Bhawa Pass Trek

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This trek offers an incredible insight into the remote Spiti and Pin Valleys of Himachal Pradesh. From the lush green Kullu valley, we will enter the starkly beautiful Spiti valley, visiting ancient Gompa and scattered little villages.

After crossing the Bhava Pass, the landscape changes dramatically. The barren lunarscape of Spiti gets replaced by thick forests of pine, cedar and deodar. As we travel through Rohtang pass and Kunzum la we see amazing landscapes and mind boggling nature works.

The drive leads us further to Dhankar where we can visit the famous Dhankar monastery. On the 4th day we start our trek. It starts at the Pin River taking us in-between the villages. Before reaching Bhawa pass we rest at the base camp for a while. After crossing the pass we come across Bhawa River. The trek ends at Shimla, the summer capital of the British Raj. While returning back we pass through Rampur where we get to see the place at its best.

Day 01: Manali – Kaza (3,900 MTR) 8 HRS

The drive to Kaza takes one past Rohtang pass (3970m) and Kunzum La (4551m). From Rohtang, the road descends from the Lahaul valley to Gramphu, from where the road forks towards Kunzum and Kaza. Till Batal, the road continues through the rugged Chandra river valley. On the way, there are great panoramic views of the Bara Shigri glacier, one of the biggest in the Himalayan Treks.

Day 02: Kaza – Sagnam via Dhankar 7HRS

Today’s drive diverts from the main road and climbs steeply to Hikim village before proceeding to Dhankar. The 6th century Dhankar Monastery is a superb example of Spiti's traditional architectural style. This was once a castle of the ruler of Spiti, the Nano. Today, it is a repository of Buddhist scriptures in the Bhoti script. The drive then goes through Chidaan and Gulling villages before arriving at Sagnam on the left bank of the Pin River.

Day 03: Sagnam – Mud Purkha (5 HRS)

The trek begins on this day with the trail following the Pin river for a while, before a gradual climb up the hillside, along vast meadows. These are the grazing grounds of the local shepherds. The village of Mud lies across the Pin River. The village Gompa is set impressively on a cliff between two streams.

Day 04: Mud Purkha – Base camp (baldhar) 6 HRS

The day begins with a gradual climb, followed by a steep ascent on scree slopes, till the base camp set a few hours below the Bhawa Pass.

Day 05: Base camp – Kara over Bhawa Pass (7 hrs)

The going is rugged for most of the day, over moraine, scree, boulder fields and snow fields. There is no defined trail. After crossing the pass, a steep descent leads us to the campsite, which is located on the banks of the Bhawa River. The vast grass pastures attract shepherds from Kinnaur, who bring their flocks of sheep and goats here during spring.

Day 06: Kara – Gulling (6 hrs)

The day's trek starts with a gradual descent down the valley. The trail widens as we reach the junction of two streams. Continue on this trail till wereach the valley floor. From here, a short climb takes us to the camp set in a beautiful glade.

Day 07: Gulling – Kufnu – Sarahan (8 hrs)

Descend through the mixed cedar forest till you reach Kafnu village, where transport awaits us for the drive to Sarahan, which takes 3-4 hours. The Bhimakali temple in Sarahan is a big attraction and one gets magnificent views of the Srikhand peaks from here.

Day 08: Sarahan-Shimla via Rampur (8 hrs)

Rampur is the erstwhile Himalayan kingdom of Rampur Bushehar and offers rare insight into customs, religion, art and architecture of its people. It is one of the biggest commercial towns in Himachal Pradesh and is famous for the Lavi fair held in November. The drive then continues via Narkanda, which offers ski slopes with training facilities during the winter months, to Shimla.

Travel Facts

Notable attraction: Bhawa Valley

Highest altitude gained: Bhawa Pass (4,890 mtr)

Trek grade: Hard