Solang Valley’s Best Treasure – Patalsu Peak

Being born in Punjab, mountains are very easy to approach and for adventurers like me, I cannot ask for more. Mountains and I share a very close bond and we cannot be apart for a very long time. June is the month of sheer heat in the plains and it was the need of the hour to enjoy some cool breeze and good views. Though there are a lot of trek options during the summer season, I was looking for a beginner friendly trek that could be completed in a couple of days and satisfy my hunger for views and adventure. I had already explored Manali including the Bhrigu Lake and Beas Kund valley so I knew the variety of treks that Manali offers. Shortly after some research, my Google Earth window displayed “Patalsu Peak”.

Stage I: How was the trek decided?

The basic computation for finalising any trek are 5 factors: motive, location, season, difficulty and team. Patalsu Peak is a 4220m summit in the Pir Panjal Ranges of the Himalayas. The peak can be approached through a 9 km trek (one-way) starting from Solang Valley. It has an elevation gain of 1,700m. It can be completed as a day hike too if you’re fit enough.

I usually trek with my friends who come from different altitudes in the country. So we were sorted on the five factors mentioned above. The motive was a trek of a minimum altitude of 4,000m which offers good views with minimum crowd; Solang Valley is easily accessible in June and the travel duration is within our bucket; The weather forecast was also in our favour; Terrain of the trek is safe; Team is fit enough for this trek with the eligible experience.

Stage II: Trek Preparation

We finalized the trek two weeks prior to the departure date and now it was time to plan the logistics and training for the trek. We were planning to do it in DIY style which meant that everything had to be planned and executed by us including the food, transport, trail, camping equipment, etc. We decided to camp overnight during the trek and complete it comfortably in 2 days. DIY trekking is the true form of experiencing the mountains in my opinion. You’re solely dependent on yourself and your team and you have full freedom. But it comes with a cost.

Starting with fitness, you should be fit enough to carry your 10-15kg rucksack on your backs for 8-9 hours of inclined terrain. It requires a great amount of stamina, cardiovascular strength, endurance, mental strength for the same. Running 10km in under 60 minutes nonstop without refreshments is the standard that we follow. Weight training for the legs and shoulders and core exercises provide the necessary muscle mass needed. The fitness routine lasts till the departure date and alongside we plan on the food and transport.

Transport is not an issue in Manali. For food, we had to carry butane cans and portable stoves for cooking. We collected some dehydrated foods available in the market such as MTR, Haldirams ready-to-eat foods etc for the meals and some soups, coffee, maggi for sides. We have always trusted Campydingle Outdoors in Zirakpur, Chandigarh for all the camping and trekking equipment. They charge the minimum rental prices and provide the best quality outdoor gear.

Stage III: The day arrives

I reached Campydingle Outdoors on Friday afternoon and Ankush Bhai was there to greet me with a very warm hug like always. We talked about mountains and treks for a while and then eventually my team started to arrive with time. We ticked the checklist and started to arrange the gear in the rucksacks. I personally believe that the way you pack your backpack makes or breaks your trek.

The weight should be properly balanced and it should rest upon your hip rather than your shoulders. After all the packing and sorting out the bills, we loaded our cab and departed for Manali around 10:00 pm. Since we were a group of 9, four of us went in the cab along with the rental gears and the remaining five booked a bus for Manali. 

Day 1: Start

We arrived at Manali pvt bus stand at 5:00 am and the rest of the group will join us around 6:00 am. We unloaded the cab and waited for the other members. Everyone reached till 7:00 am and we went to Mall Road for some breakfast. We had to wait till 8:00 am for the shops to open and then had some breakfast. We took a sumo and asked the driver to drop us at Solang. He charged 3000. Pro Tip: Leave for Solang as soon as possible due to huge traffic jams. We reached Solang Valley at 10:00 am and kept all our luggage behind a tea stall. We took some biscuits and chocolates and water bottles for our journey. We changed into our trek attire and started our trek from Solang Valley at 11:00 am. We could easily spot the Solang village on the opposite hill across from us and we figured out that we had to cross the Beas river to reach there.

We got off the Manali – Leh highway towards the hotels alongside the Beas River to find a route to the wooden bridge. There was a concrete bridge under construction but for the timesake, we had to use a temporary wooden bridge. The trail leads to the Solang village once you cross the Beas River. It was a moderate climb of 400m towards the village through apple orchards and smiling locals.

There was a water source just below the stairs which led into the Solang Village. We filled our bottles because we knew that there were not many water sources on the trail. Just before entering the village, we were welcomed by a local woman who was going towards her orchard. She gave a huge smile and congratulated us because the weather was in our favour that day. Ironically, after 15 minutes, it started to pour and we had to take shelter in the village.

Soon after a 15 minute spell, rain took a break and we continued our trek to Shagadugh campsite. The trail was well established and there are a couple of clearings before the campsite. The trail passed through dense oak and pine forests with green patches of grass.

The trail from here was a little deviating and one has to follow the map otherwise there is a good chance that the trekker may get lost. The trail disappeared into the forest section just before Shagadugh. There was a tree fallen with golden leaves and we marked it as a direction provider. Hence after 4 hours of trekking from Solang roadhead, we finally arrived at the meadow called Shagadugh. It was a pretty setting between the forests. The camping area was less because it had a continuous slope. There was a water source as well. We set up our camps and relaxed for a bit.

Shagdugh is one of the prettiest campsites in Manali. We could see prominent peaks of the Pir Panjal range such as Mt Friendship peak, Mt Ladakhi, Mt Shitidhar. The highest peak of Dhauladhar range i.e. Mt Hanuman Tibba was right in front of us. On the other side was Khanpari Tibba.

After setting up the camps, we played frisbee and explored the meadows. There were seasonal flowers which were spread like a carpet over the campsite. Around 6 pm, the sun had already set and it was cold. The Patalsu trek is famous for its sunrise and but still the sunset shade glew up the Pir Panjal ranges. We prepared dinner around 7:30 pm and played games till 10:00 pm. At midnight, I came out to pee and I couldn’t behold the sight I was witnessing. The last day was so cloudy that I hadn’t expected any night sky. I hurriedly took out my camera and started capturing the night sky before it vanished away.

Not staying in the cold outside, I got back into my tent and got warm in the sleeping bag. I had a great sleep. I set up an alarm for 5:00 am to wake up the team.

Day 2: Summit

Everyone was up and ready to move at 5:30 am. I have witnessed pretty great sunrises in the past but this one was different. It was looking as if the sun was kissing Mt Hanuman Tibba on its forehead. It was visually “Mt Hanuman Tibba on fire”.

We moved up from Shagadugh into the last forest section before entering the meadow. As we kept moving up, the forest came to a sudden end. Patalsu Peak summit was right in front of us and we got a clear view of how high it was. Took a small water break and started to cross the meadow. As soon as we started into the meadow, a herd of horses appeared out of the left side of the forest. They were running freely on the meadow as if they had been released just now.

Horses running free on a clear Sunday morning at 13,000 ft were such magnificent 10 seconds of that day. We focused back on the trail and slowly gained altitude. Eventually, the group divided into 2 groups: the fast climbers and the slower ones. The weather was clear until 9:00 am so we decided the turn around time to be 12:00 noon.

Climbing up, the views grow more grand and more peaks start popping out from the left. The right side opens up to the Beas Kund Valley. The trail was steep and we had to negotiate the snow patches. We reached the shoulder around 10:30 am and I turned back and saw the clouds forming behind us.

I kept climbing towards the summit and made it to the last ridge at 11:30 am. The team was quite behind and there was no chance of them reaching here before a couple of hours. The clouds had been racing against me and now it was time to take the tough call. No one ever wants to give up just 200m before the summit but it was necessary to return home safely. If it had rained, the mud on that slope would make it very tough to descend and we would not have enough water to carry on for the next 3 hours.

Thus we started descending down towards the campsite. I hurried back down before the rain so that I could wrap up the camps and descend to Manali. It took me 1.5 hours to reach Shagadugh and 1 hour to wrap up the tents till my other team members could return. We started descending from the campsite to Solang at 2:30 pm and reached Solang at 5:00 pm.

While descending, I could see a major traffic jam on the national highway. It was maybe because of the weekend and holiday season. We had some refreshments in Solang Valley and then started looking for our ride back to Manali. But unfortunately, no cab driver wanted to drive on that road due to extreme traffic. Walking to Manali was a better option than a four wheeler because cars had hardly moved a meter in the last couple of hours.

Finally, a Sumo driver was convinced to drop us in Manali. He dove in the wrong lane for the full route and dropped us in Manali super fast. When I asked him about this unethical driving sense, all I got in return was “ Local hain bhaiji, humse panga nahi le sakte log idhar”. It was Sunday and the Mall road was jam packed. We somehow managed to get some space at a cafe in Mall Road after waiting. 

Day 3: Return

Our return cab was booked and we departed at 12:30 am from Manali to Chandigarh.

Stage IV: Summary

Patalsu Peak trek was a great beginner friendly trek if done in the correct season and with guidance. It offered great serenity and amazing views. It surely required a decent amount of fitness. This trek surprised us after every few hours. Whenever we felt like we’d reach the summit, it came out to be a false summit. Anyone who is looking for an offbeat hike in Manali with equal rewards as other treks should definitely consider Patalsu Peak Trek. Try to plan it in the off season because Manali is super crowded in the summer months and it affects the transport systems. People usually visit Solang to do paragliding and to drive an ATV. We crossed a river and climbed a mountain, camped under the stars and saw Manali from an eagle’s sight. I really am convinced the Patalsu Peak is Solang Valley’s best treasure.