us exceptionally well, safe and secured. Thanks Man!! But please change the Dp.
All said and done, how did we feel to be in a place that is nestled in the mystic hills of Himachal Pradesh, what all things we explored in this scenic land, wish to know? Here we go.
“Triund View Camps and Homestay” was the place we stayed in. As we all got settled in our allotted rooms, the first thing we needed was a hot water bath. It just helped our tired muscles heal and freshen up. We were all set to explore this Calm, Scenic, Beautiful suburb area of Dharamshala. Like always, at the hills, the evening is a cool and cozy time so we decided to explore the McLeod Ganj local market. Shopping in Mcleodganj had its own charm, beautifully handcrafted items didn’t allow us to take our eyes off, and so after a bit of shopping and a walkthrough around the market, it was a time for some “पेटपुजा”. Delectable steamed momos, Maggie, chai, and a few other street foods we all had. We were already in love with the place and even wondering what would be the experiences that awaits us in this wonderland. Going back to the hotel, the discussion about “Triund Trek” started building the heat in that cool and cold place.
Getting warmed up for the trek was super fun as Pradeep, the instructor, briefed us about how the trek going to be, what all precautions needs to be taken. The VERVE-IAN gang was all charged up for the trek except one with an upset stomach who preferred to stay back at the hotel. Some of us have had done trekking before, for some, it was their very first trek. As told by our Guide, that the Triund trek is indeed easy for even the first-timers, all VERVE-IAN adventure enthusiasts, little nervous, more of excited, slightly unsure, started off their journey.
As we moved ahead, this serene and alluring trekking destination started unfolding its abundant natural beauty. The jaw-dropping views of the lofty Dhauladhar ranges on one side and the gorgeous Kangra valley on the other were well compensating the steep climb. No doubt, the Triund trek route was exhilarating and super thrilling but after a point, it did test our stamina, and more than that our grit was put to its hardest test. We took a much-needed break at “Shiva Café”, the cool and funky café. It was really cozy and happening.
We were tired, exhausted as there came a patch where there was the continuous ascent. God promise, it was so demanding for us and for other trekkers as well who lead a sedentary lifestyle. The Thought of Giving up did cross our minds. At that very moment, our Guide played a song that literally proved to be therapy for our drained-out bodies and tired mind. “मेरा दिल कही दूर पहाडो में खो गया”( Song by Salman Elahi). What a Song!! Trust us, we have got so many memories associated with this song, for the rest of our life, whenever we would listen to it, it will fly us to the magical Triund Trek in a flash of a second.
For us, this trek didn’t remain a mere adventurous activity but a way to strengthen the bond between us. It’s was a real-life experience that when you help someone else, you achieve greater things. Carrying each other’s backpacks, helping each other on difficult boulder sections, providing moral support to those struggling while climbing uphill showed the character this VERVE Team has. Yes, it did take a toll on us physically but it was a mental health boost for sure.
Spending time hiking silently and observing nature was so amazing. Listening to those sounds of bird calls, water running, leaves rustling in the breeze was something one has to experience at least once in a lifetime. We were letting each of us commune in our own personal way with nature while also giving time to relax, focus on our footwork, and mentally zone out.
The higher we were going, the more we were feeling like we are on a completely different planet. Reaching an invitingly beautiful green plateau surrounded by magnificent peaks, we realized that we were having a walk above the cloud that reminded us of a famous song “आज में उपर आसमा नीचे”. When we reached there, hardly anything was visible as it was cloudy but soon after, “SUN” registered its presence and thereafter what we saw was simply stunning. Seeing those different shades of the sunlight held us spellbound. Looking the Sun setting with some golden lights hitting those mountain ranges were spectacular. The shades of the mountain were changing to green, red, blue, orange and colorful. Speechless we were!! We were actually witnessing something we saw in pictures or movies only.
After being put to the toughest physical test ever, after being gone through steep routes that needed a sturdy walk, eventually, we reached the mesmerizing site of Triund where the camping is done. Feeling the cool breeze along with the warm bonfire under the starlit sky was one of a kind experience. As we got in Tents, it was worth listening the story from our Director himself, about how “VERVE” came into existence and how people from different walks of life became its part. Spending time at the summit after being done with the adventure activities and absorbing the natural beauty along with these wonderful stories to hear was surreal.
The amazing panoramic views from the top at different times of the day – dusk, moonrise, and dawn – made us emotional, we all had tears in our eyes because what we were witnessing was a never-before thing and an unforgettable experience. We thought of ourselves as extremely fortunate to be there. Quietly everybody was humming the song “मेरा दिल कही दूर पहाडो में खो गया”….and we fell asleep in our tented accommodation.
The Next Morning, woke up early to catch the incredible views of the sun rising. What a beautiful sight it was as the sun lights up the Kangra valley. With these amazing views, breathtaking experiences it was a time to head back. None of us was the same person as we came down, we discovered that we had an inner resolve, an inner strength much beyond what we had imagined. Taking short breaks in between, it was fun trekking down to McLeod Ganj. Reached the hotel with sore muscles and numb feet. Had a hot water bath, and relaxed a bit in our hotel rooms. Even though we had come back to hotel, those picture-perfect sceneries-mountains and hills, forests, flowers and birds, sunrises and sunsets, moonrises and stars didn’t allow us to get out of the zone.
There came the last day of our McLeod Ganj workation. What a fulfilling experience it was. We worked together, trekked together, had one-on–one session with our managers, got into much needed meaningful conversation with our Director. The list has it all. On last day at hotel, we were served special Himachal Traditional cuisine. The guys working at “Triund View Camps and Homestay” were really awesome. The kind of reception and treatment we got was superb. We really wanted to thank those guys for going the extra mile to make our experience an extraordinary one. The overall experience was phenomenal.
We reached Pathankot railway station from where we boarded the same Train “Jammu-Tawi” express again. This time we had so much to discuss while being on the train, from treks to strolls, the pictures we clicked, the Birthday and Bachelor’s parties we had. So would it be right if we say that while heading back to Pune it didn’t felt like a 38 hours long train journey? Nooo….it still felt like a lonnnggggg journey. एक बात तो हम सबके के समज में आ गयी के ४० घंटे “ट्रेन” में बिताना हमारे “बस” की बात नही|
Let’s see where are we going for our next Workation? Will it be train or Flight? Interested to know?? Stay tuned.