“If you want to keep your booty heart-shaped, climb the mountains, plateaus and hills,” sayings of Reverend Prophet Qabeer Jalandhari.

It’s been ages since my last solo trek and I decided to climb a mountain today. Once I reached the summit, I took a quick snooze. Just as I geared up to descend, it started raining whales and elephants. Armed with a trusty rainbow umbrella, I embraced the rain and headed down. The Triund trek is mostly a day hike, with a moderate difficulty level, except for one spot—a small waterfall and a rather rocky terrain. Right as I reached that point, a hailstorm decided to make its appearance. Juggling my umbrella and steadying myself on the rocky surface, I carefully made my way down, discovering the true essence of the expression of being on a slippery slope.

Rain-soaked escapades in the Western Ghats involving running, walking, and hiking have always been a joy for me. However, it was the first time I truly relished the rain while trekking in the Lower Himalayas. Monsoon showers, borne from the Indian Ocean’s waters, accompanied me as I tread upon millions of years old igneous and metamorphic rocks, navigating my descent.

As environmentalist Rachel Carson, a source of inspiration for many, used to say, the finest time to explore a forest is during rainfall. I am in full agreement. During my ascent, I crossed paths with an array of avian friends, while on the way down, I encountered various species of frogs (some of which were surprisingly large) and a congregation of Langurs.

The Triund trail is impressively well-maintained—unlike other places, it’s refreshingly devoid of litter, especially those bothersome multilayered plastics and discarded pet bottles. This positive state of affairs owes much to the dedicated efforts of the Waste Warrior Society, whose headquarters are situated in Dharmshala and are responsible for effective waste management in the region.

As I reached the culmination of the trek, the rain ceased, revealing a brilliant and cloudless day once more. Whenever the rain subsided along my journey, I couldn’t resist indulging in a touch of selfie-infused narcissism. I took the help of ancient rocks to set up the phone for pictures.