Name: Kuari Pass Trek - The Only Trekkable Mountain Pass in Winter
Brand: Sahyadri Rangers
Availability: InStock

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Overview

Region :- Uttarakhand
Duration :- 6 Days
Grade :- Moderate
Max Altitude :- 12,763 Ft.
Approx Trekking Km :- 33 Kms.

Kuari pass is a mountain lovers’ delight. You have an unending vista of the biggest mountains in India opening up right from day one. You even get to see the clearest view of the full face of Mt Nanda Devi, India’s highest mountain.

Among the several things that Lord Curzon did in India, the hands-down winner is exploration and popularising of a marquee trek route starting from Joshimath to Kuari Pass in the Garhwal Himalayas. At an altitude of 4264 meters, Kuari Top is like an amphitheatre where some of the stalwart peaks of Himalayas take stage. The 7000 meters club includes the Kamet (7756m),Trishul (7120m), Chaukhamba (7128m), and the great divine peak of Nanda Devi (7817m) and its twin Nanda Devi East (7434m). More peaks make an equally imposing appearance – Nanda Ghunti, Hathi Ghoda Parbat, Neelkanth, Dronagiri, Mukut Parbat, Mana, Rishi Pahad, and Changbang, to name a few. The Kuari Pass Trek gives you a chance to view this impressive skyline of these mighty mountains from close quarters.

The trek begins from Joshimath, in the Chamoli district of Himalayas, which has evolved into the hub for trekkers and pilgrims in this part of the Himalayas. Confluences of several rivers - the Pinder, Kaliganga, Nandakini, Birehiganga & Dhauli Ganga give make up the Pancha-Prayag – namely, Devprayag, Karnaprayag, Devprayag and Rudraprayag. The trek then proceeds through small remote Himalayan villages. Walking along the Curzon trail through these villages is a great way to get acquainted with the life of the mountain folks. The trees are ablaze in the yellow-orange colors of autumn, striking a deep contrast to the blue-brown mountains and the snow caps. On this trek one walks through gorgeous jungles of Oak and Deodar trees. And these jungles, of course, are house to some wildlife. Pug marks of leopards or Himalayan black bears can be sighted in the forests. Rhododendron trees, which bear flowers of a fiery red color, are also found in abundance in these mountains.

The truly refreshing part of the trek is while walking through the luxurious Himalayan meadows, called 'Bugyals' in the local tongue. The beauty and serenity of a Himalayan meadow is an experience no one should miss out on. The most remarkable is the Gorson Bugyal, consisting of vast undulating green pastures. On this trek you will also visit Auli, which is famous for its beautiful skiing slopes in the winter kuari pass

The trek takes you up and down a few other lesser passes – the Vinayak pass and Tali top, eventually taking you to the highest point in the trek – the Kuari Top at which is at 13990 feet. This trek is not too difficult, and pays huge dividends for the physical effort with the most mesmerising views of some of the best mountains in the Himalayan Range. The sight of the Nanda Devi Massif is the highlight of this trek. So if you want to have some fun in the meadows and on the snowy slopes of the Garhwal Himalayas, pack your rucksacks and head on towards Haridwar. The Team will take you on the Curzon Trail to Kuari Pass, while you feast your eyes on the spectacular sights.

COST OF THE TREK

Joshimath To Joshimath: Rs. 8,900/-
Rishikesh to Rishikesh: Rs. 11,700/-

Available Dates

28 Dec 2022 to 01 Jan 2023 (New Year Special Batch)

Day 1 : Arrive in Joshimath (6696 ft)

Day 2: Joshimath to Dhak Village (via car) and trek to Tali Forest Camp (11,031 ft) – 8 KMs/7 hours

Day 3: Tali Forest Camp to Kuari Pass to Tali Forest Camp. (11,031 ft to 12,516 ft to 11,031 ft) – 12 Kms/ 7 hours

Day 4: Tali Forest Camp to Auli. (11,031 ft to 10,003 ft). Drive to Joshimath. – 10 KMs / 7 hours

Day 5: Depart from Joshimath. and Reach Rishikesh by evening (01 Jan 2023)

4 Nights 5 Days Available on request Salud Dugra, Uttarakhand

Highlights

What makes this tour special

a passage through a handful of typical Garhwal villages,
an open meadows campsite overlooking the majestic Dronagiri Parvat,
a day of easy clamber through oak and rhododendron forests,
camping on snowdrifted forest floor,
a thoroughly taxing snow hike on the summit day,
a 360 degree glittering Greater Himalayas peak panorama,
an initiation in the art of snow hiking with gears, and
a field day in the gently rolling slopes of Gorson Bugyal.

Itinerary

Day 1: Arrive in Joshimath (6696 ft)

Arrive in Joshimath. If you opt for transportation from us then we will assemble early morning in Dehradun ISBT by 7 AM and drive towards Joshimath. Overnight in guest house / hotel in Joshimath

Day 2: Joshimath to Dhak Village (via car) and trek to Tali Forest Camp (11,031 ft) – 8 KMs/7 hours

After breakfast around 7:30 AM, we head to Dhak Village to start our trek. Keep a jacket handy, you may need it along the way, but if the sun is up, you can easily trek in a t-shirt and a fleece. You’ll walk through the dusty trails up to Tugashi village, which will be your first water source. It’s a charming little village, where you’ll get a glimpse of the traditional way of life of the locals. As you move further up from Tugashi village, the terrain changes and you’ll find yourself walking in and out a beautiful oak forest. The forest opens up to a clearing or a meadow every now and then. You’ll have your lunch at Gulling around 1 pm, rest up here but gear up for the final ascend to the Tali Campsite from here. It’s not a steep ascend, but for the next 4KMs, you’ll be walking uphill. Tali campsite is right in the middle of the forest, and you’ll be delighted to be there because you’ll have a team waiting with hot beverages and snacks for you.

Day 3: Tali Forest Camp to Kuari Pass to Tali Forest Camp. (11,031 ft to 12,516 ft to 11,031 ft) – 12 Kms/ 7 hours

Today is going to be an epic day. It’s much easier than the previous day, as you will go up and down hills and snow slopes (in the winter months). The trek today will amaze you with the glorious views of the mountains around you, the snowfield you’ll traverse through and the feeling of being on top of the world at Kuari Top. It would take you around 4 hours to reach Kuari Top, which is the highest point on the trail, from there, Kuari Pass is just 700 meters (40 minutes) away. Today you’ll see peaks like Neelkantha, Nanda Devi, Hathi Ghoda Parvat, Dronagiri, Pangarchulla, and Chaukhamba. After spending some time at the pass, we retrace the same route to reach Tali by late afternoon.

Day 4: Tali Forest Camp to Auli. (11,031 ft to 10,003 ft). Drive to Joshimath. – 10 KMs / 7 hours

If the views blew your minds away yesterday, today is going to be an even better day. 800 meters of steady climb after the camp, you’ll be out of the forest. Your first break point would be at the beautiful Tali lake. You’ll be able to get clear views of Nanda Devi from Tali lake, which is the highest mountain in India. The trail from here climbs onto a narrow path, with the mountain on one side and a steep drop on the other. Make sure you walk as a team on this path, as people scared of heights or prone to vertigo, might feel a little uncomfortable here. This narrow path continues for 1.5 KMs till you enter Gorson Bugyal. For the next 5KMs you’ll walk in a beautiful wide open meadow, and in the winter months, the snow makes the landscape absolutely stunning. You’ll find a lot of day hikers here from Auli, who come here to experience the snow. Reach Auli Ski Resort and board the vehicle for Joshimath from Auli road head. The drive from Auli to Joshimath is around an hour. Your trip ends here, and now it’s time to take a hot shower, relax and celebrate.

Day 5: Depart from Joshimath

The trip ends today. Checkout of the guest house. If you opt for transportation from us then we will reach Dehradun by late evening.

Who Can Go:-

First timer can apply, should have some interest in trekking and mountaineering.
The climber must be fit and have sufficient stamina to cover 5 km of distance in 45 minutes without a stress.
The climber should be able to carry a 10 kg backpack.
Heart problem, high blood pressure, asthma, and epilepsy cannot be reconciled on this mission. The climber must not have the conditions mentioned above.

Note : Normally Sahyadri Rangers expect to carry your personal luggage on your own, if you wish to offload your backpack, you can give it to Mule.

Charges of offloading backpack:-
INR 1800/- if you make an online payment, 10 days in advance
INR 2000/- if you inform us after reaching Joshimath
The backpack cannot weigh more than 11 kgs. Backpack should have waterproof cover. Suitcases/strolleys/ bags will not be allowed.

Note:-

1) Change of trek batch is dependent on the availability of seats in the batch.

2) In case of transferring a trek to a friend, he/she should satisfy all the mandatory requirements put forward by Sahyadri Rangers Treks and Tours.

3) Sahyadri Rangers Treks and Tours holds the right to change/cancel the policies, without prior notice.

Inclusions/Exclusions

What we'll give. What we won't