Family Adventure Day3 trek : Exploring Crystal Cave and its surroundings

Day3 of this family adventure trek was dedicated to completely immersing ourselves in the natural beauty that surrounded us. My plan was to explore and photograph the Crystal cave meadows, flitting butterflies, Himalayan griffin, wild flowers and the the lovely snow capped mountains. My daughter intended on singing and dancing the day away on the green carpet laid down by mother nature. Exercise (really!) , food (of course) and reading (yes, we carried books to read in the tent and under the stars) were all part of the plan 🙂

The food pattern we followed during the family adventure trek was pretty much the same for the 4 days. Soup in the warm confines of the tent by 7 pm, dinner by the bonfire by 8 pm, morning tea at 7 am followed by sumptuous breakfast and packed lunch. Our cook Inder was amazing and could cook up the most delicious meals. The variety offered was mind boggling.

I dedicate this post to a photo file of Day 3 in the lovely campsite of Crystal cave

We spent Day 3 of our family adventure in the company of these snow capped beauties

We spent Day 3 of our family adventure in the company of these snow capped beauties

The magnificent view from the camp site on Day 3

The magnificent view from the camp site on Day 3

The crew leaves to recce descent route for Day4 of our family adventure

The crew leaves to recce descent route for Day4 of our family adventure

Posing with the snowy Himalayas in the backdrop

Posing with the snowy Himalayas in the backdrop

The entire meadow was covered with these yellow and blue flowers !

The entire meadow was covered with these yellow and blue flowers !

Practicing my photography tricks !

Practicing nature photography !

One of the many butterflies flitting across the meadow

One of the many butterflies flitting across the meadow

Himalayan Griffin resting before the flight again

Himalayan Griffin resting before the flight again

And it flies again...

And it flies again…

Sibling bonding - would love to be a fly on the wall (or in the grass) and listen in !

Sibling secrets – would love to be a fly on the wall (or in the grass) and listen in !

And we had long walks as we bonded #momdaughter

And we had long walks as we bonded #momdaughter

Oh, to sing and dance on the green green grass

Oh, to sing and dance on the green green grass

Yes, we found time to exercise too !

Yes, we found time to exercise too !

Reading was part of the plan, wasn't it ?

Reading was part of the plan, wasn’t it ?

The family that travels together - stays together !

The family that travels together – stays together !

Sunset on the snow peaks of the Himalayan ranges

Sunset on the snow peaks of the Himalayan ranges

The spectacular sunset on Day3

And thus we spent one complete day absorbing the beauty that is the Himalayas. No, we did not make it to Lambri top as planned. My daughter was exhausted from the Day2 trek but hey, who am I kidding. We were pretty busted ourselves and a day’s rest (from climbing) did us a lot of good for a good 500metre descent on Day4, for which we have to create our own route downhill !

Family Adventure Trek Day 3

Family Adventure Trek Day 3

Things you may want to know before the travel (Travel tips)

  • The original plan was to camp at Shepherd’s hut, another 1 hr trek from Crystal cave. Then visit Lambri and trek down to another village. You can decide to do that if it works for you and your group
  • While we carried mosquito and insect repellent, we never used it as we did not find any bugs in this area
  • I cannot emphasize enough the use of sunscreen throughout the trek
  • Carry some cream to deal with dryness due to the cold winds
  • It is quite safe to camp here. We were the only group on Day3 and it was no problem at all
  • You can explore Crystal Cave which was an hour’s trek from the campsite. Apparently crystals were mined there in the past.

Link to other days of the family adventure trek

Day 1 – Jalori Pass to Serolsar Lake

Day 2 – Family adventure : Serolsar Lake to Shepherd’s hut

 

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admin

A daughter, sister, wife, mother, friend, IT professional and now - a travel blogger. I just love traveling, exploring new places and this inspired me to share travel experiences and memories with others.

69 Responses

  1. Elena says:

    I love traveling too and especially spending time in the nature. It seems that you had fun on your trip!

  2. neha says:

    Wow..it’s so beautiful. Now, I am really feeling jealous. You are able to camp there in that blissful surrounding and unplug from the world. And spend such quality time with your family. I would definitely love to do that

    • admin says:

      Thanks Neha. There are many other treks to choose from within the Great Himalayan National Park. The views all around is superb. You will be totally disconnected from the world (unless you have BSNL and a penchant to climb on top of rocks – yes the crew did gloat about connectivity at certain points) 🙂

  3. Gillian says:

    Hmm, crystal cave. Even the name seems wonderful. It’s always lovely to see kids having fun!

  4. You guys truly owned an amazing adventure. The scenic view is really breathtaking and the whole time you trek to crystal cave is really beyond compare. I haven’t heard about this one yet and I’ll surely include this on my bucket list. I as well love camping and being able to camp with that beautiful scene is really a wow. I hope to traipse my feet here as well soon. Thank you so much for sharing this with us.

    • admin says:

      Thanks so much for your kind words. We did have a great time. There are so many treks within the UNESCO site of the Great Himalayan National Park, all with scenic views. I had kids with me so chose a moderate one outside the park.

  5. Traveling with kids is the best! It looks like you guys really had a great time. Your pictures are beautiful!

  6. Hi Swati,

    We love your post and your blog!
    That’s why we nominated you for the Liebster Award!

    Please check out our post to find out what’s next 😉
    http://www.alongcameanelephant.com/2017/07/nominated-for-liebster-award-2017.html

    Marlo & Kristof

    • admin says:

      Yay ! Thanks so much Marlo and Kristof. Glad you liked the blog and post. Humbled on being nominated and super excited! Will look up your link and take his forward 🙂

  7. The area you spent this day at is just such a beautiful part of the world. You photos are truly stunning and it was a real pleasure to see the fabulous natural environment as it was to see you enjoying it so much with your family. What a place to camp and absorb the serenity and majesty of this place. Such a great post.

    • admin says:

      Thanks Nicole. It is so good to see appreciation of the wonders of nature. We had an absolutely swell time as a family and would recommend it to others. These treks require teamwork and with no other distraction, helps big time in bonding

  8. SindhuMurthy says:

    What a lovely way to spend time with family! One can never go wrong in choosing the Himalayas for a trek and your experience proves it. Going by your pics, looks like your kids had a gala time in the meadows. What if you couldn’t complete the trek as per plan, the joy is more in the journey than in reaching the destination.

    • admin says:

      Absolutely Sindhu. I would have loved to reach Lambri but was grateful that the kids made it so far without any complaints. If I had cajoled my daughter, she would have agreed to walk 1 hr and come back here but she really wanted to just sing and dance in the meadows 🙂

  9. Sandy N Vyjay says:

    I love the fact that this was a family adventure. it is so wonderful you explored the wonders of nature with the kids. For people like us cooped up in the concrete jungles, kids sometimes loose the connect with nature and these kind of trips help them understand and appreciate nature and the environment.

    • admin says:

      Thanks so much. The kids had such a good time and still talk about this adventure trip ! In fact I have their explicit agreement to plan another trek next summer 🙂

  10. Joanna says:

    The trek looks so beautiful, especially with the Himalaya mountains in the background. You are so lucky to have seen them in all their splendor. I love that you included a bit of reading into the adventure as well

  11. Harini says:

    I love your family pictures the poses are so creative and also I didn’t understand did you guys cook the food yourselves or did you get someone to make it for you ?Camping sounds like such a fun idea and the Himalayas seem like the perfect reading spot ❤️

    • admin says:

      Thanks Harini, we had a great time. The food was carried by the crew and they would cook an elaborate dinner and breakfast each day. Lunch would typically be a packed affair so had to be non-messy and easy to carry. They managed to transport even eggs without breaking and we were so amazed !

  12. Marge says:

    It looks like a fun trip and a day well spent with your family. I’m not sure if I’m ever gonna have my own family, but if ever I do, I will also take my children to my travels. Your kids are lucky to learn the value of traveling this early.

    By the way, the view is absolutely amazing. I am also a firm believer of using sunscreen and I wear one even when the weather is gloomy.

    • admin says:

      Thanks Marge. You should try a trek anyway , it is fun – with or without family :). I believed that all the dryness was due to the cols and kept applying moisturizer whereas I was getting sun burnt ! So yeah, a big proponent of sunscreen now 🙂

  13. Shannon says:

    I have been following along on your trip. I love that you travel as a family. This looks like a beautiful place to be outdoors.

  14. I truly love your pictures here, they bring joy and happiness. I also love the way you bond with your family. It’s adventurous, unique and memorable. It’s great to involve our children in activities like these while they are young. The place is stunning, I do wish that one day I will see personally those snow capped mountains and enjoy its beauty. 🙂

    • admin says:

      Thanks for your kind words and appreciation. Glad you liked the pictures. We had a great time as a family and made many happy memories 🙂

  15. Leelo says:

    Wow! Beautiful photos! I haven’t read your previous posts of your family adventure, but I will read them right now!

    • admin says:

      Thanks Leelo. Glad you liked my pictures and thanks for stopping by. Do read the other posts and let me know what you think 🙂

  16. Sandra says:

    Wow these pictures look amazing and you all seemed to have had such fun. Must look into this location!

  17. Looks like an adventure I would want to take! I love hiking, camping, kayaking etc. Fishing of course is my all time favorite!

    • admin says:

      Thanks Shauna. It was great fun. In fact before we started our trek, the place we stayed had great fishing opportunities for Himalayan Trouts !

  18. Laura says:

    Wow it looks BEAUTIFUL there! What a fun adventure!

  19. The pictures that you have here are so beautiful It looks so amazing there. I have heard good things about here but now it’s a must visit.

  20. Amrita says:

    Trekking and camping with children sound amazing.Would I dare?I don’t know!The pics ate breathtaking

  21. DEAN says:

    This is such a beautiful place and it must have been amazing to be able to share the experience as a family.

  22. Jerny says:

    Great landscapes! The way you write is beautiful and I get to absorb every single word you said here. 🙂 it got me excited to book a trip to see this beauty !

    • admin says:

      Thanks Jerny. Glad you liked the landscape and the beauty of nature enough to want to visit. Let me know if you need any information

  23. maria says:

    It looks like you and your family had a wonderful time! Being in nature with no technology is rare these days. it’s beautiful that you and your family were able to connect and bond in such beautiful surroundings!

  24. kya baat kya baat kya baat…enjoy karo bas enjoy…seems like you guys have gone to those places where even Bollywood has to still set foot, hai na? Next time, I am going to see these locales in some Bollywood movie, these places are so awesome. I liked that pic which has you three fellows “reading”

    • admin says:

      Really Swayam. I still dream of those lush green meadows :). Bollywood ki ladies ko itna chalna padega, not sure if they will manage ;). Aap to Dilli mein ho, these places are closer to you. You should plan a visit some day ! I did serious reading that day and in the light provided in the tent 🙂

  25. Anna says:

    Never been but thanks for adding to my intrigue! Lovely pictures too!

  26. Ashley says:

    You folks all look like you’re having the best time! Seems like a fun place to be! Thanks for sharing.

  27. Nina says:

    Your family is so beautiful! Look like you had such a wonderful time. I haven’t been but I’d love to go sometime!

  28. Johna says:

    Wow! Such a beautiful place Looks like you had quite the adventure 😀 definitely need to add this place to my bucket list! 😀

  29. Karie says:

    It’s good that you took time to rest and seems like your family had a lovely time among nature. I would love to just relax and read a book with a view like that! The view from Crystal cave meadows is so breathtaking. Is that the Dhauladhar range?

    • admin says:

      Hi Karie. Reading a book in the tent was on my list of things to do as dancing was on my daughter’s ! Yes, it is Dhauladhar and Kinnaur range. Magnificent isn’t it ?

  30. Carlinn says:

    Wow so beautiful! And how much fun must it be hiking like this as a family. Definitely such an amazing experience for your children!

  31. Jaspal says:

    Lovely write up, cute family and wonderful vacation photos. Keep writing and inspiring.

  32. Travel tips says:

    You guys had a great adventure. I’m sure kids enjoyed a lot. Which is the geographic location of this place?

  33. amit says:

    Those views look incredible, I would love to visit here one day. It’s places like this that will stick in your kids memories. I know if I was taken to somewhere like this as a child I wouldn’t have forgot it.

    • admin says:

      Thanks Amit. I agree. We all have fond memories as children from experiences we have had, never from a material possession. I do hope the views and nature instill good happy childhood memories and the desire to be healthy grown ups in my kids.

  34. Heraa Farooq says:

    What a fun place for a peaceful adventurous vacation for the whole family. Seems like you and your family had a lot of fun. It’s good to take kids out to such destinations, it’s healthier for their mind and body 🙂

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