Day hikes around Dharamshala

July 26, 2022

Day hikes around Dharamshala

The Café at "Snowline Café"

One of the most popular day hikes around Dharamshala is the Triund trek. The trail starts from Gallu temple. Since I was staying at Mclloyd Ganj, I had to leave early. By 7:15, I took the cab (Rs 700) from my hotel near ISBT to Gallu temple. The motorable road ends at Gallu temple. Beyond that is a narrow walking trail. But the road was horrendous and the cab had to stop almost a kilometer before Gallu temple.

Triund

I had my breakfast at a small shop beside Gallu temple. The shopkeeper told me that during summer season, the place would be heaving with tourists. There are only a handful of tourists today. Covid has had a disastrous impact on tourism sector and the local economy. Accommodation is available near Gallu temple, but I’m not sure if it has opened up after the Covid pandemic.

I started walking by 8 AM. The trail is well maintained and relatively easy. At the midpoint of the trail is a small café. There is a good seating area beside this café. It’s a nice place to pause and soak in the views. Beyond this, the trail becomes steeper. Reached Triund by 11.

Triund is a large beautiful meadow with wonderful views. Camping here been stopped by the courts as it was detrimental to the local ecology. There is a small hotel here that offers overnight accommodation. I am told that there are a few camp sites a little beyond Triund, but I’m not sure where it is. There is a small shop/shack that that sells a few stuff. It even offers simple cooked meals. Since I’ve reached early, there is hardly anyone around. It’s tranquil. I strongly recommend starting the Triund trek as early as possible to get away from the hordes of visitors.

Tents for hire at Snowline cafe

After a small break, I continue onward to Snow line café. Most day hikers stop at Triund. This trail to Snow line café was relatively unused. By now the sky had become cloudy and the fog had started rolling in. After a while the trail vanished and I am not sure if I am on the right path. But I keep walking. Thankfully, I met a shepherd and he told me that I am very close to my destination. By 1215, I reached snow line café.

Snow Line Café is a small makeshift shop with a blue tarpaulin roof. The Café has tents, sleeping bags and blankets for hire. Food is also available on request. Contrary to its name, there is no snow here in summer. It’s a nice little meadow. The wonderful views of the nearby mountains were completely obscured by the clouds and fog.

Wild flowers enroute

I met a 3 trekkers here. They were trekking to a location that was approx. 1.5 Hrs beyond Snow Line café. They tell me that there is a cave adjacent to their camping site. It’s quite tempting for me to move on, but I have second thoughts. I’m worried about the weather and decide to go no further. I sat down and ate my lunch that I had carried along. I’m in heaven.

After a short break, I headed back down to Triund. There are more people now. It has become noisy and I don’t linger around for too long. By 2:15, I met 2 families with small kids walking up to Triund. The youngest kid appeared to be about 5 years old. They were planning to go to Triund and come back later in the same day. They ask me directions to Triund. I tell them in no uncertain terms to turn back immediately as they did not have any rain protection gear. Yet, they insisted on walking up. I continue with my descent. In 20 minutes, it began raining heavily. I feel sorry for the kids.

I’m back at Gallu temple by 3:45 PM. There are a few cabs waiting there. I cheat and take a cab to Mclloyd Ganj.

Waterfall café trek

Intrepid traveler walking to waterfall Café

It’s an ideal, easy trek for beginners or those who are short on time. The return trip with my 6 year old kid took me about 3.5 Hrs. This trek also starts from Gallu temple. Both Triund and Waterfall trek start out on the same path. Do not miss the exit to the left from the Triund trek. After that the trail is relatively wild and narrow. There are a lot fewer people doing this trek. There is thick vegetation on both sides of the trail. This means that the waterfall is at a much lower altitude than Triund.

Adjacent to the waterfall is a small shop (café) that sells biscuits, sweets, maggi etc. The most dangerous part of the entire trek is the 2 minute walk from the café into the water! The water is crystal clear. I feel confident to drink water directly without any purification. Sadly, it’s a cloudy day and the views are missing. It will be lovely to camp here for the night and return the next day. Perhaps there is a camping site nearby; I’m not sure. I managed to come back to Gallu temple just before the heavy rains began.