Mana, Author at Mana Want

India September 16, 2013

Manali to Solang Valley OffRoad

If you love trekking and ever visit Manali, you must consider an off-road trek from Manali to Solang Valley. The trek is 11 km covering an altitude of 500 m with quite a few uphills and downhills. We made the trek carrying a load of around 25 kg. That was hard but possible as we were training under a basic mountaineering course and had already trained for 11 days. We got tired but regained the energy just by the picturesque views on the way. But you don’t have to do that. The trek can be completely enjoyed and all you need to carry is a day-pack. It takes only a day to complete the trek providing you a considerable amount of rest on the way. One passes through a few countryside villages. The village people are really excited to see tourists, especially the children. Don’t get afraid when they ask…

India August 15, 2013

Solang Vegetation

As I talked about the beauty of Solang before, here is what makes it so beautiful – the wildlife of the Patalsu mountain. Here you can see a group of some shiny christmas trees at the boundry of the mountain treeline and timberline. Do not expect much fauna but you will find quite a variety of flora. As soon as you cross the inhabited area, you will find dispersed mountain trees standing erect in green lushy grass. You may find some wild strawberries on the way which are tasty and can be eaten. The are similar to normal strawberries but are even smaller than a cherry. As you reach the alpine range you’ll find that the ground turns from dark green to light green with a bright shine. A field full of bright yellow flowers can seen. But be aware of a poisonous herb known as the cobra plant. It…

Travel July 14, 2013

Patalsu Peak

One of the most beautiful and scenic places in the Himalayas that brings inside you a feeling of heaven is situated in the vicinity of Manali. It is the Patalsu Peak located at the village of Solang next to a popular tourist spot known as Solang Nala which is only 14 kms from Manali. Its half an hour drive on a car/taxi. It can also be reached by bus. Although a majority of people who visit Manali also visit Solang Nala, most of them miss the beauty of the real Solang village which can only be realized by taking a trek to the Patalsu Peak. The trek above the hill starts within a few hundred meters down the road from solang nala after you cross a small wooden bridge over the river beas. The trek takes around 8 hours giving you enough time to rest, photograph and appreciate the beauty.…

Travel June 11, 2013

Alpine Himalayas

A view of the beautiful himalayan timberline as seen on the Patalsu mountain. As mentioned earlier about the Solang village, before you reach the alpine range and are lost appreciating the picturesque scenery, you can get to know the Himachali himalayan culture during the first 2 hours of your trek. You will find a small population dispersed on the lower part of the hill. You may also counter farm cattle on the way. The first half in the tree-line is an already built track that mostly consists of concrete steps. So you would have no problem in the first hour of your trek. The higher part of the tree-line is also easy to climb due to low inclination. Then comes the alpine range which could be a bit tiring due to high slant and no fixed routes. You need to be a bit careful here or you may slip and…