Birthday Bash! Dharamkot - Triund - Snowline - Ilaka – Day 2-3. Days of New Friendships and Realizations

The following are the entries in my Travel Journal of the last remaining days of this trip:

# Saw another guide and a foreigner dashing past me when I was returning from Ilaaka area. First emotion had been of jealousy. They were going towards Lahesh Cave which I had so recently given up. Then this negative feeling melted away and turned itself into good wishes and of admiration towards these two.

# Discovered that the foreigner's name is Shane and his nationality is New Zealand. He and his guide Mahendra had made it till Lahesh Cave. Felt genuine respect and adulation towards these two.

# Weather getting worse from bad.

# Had warm and hearty chats with Shane, a French couple, Sukhi and Herman from the Indian Air Force Services. Ate, Drank Tea, Coffee.

# Hail Storm, from Low to Medium to Death Metal followed by silent snowfall (Simon and Garfunkel) 

# Dinner at 8. Feeling scared and anxious as weather getting worse and worse.

DAY 5

# Woke up at 6:30.

# No improvement in weather conditions. Not feeling scared anymore. Slept well over my last night's fear and anxiousness. Feeling a lot better instead of worsening weather conditions outside.

# 10:00 AM - Had breakfast and coffee with Shane and the Airforce soldiers. A weather window opened up. The heavy winds and snow they stopped. Till now god was playing and pausing the winds and snow. Now he has pressed the stop button on it.

# This was our weather window to start the descend. The airforce group had decided to stay. Shane and Mahendra have decided to make it for Triund. My decision was to follow Shane and Mahendra the guide as all the yellow markings and the trail path are buried in heavy layers of fresh snow.

                   "On The Way To Triund"

# Feeling more confident walking on snow.

# Came back to Triund safely in record time of 50-60 minutes.

                  "Triund Covered In Snow"

# Had tea, chit chatted in general at Triund.

# From Triund everything was a cakewalk. We came storming down; jesting and laughing, with periods of silent descend. Picked up all the litter and garbage along the way in my rucksack's rain cover.

# Reached Mcleodganj. Had sumptuous lunch with Shane at a Tibetan restaurant. Noodles and rice in Thai Vegetable curry. Peach iced tea and banana shake to gulp it all down.

# Shared the contact details. Wished each other luck and parted.

# Collected all my leftover belongings from Dharamkot in the midst of heavy hailstorm. 

# Booked my bus to Delhi for 7:00 PM. Bus on time. 7:15 PM started for Delhi.

# BIRTHDAY WELL SPENT