Important note: All participants on trekking trips must have a valid health insurance that covers alpine activity. All European and North American alpine clubs offer such worldwide cover supplementary to membership. Please view the relevant websites for details.
   

Trekking Tours

Real trekking starts as we move beyond the weeklong excursions. There are several famous treks around the Kullu Valley, but most of the walks are situated beyond the Rohtang Pass in the valleys of Spiti, Lahaul, Zanskar and Ladakh. These areas are Buddhist and share their cultural heritage to a large degree with Tibet. The valley bottoms are usually around 3500 m high with many villages and monasteries situated well above 4000 m. Most treks take about two to three weeks to complete and lead through remote areas where we will not meet another person for days. High altitude trekking is best done from June to September. We have a multitude of trekking options and the following tours serve as examples of what can be done. However, we can adjust the programs to suit your time and interest. The price is 45 Euro per person and day.

Note: All these treks that stretch over several days demand physical fitness of the participants. Though only few of them include particularly hard days it is essential to be able to walk at altitude for a few hours every day. For high altitude trekking it is important to have spare time to allow for acclimatization which we will facilitate with day-walks from our trekking center.

Naggar to Daramshala

Starting from Naggar we will cross the Kullu Valley and climb up to Khampari Tibba. From there we will follow the shepherds' imprints over mountain passes close to 5000 m high. There are barely any villages on this route and we will have to carry all our supplies with horses. The trek will take 14 days with an average walking time of 4 to 5 hours per day and two rest days. Due to the difficult logistics involved it is not a trek that many do and therefore assures absolute peace and solitude. Best period for this trek is Mid-September to Mid-October.

The Malana Valley

Starting from Naggar we will climb up to the Chandrakhani-Pass, a holy place for the local people. On the other side lies the famous valley of Malana. This side valley of the Parvati valley is known for its unique culture, a curious mix of Hellenic and Indian elements that the locals attribute to their origin as part of the lost army of Alexander the Great. The inhabitants are the topic of quite a few anthropological investigations. The valley itself displays an enormous beauty as it nestles between the Parvati range and the Deo Tibba group. We will visit the village of Malana and look at its ancient temple and old local houses. The trek follows the valley up to its high end where we will reach the glacier. There is a possibility to use a different crossing on the way out back into the Kullu Valley. Crossing from one valley into the other is a great way to experience the diverse atmospheres that the respective nature in those valleys and their inhabitants create. This trek can be done from May to November and takes from five to fourteen days, depending on the route. If the Chandrakhani Pass is snowbound we can use a different approach to reach the valley either from Jari in Parvati Valley or Jana in Kullu Valley.

The Parvati Valley and Pin-Parvati-Pass

The Parvati Valley stretches East to West and joins the Kullu Valley at a right angle just below Bijili Mahadev. We will start the trek with a hot bath at the sulphur springs of Manikeran close to the end of the road. A few hour's hike onwards we will camp near Khirganga, the second hot spring in the valley. From here it is another three days to reach the origin of the Parvati-river at Mantalai. The valley rises gently and the hike up to this point is not difficult. From here, however, we ascend steeply to reach the Base Camp of the Pin-Parvati-Pass. The crossing of this pass at an altitude of 5300 m is hard due to the steepness and the altitude. It cannot be done with horses as we have to cross the glacier. From the Base Camp on the other side it is another three days to the village of Mudh in the Pin Valley. Crossing this pass is only possible from June to September. The lower reaches of Parvati Valley, however, are open from May to October. Trekking in this area needs a minimum of five days.

Lahaul Valley - Spiti Valley - Kinnaur Valley - Trek

This is a supreme roundtrip that will take about three weeks to complete but can be shortened at several places if necessary. From Manali we will cross the Hamta Pass at 4300 m and enter the Lahaul Valley. This is an area of rocky desert, dotted by picturesque villages and monasteries that cling to the sheer mountain drops like eagle's horsts. We will visit Chandra Tal, a lake that lies in the midst of the ragged mountain peaks like a sapphire amongst towering crystals. From here we will cross the Kunzum Pass into the Spiti Valley. The area is known for its ancient monateries (both Ki and Tabo monasteries are more than 1000 years old and still active) and its friendly inhabitants. Continuing West we will enter the Pin Valley and climb up to the Bava Pass at 4500 m. The crossing back into the fertile land of the Kinnaur region is an unforgettable experience. Transport will pick us up from there or alternatively, if we're still fueled, we will cross the Bashleo Pass and come back all the way to the Kullu Valley on foot. An almost unbeatable experience. The whole trek can be done from June to September and takes two to three weeks.

Zanskar-Trek

The Zanskar Valley is South of Ladakh and leads up to Leh. The trek start in Darcha and continues for 23 days through the wild and breathtaking beauty of a high altitude desert. Villages and monasteries will keep us in touch with the local Buddhist culture but many camps are far from human habitation. We will cross five passes of which one is 5100 m high and the others range between 4000 and 5000 m. The trek ends at the famous Lamayuru Monastery. It can be done from June to September.

Shrikhand Mahadev and Bhanjar Valley

This trek explores the little known and excellently preserved area of the Bhanjar Valley. It is part of the Great Himalaya National Park where the forests and the high altitude meadows are protected and can display their full beauty. The traditional villages along the way are far from roads and have equally preserved the way of life in the Himalayas. Architecture, dress and custom hasn't changed here for many generations. We will hike over the Bashleo Pass and further to a strangely formed rocky outcrop that forms a peak over the valley. It is known as Shrikhand Mahadev and a pilgrimage place for Hindus at an altitude well above 4000m. The Trek takes 12 days.

Pojuh Valley

This is another area rarely visited by conventional trekking operators A round-trip will take us up on the right bank of the Kullu Valley into a side valley known as Pojuh. Passing villages and temples along the way we will climb up to an altitude of max. 3500 m. The area has a very strong religious atmosphere and any leather articles are forbidden here. The villagers impose hefty fines on those disregarding this custom. This trek provides an insight into Hindu Himalayan culture like few others do. It is moderate, takes about five days and can be done almost throughout the whole year.