365Hops

Trek to the Elusive Futta Saur & Mountain of Lakes

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“WE TAKE TRAVEL FOR GRANTED …

HOWEVER, once in a while a place will YANK the earth from beneath our feet”

Visit a world that exists beyond the human imagination where every moment is an adventure and every sight a discovery. And, let the serene and tranquil sights bring you back to life.

You think you have seen it all? Witness the grandeur that is Futta Saur and you will come alive. Here time is forgotten and the beauty is re-defined.

Futta Saur: Mountain of Lakes

The trek to Futta Saur, one of the many lakes on the mountain of lakes, is one of the yet not so traversed treks even by the natives here. In 2014, Mountaineerz undertook a recce and exploration trek to see the Lakes on this mountain, of which ‘Futta Saur’ is the most prominent and revered.

Legend has it that there have been sightings of as many as seven lakes on this mountain, however, no one can be certain, The team of Mountaineerz have themselves witness five of these lakes. After the last place where we camp, we will trek alpine style to see these lakes and return to our camp site. We have named these lakes as “elusive”, because even after the first sighting; the Lakes remain elusive and are normally covered in mist. Those who have been fortunate to see the lakes are unable to describe their beauty and charm. The lakes are revered by the natives and are sacred to them. The locals visit these lakes once in 5-7 years so as to maintain and uphold the sanctity their sanctity.

There is something that I would love to share.

To quote Ralph Waldo Emerson:

“Do not follow where the path may lead. Go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.”

Mountaineerz subscribes to this noble and bold school of thought and this was the driving force when we embarked on this adventure of the “Elusive Futta Saur”. When we went on this unchartered territory, all we had were our instincts, wits and bearings, a basic sense of direction, some great team mates and a folk lore to arm us. Believe me; the lakes are elusive in the true sense. I guess the Mountain Gods were quite appeased with our diligence and perseverance. We were rewarded with the sightings of 5 lakes. The sights are imprinted in my mind and I am falling short of words to aptly describe them.

I will be candid here and say that in the beginning we were also skeptical about what the trek has to offer. But once I went on the trek myself that is when I realized the real adventure and fun is when you have to make your own path and do not have any marked territories. It is when you only have some sense of your bearings and a belief in one’s sense of adventure (with due caution of course), that is the true test of a person’s mettle. The fact that the lakes remain elusive and just beyond reach makes a trekker feel that he may have to walk a long time to reach them. But then, would it be as much fun if they were easily accessible and could be visited by anybody and everybody like a recreation park is? J

The trail begins in Haripur, 14 kms from Manali, meanders on Halaan Theli and finally leads on to Futta Saur which sits in the Pir Panjaal range of the Western Himalaya. Mountaineerz takes pride in being the pioneers in this trek as we have traversed these trails many a times to explore. Walk this path least travelled with our experienced guides to see the wonder that is the Elusive Futta Saur – Mountain of lakes.

So come one come all! Subscribe to our school of thought, explore the unexplored and be prepared to be amazedJ.

Trek to the Elusive Futta Saur

Highlights:

Duration: 5 Nights 6 Days

Max. Altitude: 14,290 feet

Starting point of trek: Haripur, Manali

Difficulty level: Easy

Group Size: 1-6

Day 1

Trail Course: Manali - Haripur – Mindua

Max. Altitude: 8,410 feet

Duration: 4/5 hours)

Arrive in Manali and Mountaineerz will be happy to pick you up from the air port/bus terminal and we will assist you to settle in to dA Base/cottage/hotel/accommodation of your choice. The climbers who have not stayed overnight with us at dA Base, are welcome to join us for breakfast and a chat session with the Mountaineerz team and your fellow climbers. Get all your questions answered in order to ensure a great trek. We will drive up to the oldest village in the Kullu Valley, ‘Soil’. After visiting the beautiful ancient temple of Jamdagni Rishi and Kabir (Kabir was to Rishi Jamdagni like Nandi was to Lord Shiva). No one is allowed to enter the inner sanctum of the temple. Only the pujari (priest) can go there and he too has to be blindfolded. Soil in itself is a charming little village and it is sheer joy to trek across it.

From Soil, we start walking towards ‘Mindua’. The trail is fairly easy and leads up to Guhad. It is a vast expanse of meadows with forests of Kharshu, Walnut, Chestnut, Bhojpatra etc. A trek for another 4 to 5 hours will lead us to Mindua. We will pitch our tents here and camp overnight with some bone warming bonfire and lovely dinner with chatter.

Day 2

Trail Course: Mindua – Shodupathar – Dhundha

Max. Altitude: 10,850 feet

Duration: 4/5 hours

The sun rise at Mindua is surreal. Enjoy a high-nutrition breakfast here and charge up for the trek ahead. We start our ascent to Dhunda. The trail runs through dense Oak forests and the pure oxygen almost hurts the lungsJ. The trail will now lead to chowkigarh nalla, a small stream, and we will cross this to reach a lush green meadow amidst a thick forest of predominantly Oak trees. We will pitch our tents here. Take in the beautiful surroundings and explore the surroundings. After some nice warm dinner, snuggle up in your sleeping bags for the night.

Day 3

Trail Course: Dhundha – Parkuni

Max. Altitude: 12,580 feet

Duration: 6/7 hours

After a morning charge up session and a healthy breakfast, we leave for Parkuni, which is above the tree line. The trail meanders through thick forests of Birch, Rhododendron and Juniper. This region is laden with various rare plants and herbs like Karu, Chora, Patish, Gugal, wild Garlic etc., which are known to have some high medicinal value.

The air is heavily laden with unadulterated oxygen and there is only so much you can do to keep your excitement in check. For those who may need a bit of motivation to keep walking, the sights and sounds and textures of Himalaya will prove to be a fuel enough. We will camp for the night in Parkuni.

Day 4

Trail Course: Parkuni - Kukarban – Batarunaag Saur - Vasukinaag Saur – Futta Saur – Mata Kotli Saur – Parkuni

Altitude: Vasukinaag Saur – 13,870 feet

Futta Saur – 14,250 feet

Mata Kotli Saur – 14,290 feet

Duration: 7/8 hours

Today, we get our much deserved eternal reward when we feast on the sights of natural grandeur that will form memories of a life time. After breakfast, we will trek for about 45 minutes to reach the first lake ‘Batarunaag Saur’. A short walk will bring us to one of the most ethereal lakes; ‘Vasukinaag Saur’. A short distance from here basks the elusive lake ‘Futta Saur’ and ‘Mata Kotli Saur’. I have chosen to call them “Elusive” as they are almost always hidden in mist and give the illusion that they are just a stone’s throw away.

The attempt to sight the Elusive Lakes will be done in Alpine style. The terrain here is a bit rocky and not very suitable for camping. So, our tents will remain pitched at Parkuni while we will trek to the lakes and back well in time for dinner and bonfire (if conditions permit). Turn into your sleeping bags and slide into a blissful sleep while atop the Mountain of Lakes. Talk about luxury J

Day 5

Trail Course: Parkuni – Mindua

Max. Altitude: 8,410 feet

Duration: 5/6 hours

Now you can take things at your own pace. Just unwind and chill with some breakfast at Parkuni. From here. Retrace your steps backwards to reach the campsite at Mindua. Pitch tents here and just connect with nature. The challenging part of the trek is over. You have earned the righjt to celebrate. J

Day 6

Trail Course: Mindua – Soil – dA Base Base, Haripur

Max. Altitude: 8,410 feet

Duration: 5/6 hours

After breakfast and some photography at leisure, we will leave Mindua for dA Base at Haripur via Soil village. Reach dA Base and unwind and celebrate with some hot lunch and a non-stop chatter about our achievement of trekking through the Mountain of Lakes J.

Believe me when I say this, we have earned our celebration because there are very few who can honestly claim to have gone to the Mountain of Lakes and been blessed with the sightings of the mystical lakes.

Relax at the base camp before we part ways here to meet soon for our next adventure.

Take the bus back to Delhi from Manali at 5:00 pm to wrap up your tour.

**Guests who are travelling the next day are welcome to stay the night at no extra cost. Relax at the base camp or go angling (some nice spots near our base) the next day, before we part ways here to meet soon for our next adventure.

Live like there is no tomorrow.

Explore. Evolve

Cost Plans :

Plan 1
- 14500 INR per person : Luxury Leisure Style

Fee includes:

2 nights stay at ‘dA Base’ located in an orchard in Haripur, Manali.
Pick up and drop from Patlikuhl bus stand, Manali
Stay in 2-3 men tents during trek.
All meals during the trek (nutritious freshly cooked vegetarian)
Services of experienced MOI/ BMC qualified lead guide and qualified assistant guide
Kitchen equipment, cook and helper
All the Camping arrangements
Porterage – pony/porter for your personal belongings (in the luxury leisure package)
Wildlife/ environmental permits and other permits & levies.
All transportation as per itinerary in local cars and jeeps
Guaranteed amazing Himalayan experiential adventure holiday.

Fee Excludes:

Cost of travel to and from Manali from your city
Cost of any form of insurance (Personal/Baggage/Medical)
Cost of rescue, evacuation, hospitalization, etc.
Any expenses of purely personal nature like laundry, phone/Fax calls, tips to drivers, guides, any beverages.
Any expenses that arise due to change in itinerary and increase in no. of days because of natural forces like landslides, weather, roadblocks, flight cancellations, sickness etc.
Nominal cost for bonfire, barbeque and all meals at Mountaineerz base in Haripur (choice of veg/ non-veg).
Cost of any optional activity we offer, like paragliding, angling, rafting etc.
Porterage @INR. 300/day per bag (max. 10 kg) for alpine trekkers who need a porter for personal stuff.
Govt. service tax at 3.96%

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Cancellation Policy:

Payment Terms: 10% at the time of booking and balance 30 days before the commencement of the trip.

Cancelation Charges: We understand life can be unpredictable at times, and that plans can change, that’s why we are pretty flexible about cancellations. For last minute emergencies we offer future trip credits on a case by case basis. Please talk to us before you cancel any trip with us.

From confirmation up to 30 days prior to departure - 10% of the total amount payable would be charged
Between 15 - 29 days – 50% would be refunded
Less than 15 days prior to departure 100%.

Note:

Any additional expenses which might occur due to delays, weather disruptions, medical evacuation etc. would need to be borne by the participants as per actual. All overstay due to delay beyond our control would be charged on pro-rata based as per tour cost for planned days.
In case of unforeseen weather conditions or like, certain activities may be cancelled and in such cases we will try our best to provide an alternate feasible activity. However no refund will be provided for the same.
Mountaineerz reserves the right to change the itinerary due to unforeseen circumstances such as due to political reason, natural calamities, serious sickness, and special reasons.
No refund will be payable to any client who voluntarily leaves a trip in the middle.
In case any participant falls sick or is injured during the program, the medical, travel, porter and any other expenses has to be borne by the concerned individual. However, primary medical facilities will be made available wherever possible.

Mountain of Lakes

Futta Saur: Mountain of Lakes

The trek to Futta Saur, one of the many lakes on the mountain of lakes, is one of the yet not so traversed treks even by the natives here. In 2014, Mountaineerz undertook a recce and exploration trek to see the Lakes on this mountain, of which ‘Futta Saur’ is the most prominent and revered.

There is something that I would love to share.

To quote Ralph Waldo Emerson:

“Do not follow where the path may lead. Go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.”

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