There are still hidden corners in our populous and congested country which have escaped the relentless trudge of human feet, where ancient forests still luxuriate in dense clusters and clear night skies sparkle with myriad points of starlight. The Bara Bangal trek in Himachal threads through the Pir Panjal and Dhauladhar ranges tracing the annual migration of shepherds and their flocks from the high alpine pastures to the grassy valleys below as winter approaches. Come summer the return journey begins towards the now snow-free grazing grounds among the high mountains.
The trek kicks off in the town of Manali and