Trek Bara Bhangal

Early morning transfer to the railway station to board the train to Chandigarh, the shared capital of the states of Punjab and Haryana.

Chandigarh is a gateway to many mountain stations in Himachal Praddesh, Jammu and Kashmir and northern Punjab. Upon our arrival in Chandigarh, we head north along the road until we reach the old Mandi market. We travel along winding mountain roads along the river. Reaching our destination, we settle into our hotel.

After our arrival at the hotel, we stroll through the bustling streets of this commercial town. We also have time to do some sightseeing.

After breakfast, we set off early for Manali, the famous mountain station. Our route follows the ancient road connecting Hindustan to Tibet, running along the Beas River which winds at the foot of the Himalaya. The journey is magnificent, lined with Himalayan cedars and apple orchards, offering superb views of the Himalayan range. Following the Beas River, we reach the valley of Kullu, renowned for its fruit trees and fertile agricultural land. Continuing our journey upwards, we arrive in Manali (2 050 m) in the early afternoon.

Today, the first day of our trek, the walk is not very long. However, the trail is a bit steeper in places. We quickly find ourselves in the middle of a forest composed of cedars, oaks and pines, before reaching a rocky promontory offering a beautiful view of Manali. Just above this viewpoint is a small meadow before a steep climb through small pastures and a forest of conifers and oaks. Continuing our way through the forest and pastures, we reach our camp on the pasture area of Lama Dugh (2 950 m), a charming meadow surrounded by maples, spruces and oaks.

Today, the trail climbs the ridge bordering the southern limit of the Manali sanctuary and crosses an alpine meadow offering breathtaking views to the north over the Solang and Rohtang valleys. The climb is long, gradual and exhilarating, with panoramas of the Indrasan and Deo Tibba peaks. Following the trails of Gaddi shepherds, and sometimes even in the absence of a path, we continue to gain altitude until we reach the highest of the alpine ridges. From there, the trail heads south across a succession of verdant ridges, followed by a long descent. Descending into a valley, we set up our camp in a meadow beyond Riyali.
Hiking duration : 6 h ;
Distance : 10 km

Today, the itinerary follows the upper course of the river before gradually descending towards the bottom of the valley. After crossing the river, we begin the ascent of the Kalihani Pass. After crossing a small stream, we will climb several grassy ridges crossing several shepherd camps. We will enjoy panoramic views of the Chanderkhani Pass and the distant peaks of the Indian Himalaya. In this wild and high-altitude place, we will be able to observe wildlife, in particular ibex, golden eagles and the majestic bearded vulture.

In the morning, the landscape gradually transforms: forests and meadows give way to rocky terrain scattered with patches of snow. The day promises to be difficult, with a long and steep ascent to the Kalihani Pass (4,650 m). We follow a grassy ridge to a small plateau beyond which only moraine, snow and rocks reign (Kalihani means "black ice" in the local Gaddi language). From the pass, the view encompasses a glacial landscape and many snow-capped peaks of the Bara Bhangal and Pir Panjal ranges, extending to the main Himalaya. After laboriously crossing the pass, we continue our descent into the isolated valley of the Kalihani Nullah (stream) to reach our campsite at 3,550 m (8 hours of trekking).

After breakfast, we spend the day hiking down the Kaliheni valley. There are no villages in this upper part of the valley and we follow a trail above the tree line, offering superb views of the mountains. As we descend, we enter sparse woods of junipers and birches, then pines and oaks. We must cross several tributaries, some of which by ford. We set up our camp in a grassy clearing overlooking the valley.

In the morning, we cross the ridges along the valley slopes and ford the streams heading west, passing Gaddi encampments and alpine meadows. A long and steep gradual descent leads us through terraced fields to the Gaddi village of Bara Bhangal (2 550 m). The trail crosses a forest of silver birches, rhododendrons and blue pines. In summer, this isolated village is inhabited by people from the upper Kangra valley of Kangra. The last 500 to 600 meters of descent are steep and dusty. We set up our camp near the confluence of the Kaliheni and Ravi rivers.

In the morning, our trek turns south by crossing the Kalihani river and begins a steep ascent of 400m. We continue through a vast glacial valley. There is a gradual ascent through open meadows and steep slopes passing through pleasant grazing areas with a number of Gaddi encampments. Then, we follow a trail regularly used by the Gaddi. We settle at camp on a flat mount below the Thamser Pass, in a place called Marhu.

After breakfast, we start early as we leave for the Thamsar Pass through a glacial valley, crossing scree and moraine. The trail gradually climbs through a prominent lateral valley and a glacier to the east. We scramble up steep rocky fields to reach a glacial lake at the base of the pass, then to the ridge line and the Thamser Pass itself (4,750 m), marking the watershed of the Dhaula Dhar range. From there, we enjoy a magnificent view of many snow-capped peaks, including Mount Kailash. There are also beautiful views of the deep valleys of Kangra and Ravi located to the south and north of Dhaula Dhar. We descend steeply through the snow to reach the moraine before arriving at the first pasture. This is followed by a steep descent to our camp set up at the Panattu meadow.

We start the day with a walk on the Glacier. The route descends through a series of permanent snow bridges to reach a well-defined trail that leads through a mixed forest of rhododendrons, spruces and oaks to Palachak (2.500 m). At Palachak, we cross the metal bridge and continue through the forest to reach the fields of corn, beans and potatoes near Rajgunda (2 400 m) . From Palachak, we continue our hike with gentle ascents and descents crossing mixed woods of oak pines and rhododendrons leading to the Rajgunda fields (2 450m), a small settlement where we set up our camp.
Walking Time : 7 hours
Distance : 20 Kms

Today, it's our last day of trekking which takes us to the pleasant foothills of Dhauladhar. We walk through forests of pine, oak and rhododendron and through agricultural lands with tiny fields of corn and potatoes. The trail heads towards the contours and ridges to Billing, then a gradual descent takes us to Bir where we visit an exiled Tibetan community before lunch and reuniting with our vehicle.
Walking Time: 3 hours
Distance: 11 Kms

From there, we are taken to McLeod Ganj, a part of the city of Dharamsala(3 hours by car). Upon arrival, check-in at the hotel. The evening is free to explore the area.

After a peaceful breakfast, we visit McLeod Ganj, the exile home of the Dalai Lama and his Tibetan government. In the morning, we explore this lively and colorful town, settled by Tibetans in the 1960s, which now houses an interesting collection of monasteries and temples.

After lunch, we take the road to Pathankot for the overnight train with sleeping accommodation to Delhi.