'When people come to our camps the only demand that we get from them is constant supply of hot water. It is very difficult to keep up because it takes hours to boil water but just a few seconds to turn it cold again,' caretaker Pyarelal said. His alternate profession is as an altitude mountain guide.

These men usually just have a stony bunker at their disposal and this serves as a kitchen and food storage area as well. It is undoubtedly the best place to be in because of the warmth of the stoves that burn almost continuously to cater to the needs of the guests.

The men work in sync - one person cuts the vegetables while another washes utensils, one arranges dinner in the dining camp while another serves it. It's team work and they mange it pretty well. These men get all the necessary items like vegetables, oil, petrol and other stuff from Manali every third day.

But life's not easy for them. What travellers out for an adventure in the hills often fail to notice is that these men too have to battle mountain sickness.

'It takes us some time to get accustomed to high altitudes. We do get headaches and nausea for a couple of days but after that it is over,' explained Raju, who was the head cook at the camp here and who works as a cook in Manali as well.

'Though we are cut off from the main city, we have an army hospital just seven kilometres away from here and in case of any emergency, we rush there.'

But in the end, living in the lap of nature for a few months every year is rejuvenating for their soul too.

Said Raju: 'We can't help but enjoy the serene mountains and peaceful nature.'

(Shilpa Raina can be contacted at shilpa.r@ians.in)