“With no offence to any gender – Man is not a Man if he does not love mountains.” – Shri Sadguru
A spontaneous change in programme from Shri Mani Mahesh (of course, extreme weather plays spoil sport) led 4 of us to village Kreri, around 30 km off the track from behind Dharamshalla, Chumbi, Himachal Pradesh. It turned out to be a great discovery — a mountaineering track, less inhabited, clean but very steep and rocky terrain, where a water stream flows beside and beneath you at times. “Over-adrenaline” rush is the order of the day, so to put it across.
Venturing without a travel guide may cause problems like losing track in deserted deep forest areas full of wild bears and leopards. To avoid extra luggage, do not carry tents or sleeping bags. Keep limited eatables, cooked food, water, and other basic elements required to sustain at such high altitude (approx. 3000 meters above sea level). Also, call your near and dear ones before starting the trek, as there is no network after village Kreri.
Kreri village is the base camp for starting the track upwards. It takes about 8–9 hours, depending on your stamina and endurance, to reach Kreri Lake, the final spot of this track. Another route from here goes up to 4000+ meters, needing 2 more days to climb and return, offering a picturesque view of 7 lakes — but requires a lot more resilience, which novice trekkers like us did not have.
Starting late for such an arduous journey has repercussions, as we experienced. We began from Jammu late, reached Kreri around 2 PM, had some light refreshments, and commenced our track through rocky steps and lush green mountainous jungle full of clean mineral water. Several zigzag passes with 60+ degree elevation left us gasping for breath. We saw natural caves — nature’s own shelters in case of rain or snow.
We reached the lake after 10 PM with 2 guides who advised us to stay close (within 2 feet) to avoid wild animal attacks. Carrying a torch is mandatory; music on your charged phone feels soothing. Essentials include a rucksack with minimum luggage, power bank, rain suit, mosquito repellent, cap, medicines, pain spray, and band-aids.
A few domesticated dogs from Kreri village accompany tourists up and down daily as guides — a heartening sight.
Overall, it’s a 15 km journey to the Kreri Lake top, where there is an old Lord Shiva temple facing the lake, fitted with a solar mast light that acts as a beacon for night travellers.
During festivals like Janmashtami, about 1000+ pilgrims visit this temple and take a dip in the holy lake. A big “No” is advised for people with medical ailments or those who do not exercise regularly, as there are no medical facilities on the way up.