Chandra Tal.. The Moon Lake

Chandra Tal is situated in the Spiti part of the Lahul and Spiti district of Himachal Pradesh.The name of the lake originates from its crescent shape. It is situated at an altitude of about 4,300 metres (14,100 ft) in the Himalayas.
20th August 2016: We started early, Me and my friend on Bike and Our better halves on a gypsy with Om Prakash..The moment we hit the road rain welcomed us again, out came our rain gears and off we went towards the 
Moon lake..
The plan was to cross Rohtang Pass and reach Chandra Tal after crossing Chattru and Batal (127 kms). The moment we crossed Rohtang Pass we realized that we have to travel the rest of the journey off-road.. We did not got a proper stretch until Kaza after this..So till Chandra Tal more than 100kms Off road..Adventure at its best..The first stretch which welcomed us was mud..thick mud..heavy mud..which was adventurous but injurious to our beloved bike which we realized later..

 The bike wrestled through the mud to take us to Chattru..11100 ft and 120 inhabitants..Nature have started to reveal her beauty to her, we were fascinated..with each passing day this fascination became awestruck at her beauty..We halted briefly for a quick refreshment and photo break after which we headed on our way to Batal..

Somewhere in between the bike started to tell us about its ailment, a damaged gear shift..We stopped at a deserted place,which looked like a spot where the Hollywood horror movie Hills Have Eyes might have got its inspiration from to amend our gear..we were deceived by luck as the only screw head to open the gear was not in our tool kit, rest we had everything..we decided to ride till Batal and then decide on the future course of action..Rough road with occasional streams running over the road and very shallow water bodies were crossed to reach Batal..

As per local opinion since PWD was in-charge of this area roads have not been developed,since recently BRO has taken over they are very hopeful that the entire stretch will be amended over a period of time in the immediate distant future.

Batal gave us the opportunity to have tea from a stall which are owned by heroes, A couple who have helped stranded tourist over several days and have also helped in rescue of several when nature was demonstrating its furious side to the helpless tourists..

 Indian Army have a STD booth over there and they gladly allow civilians to use it as Airtel,Vodafone or Idea have no network over there..

Much to my friend's dismay we had to keep the bike over there as it was not in proper health to accompany us to Chandra Tal, there are no mechanics available till Kaza..So we had to depart with our beloved ride..We all accommodated in the Gypsy and headed to Chandra Tal-The Moon Lake..

This truthfulness that you are observing over here is what I have learnt from the mountains..

The road to Chandra Tal is a no-road actually, Its a narrow strip where our experienced friend Omprakash had no issue in maneuvering the gypsy.

 When we reached Chandra Tal , Nature has dimmed its light to give way to night fall..We were to live in tents and that itself excited us ..We were to live in Tenzing Camp, which is an array of white tents..

The bathroom is also a tent, the restaurant ( a make-shift serving area) is also a tent..We spotted a Yak also in the vicinity..We saw the wondeful sight of a snow capped mountain top drenched in the sunlight from a setting sun..wow..beautiful..

After our enthusiasm to live in tent subsided slightly and enthusiastic photo-session was over we really felt the chill of the place along with the scarcity of breathable oxygen in the air..I struggled to breathe till late at night..We made an unsuccessful attempt to visit Chandra Tal at night and we all decided to return in the morning with full health..We were served Rice,Dal and Paneer in the restaurant tent..The night was chilly and even slightest of activity would leave me gasping for air due to low oxygen level..Going to bathroom at night can be painstaking as well as energy sucking..The cold,oxygen deprived,tent-staying night faded away to give way to a gloomy,rainy morning..

21st August: Early morning tea and the last few km to Chandra Tal followed by a small trekking (we were sipping on fruit juices while trekking to avoid any more fatigue) brought us to Chandra Tal..The path had stone piles to indicate if we are on the right path..made by some ever helping mountain soul..

Even in the gloomy morning she was beautiful..She was unable to reflect the blue sky and was grey as she reflected the clouds but we could make out the transparency and the various shades of the Moon Lake.We were mesmerized..We tried to capture her beauty in our cameras ( as much as we can) before we bid her good bye..

The beautiful and mesmerizing Moon-Lake, the freezing night, the tent life..the narrow path, the mountain peak..the small trekking..the company of friends..what else can one wish for??If this is travelling I am ready to become a traveler for eternity..