RUPIN PASS TREK

per person

When you think of a high altitude trek in summer, Rupin pass trek is not to miss. There are several passes which connect the Baspa valley of Kinnaur to the Garhwal in south. Once these passes were used by shepherds and traders rather than using the circuitous Hindustan-Tibet road in present days. The route offers wide range of landscape, altitude and gradient. Initially the trail is inside the Govind National Park (Govind Vanya Pashu Vihar) and passes through Oak and Fir forests , interior villages in the river valleys at lower elevation while beautiful meadows (referred as Thach in local language), alpine wild flowers, waterfalls, steep ice fields on higher altitude. The route is typically rich in wild flowers, specially just after monsoon. Famous Brahma Kamal flourish in abundance in the surrounding areas of the pass. During summer, the trail above the meadows remain covered in heavy snow. In monsoon the snow melts and the shepherds cross for grazing opportunities. From the pass there are spectacular views of Kinnaur Kailash range and other peaks of Charang Ghati ridge. The other side of the pass i.e. Kinnaur is famed for its “Golden Delicious” apple orchards.

ABOUT

Region : Uttarakhand India

Grade : Difficult

Altitude : 15,250 ft.

Distance : 52 Kms.

Trail Type : A Cross over trail through passes.

Base Camp : Dhaula (10 hrs drive from Dehradun)

Stay : Home stay and Camping

HIMALAYAN TREK

From Our Gallery

DAY 01 :

DEHRADUN – DHAULA (200 KM - 8/9 HRS.) Morning pick up from Dehradun and head towards Dhaula (5100 ft) . The road is one of the most scenic in Garhwal region while we go up to the classy hill station of Mussorie at the beginning, turquoise Yamuna river in the middle and conifer forests and meandering Tons river at the later half of the journey. The major points are Mussorie, Yamuna Pool, Damta, Nawgaon, Purola, Mori and Netwar. Mori is the last place where you get a guaranteed mobile network! From Netwar onward we are inside Govind National Park area and at the Forest Check Post entries are made. We cross the Tons River and enter into Rupin valley. Dhaula is a small village with handful of homes and few home-stays for shelter. Overnight stay at Camp / Homestay beside Rupin.

DAY 02 :

DHAULA - SEWA (10 KM - 5/6 HRS.) Our trek starts today. From campsite we take the wide trail and cross the Rupin for the first time. (Hence onward we will cross Rupin on few occasions till the base of Waterfall) . After crossing the bridge Rupin stays for the day on our right side. The walk is gentle along the river valley with very low gradient. Rupin runs in the gorge some 500 ft below. One moderate climb of 30 mins takes us to the village of Datadhar. Then we traverse and encircle the mountains for couple of hours gently along Rupin to reach the village of Sewa (6550ft). The village is a small one with a tea shop and a small lodge. Wooden crafted temple in the village depicts the influence of Kinnaur culture. The Distance is 10 Km and may take up to 6 hours. There is a nice camping ground just another kilometer after the village on the bank of Rupin. After crossing a short jungle stretch we descent to the river bed and cross a side stream called Aligad. The bridge marks the boundary of Uttarakhand and Himachal. The campsite of Aligad (6230 ft) is on the true right of Rupin in the state of Himachal Pradesh. Overnight stay at camp site.

DAY 03 :

SEWA – JHAKA (12 KM – 6/7 HRS.) Today we take our next trail along the river and then a steady comfortable climb to hit a motor road under construction inside Himachal Pradesh. This area is under Shimla district and the motorable road on the left goes to Rohru over Changshil top. We take the wide and leveled road on our right along the Rupin to walk around an hour to get a diversion on the road. Our road is on the left towards Gosangu. Another 3 or so kilometers walking on almost flat surface and then a climb of around 500 ft takes us to the first house of the village Jiskun. A tea and noodles shop welcomes the trekkers. Skirting the entire village we cross the last stretch (marked by a cozy lodge apple orchards) and descent inside the jungle to cross a over bridge. This is a good spot to have our packed lunch. From now onward a steady climb takes us suddenly to a turn from where Rupin appears deep beneath gorge. The view of the valley is surprisingly beautiful from here and remains green throughout the year. From here we climb for an hour inside the blue pine forest to see the first glimpse of the village Jhaka. The portion of the village seen from here on a steep slope and looks like hanging on the cliff. It may take 6 to 7 hours to reach lower Jhaka (8700 ft).There are couple of Home-Stays offering bedrolls and food.. We can either pitch our tents or stay in the Home-stay.

DAY 04 :

JHAKA - BURAS KANDI (7 KM - 6HRS.) Starting from the camp site at Jhaka, we gradually climb and cross the upper part of the village and enter in to the magnificent conifer forest. Gently we loss altitude while walking through the forest and after an hour we cross the snow bridge on the Rupin river to go to the trail on the other side. We continue our trek on the boulder covered stretch to reach Buras Kandi. This trail is often used by the shepherds for grazing in summer and monsoon. A steep ascent and followed by walking along the river bed takes us to our today’s camp named Suruwas Thach (11150ft). Distance is 7 Km and may take 5 hours. Overnight stay at camp site.

DAY 05 :

BURAS KANDI - DHANDERAS THATCH (LOWER WATERFALL) (6 KM - 5 HRS.) Today we walk on almost level ground and amidst the meadows while we can see numerous cascading waterfalls feeding Rupin. The trail takes up to 5 hours which goes through the lash green pastures to our campsite at Dhanderas Thach/Lower waterfall camp (11650ft). Overnight stay at camp site.

DAY 06 :

DHANDERAS THATCH - RATIPHERI (5 KM - 4/5 HRS.) A small day’s trek will give us a much needed recuperation on high altitude before crossing the pass. Trail nature differs based upon the time you choose to trek. In the beginning of summer the trail is filled up with ice fields and semi hard frosty snow while in the later half after the monsoon there is hardly any snow. From the base of the water fall the ascend is steep till we reach the top called Rati Pheri/Upper waterfall camp (~4000m, 13100ft). Distance is 3 Km and may take 2/3 hrs. Overnight stay at camp site.

DAY 07 :

RATIPHERI - SANGLA KANDA OVER RUPIN PASS (12 KM - 9/10 HRS.) We start early in the morning to cross the pass. From Rati Pheri the climb is steep and demanding. After an hour or so we reach the vast stretch of snow field and locate the pass above on the ridge line. We climb up slowly as the oxygen level depletes. The exhilarating climb ends at Rupin Pass (~4650m, 15200ft) and the view is mesmerising. This eternally snowbound pass puts up the snowy mountains of Kinnaur Kailash range on the northern side while the Rupin valley in the south. Spending around half an hour we start the steep descend towards Sangla side. Again depending on the season the level of snow will be determined. After crossing the snowline the descent is sharper till we reach Ronti Gad at the starting of the green meadows (13450ft). Distance is 12 Km and may take 9/10 hours. Overnight stay at camp site.

DAY 08 :

SANGLA (4 KM - 6HRS.) Today is our last day of trek and we start in the morning to descend to the Baspa river valley. The height loss is rapid till we reach Sangla Kanda. This is a meadow and has a small lake.There are small settlements of the villagers for summer and monsoon season. Number of trails cutting across the meadow but eventually leading to the main trail. We go down further to enter in to the tree line again and finally to the village of Sangla. There is a bridge to cross the Baspa river and climb up to the motor able road at Sangla (8850ft). Trek ends here. Distance is 12 Km and may take 6 hrs.

INCLUSIONS:

Well Accommodation on Triple / Quad Sharing Basis ( Homestay / Tent Stay ).
Transfer & Sightseeing by exclusive Non AC Vehicle like Traveller / Ertiga / Innova (depending on the size of the group), wherever applicable.
All Meals (Veg /Non Veg), including everything from Day 1 Breakfast to Day 8 Breakfast.
A well-experienced and Certified Trek Leader.
First aid medical kits , Safety Gears, etc. relate to the trek.
Camping Equipment like tent, sleeping bags ,gaiters and crampons (if required) will be provided.

EXCLUSIONS :

Any Airfare / Train fare.
Lunch / Meals other than mentioned in inclusions.
Entrance fees to National Park, Amusement parks, Boating Charges, Any rides, Adventure Activities rather than mentioned in itinerary, Monuments, Museum, etc.
Any portage at airports & hotels tips, insurance, wine, mineral water, telephone charges, and all items of personal nature.
Any services not specifically mentioned in the inclusions.
Expenses caused by factors beyond our control like rail and flight delays, roadblocks, vehicle mal-functions, political disturbances, Covid 19, etc.

THINGS TO CARRY :

Saddle bags/ Magnetic tank bag/ Luggage carrier.
Comfortable clothes: tracks, raincoats, tee-shirts, Jackets and pullovers.
Trekking Shoes, a pair of slippers for the night, extra pair of socks.
Sunglasses, caps or hats, sunscreen lotion and insect repellents.
Flashlight with extra batteries , Personal medication .
Water bottles, backpack with plastic lining, daypack.
Helmet, Hanging Rope, Glows & any other trekking equipment.

NOTE :

We shall not be responsible for any change in the itinerary due to landslides, flight cancellations, weather conditions or any unforeseen circumstances. The additional cost incurred will be in addition to the cost.
It is mandatory to carry the Photo identity Proof during travel and have to be presented at the time of Check Inn wherever applicable for security reason.
During travelling , it is mandatory to carry a valid medical certificate (RTPCR Test Negative Report 72 Hrs. before ) along with 14 Days travel history. It will help the organizers to inform and alert all other persons during the tour that they can follow the medical/government norms in this regard.

TERMS & CONDITIONS :

BHATKE ADVENTURE reserves the right to close the registration early or extend the date of registration.
Confirmation / Cancellation of package should be accepted in written only.
Registration Fee is non refundable.
BHATKE ADVENTURE reserves the right to change, alter or cancel a trip due to any reason which might not be in the best interest of your safety, like dangerous water levels, landslides, extreme weather conditions, airline / rail dispute , due to any unforeseen circumstances, etc.
Any changes in tour schedule due to political, social & climatic reasons may lead to change in dates and costs.
Trekker should have carry a valid ID proof & should also follow covid - 19 regulations like wear a mask, carry sanitizer, etc.
The trek takes place through eco-friendly zone, so we should respect & enjoy the beauty of the respective region. Do not litter the local sites or campsites. Consumption of Alcohol/Drugs /Smoking / Any other intoxicant during the trek is strictly prohibited. Any kind of Misbehaving activity with participants or local aspects is also offensive.
Do not wear tight-fitted clothes as they might hinder with your movement during the trek.
Do not carry valuables things like Jewellery or expensive electronics, etc.
Company Is Not Responsible For Compensating Any Loss , Any Damage or Additional Cost Incurred By that such things while Taking The Tour.
Air / Rail Reservations are fully computerized & we do not have any control over their’s right to regulation in terms of cancellation / refund / seat allocation.
Trekker should have follow all the instruction led by the The Trek Leader.
Should there be any doubt or ambiguity, kindly clear the same before making your decision of buying the package / tour. We sincerely work for your merriment, and request you to take time for reading all the details minutely, to avoid disappointment at later stage.