Monday, March 21, 2011

Hampta Pass, Chandratal and Baralacha Pass Trekking

This trek will take you from the lush, green and fertile Kullu Valley up into the barren high altitude areas of the Great Himalaya. You’ll be following ancient trade routes and shepherds passes and pass beautiful isolated lakes set amongst some of the most beautiful mountains in the world.

Hampta Pass, Chandratal and Baralacha Pass
Difficulty – 4/5 stars
Duration - 13 Days,
Dates – June 1st – 13th, 15th – 27th, July 1st – 13th, Sept 5th – 17th

Day 1 – Arrive Delhi
Our Rep will meet you at the airport and accompany you to your hotel in the centre of the city.

Day 2 – Delhi to Manali
In the morning we take in some of the sights of Delhi before taking the overnight sleeper bus to Manali.

Manali

Day 3 Acclimatise around Manali (2050m)
We will take an easy acclimatization walk around the area today. There will be plenty of time to recover from the journey north and in the evening we will have a meal at the hotel and discuss the days ahead.

Day 4 – Manali to Chikka, jeep 1 hour, trek 4-5 hours (3300m)
After breakfast we drive a short distance to Prini and start the trek. We’ll trek for around 4-5 hours, along a good trail passing through pine forests, and arrive at Chikka, our first camp. The camp is situated in the valley floor at around 3300m.

Day 5 – Chikka to Balu Ghera, 3-4 hours (3700m)
The next morning we head up the valley to Balu Ghera. A steady climb as the altitude becomes noticeable is rewarded with fine views back into the Kullu Valley and towards the peaks above Kullu, some 40kms away. It’s a short day of walking and the rest of the day is yours to explore the valley. But beware – balu means bear in Hindi!

Hamta Trek 1

Day 6 – Balu Ghera to Shiragoru, over Hampta Pass, 5-6 hours (3850m)
After leaving Balu Ghera we continue to the head of the valley before a steep ascent takes us onto the Hampta Pass (4280m). We take in amazing views of the surrounding peaks, including the mighty Indrasan and Deo Tibba. We then descend a steep path to our campsite at Shiragoru.

Day 7 – Shiragoru to Batal, 2-3 hours trek, jeep 2 hours (3950m)
We have a short trek of 2-3 hours to reach the road again at Chhatru. On the descent there are fantastic views into the Lahaul Valley and one starts to get the feel of being in real high altitude mountain country. After lunch at one of the roadside dhabas in Chhatru we’ll get into jeeps and drive through the valley. The Lahaul Valley is world renowned for its geological diversity and the journey takes in some spectacular scenery. We'll arrive in our camp at Batal with plenty of time to relax and rest.

Day 8 – Batal to Chandratal via Kunzum Pass, (4300m)
In the morning we'll get back in the jeeps and drive up to the Kunzum Pass (4600m). This formidable barrier between the Lahaul and Spiti Valley gives great views of both valleys. You can really see the differences of the two valleys, Lahual is full of towering snow capped peaks and Spiti has endless vistas of shale slopes rising to heights of 6000m. The colours of the Spiti mountains are continually changing throughout the day and are an amazing feature of this area. After paying our respects at the Kunzum gompa we then head down to Chandratal. It's a easy trail and we’ll arrive at the amazingly barren, but beautiful, Chandratal lake by the afternoon. This holy lake, sitting at 4300m, is surrounded by strangely multi coloured slopes and distant peaks. Again, the rest of the day is yours to enjoy this unbelievable landscape.

Hampta Trek 3

Day 8 – Chandratal to Tokpo Yongma, 6-7 hours (4350m)
The trek now goes into its hardest stage as we head into the high altitude wilderness bordering the difficult CB (Chandra-Bhaga) ranges. During the day we will have river crossings, some tough rocky terrain and, depending on the conditions, a little snow to cross before reaching our camp at Tokpo Yongma. The camp is situated among scree slopes and moraine and is frequently used by the Gaddi shepherds that roam these ranges in the summer season. It’s a long, hard day and the altitude makes it feel a lot longer. We camp at 4350m by the Tokpo Yongma river for a well earned rest.

Hamta Trek 4

Day 9 – Tokpo Yongma to Tokpo Gongma, 6-7 hours (4650m)
Another hard day as we head further north towards Tokpo Gongma. After starting the day with a river crossing we have long day of walking over scree and moraine. The views are spectacular as we follow the Yunam River through the barren rocky valley. We finish the day with a steep ascent to reach the camp by Sarchu Nala.

Day 10 – Tokpo Gongma to Keylong via Baralacha Pass (4900m), 4-5 hours
A fairly relaxing and easier day as we head slowly up towards the Baralacha Pass. It’s a steady ascent taking us through more high altitude arid mountain scenery and then we arrive at the meadows that flank the Baralacha Pass and the Bhaga Valley. Herds of Ibex and Blue Sheep can sometimes be seen on these barren pastures. Finally, after several days of hard trekking we arrive at the Manali – Leh road and take our lift to the hotel in Keylong (3350m). A big meal and a good nights rest are assured.

Hampta Trek 5

Day 11 – Keylong to Manali, 6 hours
Today we take a jeep ride back over the Rohtang Pass to Manali. We have the opportunity to look back on some of our trek as we head up through the western end of the Lahaul Valley. Coming over Rohang we get great views of the Bara Bhangal range and the Hanuman Tibba massif. We should arrive in Manali by the middle of the day and the rest of the day is yours to recuperate. There should be time for a trip to Vashisht to take a soak in the hot springs before your evening meal.

Day 12 – Manali to Delhi, 16 hours
The morning is free to see some of the sights of the local area or spend some time in one of the many markets in Manali. In the evening we will take an overnight bus back to Delhi.

Day 13 – Depart Delhi
We arrive in Delhi in the morning and are taken to our hotel. Evening transfer to airport.

Inclusive – All transport in India, all accommodation, all meals, communal trekking equipment (tents, kitchen, horse/porters..), guide

Exclusive – Travel to and from India, tourist visa, personal trekking equipment (sleeping bag, boots, clothing...), snacks and drinks, personal insurance

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