My night’s sleep was better than the previous one but I was still looking forward to a proper bed tonight. I woke up before anyone else and peeking out the tent flap I was greeted by a grey world with clouds scraping along the tops of the mountains across the valley. Behind me they were closer and ominously threatening rain at any time. Thankfully I took care of nature’s early morning call before the skies began to open up.
The foggy morning:
Pascal and I snoozed on and off a little longer in the tent before our breakfast appeared. We packed up under drizzly conditions and set off to the south, in a slightly downward path. We were essentially hiking down into low valley clouds. I enjoyed the misty vistas (that must be the name of some retirement condos somewhere!) but my knees and quads weren’t terribly happy with the constant downhill treading.
Heading out:
The porters descending into the woods:
Some feral horses:
A campsite we passed through...I heard some people in one tent so I guess they were trying to sleep the rainy weather away:
Now a herd of goats...
It only took us a couple of hours, maybe a bit more, to descend down into Vashisht, just a hundred or two meters above the valley floor. Both Pascal and I were really feeling the last half an hour of hiking. I felt like I lost control of my legs but I just had to trust that they knew the task at hand.
The group in the mist:
The porters and Ronny on a break:
This porter passed by us carrying four backpacks...and he wasn't young either!
Misty...
A glimpse of Jogni Falls:
Reaching Vashisht, how can one resist the option of soaking in a hot spring? Well Pascal and I couldn’t. The men’s pool was quite a bit busier than my last visit and there sure were a lot more suspicious jetsam (or is it flotsam?) in the water but who cares, surely we’re dirtier than the water we’re about to plunge into.
Our first view of the valley below:
The final descent:
After our soak, it was back to Old Manali. We were both exhausted, but quite happy, great little trek!
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