At 14,100 ft, hidden in the high meadows above Manali, lies one of the most fascinating alpine lakes in the Himalayas — Bhrigu Lake.

Legend says that Maharishi Bhrigu once meditated beside this sacred lake, giving it a spiritual aura that trekkers can still feel today. But mythology is only part of its charm.

What truly makes the Bhrigu Lake Trek special is how quickly the landscape transforms. Within just three days, you walk through dense forests, endless green meadows, and finally into a surreal world of snow. Few Himalayan treks offer such dramatic scenery in such a short time.

If you are short on leaves but still want a true Himalayan trekking experience, this trek delivers everything — apple orchards, sweeping alpine grasslands, towering peaks, and snow-covered trails.

And for me, it became something even more memorable.

Because this trek turned out to be a journey of forgotten things, unexpected challenges, and one unforgettable walk through an ocean of snow.

Escaping the Delhi Furnace

It was May 2019, and Delhi had turned into a giant furnace.

Just two months earlier, I had completed the Sandakphu Trek, followed by a quick weekend trip to Bir. The adventures were great, but they had one side effect — I was now critically short on leaves.

Yet the mountains were calling again.

Delhi’s heatwave made the decision even easier. Stepping outside during the day felt like standing inside a giant oven. The only logical escape was obvious — head to the Himalayas.

While searching for short treks that could fit into a long weekend, one name kept popping up repeatedly:

Bhrigu Lake Trek.

The trek had glowing reviews everywhere. To make things even easier, one of my cousins had already completed it and had nothing but amazing things to say about the experience.

That was enough convincing.

Without wasting much time, I booked my trek with Bikat Adventures for the last week of May.

What I didn’t realise then was that this trek would soon turn into a series of forgotten items, near misses, and one of the toughest snow climbs I had experienced till that point.

Day 1 – The Day of Forgotten Things

The Sleepless Start

At that time, I was working night shifts, which meant my trek preparation began in a half-zombie state.

I had taken leave on the day I was supposed to board the overnight bus to Manali. The plan was simple — come home from the office in the morning, sleep for a few hours, finish some personal work, pack calmly, and leave for the bus.

Reality, however, had other plans.

By the time I finished my pending work, there was barely any time left to pack. Sleep was completely out of the question.

So I rushed through my packing, grabbed my bag, and headed for RK Ashram Marg, where my 5:30 PM Volvo bus to Manali was waiting.

Or at least… supposed to be waiting.

The Bus Journey to Manali

Like most journeys that start in Delhi traffic, the bus was already running late. It finally left around 6 PM, slowly crawling its way out of the city.

My co-passenger turned out to be a doctor from AIIMS, travelling to Bhuntar. As we started chatting, I discovered something interesting — he had already completed the Bhrigu Lake Trek.

Meanwhile, he was on his way to trek to Kheerganga.

We ended up exchanging trekking tips like two seasoned mountaineers planning expeditions, even though both of us were just weekend adventurers trying to escape city life.

Eventually, exhaustion took over, and I drifted into sleep somewhere on the highway.

Almost Missing the Trek

The bus was scheduled to reach Manali at 7:30 AM.

When I woke up around 7 AM, I checked outside the window — and immediately realised something was wrong.

We hadn’t even reached Bhuntar yet.

That meant we were seriously behind schedule.

By the time the bus finally rolled into Manali Bus Stand, it was already 8:45 AM.

My phone screen told the rest of the story.

Multiple missed calls from Shailender, our trek leader.

He wanted me to reach Mall Road immediately. The rest of the group was already waiting, and we were running on a tight schedule.

I grabbed my bag and rushed towards SBI ATM on Mall Road, which was the meeting point for our trek batch.

Thankfully, I made it just in time.

But the real chaos was only about to begin.

The Realisation – I Had Forgotten Half My Stuff

Before heading towards Gulaba, I requested Shailender and Abhishek from Bikat Adventures for a few minutes to freshen up and grab something to eat.

Most shops on Mall Road were still closed that early in the morning, making the search for a washroom surprisingly difficult.

Thankfully, the staff at Chopsticks, one of Manali’s famous Tibetan restaurants, kindly allowed me to use their washroom even though the restaurant hadn’t opened yet.

After that small victory, I grabbed a Gobhi Paratha roll from a nearby shop for the drive.

Just when things seemed under control, Shailender began running through a quick gear checklist before we headed out.

That’s when reality struck.

In my rushed packing the previous evening, I had forgotten several essential things:

• Toothbrush
  
• Toothpaste
  
• Toilet paper
  
• A plastic cup and plate
  
• My daypack
  
• Even the printed undertaking form
  

Not exactly the ideal way to start a Himalayan trek.

While the rest of the group walked towards the cab, Chetramji, our guide, kindly accompanied me for a quick sprint through the local market.

I managed to buy a few basics.

But some things were still missing.

And unfortunately, the biggest forgotten item would reveal itself a little later.

The Drive to Gulaba

Since we were a group of more than ten trekkers, two jeeps were waiting to take us to Gulaba, the starting point of the trek.

I quietly slipped into the backseat, finally unwrapped my Gobhi Paratha, and devoured it like someone who had just survived a food shortage.

Instant energy.

With my hunger satisfied, I finally looked outside.

The drive towards Gulaba slowly began revealing the real beauty of the Manali region.

I had last visited Manali almost 12 years ago, and somewhere along the way I had forgotten just how stunning this place really was.

Despite many people calling Manali overhyped, the landscapes unfolding outside the window suggested otherwise.

Snow-covered peaks stood tall in every direction.

The Beas valley stretched endlessly below.

And the mountains seemed to grow larger with every turn of the road.

The Biggest Forgotten Item

We reached Gulaba around 11 AM.

The moment I stepped out of the jeep, the surrounding snow peaks looked too beautiful to ignore.

Naturally, I pulled out my Nikon camera to capture the moment.

Click.

Nothing happened.

I tried again.

Still nothing.

Then it hit me.

I had forgotten the memory card.

Out of all the things I could have forgotten, this was probably the worst possible one.

The Hike from Gulaba

We finally reached Gulaba a little after 11 AM. Our trek leaders handed us packed lunches and a few refreshments to carry for the day’s hike before we started walking.

The trail from Gulaba begins with a steady uphill climb through pine forests. Thankfully the gradient never became too steep, which meant the ascent remained fairly comfortable throughout the hike.

While everyone in the group seemed to be climbing without much trouble, one person who instantly earned my admiration was Mrs. Shivani, a school teacher from Vadodara. She was almost the same age as my mother, yet she kept pace with the group with remarkable determination. This was her first Himalayan trek, and watching her climb with such enthusiasm was genuinely inspiring.

The three girls from Pune — Rupali, Madhuri and Renu — were also doing surprisingly well on the climb.

Slowly I began interacting more with the rest of the group as well. Apart from the women’s trio and Mrs. Shivani, we had Utkarsh and Kshitij, who were filming the trek for 4Play as part of a project with Bikat Adventures. Then there was Bharat, a self-proclaimed corporate geek from Delhi NCR, and Avnish, a wedding photographer who had a fascinating collection of travel stories to share.

By the time we were halfway through the climb, the group had already started bonding.

A Surprise Change in Base Camp

According to the original itinerary, we were supposed to camp at Rola Kholi, which lies near Kolang Nallah — the main water source along the Bhrigu Lake trail.

However, when the Bikat team had scouted the area earlier, they realised that Rola Kholi was completely buried under snow. Camping there would have been extremely difficult.

Because of that, they decided to set up our campsite at the very beginning of the meadows.

This new campsite was about 2–3 km before Kolang Nallah, which meant our trek for the day became significantly shorter than planned.

In fact, it barely took two to two-and-a-half hours to reach our campsite from Gulaba.

But despite the shorter hike, the trail offered enough diversity to keep us captivated throughout.

We began our hike inside dense pine forests, and gradually the trees began to thin out. Soon we stepped into rolling green meadows, stretching endlessly across the mountainside.

Just a little further above, we could see snow-covered slopes waiting for us.

The Constant Companion – Hanuman Tibba

The highlight of the entire trail was the ever-present view of Mount Hanuman Tibba and the Seven Sisters peaks from the Beas Kund valley.

No matter where we stood on the trail, those towering peaks remained firmly in our sight.

Even though the landscape around us didn’t change dramatically, every glance at those snow-covered mountains felt mesmerizing. Somehow, each time we looked up, the mountains seemed even more majestic than before.

Our Unexpectedly Beautiful Base Camp

Even though this wasn’t the originally planned campsite, it turned out to be one of the most beautiful campsites I had experienced until then.

Right in front of our tents were lush green meadows, and surrounding us on all sides were massive Himalayan ranges.

On one side stood the Dhauladhar range, while the mighty Pir Panjal range dominated the other.

The setting felt almost unreal.

While we were busy settling into our tents, our eyes kept wandering back to the mountains again and again, trying to absorb the beauty around us.

The “Acclimatization Walk”

After everyone had settled in, Shailender, our trek leader, announced a short acclimatization walk.

At least that’s what it was supposed to be.

But in reality, it quickly turned into something very different.

For Utkarsh and Kshitij, it became a filming session.

For the rest of us, it became a full-blown photoshoot.

Everyone was busy trying to capture the beauty of the meadows and the surrounding mountains in their own way.

After wandering around for a while and taking countless photos, we finally returned to the campsite.

There we were welcomed with evening snacks and piping hot masala chai.

And honestly, chai in the mountains always tastes better than anywhere else.

The rest of the evening was spent simply sitting in silence and gazing at Hanuman Tibba, watching the sky slowly change colours before darkness took over the valley.

Night Under the Himalayan Sky

Once night fell, the temperature dropped sharply.

The cold began creeping into our jackets, making us shiver more than expected.

But a warm dinner from the Bikat team quickly lifted everyone’s spirits.

Later that night, I stepped out of the tent and looked up at the sky.

It was filled with countless stars.

I spent some time trying to identify as many constellations as possible. Unfortunately, despite waiting for a while, the Milky Way never appeared that night.

That was a small disappointment.

But since we had an early start the next morning, I didn’t stay out for too long.

I crawled into my sleeping bag hoping to get some decent rest before the big climb.

Normally, trekkers find snow only in the last few kilometres before Bhrigu Lake during this time of year.

But due to recent snowfall, we had been told that the trail was covered in snow much earlier than usual.

What I didn’t know then was just how exhausting and overwhelming that snow trail would turn out to be.Every step the next day would feel like walking through an endless stumbling block of snow.