Hampta Pass : Gateway from Kullu to Spiti

The most baffling thing about the Hampta Pass trek, which sets it apart from the plethora of treks in the Himalayas is neither its remote location nor the challenges it offers but the absolutely contrasting vistas presented by the lush green Kullu valley and the rugged and dry Spiti valley. The high mountain pass acts as a gateway to an entirely different world, very few treks offer this dramatic transition. I shall now delve into the details of this trek objectively, before telling my own experience.

Location: 

The popular approach is from Hampta dam which is located at a distance of about 12km from Manali in Himachal Pradesh. From there the trek starts and after crossing the pass ends at Chhatru /Chatru, a small village on the Gramfu-Batal-Kaza road. The trek can also be done the other way round.

For your reference here is a map for the entire trek route assuming you will return via the Rohtang Pass to Manali.

https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?mid=1BYQMqXP4uHdTKkvS5h5TvJgvImlVmk5V&ll=32.2516034500031%2C77.2703254999999&z=11

Season: 

Try avoiding the monsoon at all costs. October - early November is definitely the best season. The roadway remains closed due to heavy snow accumulation till mid-August. 

A note of caution: The travel agencies will tell you anything to keep their business running all year long, but do not make the mistake of taking any trek lightly irrespective of the tags like 'easy', 'moderate'. Depending upon factors like weather, River level which are beyond human control,  a so-called easy hike in the Himalayas may seem to be an insurmountable obstacle.

Har Ki Dun : The Valley of Lord Shiva & Marinda Tal

 Introduction: 

  Har Ki Dun/Doon (HKD) is a cradle shaped valley surrounded by breath-taking snowpeaks situated in the Gahrwal Himalayas of Uttarakhand. Its an ideal trek for beginners and has many aspects that the veterans will appreciate as well. The valley is overlooked by the Bandarpunch range to the South and the Swargarohini to the North . Har Ki Dun means The Valley of Har or Lord Shiva of the Hindu religion. The valley is situated at and altitude of approximately 3566 mtrs.

Bandarpunch range overlooking Jamdar Glacier & Har Ki Dun Valley

Reasons why it is an ideal trek for beginners:  

1. The altitude is below the threshold of altitude sickness.
2. The route has sufficient places to stay , so no need to take tents and other equipments.
3. The trekking route consists of river banks , jungles,green meadows (Bugyals), picturesque villages, wheat fields and what not.In most seasons there is snow as well. So a novice trekker gets the necessary experience to tackle every terrain in one go.
4. There are many agencies operating in this zone which makes it easier for the beginners to organize themselves.
5. The view is amazing.
6. After reaching HKD one can go further to Marinda Tal or Jamdar Glacier.

Sankri

Season:

• Want a lot of snow ? March-April. (accommodation not available)
• Want snow and greenery and blue sky ? April-May
• June-July is rainy season so its better to avoid them.
• September-October is probably the best time because there will a lot of flora and fauna, but chances of finding snow is slim.
• HKD offers winter trekking as well but on November-December-January there may be a lot of snow. The accommodation at HKD remains closed so tent is a must.
  

  

Banderpunch Peak From Har-Ki-Dun

Itinerary:

Day 1: Dehradun to Sankri/Taluka

Day 2: Sankri/Taluka to Seema (14 Km trek) [easy gradient]

Day 3: Seema to Har Ki Dun (12Km trek) [moderate to steep gradient]

Day 4: HKD to Marinda Tal and Back (3.5+3.5 = 7Km) or alternatively HKD to Jamdar Glacier    (7.5+7.5 = 15 Km).

Day 5: HKD to Taluka/Osla/Gangad.

Day 6: Taluka to Sankri.

Day 7: Sankri to Dehradun.

Cons:

Well there aren't many, but here goes...

1. HKD has become a hot-spot for trekkers. Many large agencies bring people in large numbers without any regard for the environment. These people do not have the ability or intention of carrying their own luggage so the agencies bring huge number of mules and they ruin the entire route with their dung. Luckily for us we encountered the problem in the very last day but even that was annoying.
2. Unlike other trekking routes that I have been to, people here are a bit reluctant to provide hot water for drinking and washing.
3. Large agencies tend to hog all the resources available along the way including rest houses and sometimes food.

Do you Need A GUIDE ?

• We did this trek without a guide/porter but certainly not without guidance. From Taluka to Seema most of the path leads through a forest but the path is well marked. There are a few diversions but sticking to wider path and looking out for mule hoof marks and candy wraps helps a lot. The route all the way to HKD is fairly obvious so there is little chance of getting lost if one uses presence of mind.
• If you are a BEGINNER and do not have an EXPERIENCED MEMBER with you its imperative that you take a guide.
• The guides can explain you the other routes and the peaks too, a good guide can give you first hand information about the place.
• The locals will readily help you if you get into a fix.
• The cost of a guide / porter as of 2014 is around 500-600 Rs / day.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vOuNKswMjpo

Watch the slideshow of the Beautiful Har Ki Dun valley.

DAY 1:   (Dehradun to Taluka)

After a long journey to Dehradun on the following day we boarded a bus bound for Sankri. At Naitwar, we stopped to get our permits to enter Govind Wildlife Sanctuary. Sankri is the last point in this route, with bus and cell-phone connectivity. Another scenic drive along the river Tons or Tomosa took us to Taluka. Most trekkers spend the night at Sankri and make the journey to Taluka in the morning and so naturally we were the only tourists in the entire village. After our dinner we looked up at the sky and stood there spellbound by the glitter of billions of sparkling stars. We even spotted a satellite which passed over our heads and disappeared behind the dark silhouette of a hill. The chilly mountain-breeze broke our trance and we settled in for the night.

Way to HKD

DAY 2: Taluka to Seema (14 Km trek) [easy gradient]

In the next morning we confidently started our 14 km trek to Seema, without any guide or porter. The first few kilometres along river Supin were truly refreshing; the golden rays of the sun penetrated the pine canopy every now and then as if playing peek-a-boo and exotic birds created a sweet melody.



The uphill climb through the forest was gruelling and my rucksack felt twice as heavy as it did in the first few hours. We were resting frequently as the climb became steeper. In the early afternoon we reached the beautiful village of Gangad, from there Seema is another 4 km uphill. It took us six hours to reach Seema from Taluka. Seema is just a halting point for trekkers and climbers, consisting of Rest Houses of Gahrwal Mandal Vikash Nigam and the Forest Department and two-three canteens cum makeshift shelters.



Unlike Taluka the night sky was covered with clouds. At night we slept like logs in the GMVN dormitory, unaware of the rampage Mother Nature was causing outside.

Seema

DAY 3:  Seema to Har Ki Dun (12Km trek) [moderate to steep gradient]

The rain let up in the morning and we started our 12 km journey to Har-Ki-Dun, the valley of “Har” or Shiva. The sky was blue and we could see the glistening snow peaks at a distance. After the initial climb the path bifurcates, the left one leading to Osla village and the right one towards Har-Ki-Dun, following a tributary of Tomosa. The narrow path led us through lush green fields, pine forests, wide grasslands and offered pleasing vistas of snow-white mountains throughout. We were very tired, every step took extra effort but we kept on going. Just when I thought I could go no more, I spotted a rock on which someone had scribbled “Welcome To Har-Ki-Dun.”




After taking those last few steps, we stood there, overwhelmed by the sheer grandeur of the place. Our aching limbs and the gripping cold forced our attention to the more immediate issue of finding a shelter. There were a few tents erected by trekkers and at a distance we could see the FRH and GMVN bungalow situated over a ridge, directly overlooking the valley. We were allotted a small hexagonal wooden hut maintained by the forest department. After an early dinner we went to bed.


 

Har Ki Dun (GMVN Bungalow)

 DAY 4: HKD to Marinda Tal and Back (3.5+3.5 = 7Km)

The next morning we had a good look at the magnificent panorama of Har-Ki-Dun. To the south the towering Swargarohini massif provides a majestic backdrop to the green valley. The river Har-Ki-Dun-Gad flows through the “U”-shaped valley from Jamdar glacier like a silver ribbon. At a distance we could also see the precipitous Banderpunch range. Swargarohini means “Pathway to Heaven”, legend has it that the Pandavas from the epic Mahabharata attempted to climb it to reach Heaven.



After breakfast we headed north, for Marinda Tal. It is a fine 3.5 km trek over grassy meadows ornamented with colourful wild-flowers and soft snow.

Marinda Tal

Marinda Tal is not a lake per se, a giant rock partially blocked the path of Marinda Gad, thus forming a wide water-body with little current. To the south one could see the Swargarohini and towards the north the Borasu pass continued through snow-covered cliffs on both sides, all the way to Sangla Valley in Himachal Pradesh. After spending an hour in this snowy fairyland, with a heavy heart we started our return journey.

Borasu Pass

The breath-taking views, the eerie silence of Har-Ki-Dun generates a sense of mystery and tranquillity. It is indeed a land of legends and a valley befitting God.

Kalpeshwar ; Tranquility Redefined

Unlike other shrines of Panchkedar Kalpeshwar is not situated on top of a hill with spectacular view of dazzling snow-peaks. But what it offers is a peaceful environment to spend a few days which is priceless if you are in the season of Chardham Yatra. Generally the pre-monsoon season in Uttarakhand is crowded like anything. So after you finish visiting your place of interest you can visit this place and stay for a few days.

Natural-Gate-way To Devagram

Season: Post monsoon seems to be the better season to visit this place (September -November). Pre monsoon is good too.

 

How to Reach: From anywhere in India first you have to reach Haridwar which is half a days journey from the capital Delhi. From Haridwar you have to reach Joshimath ,which is an important town in the Badrinath route. From there one can get shared cars to Urgam. Previously cars could only go to Helong and a full 10Km trek was to be done through jungles and hills. Now fortunately or unfortunately the road is extended to Urgam. By 2014-2015 it is expected that the motorable road will go upto Kalpeswar.

On the Way to Devgram

From Urgam it is like 2.5 km walk to Devgram. This walk is quite refreshing as the entire route is through wheat and vegetable fields and there is no climb so far as altitude is concerned. The following pictures will give you an idea.

Indian house sparrow

Stunning cactus blossom

Fertile lands of Devgram

Pathik Rest House

Before going to the temple its best if you leave your luggage at the lodge. There may be others but this one surely catches the eye. Pathik Rest house is really a nice cozy place to stay. The people are
very caring and nice.

Dahlia & Dragonfly

After a little rest and much needed lunch I started for the Kalpeshwar temple. On the way you can find many things that will grab your attention and spark your curiosity .

Jungle blue-berries

On the way I found these berries,according to the locals theses are favourite food for local bears. But as you can see there are so many left for the bears means that its not edible for us.

This bridge connected the temple to Devgram,(but sadly right after the catastrophe of Uttarakhand in 2013 this bridge was destroyed).

Kalpeshwar Temple

Photography inside the temple is prohibited

There are some other temples in the village. The shrine of "Dhyan Badri " is probably the most popular of them.

Snake lily

The bottom line is that its the perfect place for relaxing after a tough trek or hectic traveling.

The waterfall above is situated near the temple of Kalpeshwar. You can ask the locals for directions. Its a perfect little place for taking a bath without any danger of being washed away by the river. We have spent nearly two hours just sitting there and enjoying the pristine beauty.

The people of Devgram like most other villages of Himalayas have a honest pride in what they are and how they live. Their hospitality is unmatched.

Stunning sun-set at Devgram

Kedarnath ,the pristine and the holy

Kedarnath (3583 mtrs )is the main shrine of the Panchkedar.According to the legends the Pandavas from the Mahabharata built these shrines.The hump of Shiva fell here when he disguised himself as an ox and Bheem tore him apart in an attempt to catch him.Well,enough of the legend now lets get down to business.

Kedarnath Shrine

 Kedarnath is one of the holiest places in India and one of the Chardham (THE 4 holy places) .So like it or not thousands of people will accompany you in this journey.It is a 14 Km trek from Gaurikund.The other means of transport are mules ,Pittu and Doli .

• Mules are hybrid between horses and donkeys ,and can carry heavy loads through tough terrains. (1500-2000 Rs).
• A Pittu is a small basket carried by one man on his back ,used only for children ,elderly and luggages.
• A doli or Palki is carried by 4 to 6 men on their shoulders sort of like a wooden stretcher .
• Helicopters are available from Phata (7500-8000 Rs).

You will have clear idea when you see some of my pictures.The scenery is spectacular as usual but if you want solitude ,quiet then I am afraid Kedarnath is not going to fulfill your need.But ,yeah there is another but,from Kedar there are many places like Vasuki tal,Chorabari tal (Gandhi Sarovar) etc which are only trekking destinations ,pilgrims do no bother to go there.

Season : Generally speaking you can go to Kedarnath before or after the Monsoon in India.

• Pre-monsoon : May & June (I wouldn't suggest July)
• Post-monsoon : Spetember & October

To Whom It May Concern :   If you have gone through my previous posts you will realize that I try to give only the facts and mostly skip my personal feelings and first hand accounts.This keeps my blog short and to the point,but some of my readers complained and stated that they would like to read about my personal experiences as well .Some of my friends remarked that my way of narrating my tours are interesting .So from now on I will give my day by day accounts and obviously details in two

 separate parts.

Day 1: 

Haridwar/Rishikesh  ------ Guptakashi/Gaurikund.

 Start early from Haridwar .There are loads of busses from Delhi and other cities. From almost any part of India you can come to Haridwar via train directly or indirectly.Personally I availed the Doon Express from Howrah .(Kumbha Exp and Upasana Exp are much better options if you are coming from Bengal)

 Now as I was saying the destination is Gaurikund.Gaurikund is the place from where trek to Kedarnath starts.The options for the journey is as follows:

1. Busses of GMOU (Gahrwal Motor Owner's Union) goes directly to Gaurikund from Haridwar and Rishikesh.
2. State transport has buses too.

  Note: These direct buses leave very early (between 5 am to 6 am). After that there are no direct buses,you will have to break you journey into many parts.There are no proper timings for the buses so make sure you reach the bus-stand early and inquire about the buses,and book/occupy tickets/seats in advance.

     3. If you are a large group or can afford to book a car that will be good.
     4. For some reason if you miss the direct bus from Haridwar, take any bus to Rishikesh (31 Km) because there you may be able to find other buses.If that fails take any bus to Srinagar or Rudraprayag.
From Srinagar there are buses and shared vehicle to Rudraprayag.From Rudraprayag you will be able to get to Guptakashi.
Guptakahi is 36 Kms away from Gaurikund.This place is quiter and much cheaper than Gaurikund so you can stay the night here and start for Gaurikund the next morning.

...............................................................................................................................................................

Now I am going to tell my story. Me and my friend Justice started from Howrah on 3rd June (2013) .Doon exp was supposesd to reach Haridwar on 5th June 4.35 am . But it was 3 hours late and we reached Haridwar at 7.35 am.By then all direct buses from have left and we were adviced to go to Rishikesh(bus fare 32 Rs *). After one and half hour we learnt that there are no direct bus from Rishikesh to Gaurikund as well.There were a bus to Srinagar and we boarded that (140Rs) .From Srinagar we got another bus to Rudraprayag (52 Rs).From Rudraprayag we go a share Jeep to Gupatakashi (60 Rs).
Up to this everything went smoothly .Now the road ahead is narrow and hence only one way traffic is allowed,so we could not go up to Gaurikund and had to stay at Guptkashi.
*All fares and prices are given on per-head basis.As in 2013 June.

Day 2: Guptakashi/Gaurikund----- Kedarnath

..............................................................................................................................................................
The next morning we started early for Gaurikund ,which is 36 Kms from Guptkashi.

Gaurikund

We were stranded in traffic jam 2-3 times and the traffic was moving painfully slow.On the way we saw the heliport of Phata. Near Sonprayag (5 Km from Gaurikund) the traffic came to a complete halt and we came to know that the cars wont go uphill until the downhill traffic is cleared.It would take atleast 2 hours for that to happen.We thought that we will go those 5 kms on foot.Fortunately for us few paces ahead of Sonprayag checkpoint we found a local vehicle going up and boarded that.
We reached Gaurikund at 8.30 am and after some light breakfast started walking.
Initially it felt like we have entered some sort of carnival ,thousands of people wearing different kinds of dresses ,horses ,all formed a giant queue.

There were stables and the path was all murky and smelt of Ammonia.We quickened our pace to get out of this place as soon as possible.After 15 minutes came the sight that we were waiting for.The path is serpentine and quite steep,steeper than my expectation.From time to time we sat in front of makeshift shops beside the path. The mules were quite irritating at times ,pushing us against the railings on the side.Apart from all that it was just splendid.

With time our pace slowed down and rucksacks felt heavier than ever ,so I tried to relieve one shoulder at a time.
Finally we reached Ram bara ,a town midway between Gaurikund and Kedarnath. So we have traveled 7 Km and it took us three and half hours.So we thought that we would reach Kedar by 3.30 pm. But the rain literally put cold water on our plans.We took shelter in a small shop and ordered maggi (noodles) and tea.We took out our umbrella and continued to walk after the rain subsided a bit.

 Rambara looks more like a slum than a town.The road is covered in mud and horse-shit and the rain maid it worse.We walked as fast as we could to get out of there.rain started to pour down again after 30 minutes or so and made our ascend much slower.

Now we tried to use the shortcuts as much as we could.After exhausting last two kilometers we reached the temple town of Kedarnath at 5.15 pm. Here are some pictures of the journey up.

  

We never expected that the cost of staying there will be so high(1000-1800 Rs double bedded room).In most places there were no rooms available at all.We arranged to spend the night in a small stall (225 Rs).

After waiting for nearly 90 minutes in a never-ending queue we finally had our "darshana." Then we returned to the stall.For viewing pleasure here are some more pictures of Kedarnath.

 

 

Day 3:   Kedarnath------Gandhi Sarovar-----------Guptakashi

Gandhi Sarovar  (Sarovar = lake) is 3.5 kilometers uphill from the temple town of Kedarnath.Its a welcome relief from all the hustle and bustle.Hardly any pilgrims go there. Let me describe in details.

 

Gandhi Sarovar

Gandhi Sarovar is at an elevation of 3900 mtrs from sea level (approx). From the path one can have spectacular view of the entire temple town of Kedarnath.

 Temple town of Kedarnath

The way to Gandhi Sarovar is full with spectacular views and its not exactly tough.There is a waterfall that flows over the path and then there is a sheer drop.

Apart from that the rest of the way is pretty straight forward.

The waterfall

It is a small lake,smaller than what I expected but beautiful nonetheless.

Gandhi Sarovar

Chorabari Tal

After spending a decent amount of time there we climbed down.We had a long downward journey ahead of us.

After reaching Kedarnath we took some breakfast and started descending.

Pilgrims gathered in front of the shrine

 

After a long and tiring downhill journey we reached Gaurikund exhasuted but happy.Yes ! we have done Kedarnath and returned safely.

Helicopter service

Reaching Gaurikund was not the end of our plight.We could not find any car that is going downwards to Guptakashi because of the one way rule mentioned earlier.

Sleeping Innocence

We found a bus which was  going to Sonprayag (5 km downhill ) and took it.We were stranded there for nearly 2-3 hours after which we got lift in a reserved bus.The bus conductor took 100 Rs and we reached Guptakashi.

 Warning: Monsson in India is pretty unpredictable and in the monsoons the Himalayan region of Uttarakhand and nearby states is very unstable.Flash-floods and landslides are common in the monsoon in theses areas and in winter Kedar is covered in snow and hence is closed.

           As of now (June 19th 2013 ) there are more than 70000 people stranded in different parts of Uttarakhand because of havoc triggered by surprise cloudbursts and heavy torrential rain.I myself was lucky that I came back two days before the disaster.I pray to God that all the stranded pilgrims return back home safely .

Flood at Uttarkashi

Submerged 12 foot idol at Rishikesh

 Devastation at Kedarnath

Disclaimer: None of the above pictures belong to me ,they are taken from different media sites.

If you have any questions regarding any of my posts,feel free to ask.