Bhrigu Lake - Trek Before You Can't
Trekking is always rendered as taking the road less traveled. There are places in this world which can be approached only by foot. No car or bus or bike can reach these places which is why the pristine nature of such places stay intact as the serenity is preserved due to the limited presence of mankind. But due to an increase in tourist demands to reach places often inaccessible, the governing bodies have been trying to lay roads all the way to some of the most extreme spots which until now could be reached only by trekking. Such a situation is that of the beautiful Bhrigu Lake near Manali in Himachal Pradesh. Perched at an altitude of 4300M, Bhrigu Lake is located in the east of Rohtang pass, one of the most widely visited tourist destinations near Manali can be reached only by multiple days of trekking either from the village of Gulaba or from Vashisht. But the recent news of a road being constructed up to Panduropa, as quoted by The Tribune newspaper, will give people access to Bhrigu Lake. So before this leads to a significant decline in the trekking scenes to Bhirgu Lake, please fasten your trekking shoes and trek to Bhrigu Lake before you can't anymore.
Bhrigu Lake gets its name from Maharishi Bhrigu, a great saint, who would meditate near the lake, thus rendering the lake sacred. Trek to Bhrigu Lake often ranges from two-three days taking one through some of the most beautiful alpine meadows and staggering views of the Pir Panjal Himalayas. This trek is one of the most famous treks in Himachal Pradesh well cherished by the trekkers.
Why you should do this trek? Well, Bhrigu Lake is a high altitude alpine lake at an ambitious height of 14000 FT which can be trekked to in just three days.
Did you read? You can reach 14000FT in just three days which otherwise takes four to five days in other Himalayan treks with rigorous climbing. This is absolutely spectacular.
Clouds hovering over the mystical Bhrigu Lake
The steep trail to the lake takes you through lush green meadows, thick forests, boulders, and scree all the while throwing stunning views of peaks such as Hanuman Tibba and the Seven Sisters Peaks. Due to the towering height of this alpine lake, the clouds will be hovering around you. The serene environment surrounding this oval-shaped sacred lake which is believed to change colors with seasons is class apart. The last leg of the trail will take you through conventional villages and pretty apple orchards. So much in just three days. This is an easy trek with a decent level of fitness which means anyone can do this trek. Which also means everyone must do this trek at least once in their lives.
Stunning views from the trail
Manali being a premier tourist destination not only in Himachal but throughout North India gets a heavy influx of tourists all throughout the year. It is a place which offers the likes of mountains, meadows, hot springs, valleys, villages, and the very famous Rohtang Pass. People not only from all corners of India but also from the world come to Manali to enjoy its beauty.
Due to an overwhelming social media presence at this age, almost everyone has come across postcard-worthy pictures of the beautiful Bhrigu Lake. Be it the lush green meadows surrounding the lake in summer or the frozen and snow clad Bhrigu in winters, people have desired to visit this gem, the pool of the gods, but are unable to do so due to its accessibility only by trekking.
To open up a new destination for tourists who visit Manali, the hoteliers of Kullu and Manali are insistent about the construction of a new road which will connect Kothi to Panduropa thus giving road access to Bhrigu Lake. Since 2013, Anup Thakur, the president of the Hoteliers association, Kullu-Manali, has been demanding the construction of this road to increase tourism. He also stated that the construction of the road is at ground level without any progress.
Manali in winters
Due to this reason, there have been plans of constructing a motorable road all the way from Manali to Bhrigu Lake so to serve the tourists with one more magnificent place of interest. Imagine if one could reach Bhrigu Lake by car, jeep, bus, motorbike, anything with wheels. Imagine hundreds of tourists flocking at Bhrigu Lake with their vehicles parked in the vicinity of the Lake. Imagine vendors laying down their stalls. Imagine the amount of litter in the area and around the sacred Lake. This will make it lose its charm, its authenticity, its innocence, its beauty and more importantly its purpose. For some people trekking to this lake is a chance to discover themselves. For some, it is an experience. For some people, Bhrigu Lake is a spiritual journey. For the locals this lake is sacred. The construction of roads will destroy the sensitive ecosystem and the forest in the valley.
Because of ongoing pressure from the Kullu-Manali Hoteliers association, the construction of the road to Bhrigu Lake will resume in its full capacity and be functional in no time. Soon people would choose to reach the lake by a vehicle as opposed to trekking. Why? Let's face it, it's more convenient than trekking and for people on a time constraint, they would reach Bhrigu in a few hours instead of a couple of days. But people have no idea what they are going to miss out on by taking the road.
Frozen Bhrigu Lake
It's a sad scene indeed for a hardcore trekker who understands, appreciates and values the reason for trekking to a place such as Bhrigu Lake where you can sit beside the lake, forget all the challenges of life, and live in the moment. The solitude of a place like this being stripped away by "a step towards the betterment of tourism".
How long till places like these all around the Himalayas get road access? So pack your rucksacks, your hiking boots, and your trekking poles. Stop what you are doing and head to Manali to trek to Bhrigu Lake before it ceases to exist in the map of a trekker.
