Pangarchula Peak & Kuari Pass Trek
NATURE OF TRIP Trekking
LOCATION Gharwal Himalaya, Uttrakhand
DURATION 06day (Haridwar - Haridwar)
TREKKING DAYS 04 Days
MAXIMUM ALTITUDE Pangarchula Peak Summit 4700m & Kuari Pass 3650m
GRADE Moderate
SEASON April - June and October - November
ACCOMODATION Tents - 2 nights, 2 Night Private House.
OVERVIEW
The Kuari pass trek, also referred to as the Lord Curzon trail trek, is surely one of the most popular and finest treks in the Indian Himalayas and rightly so. According to us only thing missing on this trail was the ‘adventure element’ so we modified the regular itinerary a bit and added an exciting stage to this trek where you get to climb a challenging but doable Himalayan peak called Pangarchulla (4700 m). This peak can be climbed by ‘fit’ first time trekkers also but with some hard work put into it.
Pangarchulla peak poses challenges which keep on changing with seasons. Beginning of the season (Apr – May) the climb involves navigating through deep snow while later in the season (Oct – Nov) difficulty comes in the form of bouldering and traversing scree slopes. Our guides will run a small course on climbing techniques to get you to know more about the sport and get comfortable with it. They will put ropes for safety (if required) and will assist people throughout the climb. One is not required to have any prior climbing experience/knowledge.
ITINERARY
DAY 01: Haridwar - Auli (2450m) Drive/280Kms/8-9 Hrs.
We will meet at Haridwar railway station at 7 a.m and from here board a vehicle and be driven up to Auli. This is a long but interesting drive. You will for most part of the journey drive along the Ganga & Alaknanda rivers. Enroute you will be crossing the holy towns of Devprayag & Rudraprayag. Evening relax at the beautiful lodge. Overnight in the lodge in Auli.
DAY 02: Auli- Khulara (3225m) Trek/6Km
After an early breakfast we drive a short distance (5 kms) to reach the starting point of the trek. From here we start hiking through the Auli meadows (popular for skiing) and get very close views of the famous Nanda Devi Peak and many more big Himalayan giants. After the Auli meadows we get into a forest section and will walk through an enchanting mixed forest abundant in bird life. Once out of the jungle we will walk on the beautiful meadows of Gurson, every moment in this place is going to delight you. Beauty of these meadows is something to be experienced. From Gurson we descend for a short time and again get into a beautiful forest section having oaks, deodars, maple and chestnut trees. We will reach Tali, a campsite used by many trekkers on this trail but will continue hiking and in
about a couple of hours reach the magnificent campsite at Khulara where we camp for the night. It’s a beautiful open meadow where you camp and get very good views of the big wall of mountains in front. If it’s a clear night star gazing is going to be fun. Overnight in tents.
DAY 03: Khulara – Kuari Pass (3650m) Base of Pangarchula Peak Trek/6-7Hrs.
Today we go through a series of ascents on meadows which keep on getting better as we move up. Walking on golden, green and other hues of grass is just bliss. The mountain air is crisp and the views brilliant! You are sure to catch a shepherd with the sheep and the dog. Do spend some time with them. The views are going to be great throughout so we keep our cameras handy. We will reach Kuari pass in about 3 hours or so. Our guide might give you the option of not going to the actual pass (which is nearby) and instead climb another vantage point with better views so take a call depending upon what you feel like doing. After spending sometime at the vantage ridge/Kuari pass we will start walking towards our base camp for the climb to Pangarchula peak. Today you will get to view many big and renowned Himalayan peaks like Chaukhamba, Kedarnath, Neelkanth, Haathi-Ghodi, Kamet, Mana, Dronagiri, etc. Overnight in tents.
DAY 04: Base Camp 3650m – Summit Pangarchula Peak 4700m Trek/7-8Hrs.
We will wake up early (depending upon the conditions and the season, the lead guide will take a call on what time we start but usually it will be 5:00 a.m) and after a quick breakfast start climbing up the slopes of the mountain to reach a ridge which will lead us to the top. The climb is demanding but not technical in nature. You will in patches be walking on uneven terrain of boulders, scree and rocks. Early season we will have to negotiate through deep snow that’s why we recommend an early start as it is easier to walk on hard snow. But the effort is going to be rewarded manifold with views which are surely unparalleled. Views around dawn are the best which is why we insist on an early start today. From the route leading to the summit and the top you get to see a set of big mountains which you otherwise don’t get to see from Kuari pass region, mountains like Nanda Devi, Trishul, Changbhang and many more. Also very attractive is the views of the surrounding valleys in all directions. After capturing the views in our camera we start walking down to the base camp. Once at the camp we celebrate our success and relax. Depending on what time we get to the base camp we might also decide to walk down to Khulara so that we reach Auli early tomorrow and get time to sort out our luggage and relax in the comforts of the beautiful lodge. Overnight in tents.
DAY 05: Base camp (3650m)/Khulara (3225m) – Dhak (2000m) – Auli Trek/3.5-5.5 hrs & Drive/45 mins
After a leisurely breakfast we start climbing down towards the road linking Joshimath to Niti-Malari valley. We will walk all the way down to Dhak a small market place on this road. Walk today is again a completely enjoyable experience with us walking through interesting forest sections and couple of scenically located villages. We will make short stops at Tugasi & Karchi village and spend time interacting with people and getting to know more about their way of life. From Dhak we will board the waiting vehicles and drive to Auli where a hot shower followed by a sumptuous meal awaits us. Overnight at the lodge.
DAY 06: Auli – Haridwar Drive/280 kms/8-9 hrs
After breakfast drive down to Haridwar. Trip ends here.
TREK TARIFF INCLUDES
- 2 guides for the group of maximum 12 trekkers so 1 guide for 6 group members. This will ensure high safety and more information and personal attention which are necessary to appreciate a trek. All our guides are professionally trained and have many years of relevant experience in guiding treks.
- Accommodation in a deluxe mountain lodge in Auli on single/double occupancy basis (www.himalayanecolodges.com/auli.php). This lodge has an absolutely fantastic location and very good quality facilities and services.
- High quality Camping arrangements
We believe that roughing it out necessarily doesn’t mean sleeping in smelly sleeping bags, compromising on safety by using low quality equipment and having unappetising meals. We focus on your safety, basic comforts and the environment while camping. Keeping this is mind, the following equipment is provided on the trek:
- 3/4 season imported alpine tents
- Fresh and clean sleeping bags of very good quality
- Good quality Camping Mattresses
- Camping stools
- Mess Tent
- Toilet tents (2) with portable toilet seats
- First Aid / Medical kit
4. All meals starting from dinner on Day 1 till breakfast on Day 6. A lot of emphasis is given to nutritional needs and a menu of vegetarian dishes is prepared accordingly. Tea/coffee will be served throughout.
5. Porter/mule charges for carrying camping equipment & rations
6. Forest entry charges, permits & camping fee (if any)
7. First aid kit (our guides are certified in handling first aid situations)
8. Service Tax
PRICE ON REQUEST
TRANSPORT TARIFF INCLUDES
Do keep in mind that transport is a very critical component of your trek. This aspect is most often not given proper attention and can result in lot of discomfort especially in the mountains. We provide transfers to get you to the starting point and back as comfortably and in as less time as possible for you to enjoy the trip. We only use quality vehicles like Toyota Innova, Mahindra Xylo, Mahindra Scorpio, Tempo Traveller, etc. and no local jeeps or similar vehicles are used except where there are short transfers from the lodge to the trek points, etc. The transport tariff includes all driver charges, fuel, parking, toll and taxes.
COST DOES NOT INCLUDE
- Porter/mule charges to carry your personal bag
- 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
OTHER OPTIONAL CHARGES
1. Charges for a porter/mule to carry personal bag throughout the trek (not more than 10 kgs): Rs. 1,400 per person for the complete trek
IMPORTANT INFORMATION
Transport Options (Delhi – Haridwar – Delhi)
For travel to Haridwar and back one can choose between air, rail & road. For air travel, the closest airport is the Jolly Grant Airport (30 kms) in Dehradun and is well connected to Delhi and other parts of the country by Air India, Jet Airways, Kingfisher Airlines & Spice Jet. Train travel is highly recommended with enough options being there. For train details, you could log on to www.indianrail.gov.in and for online railway ticket bookings you could log on to www.irctc.co.in.
There are frequent Public Transport buses including Volvos available from Delhi to Haridwar that cost about Rs. 200-500 per person. These buses depart from Delhi ISBT every 30 mins. or so and take about 4/5 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
In the initial days of the pre monsoon season (April-Jun) there will be snow on the higher meadows and on the Pangarchulla peak. The snow start melting by early to mid-May so trekkers coming on this trail in April-May should be prepared for snow conditions. Days are going to be sunny and warm (12-20 °C) while the night temperature at the highest campsite would be in the range of -2 to 5 °C. In the post monsoon season (Sep-Nov) there is hardly any snow at the start with possibility of snowfall towards the end of the season, which also melts very fast. The days are sunny with temperatures hovering around (10-16 °C) and the evenings start getting cold with the onset of October and nights are comparatively colder (-5 to 5 °C). Wind-chill factor is something that one needs to account and be prepared for on most Himalayan treks.
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.
