Pin Parvati Pass

You will be received at Chandigarh airport or station and immediately driven to Mandi. The journey for the first bit up to Kirapur is on the plains. At Swarghat we cross over from Punjab to Himachal Pradesh, and we enjoy the changing scenery as plains give way to mountains. We follow the river until we reach Mandi and stay overnight in a hotel.

Today you drive from Mandi to Kasol and spend the day at Kasol. Overnight stay in a hotel.

Kasol is a small, quaint village with well-kept streets, simple houses and charming people. Many tourists from abroad prefer staying here. Most of the tourist traffic rushes past, oblivious to the presence of this absolutely marvelous village. Manikaran, 5 kms away is the next major spot. It has hot water springs and a highly revered Gurdwara of the Sikh pantheon. Dinner and overnight at hotel.

Post breakfast we leave for Barsheni, from where our trek will commence. The valley narrows down as you descend through the village. The trail goes through dense forests and a steady ascent with some steep stretches takes one to Khirganga. A short walk to the hot springs here is recommended. Overnight at camp.

The trail stays on the left bank of the river and initially moves through a forest of rhododendrons, fir and birch and then we reach open pastures. The campsite of Tunda Bhuj is on a steep meadow and offers spectacular views of the waterfalls cascading down from the shiny black rocks across the valley. Camp overnight.

Initially the path rises, crosses a stream and heads down to the Parvati riverbank. The trail descends via a narrow and slippery path to the valley floor. Walk close to the river to reach the Niabdhuduari Thach where the tree line ends. We continue to climb the cliff using our hands for support and clear the few rocky patches to reach our campsite at Thakur Kuan. Camp overnight.

Initially the trail is flat. Glimpses of many glaciers that are the source of River Parvati, start appearing to the right of the valley, and now we begin to feel the change in the landscape. From the lush green forests and meadows we now enter into mountains, glaciers and moraines. From Odi Thach, we get a striking view of snow-capped mountains. Camp overnight.

A gentle walk on flat ground, then a stream you have to cross by hopping over boulders, and you are standing just below the towering massif of Kullu Eiger. The trail continues its moderate climb staying close to the soft flow of the Parvati, going past a few shepherds’ encampments. An hour-long ascent takes you away from the Gaddi shepherds to climb over the debris of a moraine descending from a side glacier to finally reach the Mantalai Lake (13,367 ft/4,074 m). The lake has been formed by the glacial moraine. Walking around the lake for half an hour, you reach the campsite on a grassy patch.

We continue our trek through the moraine, flat in the beginning then steep, upto the base of the Pin Parvati pass. Camp overnight.

Trek over the Pin Parvati Pass. Once over the glacier, we enter into Pin Valley and observe the great contrast between both sides of the pass. The Government of India has declared this part as a National Park. It is famous for ibex, snow leopard and musk deer. Camp overnight.

We leave Base II for Whichurang Thach crossing meadows and boulders. The descent is a long one and by the end of the day we will be at 12,600 ft – 5000 ft lower than the previous day. Camp overnight.

All the way through desert you observe the amazing scenery with its variety of colours that reflects on the mountains. Finally we reach the first village in the Pin Valley. This is where our vehicles would be waiting for us. Drive to Kaza. Overnight stay at hotel.

We visit Kye Monastery, 18 kms from Kaza, which is located at a height of 4,116 m / 13,415 ft. Fine murals and a valuable collection of Kangyur (ancient Buddhist texts) are its main attractions. There is also an option of visiting the village of Kibber (4,270 m / 14,010 ft), one of the highest inhabited villages in the world. Perched on a vast stretch of land and surrounded by mountains of limestone rocks, the view from here is truly breathtaking. Overnight stay at hotel.

After breakfast, drive to Manali. Overnight stay at hotel.

After breakfast transfer from Manali to Chandigarh. Overnight stay at hotel.

Transfer to the airport for final departure.