Mayali Pass Trek

Posted on 09. Mar, 2011 by Arun in Activities, Adventure, Trekking, Uttranchal

Photography by Arjun Majumdar

Location: Uttarakhand. Base camp is at Ghuttu

Duration: 9/10 days

Altitude: Base camp – 5500ft. Mayali Pass – 18000ft.

Seasons: Mid June – Mid September

Terrain: Starts with forests, followed by meadows and at the higher reaches boulder and scree.

The trek starts from Ghuttu and moves parallel to River Bhillangna via Reeh, Gangi, Kalyani, Kharsoli, Tambakund and then reaches Khatling Glacier,the source of River Bhilangna. Chowki, a meadow in front of Khatling Glacier is an amazing camping ground with great view of peaks, the most impressive being Thalay Sagar peak.

From Chowki, it is a steep climb to Masartal. Further the climb becomes steeper and in snow to reach Masar Top and eventually Mayali Pass. This is followed by a steep descent to Vasukital and further to Kedarnath shrine and finally the trek ends at Gaurikund.

Ghuttu the base camp for the trek is 174 kms away from Haridwar. Take a bus/shared jeep to Tehri, Ghanshali and then to Ghuttu.

ITINERARY:

Day 1 – Ghuttu 5090ft to Reeh 7200ft (4 hours 10kms.)

It is going to be a tough climb for a first day especially since  your muscles are not yet used to climbing. Ghutu is on the banks of river Bhillangana. The route to Reeh is a decent climb.

After about 2 hours of walking on the sunny dirt road, you enter the forests and walk in the shade till you reach Reeh. The trail goes along the river in the beginning and later it’s a steep climb through the pine forest.  Rhododendron and bamboo grow plenty on this route. Reeh is a small village with very few inhabitants. Camp for the night here in a tent or stay at the GMVN.

Day 2 – Reeh 7200ft  to Gangi (8630ft 4 hours 10kms.  Hard climb.)

The trek from Reeh to Gangi is a steep incline. Climb the hill  behind the GMVN in Reeh to head to Gangi. It takes about 3-4 hours to climb the hill and the climb to Gangi is further up with a constant incline.

When lots of little farms dot the way, you know you have reached the mid point of the days trek.Gangi a typical Garhwali village is 2 more hours away. This is the last spot of civilization on this trek. Once again choose to stay at the GMVN here or pitch a tent for the night.

The trek from Reeh to Gangi crosses a series of meadows high above the valley.  You get to see fine views of Panwali Kantha and South Ghuttu after crossing the top of the ridge.

Day 3 – Gangi 8630ft  to Kharsoli (9670ft via Kalyani  7-8 hours 16kms. Easy gradient but long walk.)

Just out of Gangi you pass through some stretches of landslides. Cross them carefully. The trails sometimes get lost between these stretches. After the landslide stretches is a short climb which brings on the plains of Kalyani. Kalyani is a little level ground with hills on one side and a valley below on the other.

Kalyani is where the alternate route starting from Mala joins this trail. You could take a day off and visit the grasslands and lakes Sahasratal and Bhimtal on that route from here. These excursions are a good way to acclimatize on this trek.

Camping at Kalyani is a good option too but move on if you are in a hurry. Kharsoli is about 10 kms away from Kalyani and does not have very good camping grounds.

Day 4 – Kharsoli 9670ft  to Tambakund 11400ft (3 hours. Relatively easy day though moderate climbs towards the end.)

The next days target is Tambakund. Half way out of Kharsoli you are out of the treeline and enter the meadows.

The trail follows the river and there is an impressive waterfall on the opposite side of the valley near Tambakund.

Tambakund is a nice little place where shepherds bring their herds. It is pretty close to Khatling you can make out the glacier kind of terrain. Tambakund is very close to Chowki. Get down the valley, climb up the other side and that is Chowki. You may choose to carry on to Chowki or camp at Tambakund. The views keep getting better by the day and but you do not yet get the full view of the snow clad peaks.

The other option for the 3^rd and 4^th day’s trek is to camp at  Kalyani and then proceed to Chowki on the 4^th day.

Day 5 – Tambakund to Chowki  (1 hour. Short climb)

Tambakund to Chowki is less than an hours trek. Get down the valley, cross the river and you are at Chowki. The river crossing can be a tricky bit though. Be equipped to create a make shift bridge incase there is no bridge to cross the river. Ensure that your porters and guide are equipped for this when you star the trek.

Chowki is less than an hour away from Tambakund. It is a lovely green meadow surrounded by snow clad peaks. There is a huge glacier running down in one side and the glaciers river basin is spread around. Icy cold water is available if you dare to touch it.

Spend a day at Chowki acclimatizing to the altitude. The next two days of climb will make you gain height rapidly and the day spent at Chowki will go a long way in the successful crossing of the pass.

Day 6 – Chowki to Masartal (15240ft 7 kms 4 hours 40 mins. A climb to remember – for the gradient and views.)

A climb to remember! both in terms of gradient and views. Not just views of the valley but also climbing terrain.

Today is the most difficult treks till Khatling glacier, the trek descends steeply to the riverbank before ascending boulder and slopes beside the Bhillanganga. The Khatling glacier is associated with the giant hanging glaciers of Ratangian, Jogin and Phating.

This climb to Katling Glacier is only 7 Kms but the rapid ascent is 1500M. Every step of the way is a climb and behind you is the beautiful sight of the Chowki grasslands.

The trail further to Masar tal follows the ill-defined shepherds trail (steep in places) across boulder fields. You may scramble here if you don’t step right. The views are magnificent across the upper sections of the Khatling Glacier and towards the high pass – the Auden Col (5400m) – leading to Gangotri. The Jogin peaks are in view, as is Jaonli (6630m). The trek further leads across high alpine pastures and scree slopes to the serene & Placid waters of Masar Tal (4590)m, The water remains frozen until at least mid-Jun.  Masar Tal is a high altitude alpine lake and is freezingly cold. This place sends a chill down your spine and it takes a while before the sheer magical beauty of the place sinks in. Masar tal is theovernight camping spot.

Day 7 – Masartal to Masar Top 16032 to Mayali Pass  16850ft to Vasuki Tal 13800ft  (Approx 13 kms.  8 hours. Tough climb over boulders to Masar Top.  Steep descent to Vasuki Tal.)

This is the day every Mayali Pass trekker will be waiting for! The climb to Masartop takes a little more than an hour.  A risky climb and it sometimes is more than a 45 degree climb on boulders. When the sun is out, the icy surface on boulders become wet and slippery and can be very dangerous. Our advice is to start very early for this stretch.

At Masar Top the whole valley is visible. Right below is Masartal and directly ahead of you is Khatling valley and below ahead the greenery of Chowki. The other side is a huge snow freeze, like a moon landscape and you see Kedar Dome. Nobody gets to see the this side of it. And this is the place where you see this side of Kedar Dome. After you climb Masar Top on your far left is Kedar Dome and in between is a huge snow field and a glacier below. It  is a glacier in between Kedar Dome and you. After crossing the glacier you have a huge snow field to cross. The breadth of snow field is so vast that you lose all sense of sight. When you ultimately land there and walk across it, you don’t know what size it is. It’s that huge. You have nothing to compare to what you see. It is nothing but a moon landscape and that’s the view from Masar Top.

From Masartop start your march on a steep landslide sort of area. Do not go on the glacier. You cut across the landslide hill. It’s little difficult to go through, but your guide will take you all right. After that you have the stable glacier with proper snow cover.

Once you traverse through the landslide hill, cross those snow fields which may take an hour and it is a steep climb through the snow to reach Mayali Pass. Ropes can be useful here.

After celebrations at Mayali Pass, prepare yourself for a steep descent. It’s a long distance to go down. It will take you on snow for the first two kms and then you have big and small boulders, which will be taxing on your ankles. The descent will take a couple of hours after which you approach the Vasuki Tal area camp site. The local porters will prefer you camp away from the Tal as it is a sacred lake.

Day 8 – Vasuki Tal to Kedarnath (9 Kms 4 hours.)

Relax and start late today at  9.30 a.m. Vasukital is a serene and beautiful place where spirituality comes out naturally. You may not find snow here in September.

Vasukital is within a valley and to get to the other side climb to the top of the valley and then go down. This is the last climb on this trek. The climb takes an hour and is not very easy. You are still in 4,000 mts territory. Kedarnath is visible from there. You are right beside Mandakini. Mandakini is the river that you see at Kedarnath. You are going beside the Mandakini, not the main Mandakini stream but a small stream that joins it. You can see Kedarnath way way below and you have to go down probably another one to one and a half hour worth of distance. Stay at one of the many places available for lodging at Kedarnath.

Day 9 – Kedarnath to Gourikund (14kms downhill on the piligrim route)

Take the usual pilgrim route from Kedarnath to Gourikund. From Gourikund you get buses and shared taxis going down to Rishikesh and Haridwar.

For more Details, reach us at:

Thrillophilia Adventure Tours Pvt. Ltd.

Tags: Adventure, Himalayan trek, Mayali Pass, trekking