On a cold February morning, I was pleasantly surprised to get a call from my friend Partap Chauhan who stays in Kanroti, a small village of around 44 families in Ratnari Panchayat. Just three hours drive from Shimla. In India it is one of the richest panchayats in terms of per capita income because it grows some of the finest apples in the country. Partap asked if I could join a snow trek route-opening team that he was part of. My reply was an instant yes. The next morning, I packed my bags and, along with a friend of mine, set off for Ratnari. It took almost 12 hours from Delhi by road. We took the 475-km-long Delhi-Ambala-Shimla-Theog- Ratnari route.