Mountains of Dhauladhar
Standing tall as the very first major Himalayan wall rising from the plains, the Dhauladhar Range acts as a giant granite barrier that you can clearly see shooting straight up from the Kangra Valley, India.
What makes these mountains so magical are the unique shapes, impressive heights, and ancient legends behind each peak.
Camel Peak (Approx. 4,520 metres / 14,830 feet): Named perfectly because its rocky silhouette looks exactly like the hump of a camel resting against the sky.
Dhauladhar Matterhorn / Gauri Junda (4,971 metres / 16,309 feet): A strikingly sharp, technical peak named after the famous Swiss mountain due to its near-vertical pyramid shape.
Mun Peak / Mon Peak (4,610 metres / 15,124 feet): Towering right behind the Triund ridge, this famous summit gets its name from Mon (General Money), the early explorer who first mapped out the routes and scaled it.
A Local well read man shared an interesting story with me about the myth that these mountains were given as dowry to Lord Shiva by Goddess Parvati’s father, King Himavan (his another name, Himachal). Locals believe that the mountains were given so Shiva would have a grand, beautiful place to rest alongside his bride.
The range is also famous for its history of early twentieth centuries daring climbs. British mountaineer Major H.D. Minchinton famously made the very first ascent of the Dhauladhar Matterhorn in 1913, only to later lose his life on the neighboring Mun Peak in 1927.
Today, Gaddi shepherds, believer of Shiva, still look up at these summits as the sacred playground of the gods
I captured these peaks around various times of the day early in July, from the perfect vantage point of Triund.
Shot on Sony A6700 with Sigma 18-50mm lens.