Sibling Goals on a Summit: Nidhi’s Triund Trek Review with Thrillophilia

If you had told me a month ago that I would be waking up at 5 am in a beautiful town called McLeodganj, I would have laughed. Until one day…

My sibling, Chetan, had just finished his first year of college. We had not spoken much over the past year except for the occasional sarcastic sibling banter and check-ins about Mom and Dad. Somewhere along the way, we had drifted into parallel lives under the same roof.

And yet, here we are. On the morning of June 2025, standing at Bhagsunag Taxi Stand with our small backpacks and meeting our trek leader.

“Ready to embark on a new adventure?” he smiled.

We could not have agreed more.

The Climb Through Forests

The trek began gently through the winding streets of McLeodganj, where Buddhist prayer flags fluttered above and the cool morning breeze whispered in silence. We reached Bhagsunag Waterfall, where the cool water cascaded down. I saw Chetan filming the falls on his phone, and he looked truly present.

“Breakfast?” I asked.

“Only if it has got Maggi or paranthas,” he said.

So, we made our first stop at Shiva Cafe situated in the hills, where Bob Marley smiled from the walls and the smell of masala chai mixed with mountain air. While sitting there and waiting for our breakfast, we started talking about his college pranks and the usual sibling nonsense. I had not laughed that freely in a long time.

After breakfast, the climb steepened. Dense oak and rhododendron forests surrounded us. Occasionally, sunlight broke through the canopy and created golden patches on the trail. Our guide pointed out Katrani Dhar, a beautiful clearing where many trekkers pause to catch their breath. We stopped, too, partly for the view and mostly for each other.

“How do you always walk so fast?” Chetan complained while panting dramatically.

I laughed.

We kept on walking until our legs felt like giving up. But what truly pulled us forward was the sudden and breathtaking sights of Triund Top, waiting for us just beyond the final ascent.

Where the Sky Felt Close Enough to Touch

When we finally reached the Triund Top, the world opened up. Below us stretched the vast Kangra Valley, covered in soft afternoon light. We could see the mighty Dhauladhar Range behind us, whose snowy peaks were reaching the sky.

I sat down on a rock to catch my breath and soak in the views.

“Wow,” Chetan whispered. “This… is insane.”

We did not need many words after that. Sometimes silence does what sentences cannot. I watched as he lay back on the grass. At that moment, we both went back to our childhood days when we used to race down playgrounds.

After taking it all in, we began our descent towards Leta Campsite, where our tents were waiting. By the time we reached it, my legs became heavy and my stomach was growling. Thankfully, dinner was ready soon, and we gathered around the bonfire (weather gods were kind to us that evening).

The warmth of the fire, the simple joy of dal-chawal, and the company of fellow trekkers filled the night. Laughter and stories blended with the crackling flames, and under the vast night sky filled with stars, I felt peaceful.

Before heading to our tents, Chetan nudged me, “Nidhi, thanks for bringing me here. I needed this.”

“Me too, kiddo.”

Sunrise and the Way Down

The next morning, I woke up to something even my most beautiful dreams could not match. A sunrise so still and so vast that it made my everyday worries feel small. The first light of dawn painted the peaks in shades of gold and rose, and the sky seemed to stretch endlessly above the waking valley.

Chetan joined me, half-asleep, wrapped in his jacket.

“Sunrises hit differently up here,” he mumbled.

“Yeah,” I replied.

After breakfast, we packed our things and began our descent. The way down felt lighter. We passed once again through the deodar forests, the oak trees, and the same waterfall, but everything looked gentler now.

As we neared the Bhagsunag Taxi Stand, the familiar buzz of the town greeted us. But something had changed inside both of us.

We spent the rest of the day wandering through Bhagsunag Temple and exploring the narrow lanes of the Tibetan market. I bought a handmade bracelet, and Chetan picked up a quirky yak keychain (probably to brag to his friends later).

What the Mountain Left Behind

We returned home with shared memories and a reminder that family is often found in the moments we least expect.

The mountains gave us a chance to pause, reconnect, and laugh about how sore our legs were for the next two days. That night, as we waited for our overnight bus back to Delhi, Chetan said, “Next trip, Spiti Valley?”

I smiled, exhausted but happy. “Only if you promise to carry my backpack next time.”

Read More: Thrillophilia Himachal Trek Reviews