There are two routes to Triund from Mcleodganj there are two ridgelines going up from Mcleodganj that converge at Galu devta temple on the trail and continue towards Triund. Bhagsu and Dharamkot are two villages on which are at a distance of 2 km from mcleodganj up on a ridge. The trail passing through Dharamkot is more beautiful of the two. The trail from Dharamkot is dotted with Pine forests and makes for a good view. From Dharamkot there is the Laka ridge which which takes 15 minutes to reach the Galu Devta Temple. There is a tea shop on this route. After reaching the Galu Devta Temple the village of Naddi lies to the South west, there is a stream going down from the North west and the trail to Triund is centrally located among these two. The trail starts to gain height from this point and rises through an Oak forest after that there is a rock section followed by a steep gully which takes you up a ridge. You can see the Moon peak from here, that is the peak that dominates the Dhauladhar range when you see it from Dharamshala. The Dhauladhar range is visible in all it’s glory. If you continue ahead on the trail you will come across the Magic Café from the café the trail gain altitude fast and in no time you will be climbing up the ridge connecting Dharamkot with the main Triund ridge on the left. After finding your way up you will have to traverse the Triund ridge which is also steep here. This area is packed with Rhodohendron bushes and Oak trees every now and then. After a few switchbacks i.e. gain and loss in altitude you will leave the Rhodohendrons behind and reach the grassy ridge of Triund. The ridgeline extends for around 1 kilometer and there is ample space to camp. Make sure you are camping away from commercial camps or if you want to, just ask their permission before camping. You can easily outsource your food from here one last time in the days to come.

Today you start our journey from Triund to the Lahesh caves. Continue upon the Triund ridgeline. In sometime the trail will start picking up and the you will enter an area scattered with Rhodohendron trees. When in bloom this part of the trail is a treat to walk through as most of the crowd is left behind at Triund and you are in pace with nature. The Rhodohendrons are followed by bushes and then the trail eases off into a grassy patch. The weather systems here in Dhauladhar are different from most of the Himachal and new weather systems can form in the blink of an eye. This trail is used by the Gaddi shepherds in the area and stones are piled (Cairns) at intervals to mark the way. There is a steep traverse to the Laka ridge from here which takes you to the top of the ridge. The ascent is steep and through forested terrain. After this you will reach the Snowline café. After the Snowline Café you will reach a boulder field. The correct path is through the Northern most part of the boulder field. It is easy to get lost here so maintaining a little bit of alertness here is a good idea. There are two boulder fields, one after the other. In winter months the entire area is snowclad and it is relatively effortless to traverse through this part but come summers and the section turns into a mushy area with lot of small streams flowing in the vicinity. Keep following the well placed cairns and you will reach the Lahesh Caves campsite of the Indrahar Pass trek route. The Lahesh Caves campsite is near a set of Boulders and there a small stream flowing near it. The campsite is surrounded by absolute steep rockfaces. However in the summer months the entire place transforms into a flowery paradise with flower fields all around. Remember to sleep early and sort out your gear as the next day is the pass day.

Today is going to be a long day and an early start is the best strategy. Have some energy bars and save breakfast for later. You want to cover as much distance as possible in the initial leg. Follow the cairns, the route is well marked at the initial part of the campsite. The trail runs towards the north east part of the ridge. As you advance you will see the steep face of moon peak to your right. The path has a few steep sections and pace yourselves accordingly. Getting a rhythm initially is very important. Again the cairns are here to help you. The gaddis are in a way helping the trekkers find their way through the mountain. Further there are stones stacked on top of one another that will help you traverse the steep sections, which are otherwise for the sheep. These stairs have a fall of almost 200 feet at places so be careful while climbing these stairs. As you climb up you will see many false passes as the next hump is simply not visible from below. At an average pace you should reach the pass by 11:00 AM. The summit is marker by a lot of flags, cairns and trishuls. Pay your respects at the pass spend some time here. The view at the top is truly remarkable. Kangra is located to it’s South. The PirPanjal range to it’s north, Kishtwar to west, Bara Banghal to east and Manimahesh to north-east side. The initial descent is a bit sketchy but the path gets well defined in a short while.The top section has a lot of boulders and it is a bit difficult to traverse through these. The winter season makes this descent easier as the boulders get covered in snow. Descend through the boulders carefully. The trail comes down to a rocky ridge. You will have some big boulders to your left and from there the Chata campsite is visible but not near by any means. The rocky section ends shortly after this point. You will have to go westwards over snow and boulder fields with small streams cris-crossing, traverse through this section is rather easy. From here you will descend to meadows, if you’ve come at the right time, you might witness Gaddi camps here. The trail continues to descend for a good 3-4 kms from here, towards the north-east. There are two stream crossing ahead. If you are travelling on this route around the months of May- June you will find the streams under snow bridges. But with time these bridges melt and become structurally unstable and dangerous , the normal boulder hopping through streams is the way to go in these situations. After crossing the streams there is a boulder field which ends shortly followed by green meadows and flower fields in the months of monsoon. After this there is descent through a gully to the bottom which leads you to a stream and here on you follow the stream to reach the campsite of Chata Parao.

Today is going to be a long day. The decrease is altitude will be a approximately 4500 feet. The trek starts with a initial easy walk. Then you will have to cross the Kuarsi Nala on whose sides you were walking yesterday. It is good to cross the nala as early as possible because the water flow increases as the day passes by. The Chata campsite is locates at the northernmost edge in the bowl the Dhauladhar mountains form in that region. The trail is really beautiful with stark mountains visible all around you and you slowly traverse into a patch of Pine and deodar trees, slowly the treeline is returning. Within 30 minutes the trees vanish again. You will see two streams coming from the left to join the Kuarsi nala. The trail drops to the level of these side streams and you will have cross them by boulder hopping. The trail rises for the next 45mins. Another stream will come from the left. Meanwhile the Kuarsi nala which you’ve been following till now has disappeared into the gorge down below. At times it is not even audible due to the trees and gorge. The trail rises again, this time it enters a Pine forest, the forest is dotted with wild mountain flowers and the setting is almost magical is timed right. After this this trail takes you down a gorge and descends into the riverbed. The is river is to crossed at a place called Mandara. The crossing is tricky so cross it as early as possible, if you are early enough you can cross it by boulder hopping but not in monsoons. After the crossing the trail gains elevation and climbs up the ridge to the treeline. The Kuarsi Nala continues to the left. The trail now has quite a few lung bursting switchbacks. However the views totally compensate for the physical toll. The trail climbs up to the level of Pine trees and the valley opens up further north. If the weather is clear the Pir Panjal ranges are also visible from here. The trail enters a thick forested section full of pine trees and lush vegetation but this is a bear country so make lots of noise while on this section. Shortly you will come across a pipeline on the trail, this carries water to the Kuarsi village and this is your ticket to the village. Follow the pipeline, The Kuarsi Nala by now is almost 1000 feet below the trail having cut it’s way through the gorges. There is one final ascent left and it is quite steep, it will take you to the fields of Kuarsi Village. Following the fields is a descent for 100 feet. Some steep slopes are followed by Mango and Paddy fields and gradually the village. You can go and camp near the famous temple of Indu Naag.

The trail is now level and enters the forest from the Kuarsi village. The thick forest continues for a good 1 hour. After which the trail becomes narrow with a steep fall of around 1000ft to it’s sides straight to the now gushing Kuarsi nala. The trail is good till a stream comes from a ridge above the trail to go into the Kuarsi nala. There is a wooden stair like system which is very old at the bottom through which you can cross the incoming stream. Then the trail ascends into a pine forest on the other side of the stream. In one hour you will cross the Hilling village and then the trail continues and takes you to a metaled road. Walk on the road to reach Lamu. From Lamu you can catch a bus to Chamba.