trek – Soul Mountain Expeditions

Himachal Pradesh, lahaul spiti, medium trek, trek, trekking

Pin Parvati Trek

Himalaya trekking expeditions Pin Parvati is a popular yet one of more difficult treks of the Trans Himalayan region. The trek route passes through dense forests of Great Himalayan National Park, some remote temporary human settlements and ever across rivers in full flow with ice cold water fresh from glaciers. In recent history, this pass was used as a route to enter Spiti valley from Kullu and is still used by hardy shepherds of the region. It was opened for trekkers only in 1993. Locals associate this area with numerous legends related to Lord Shiva and Pandavs. This trek requires complete physical fitness, mental concentration and reqards with the sights and experiences which have a few equals anywhere in the world.
Best For: Trekkers with moderate or good experience. Good fitness is must.

TREK SUMMARY:

Day 1, Day 2: Reaching Kaza, acclimitisation(3650 m)
Day 3: Kaza – Mudh village drive; Mudh to Tiya trek. (3900 m)
Day 4: Tiya – Pin valley campsite (4470 m)
Day 5: Pin valley campsite – Upper Pin Base Camp (4810 m)
Day 6: Pin Base camp – Pin Parvati pass – Parvati base camp (5310 m)
Day 7: Pin Parvati base camp – Mantalai Lake (4100 m)
Day 8: Mantalai Lake to Odi Thach campsite (3820 m)
Day 9: Odi Thach to Tunda Bhuj (3200 m)
Day 10: Tunda Bhuj – Kheerganga (2780 m)
Day 11: Kheerganga – Bursheni – Kullu
Duration: 11 Days, 10 Nights
Best Season: Mid June till July. September till October.
Difficulty Level: Medium
Maximum Elevation: Kunzum La at 4650 m
Weather: Cold.
Getting From/To: Kaza is approachable by road from Shimla or Manali. Delhi and nearby towns. Closest airport Kullu.

Cost: USD 1700 for solo guest. USD 1200 per person on twin sharing.

TREK ITINERARY :

Day 1, Day 2: Reaching Kaza (3650 m)
Take a bus or taxi from Manali to reach Kaza. You will need to spend a minimum of 2 days in the region for acclimitisation. You can spend this time in the town resting or sghtseeing. Sightseeing for nearby places like Kibber, Chicham, Key monastery, Dhankar and a few other places can be arranged on request
Day 3: Kaza – Mudh village drive; Mudh to Tiya trek. (3900 m)
We will first drive 50 km to Mudh village and rest there for a while before starting the trek towards village Tiya. Mudh has a few shops and guest houses and has limited bus service.

Day 4: Tiya – Pin valley campsite (4470 m)
We will wake up early and keep walking alongside Pink river till we cross it using a rope way or a temporary bridge. The trail starts to ascends gradually and tree line is left behind. We will walk for about 10 km to reach our campsite for the night.
Day 5: Pin valley campsite – Upper Pin Base Camp (4810 m)
This day we will not gain much altitude, but it will be tough walking on the ridges and ground covered with stones and rubble. Our campsite for night will be very near the glacier/snow line. This location is just at the base of Pin Parvati pass.

Day 6: Pin Base camp – Pin Parvati pass – Parvati base camp (5310 m)
This day we will cross the landmark of 5000 m altitude to reach Pin parvati pass. First 2-3 hours of trek will be a tough incline while the rest will be a descent till Parvati base camp below snow line.

Day 7: Pin Parvati base camp – Mantalai Lake (4100 m)
A full day of a downhill hike, it will be compartively easier compared to the uphill hikes in high altitudes of previous days. We will cover a distance of nearly 12 km to reach Mantalai lake and set up camp for night.

Day 8: Mantalai Lake – Odi Thach campsite (3820 m)
We will keep hiking downhill for 9 km to reach Odi Thach campsite. It is situated between extremely scenic meadows full of wild flowers and small mountain streams.

Day 9: Odi Thach – Tunda Bhuj (3200 m)
Another long but beautiful walk to reach Pandav Pul (bridge) to cross the river and reach Thakur Kuan campsite for the night.

Day 10: Tunda Bhuj – Kheerganga (2780 m)
A similar downhill trek like the last day’s to reach campsite at kheerganga. Lots of trees.
Day 11: Kheerganga – Bursheni – Kullu
We will hike for 7 kms to reach Bursheni, a small village with motorable road. A car will then transport you to Kullu where you can stay or take a bus or fligh back to Delhi.

PACKING LIST :

Small backpack to hold the day walk supplies.
Luggage in rucksack (60-70 ltr) suitable to be carried by self or porters.
Warm clothes, wind-cheater, scarf, hat, sun-glasses, sunscreen, comfortable hiking shoes, thick socks, rain coat or poncho.
Personal medical kit, water bottle (with filter), snacks.
Toilet paper, wet wipes, soap.
Torch, multi-tool, trekking pole, basic cutlery, plastic bag
A bag to collect own trash.

GENERAL INFORMATION :

Travel itineraries in the mountains may not necessarily run exactly as scheduled. Keep a buffer for delays due to weather, road conditions etc.
Any additional expenses caused by delays, medical condition, road blocks and other causes will be borne by the guests.
We recommend a comprehensive travel insurance and a medical checkup before the visit.
This tour covers some remote destinations in Himachal Pradesh which have very limited phone coverage, unpredictable weather and high altitude.

INCLUSIONS :

Pickup drop from Manali.
Accommodation in campsites and hotels wherever mentioned.
Meals, tea and non-bottled water in campsite. Bottled water not available during trek and not recommended for ecological reasons.
Camping equipment.
You can ask to rent or buy some personal trekking equipment like trekking pole, water filter etc.
Services of guides, mules, porters, cooks.

EXCLUSIONS :

Meals in Kaza.
Personal expenses, refreshments during road journey, alcohol.
Anything not mentioned explicitly in the above program.
Porters or mules to carry your personal luggage.

BySoul Mountain Expeditions

garwhal, medium trek, trek, trekking, uttarakhand

Har Ki Dun Trek

TRIP INTRODUCTION :

Har ki Dun trek is a popular trek in Uttarakhand which covers some amazing places including Govind National Park which is well known for it’s various plants, wild flowers and birds species. This trek offers you amazing view of Himalayas, whole forests covered by wild flowers and beautiful forests all around. This trek route and places nearby like Banderpoonch Range and some glaciers are very popular for trekking and camping. For this trek, we usually follow the trekking trail alongside Tons river from Netwar village through some remote villages in Gangad. Along the way, we stop at some camping grounds as well as a forest department guest house if available.

TREK SUMMARY :

Day 01 : DEHRADUN TO SANKARI. 210 km – 8 hours drive
Day 02 : SANKRI TO TALUKA/DAATMIR. (2200 m) – 15km (5hours)
Day 03 : TALUKA/DAATMIR TO SEEMA/OSLA. – 11 km (5hours)
Day 04 : SEEMA/OSLA TO HAR-KI-DUN. (3510m) – 12 km
Day 05 : HAR-KI-DUN TO OSLA – 12 kms
Day 06 : OSLA TO SANKRI – 26kms
Day 07 : SANKARI TO DEHRADUN – 210 kms

DURATION: 7 days, 6 nights.
BEST SEASON: April till June. September till November,
DIFFICULTY LEVEL: Medium
MAXIMUM ELEVATION: 3600 m at Har Ki dun
WEATHER: Cold nights and sometimes warm days.

COST : INR 12400 per person.

TREK ITINERARY :

Day 01 : DEHRADUN – SANKARI 210 km
Early morning drive from Dehradun towards Sankari which will take around 8 hours. Rest stops for rest and refreshments. Last 22 km drive through Govind National Park is bumpy but extremely scenic.

Day 02 : SANKRI – TALUKA 2200m – 15 km
After an early breakfast, we start walking towards Taluka long a trekking route besides Tons river. We will pass through beautiful forests, fruit orchards and farms all along the way. Our rest stop for night can be near village Taluka or Datmir.

Day 03 : TALUKA – SEEMA or OSLA – 11kms
Next day, we keep on walking the same trek route along Tons river which makes for an amazing nature experience. On the way, we will have to cross a number of small streams which are tributaries for Tons river. We can either stop in Seema village which has a few dhabas and a guest house or a more scenic camping site at Osla village.

Day 04 : SEEMA or OSLA TO HAR-KI-DUN (3510m) – 12 km
As we start walking, we will start climbing to higher altitude. We will cross the Tons river from near Seema village and progress further to see some awesome views of Ruinsara valley and Banderpoonch mountain range. There are some small farms along the way and we will walk through them to reach a valley for our campsite for the day. There is a glacier called Jamdar which keeps on increasing or decreasing in size.

Day 05 : HAR-KI-DUN to OSLA – 12 km
After having breakfast, we we will undertake short hikes to explore the surrounding area,The trekkers can enjoy beautiful views of landmarks like Jamdar glacier and Swarharohini Peak. According to Hindu mythology, this peak is considered to be the gateway to heaven. Later on, we walk back to Osla village.

Day 06 : OSLA – SANKRI – 26 kms
We start early morning and reach Taluka village by late afternoon. Even though the distance is long, terrain is pretty easy. It is also possible to take a keep back for last 10-12 km.
Day 07 : SANKRI – DEHRADUN – 210 kms
Drive back towards Dehradun. and drop there.

PACKING LIST

Small backpack to hold the day walk necessities.
Luggage in rucksack/soft bags suitable to be carried by self or porters.
Warm clothes, wind-cheater, scarf, hat, sun-glasses, sunscreen.
Comfortable hiking shoes with thick socks.
Personal medical kit, water bottle, snacks, water filer or tablets.
Toilet paper, wet wipes.
A bag to collect own trash.

GENERAL NOTIFICATIONS:

Travel programs in the Himalayas not necessarily would always run exactly as scheduled. Allow for unplanned long days or early camps due to weather disruptions or similar causes.
There are places with limited communication possibility and/or medical facilities nearby on this route.
Participants should be prepared for cold conditions with strong winds and high wind chill factor.
Any additional expenses which might occur due to delays, weather disruptions, medical evacuation etc. would need to be borne by the participants. All overstay due to weather disruption, road blocks and similar which are not under our control would be charged as per tour cost for planned days.
All participants are recommended to have a travel insurance that covers trekking and wilderness travel.

INCLUSIONS

Pickup and drop from Dehradun in a private or shared taxi.
Accommodation in campsites with possibility of stay in a guest house for 1-2 nights if asked for in advance and available.
Meals, tea and non-bottled water in campsite, Bottled water available for purchase.
Tents, sleeping bag, ground mats. Hiking sticks if needed.
Porters or mules available for hire.

BySoul Mountain Expeditions

garwhal, medium trek, trek, trekking, uttarakhand

Trek to Dodi Taal

TRIP INTRODUCTION:

Dodi Taal is a beautiful lake in the Himalayan mountain range of western Garwhal in Uttarakhand. It has 2 major approach routes from Barsu as well as Dyara Bugyal and both are equally popular with trekkers. There is a fairly large number of Himalaysn Trout fish (called Mahaseer locally) in the lake among a few other species. The whole region is full of dense beautiful forests inhabited by numerous species of flora and fauna. There is a short hiking route leading to Darwa Top which goes on further in to Yamuna valley ending at Hanuman Chatti. Darwa Top offers magnificent views of a number of snow covered Himalayan mountain peaks.

Trek Summary:

DAY 01: RISHIKESH – UTTARKASHI – BHEWRA (180kms) – 7 hours drive and 2 hours trek
DAY 02: BHEWRA – DODI TAAL( 8 hours trek)
DAY 03: DODI TAAL – DARWA TOP AND BACK ( 4-5 hours)
DAY 04: DODI TAAL – BHEWRA VILLAGE ( 8-9 hours trek)
DAY 05: BHEWRA VILAGE – RISHIKESH ( 2 hours trek and 8 hours drive)

Duration: 5 Days, 4 Nights
Best Season: April till November
Difficulty Level: Medium
Total Distance: 40 km
Maximum Elevation: Darwa Top at 3100 m
Weather: Cold nights and days during winter. Pleasant days during summer.
Getting From/To: Rishikesh is about 5 hours drive from Delhi and 1 hour drive from Haridwar railway station.

Cost: INR 12000 per person.

TREK ITINERARY

Day 01: RISHIKESH – UTTARKASHI – BHEWRA (180kms) – 7 hours drive and 2 hours trek
Early morning pickup from Rishikesh (or Haridwar) and drive towards Bhewra village will passing through Uttarkashi leading to Sangam Chatti. First campsite is situated on bank of Assi Ganga river and it takes about 2 hours to trek from Sangam CHatti to reach there.

Day 02: BHEWRA – DODI TAAL ( 8 hours trek)
We will start the trek towards Manhi village, a small settlement on the mountains. Most people make their living by farming on terraced farms on mountain slopes. We will trek through beautiful oak, deodar and pine tree forest to reach Dodi Taal lake.

Day 03: DODITA TO DARWA TOP AND BACK ( 4-5 hours)
We will climb up to Darwa top and spend some time in the area enjoying the views mentioned in trip introduction above. We can spend th evening there or near the lake as per preference and weather conditions.

Day 04: DODI TAAL – BHEWRA VILLAGE ( 8-9 hours trek)
We will walk back the same route taken previously to Bhewra village. It’s all downhill and comparitively easier. Night stay in village.

Day 05: BHEWRA VILAGE – RISHIKESH/HARIDWAR ( 2 hours trek and 8 hours drive)
Starting early morning, we will first trek for about 2 hours before taking the car back to Rishikesh or Haridwar.

PACKING LIST:

Small backpack to hold the day walk supplies.
Luggage in rucksack/soft bags suitable to be carried by self or porters.
Warm clothes, wind-cheater, scarf, hat, sun-glasses, sunscreen, comfortable walking shoes.
Personal medical kit, water bottle, snacks.
Toilet paper, wet wipes.
A bag to collect own trash.

GENERAL INFORMATION:

Travel itineraries in the mountains don not necessarily run exactly as scheduled. Keep a buffer for delays due to weather, road conditions etc.
Any additional expenses caused by delays, medical condition, road blocks and other causes will be borne by the guests.
We recommend a comprehensive travel insurance and a medical checkup before the visit.
This tour covers some remote destinations in Spiti which have very limited phone coverage, unpredictable weather and high altitude.

INCLUSIONS:

Pickup drop from Haridwar or Rishikesh in a private or shared taxi.
Accommodation in campsites and guest houses mentioned.
Meals, tea and non-bottled water in campsite, Bottled water available for purchase.

EXCLUSIONS :

Hotel stay and meals at Rishikesh or Haridwar before and after the trip.
Personal expenses, refreshments during road journey, alcohol.
Anything not mentioned explicitly in the above program.

BySoul Mountain Expeditions

easy trek, garwhal, trek, trekking, uttarakhand

Dayara Bugyal Trek

INTRODUCTION

Bugyal is the local word for a grass covered highland pasture region and this region of Uttarkhand boasts of many scenic Bugyals. Dayara Bugyal is famous for it’s scenic beauty, gentle slopes suitable for skiing. It’s a popular skiing destination during winter season of January to March. For rest of the year, Dyara Bugyal offers an easy yet highly reqarding trek for nature lovers. The trekkers get to see clear panoramic views of the important Gangotri range, origin of river Ganga. The trek route passes through scenic forests full of trees, plants, animals and birds of hundreds of different species and offers magnificent views of snow covered Himalayan mountain peaks all around. The trek gives you the opportunity to visit one of the best bugyals in Uttarakhand.