This Heaven is a photography project dedicated to a personal favorite trek to Rani Sui lake and the landscapes that lie on its way. The journey takes us through the untouched, beautiful alpine meadows and the dense forests of maple, walnut, horse chestnut, and mostly pine trees. Rani Sui lake lies in between the route to Bara Bhangal and Kalihani Pass and above the beautiful town of Manali at an elevation of 11,154 ft. Many pretty wildflowers bloom on the vast pastures and surround the lake, making it appear no less than a paradise.
It used to be the go-to hike throughout my year-long stay in Manali, at least till the first campsite of Lama Dugh. That gave me plenty of opportunities to dig deeper into the gorgeous landscapes, understand the flora & fauna of the forests, and even make acquaintance with Gaddi shepherds and their unique way of life. Another amazing aspect of hiking is the ample time it gives us by ourselves and it has always been so reassuring and calming to me which eventually does help with the photographs.
'So break the bread and pour the wine
I need no blessings but I'm counting mine'
- This Heaven (David Gilmour)
I need no blessings but I'm counting mine'
- This Heaven (David Gilmour)
![Wild Horses](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/da02258a-6265-43c8-9efa-7286ce5287f0/9c985ba1-ddd2-4925-a43e-8c1041494f40_rw_1920.jpg?h=68d7dd68985682d1a25a09ff513f547c)
Wild Horses
![Sheep Grazing](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/da02258a-6265-43c8-9efa-7286ce5287f0/92429826-f390-4a20-8cd9-f9decbf3afac_rw_1920.jpg?h=971fb9189cd357401c852c892b771ae9)
Sheep Grazing
![Campsite Day-1](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/da02258a-6265-43c8-9efa-7286ce5287f0/8486a5b2-a548-422e-9ea4-a12f5d482b03_rw_1920.jpg?h=5aeac632c76c437fe2d5654cd7a9faed)
Campsite Day-1
![Himalayan Knotweed Fields](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/da02258a-6265-43c8-9efa-7286ce5287f0/2e53ebb4-ae50-4f21-abf4-f68e4d8eedad_rw_1920.jpg?h=916f858b8d0d1d68258f6f312f2ee72d)
Himalayan Knotweed Fields
![Running Wild](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/da02258a-6265-43c8-9efa-7286ce5287f0/c576ee7a-cc2a-4de9-9987-2d7dd2dbda10_rw_1920.jpg?h=4b58511373523851b9dde87d65d3a6eb)
Running Wild
![Lake Rani Sui](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/da02258a-6265-43c8-9efa-7286ce5287f0/c9e10e1a-e351-4ad6-9e1e-41ab73dddca6_rw_1920.jpg?h=f1efb1b009c4a4ca302dc8a01bd267be)
Lake Rani Sui
![Staring Into the Horizon](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/da02258a-6265-43c8-9efa-7286ce5287f0/0d9b20f8-bf07-463d-b58b-3e43cab8d08b_rw_1920.jpg?h=82dc1b1bf9921ad774de7ac792dd707d)
Staring Into the Horizon
![The Shepherd](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/da02258a-6265-43c8-9efa-7286ce5287f0/d55add48-2af3-49e0-8859-bc384939839c_rw_1920.jpg?h=83ca1dacef52396fc95e1835ec7e7570)
The Shepherd
![Golden Eagle, Himalayas](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/da02258a-6265-43c8-9efa-7286ce5287f0/3820713e-499b-46eb-a508-f87fce21798c_rw_1920.jpg?h=4098430c279412cb0ab8c5bc2ba976d9)
Golden Eagle, Himalayas
![Shepherds Heading Back Home](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/da02258a-6265-43c8-9efa-7286ce5287f0/9ac7e021-ece6-425a-ac32-3f0a5131e650_rw_1920.jpg?h=6efd444d998fec0f3481c641f16714de)
Shepherds Heading Back Home
![Lama Dugh Campground](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/da02258a-6265-43c8-9efa-7286ce5287f0/df842b8b-b90b-46ce-9a7a-a0075dcdb097_rw_1920.jpg?h=bd6405e47ab18cc765136832ba4ab1da)
Lama Dugh Campground
![Gaddi](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/da02258a-6265-43c8-9efa-7286ce5287f0/60fd1e62-7046-4a55-a4c9-0d8cc0614019_rw_1920.jpg?h=03868714704451e027aea6d6f48e72e4)
Gaddi
![Gaddi People](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/da02258a-6265-43c8-9efa-7286ce5287f0/58ee29d9-516e-468f-8cf3-997cc8071b3b_rw_1920.jpg?h=d8c35429c6258a9cf032fe0e4c04377c)
Gaddi People
![Wild Berries](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/da02258a-6265-43c8-9efa-7286ce5287f0/d51b031a-498c-4541-8cde-6e490536aa20_rw_1920.jpg?h=fd1a7e409c2e99936a14edad59c3b7e7)
Wild Berries
![Where's Rani Sui at?](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/da02258a-6265-43c8-9efa-7286ce5287f0/a32ecdd4-ba92-4393-bde9-d027e4f05e8b_rw_1920.jpg?h=ddec9b1a8237ff21751740ea44d1451b)
Where's Rani Sui at?
![Through the Mist](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/da02258a-6265-43c8-9efa-7286ce5287f0/e2e321a9-dcea-4825-bd19-c5460152b8f8_rw_1920.jpg?h=4cb31cd20f91e10a4f7d77dfe22b4929)
Through the Mist
![Graze Away](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/da02258a-6265-43c8-9efa-7286ce5287f0/c72c6d7c-f41e-4114-93c4-ad6d89f592c5_rw_1920.jpg?h=4544982576e800118c6a12602a85f5b6)
Graze Away
![Morning Surprise](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/da02258a-6265-43c8-9efa-7286ce5287f0/1fe68875-a1c9-4d78-b0ea-ac5a3e60d24c_rw_1920.jpg?h=6be5b8f56446c4ebc03e7d40b6ae6720)
Morning Surprise
![Himalayan Knotweed Fields](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/da02258a-6265-43c8-9efa-7286ce5287f0/d8bf1887-8bc7-464e-be45-5a7a32115ca1_rw_1920.jpg?h=98273e1ce739ced61e02d66fa689a91e)
Himalayan Knotweed Fields
![Out of Words & Breath](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/da02258a-6265-43c8-9efa-7286ce5287f0/8b019ca8-e603-4e82-9bf4-e3037eabeb1d_rw_1920.jpg?h=e6f43b68a0e0d497aaaa2e25a13d7c00)
Out of Words & Breath
![Enroute Rani Sui Lake](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/da02258a-6265-43c8-9efa-7286ce5287f0/9d694f5f-4f4f-480c-a5e8-fa9f3da2f091_rw_1920.jpg?h=f1255fbee7e28622b6642a208ce6575d)
Enroute Rani Sui Lake
![Don't Try This at Home!](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/da02258a-6265-43c8-9efa-7286ce5287f0/a67e28f8-3f5e-4e61-a7c9-0a181e9ec662_rw_1920.jpg?h=a3b2ab793d225e2db6d3b15792ad7897)
Don't Try This at Home!
![Enroute Rani Sui Lake](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/da02258a-6265-43c8-9efa-7286ce5287f0/6f342fb5-a82b-4952-bef3-4e4bb696b409_rw_1920.jpg?h=1871f45d07f95d8314a50294b4994cbe)
Enroute Rani Sui Lake
![Sunset](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/da02258a-6265-43c8-9efa-7286ce5287f0/fd2e499f-95f7-4d2e-9fe9-fcc3a53b0778_rw_1920.jpg?h=717394ed202390fb194918a5cf15b6e0)
Sunset
![Beyond the Treeline](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/da02258a-6265-43c8-9efa-7286ce5287f0/ad4252c4-9b6b-4a38-835f-5157566bb5cb_rw_1920.jpg?h=4b1b2ee088b8c1d40533b19a7773b834)
Beyond the Treeline
![View of River Beas](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/da02258a-6265-43c8-9efa-7286ce5287f0/010f7337-41f2-45e6-ae74-e46264abbfd3_rw_1920.jpg?h=ecce158aceea9e6b55825035fc752252)
View of River Beas
![Rani Sui Lake](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/da02258a-6265-43c8-9efa-7286ce5287f0/d01825ce-aa7f-4489-9258-a37e1c2a7605_rw_1920.jpg?h=174ca3559ead560fd08ec49c18ede876)
Rani Sui Lake
![Bonfire](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/da02258a-6265-43c8-9efa-7286ce5287f0/6c16af96-2bd3-47e6-a5f4-28ef0cc58fc5_rw_1920.jpg?h=96e8db7cd8179d967221bfe61208dc36)
Bonfire
![Blessed Mornings](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/da02258a-6265-43c8-9efa-7286ce5287f0/0637369f-ee15-4893-b7b4-ca96b4a59fd9_rw_1920.jpg?h=fe1fa432b1b248ca2d4cf8de2aeb33c1)
Blessed Mornings
![The Shepherd](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/da02258a-6265-43c8-9efa-7286ce5287f0/b79281e5-7c34-4236-a265-84813b281e7b_rw_1920.jpg?h=a3c4a7f11bd9231eb344cebb101c0891)
The Shepherd
![Misty Mornings](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/da02258a-6265-43c8-9efa-7286ce5287f0/e62a096e-c873-49c9-8039-61742310a7a7_rw_1920.jpg?h=9f5fe554cef11499a74b5594f13fefce)
Misty Mornings
![Enroute Rani Sui Lake](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/da02258a-6265-43c8-9efa-7286ce5287f0/352e127f-7626-47b3-8625-20ea4a2e24d6_rw_1920.jpg?h=6a25143c9b437478e106ea288d8974ef)
Enroute Rani Sui Lake
![God Lighting](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/da02258a-6265-43c8-9efa-7286ce5287f0/cbcb5b66-7e87-48aa-927b-b8b1a9070c5c_rw_1920.jpg?h=1858eb03a264925c71369245a3fae5dc)
God Lighting
![Pit Stop in Makeshift Kitchen](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/da02258a-6265-43c8-9efa-7286ce5287f0/25dfa6e2-a6dc-434f-8757-fcbcc455695f_rw_1920.jpg?h=455147028d8a0ad5e2681561aaaf446e)
Pit Stop in Makeshift Kitchen
![Some Scale](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/da02258a-6265-43c8-9efa-7286ce5287f0/91a7f3b5-9e75-43e6-8021-eb9e2bac4e40_rw_1920.jpg?h=a93e2b3eb931d4bd7611e9f48378288c)
Some Scale
![Khanpari Tibba Top](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/da02258a-6265-43c8-9efa-7286ce5287f0/539d2a68-cb9d-4ec2-9dff-984b2681003f_rw_1920.jpg?h=c1f4d52682f582b48656bff15d5a99fd)
Khanpari Tibba Top
![Himalayan Knotweed Fields](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/da02258a-6265-43c8-9efa-7286ce5287f0/052dbe08-86b9-4735-b568-adbd9340b272_rw_1920.jpg?h=33c3045d4184c6b8a0e825f8f0466b8f)
Himalayan Knotweed Fields
![Take Me Higher](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/da02258a-6265-43c8-9efa-7286ce5287f0/210c4b75-855f-4057-a6ab-9b219896bee6_rw_1920.jpg?h=bbb5c9f8e5061adfb3daab39d7796370)
Take Me Higher
![Selfie Spot](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/da02258a-6265-43c8-9efa-7286ce5287f0/530e756e-e572-4a35-b8a3-5f64754de652_rw_1920.jpg?h=cc427db3bba48af184805054b5dee380)
Selfie Spot
![Enroute Rani Sui Lake](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/da02258a-6265-43c8-9efa-7286ce5287f0/c401b484-29eb-466a-899b-797f42cd540f_rw_1920.jpg?h=571edf43cfe07c5d9ce4a32c4252b6ba)
Enroute Rani Sui Lake
![Luggage of Gaddi Shepherds](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/da02258a-6265-43c8-9efa-7286ce5287f0/41826f7d-e490-428b-84ba-89122d9b6240_rw_1920.jpg?h=1c3815bf5f00ed9bda796fa08d97efff)
Luggage of Gaddi Shepherds
![Caught in a Hailstorm](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/da02258a-6265-43c8-9efa-7286ce5287f0/a30fb3ef-170f-4647-8b04-b3c7acd699db_rw_1920.jpg?h=00ae1cec7ca1fa48c1ca8b7c6d041ad4)