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Minkiani Pass Trek

Mcleodganj - Kareri village - Kareri Lake - Minkiani Pass - Drakund - Donali

 
NATURE OF TRIP                 Trekking
LOCATION                            Dharamshala, Himachal Pradesh
DURATION                            05 days (McLeod Ganj - Donali)
TREKKING DAYS                 05 Days
MAXIMUM ALTITUDE         Minkiani Pass – 3250 m
GRADE                                  Challenging (refer to our grading chart in the ‘Important Info’ section)
SEASON                               April – June & October - November
ACCOMODATION                Tents - 3 nights, Rest house - 1 night
 
OVERVIEW

This trek from McLeod Ganj to Chamba offers one the opportunity to have a close look at the Pir Panjal and Dhaula Dhar mountain ranges. A trek of moderate difficulty the path takes you through some dense deodar and Rhododendron forests, one also comes on to the trail of ancient Gaddi Shepherds who take their frock from the Chamba Valley to the Glades of Lahaul and Spiti. The highlight of the trek being the view from the Indrahar Pass from where the Pir Panjal range makes an imposing backdrop in the north while to the south the plains can be see till the far horizon. Also can be seen is the Mani Mahesh Kailash to the East. 

ITINERARY
 
DAY 01 and 02: Mcleodganj - Kareri Village (1870m) Trek/14km
This village is inhabited by shepherds who have small holding of terraced fields. The trek passes through Tibetan children village, Dal Lake, Stobari and ghera along Pine trees. Gentle descent up to Ghera and then followed by a steep climb of about 2.5 km to reach the rest house.
 
DAY 03: Kareri Village – Kareri Lake (3250m) Trek/10km
The trek goes steeply up to Kali Mandir or one can trek via Rohli which is a longer trek with mild ascents. The trek goes all along Kareri Nullah between a valley thickly wooded on both sides. There is a Naag Mandir (Shiva temple) on the enterance of the dried lake.
 
DAY 04: Kareri Lake – Minkiani Pass (4250 m) Trek/10 km
It takes about 3-4 hours to reach the pass. Sudden weather change, blizzards and white out conditions are common phenomena at this pass. Minkiani Gote has a beautiful camping area, towards east the trek goes to the famous Lamdal Lake and north it descends to Chamba valley.
 
DAY 05: Minkiani Got – Drakund (1900 m) Trek/18 km
Long tiring trek descends all, along the Lamdal Nullah to Drakund which has a forest rest house surrounded by apple orchards. The best season to visit this place is August and September, Gaddis and Gujjars are seen along with their sheep and buffaloes.
 
DAY 6: Drakund – Donali Trek/ 10km 
Dunali is located on the Chamba - Bharmaur road. Drive to Chamba which is a traditional town with famous Laxmi Narayan temples in groups. Bhuri Singh museum, Chogan and Chamunda temple on the top of the town are historic places. In evening drive back to Dharamshala.
 
 
Package Includes
  • Transport cost for private departures is extra and can be provided to you once we know the dates, choice of vehicle and the group size.
  • All vegetarian meals beginning with breakfast on Day 01 to breakfast on Day 06.
  • Porter/mules for client baggage (one bag per client not weighing more than 15 kgs)
  • Camping equipment – international quality equipment will be provided
  • Professional guide
  • Park entry fee & all applicable taxes
 
Package does not include
  • Travel between Delhi and McLeod ganj (can be arranged by us on request)
  • Any meals/services not mentioned above
  • Any charges for video cameras, still cameras, etc.
  • Alcohol, soft drinks, beverages, etc.
  • Personal expenses like tips, telephone calls, laundry, etc.
  • Any costs arising out of unforeseen circumstances like landslides, road blocks, bad weather, etc.
  • Insurance

 PRICE ON REQUEST

 
IMPORTANT INFORMATION
 
Transport Options (Delhi  - McLeod ganj - Delhi)
For travel to Mcleod ganj and back one can choose between air, rail & road. For air travel, the closest airport is the Gaggal DHM, also known as Kangra Airport, or Dharamshala Airport and is well connected to Delhi and other parts of the country by Kingfisher Red. 
 
There is frequent Public Transport buses including Volvos available from Delhi to Mcleodganj that cost about Rs. 550 - 900 per person. These buses depart from Majnu ka tilla every 30 mins. or so and take about 12 hrs to cover the distance. The same is also applicable on the return journey. A private vehicle could also be arranged for if you require the same.
 
Weather Details
Summer in McLeod Ganj extends from March to June when the temperature variation is recorded to be ranging between 23°c and 27°c. Mercury sometimes reaches up to 38°c but never goes beyond that. During winters the temperature can drop to -1° and the maximum temperature hardly goes up to 20°c. 
 
Please keep in mind that the above information is not exact and does not account for sudden changes. Whatever the temperatures and conditions rest assured we will be prepared to handle it with ease as we use equipment of very high specifications.

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