Hampta Pass - A stunning crossover trek from Manali to Spiti

Day 1: Arrival in Manali - Day at leisure

• The first day of your Hampta Pass Trek will begin with your arrival in Manali.
• Our representatives will be available to help you check into the pre booked hotel.
• Once you have checked in and rested for a while, a small session of trek briefing will be organized, in which you will be informed about the whole proceeding.
• After this, you have the day at leisure and you are free to explore Manali on your own.
• The day will end with a hot tasty dinner in the hotel.

Meal - Dinner

Day 2: Manali - Jobra (1.5 hour drive) – Chika (3 to 4 hours trek)

• The second day of Hampta Pass Trek will begin with a filling and tasty breakfast, followed by which you will be transferred to Jobra Nala.
• Jobra Nala is the place from where the trek begins.
• A 2 hour long easy ascend will be carried out to reach Chika, lying at the height of 10,400 ft above the sea level.
• On your way to Chika, you will be blessed with the views of thick green forests while crossing small bridges.
• By the afternoon, you will reach the campsite at Chika, following which you will have your lunch and get enough time to rest in your tents.
• After this, the remaining part of the day is at leisure, hence you are free to explore the surrounding areas of the campsite.
• Additionally, some recreational activities like group games will also be organized by the trek leader to pass the time.
• This day of Hampta Pass Trek will end with dinner and overnight camping in Chika.

Meal - Breakfast,Lunch,Dinner

Day 3: Chika - Balu ka Ghera (6 to 7 hours trek)

• The third day of your summer trek to Hampta Pass will begin with some tea & snacks, followed by a stretching session with the trek leader.
• Once you are done relishing some breakfast, trek towards Balu ka Ghera will begin.
• A trek to Balu ka Ghera is an inclined trek which takes more than 7 hours to complete.
• The first stop will be Jwara, which comes after the first three kilometers.
• The routh till here involves crossing a river stream and glancing at the magnificence of unhindered nature. The thrill and the adventure involved in this activity will surely make your heart skip a beat.
• You will get a chance to walk along the stream of Rani River for the major part of the trek.
• Walk through a valley dotted with tiny multi-colored flowers until you reach Balu Ka Ghera.
• Once you have reached Balu ka Ghera at an elevation of 12,411 feet above the sea level, you will be pitching your tents.
• The night will be spent resting in your camps and admiring the beautiful star laden skies.

Meal - Breakfast,Lunch,Dinner

Day 4: Balu ka Ghera- Hampta Pass- Shea Goru (7 to 8 hours trek)

• Fourth day of your trek to Hampta Pass will begin with breaking the camps early in the morning.
• Once you’re done with breakfast, an 8 km, long trek will begin towards the Hampta Pass.
• The climb to Hampta Pass is a vertical one, hence the difficulty level will be increased today.
• Once you are at the Pass, the raw beauty of nature will unfold in front of you. Being surrounded by the rolling hills, white snowy fields and still standing mountains will capture the awe of each person.
• Have your packed lunches at the Pass, enjoy the beautiful surroundings and get ready for the descend to Shea Goru.
• You will reach Shea Goru by late evening, followed by which you will be resting in your camps besides the river. The place is picture perfect hence make sure that your gallery gets filled here.
• In the local language, Shea Goru means “Thand Ka Kila”, hence be ready for the coldest night of this trekking expedition.
• Have your dinner at the Shea Goru campsite and retire for the night with a feeling of contentment at the heart.

Meal - Breakfast,Lunch,Dinner

Day 5: Shea Goru – Chhatru - Chandratal - Chhatru (4 to 5 hours trek/ 6 hours drive both way)

• Day five of the trek will begin with breaking the camps, having a breakfast and then beginning the trek towards the descend.
• Today’s route will include crossing a river, passing through large green valleys of River Chandra and descending through serene paths.
• The first half of the trek is comparatively easy hence you will surely enjoy the journey.
• The first half of the trek will break at Chhatru from where you will get into your pre-booked cabs for a journey towards Chandratal. However, in rare cases of landslides or snow, the road to Chandratal is blocked hence you will have to camp at Chhatru. To reach Chandratal Lake, one kilometer long trek will be required from the vehicle parking area.
• The day will end with having some delicious dinner and spending the night below the starry blanket of Chhatru.

Meal - Breakfast,Lunch,Dinner

Day 6: Chhatru - Manali (4 to 5 hours drive)

• The day will begin with departing from Chhatru to Manali, early in the morning in shared cabs.
• The transportation to Manali will be provided to you on time, and you will reach there within 4 to 6 hours, depending on the road conditions.
• The trip will end at base camp in Manali, from where you can bid goodbye and head back to your homes with a bag full of memories.

Meal - Breakfast

How to Reach Hampta Pass Trek in Manali

Manali is well connected to all the states across India. One can travel by Road or by Air. Delhi is taken as a reference to Guide our trekkers. So plan accordingly.

Reach Manali by Road:

Manali is connected to Delhi. Take an overnight bus from Delhi, and you will reach Manali in 12 - 14 hours. Tickets can be booked online at www.redbus.in or www.hrtc.gov.in

Reach Manali by Air:

Kullu–Manali Airport in Bhuntar, which is 52 km away from Manali, is the nearest airport. Taxi services are available from Airport to Manali, which costs about Rs. 700- Rs 1000.

Tip: Since Delhi to Manali is a long journey, most Volvo private buses leave Delhi between 5 pm and 6 pm. The last HRTC bus leaves at 8.30pm from ISBT Kashmere Gate. Plan your onward journeys only post noon is giving enough buffer for bus delays.

Things To Pack

• Down Jacket (Main jacket)
• Raincoat/ Poncho
• Inner Layer
• Tshirt or Fleece
• Track Pant
• Extra pair of Socks
• Trekking/ Hiking Shoes (Forclaz 100 and above or Arpenaz 100. Checkout in Decathlon stores)
• Woolen Cap
• Rucksack (At least 40L)
• Mufflers/ Neck Warmer
• Extra pair of Clothes
• Undergarments
• Slippers
• Power Bank
• Sunscreen Lotion
• Sunglasses
• Torch
• Water Bottle
• Tissue Roll
• Hand Sanitizer
• Personal Toiletries
• Medicines
• First Aid Kit
• *Add extra thermal layers and sweater during the winter season

FAQs

Q. What will be the group size?

• Usually, we take maximum of 15-18 people in one group. We believe bigger groups have less fun and less coordination so that’s why we prefer smaller groups.
• We need at least 6 people to operate our fixed departure tours/treks.

Q. Who all will go along with us on the trip/trek?

• All our treks are led by professional trek leaders who are certified, mountaineers. Apart from them, there will be one local guide, cook, helper, porters and other staff.
• All our trips are led by professional trip coordinators who have a good experience in leading groups.

Q. I am the only girl in the group, is it safe to travel/trek solo?

• Yes definitely it is, the safety of girls is most important for us. All our guides and other staff are carefully chosen for trips/treks. They are honest and reliable but we also advise you to take care of your personal belongings.

Q. What are the things that we need to carry on the trek/trip?

• Once you confirm the trip/trek and done with the booking, we will send you the packing list according to the trip/trek.

Q. What type of ground transportation will be used on the trip?

• We hire taxis such as Innova, Tempo Traveller, Bolero, Tata Sumo, etc. from our vendors.

Q. I cannot carry my rucksack/bag on the trek, can I offload it?

• We always recommend that you carry your rucksack during the trek because it helps in maintaining your body posture. In case if you cannot, then we can provide you a mule/porter to carry your rucksack. You will have to tell us at least 1 week before the trek. The charges for offloading would be INR 300 per person per day.

Q. Which shoes should I buy?

• Shoes are your lifeline on the trek. It is highly advisable to buy trekking shoes of a good and known brand. You can consider companies like Quechua, Columbia, etc. A waterproof shoes with ankle support will work good.

Q. What are the washroom/toilet facilities like on the trek?

• During the treks, separate toilet tents will be set up on each campsite.

Q. What will be the type of accommodation?

• It depends on the tour. If it is a trek then you will be staying in dome tents or if it is a road trip the the accommodation can be in hotel/alpine tent/dome tent/home stay.

Q. Will you provide sleeping bags and mattresses?

• Yes, we will provide sleeping bags and mattresses during the trek. Our sleeping bags can withstand temperature as low as -10 degree.

Q. How many trekkers will be in one tent?

• It totally depends on group dynamics. If there is a couple, we can give them a separate tent or if there are odd number of people, then there would be triple sharing.

Q. How can I book a trek/trip with you?

• After selecting the trip/trek, you can book by clicking on the book now button or you can contact us and we will guide you in booking.

Q. What type of food is served during the trek?

• We provide nutritious and healthy food during the treks. We always serve Indian vegetarian food and eggs.

Q. How to get safe drinking water on the trek?

• Himalayan water is considered the purest water and safe to drink. But for safety purpose, we sometimes boil the water and then use it for drinking and cooking.
• In case you find any clean water on the trek, always fill your water where the water is running not where the water is stable or is in rest.

Q. Can we change the itinerary?

• Yes, you can give suggestions. We will look into that and if we find it feasible then we will apply it.

Q. Can you customize the trip/trek?

• Yes, we can customize any trip/trek as per your needs and as per the feasibility.

Q. Will doctor accompany us on the trek?

• No, but our trek leaders are certified in Wildlife First Aid course and they always carry first aid kit and oxygen cylinders on high altitude treks.

Q. Do you prefer I should bring some medicines with me?

• Yes it is advisable that you carry your own medication on the trek.

Q. Diamox is advisable or not?

• Well, it totally depends on person to person. Usually, there are no side effects of Diamox but if you are having any prior medical conditions then it is better to consult your doctor.
• Our itinerary is designed in a way that we take sufficient time to get acclimatized. In case if you are having problem on the trek then tell your trek leader about your condition as soon as possible.

Q. Can I take my child along on this trek? What is the age limit?

• It depends on the difficulty level of the trek. Minimum age for eligibility is 14 years.

Q. What will we do if it rains?

• If it starts raining slowly while trekking then we will continue our trek as per the plan. Your poncho will keep you dry. In case if it is raining heavily then we will try to find any shelter and wait for the rain to stop or slow. If it rains at the campsite then there would not be any problem because all our living tents, kitchen tents and toilet tents are waterproof. You will stay dry inside.

Q. Why is the trekking pole necessary?

• Differs from person to person. If you think that it would help you maintaining balance while trekking then do bring the pole. Some people think that trekking pole disturbs the walking rhythm. So it’s upto you.