c u on top - satyabrata dam

  In today’s world of information overload and the omniscient Google, it is rare to discover a pass, trail and a lake that is completely unknown to the outside world at large, save for a legend and folklore amongst the local shepherds and herbs collectors. Such is the way we heard about this pass along with a mysterious lake from the shepherds of Kugti during our trip to the Nikora Pass and Ravinder and I headed to discover this unknown region few days later. This trip was a real exploratory one, purely based upon some stories from the shepherds and we discovered a hitherto unknown and undocumented valley and a pass along with a marvelous lake barely a spitting distance from the popular Kugti Pass. Before retelling our journey, it is important to briefly narrate the legend of Sunni Bhunku, after whom the pass is named by the Shepherds. This name is purely local and has no mention in any survey of India maps or Google anywhere.   Natural rock formations, perhaps a geologist c...

  For long I have been fascinated with the region of Bada Bangal, nestled within, literally surrounded by high Pir Panjal Range of mountains from all sides. The only access to this remote and unique village that doesn’t require crossing a high snow bound pass is from Holi side, along the dangerous Ravi River gorge from Nayagran. This trail is arduous and dangerous. Of all the other passes that leads to Bada Bangal, Nikora is the one that I found most intriguing since this pass doesn’t find any mention in the official list of passes of Himachal Govt. notifications and there’s absolutely no mention of this pass anywhere online, no images, no reviews (now it does) except few vague mention in an obscure survey of India map and few odd places. Over the last 18 years of my exploring these mountains I hadn’t met anyone, including local shepherds who had crossed this pass from either side. At 4760m this is certainly a high pass and was perfect for my explorer’s instincts. My friend Ravinde...