Hampta Pass Trek: Stargazing, Snow Patches, and the Road to Balu Ka Ghera

After surviving the relentless downpours, muddy trails, and a waist-deep, bone-chilling glacial river crossing on the way to Jwara. We were now praying to the mountain gods for a breather.

(If you haven’t read how we braved the waterlogged chaos of the trail, catch up on Hampta Pass Trek Day 2 & 3: Jobra to Jwara before moving forward!)

Day 4 promised a transition. We were leaving the lush, tree-lined valleys of Manali behind. While pushing higher into the raw, boulder-strewn landscape that sits right at the doorstep of the Hampta Pass.

What we got was a day of easy strides, warm chai, front-row tent views, and an absolute night-sky miracle. Here is what went down on our trek from Jwara to Balu Ka Ghera.

Leaving the Trees Behind: The March to Balu Ka Ghera

Waking up in Jwara after a solid night’s rest, the whole batch was amped and ready to move. Morning health check-ups done and breakfast demolished, we hit the trail with one collective hope: please, no rain today.

The mountains must have taken pity on us.

Compared to the wet mayhem of the day before, the hike to Balu Ka Ghera was a dream. There were no swollen streams to wade through and no torrential rain testing our sanity. The trail opened up into a gradual, gentle incline. This allowed us to catch our breath and actually take in the changing scenery.

As we gained altitude, the dense green tree line quietly vanished. In its place came sprawling boulder fields interspersed with slick patches of frozen glacial snow. The terrain required constant focus, one wrong step on a slippery snow patch could turn a gentle hike into a rapid slide. But the absence of falling water made every step enjoyable.

Chai with a View & The Final Stretch

About halfway through the trek, as we officially entered the Balu Ka Ghera region. Shortly, a sight for sore eyes appeared: a tiny, isolated mountain tea stall.

We immediately dropped our packs, gave our legs a rest, and cupped our hands around piping hot glasses of masala chai. Resting there in the cool mountain air, sipping hot tea while staring at the vast alpine landscape, was pure bliss.

However, the Indiahikes campsite wasn’t right at the entrance of Balu Ka Ghera. It sat tucked away on the far side of the valley, right at the base of the final climb. That meant another hour or so of steady trekking.

As we pushed further along the valley floor, the snow patches multiplied. Hinting at the high-altitude wall we were scheduled to scale the following morning.

Balu Ka Ghera: The Front-Row Seat to Hampta Pass

When we finally arrived at the campsite, the location blew us away. Balu Ka Ghera (which translates to “Bed of Sand”) sits strategically right where the real vertical ascent to Hampta Pass begins.

My friends Hussain, Samarth, and I grabbed the very last unoccupied tent. To our absolute disbelief, it turned out to have the best position in the entire camp. We unzipped the tent flap, sat inside, and found ourselves staring directly at the towering wall of the Hampta Pass. Knowing that we would be scaling that exact wall tomorrow gave us a mix of pure awe and nervous adrenaline.

Bonding over Mafia and Altitude

Once lunch was served, the batch descended on the food tent like a pack of hungry wolves. With full stomachs and good weather, the mood in the group shifted from mere survival to genuine camaraderie.

Our trek leader Aditya led us on a brief acclimatization walk to get our lungs adjusted to the thinner air. It was followed by our standard pulse and oxygen checks.

The rest of the evening was all about bonding. The entire batch gathered together, playing games and losing our minds over high-stakes rounds of Mafia as the temperature outside began to plunge.

A Cosmic Miracle: Unlocking the Milky Way

Balu Ka Ghera was already winning as one of the most stunning campsites of the trip. But late that night, it handed me a core memory I will carry for the rest of my life.

After dinner and game night wrapped up, I stepped out of the warm dining tent to relieve myself behind a cluster of bushes a few meters away from the campsite.

Finished, I casually looked up at the sky to see if any stars had poked through the clouds.

My jaw hit the ground.

It wasn’t just a few stars—the night sky was completely packed, wall-to-wall. Right down the middle of this shimmering cosmic field was a distinct, glowing, whitish band cutting through the darkness, formed by millions of densely packed stars.

I was looking at the Milky Way galaxy with my naked eye.

Aditya happened to step out of the dining tent right at that moment. “Aditya, man, tell me I’m not hallucinating—is that the Milky Way?” I asked, pointing upward.

He looked up, smiled, and confirmed it.

Word spread like wildfire. Soon, the entire batch rushed out into the freezing night air, staring up at the celestial arc above us. We tried capturing it on our phones, but without professional camera gear or low-light lenses, no photo could do it justice. It was a moment meant entirely for the eyes and the memory bank.

Next Stop: Spiti Valley

Crawling into my sleeping bag that night, high on the thrill of witnessing the cosmos in its rawest form, sleep didn’t come easily—not out of discomfort, but out of sheer anticipation.

Tomorrow was the big day. We were going to conquer the mighty Hampta Pass and step over the ridge into the stark, desert-like wonder of the Spiti Valley.

To be continued…