Tour Overview
The Hampta Pass trek in Himachal Pradesh embodies different shades of nature to provide a contrasting landscape that consists of green canopied valleys on one side and barren earthly mountains on the other hand. A grassland with spring flowers blooming mirrored by a stark scenery consisting of jagged terrains is something that you only get to see on the Hampta Pass trek. The Hampta pass acts as a vantage point, from where you can witness two equally beautiful parts of Himachal’s topography. If you were to look in the northern direction, you’d witness the majestic Lahaul valley stretching up to a vast expanse of land, deprived of vegetation while if you were to look on the other side of the trail, you’d witness jade green forests that adorn the valley of Kullu. Although the distance that we cover in the Hampta Pass trek is merely 26 km, the entire trail with its ever-changing landscape seems like one long walk into the four seasons itself where you get to experience the warmth of golden sun rays, see spring flowers blooming in the meadows, and feel the cold that seeps through the deserts of Lahaul – Spiti.
The Hampta Pass trek trail takes you through alpine forests where Maple, Birch, Oak, and Deodar trees rustle their leaves in sync with the cool breeze. As you walk further, meadows with waving stalks of green beckon you closer, enticing you to keep walking until you reach the silver streams of water gurgling through the same paths that you are walking upon. The snowline commences after walking for a few miles where a steep ascend leads you to the Hampta pass where majestic mountains stand tall, overlooking the narrow valleys which are speckled with wildflowers. The contrast of the tenderness of the flower petals against the rugged mountains takes your breath away, as you realize that mother nature truly never fails to surprise and you get to experience this phenomenon firsthand in the dramatic shades that the Hampta Pass trek shows you. From cliffs, slanting slopes, glaciers that seem like icy carpets, rhododendron forests, and alpine lakes, every step that you take on the Hampta pass trail unravels a new side to the trekkers. In this Hampta Pass trek itinerary, the starting point is the town of Manali. We drive from Manali to Jobra which is the base for the Hampta Pass trek. The entire drive seems like a road trip straight out of the movies where you are traversing through almost 42 hairpin bends in the road and witnessing the glory of mountains with each turn of your vehicle with the picturesque Kullu valley in the backdrop. The heat of Manali dissipates to give way to a cool breeze as you drive further away from the city roads and towards Jobra with the Rani Nallah River, flowing right alongside you. Upon reaching Jobra, a brief trekking session conducted by the trek leader where all the necessary details about what the Hampta Pass trek entails, we make our way to Chika, the first campsite of our trek.
Nestled in the Pir Panjal ranges of the Himalayas, the difficulty level for the Hampta pass trek is easy to moderate level with the maximum altitude attained in five days being 14100 Ft. The trek has a few high-altitude campsites and Chika nestled at an altitude of 10,000ft is the first one of them. However since it’s approx 2 kilometers from Jobra, it doesn’t test your endurance as much. The trail has enough resources for water and is speckled with pine trees, green maple, and sparkling silver birch trees making the topography diverse and extremely rich. All along the streams of the Rani Nallah river pass through the meadow where we set up camp for the night. After having an early morning breakfast in the mountains, we start our ascent towards our next campsite Balu ka Ghera as we traverse through green pastures for the first half of our trail which is then followed by boulders and loose rocks as you move forward. All the while the stream of the Jwara river runs through the water with its silver cascading streams giving the green landscape a pearly glow. As you gradually incline towards Balu ka Ghera, the mighty Dhauladhar ranges in the backdrop peak from behind, adding all the more glory to the scenery. The stretch is almost 9 km and the meadows make it easier for trekkers to pass through without exhausting themselves but as you move towards the rugged terrains made of boulders, it starts to put a strain on you which is why the ascend from Jobra to Balu ka Ghera is considered to be of moderate category. Balu itself means sand and the trail towards this campsite lives up to its name with its coarse sand topography. On the other side of the river, wildflowers grow along with birch and rhododendrons trees on the foothills, providing a stark contrast to the bare ground where we set camp for the night. The trek from Balu ka Ghera to Sia Goru encompasses a steep uphill trail that is both challenging and rewarding at the same time. In a matter of approx six hours, you gain a considerable amount of altitude. The trek starts with slanting slopes and then as you cross a shallow lake you will stumble upon it afterward, the trail turns uphill with traces of snow stretching in front of you, and after crossing three steep ridges, you get the first glimpse of Hampta pass.
The Hampa Pass acts as a wide passageway between the Lahaul valley and the Kullu Valley making it the only trek with such a striking crossover. The pass itself looks like a narrow valley, one that blooms with flowers and is overlooked by mountains with silver streams flowing through the meadows. You’d probably expect the pass to open up as soon as you take your first step towards it but you have to walk a bit before it drops you off into the lap of the Himalayas with the Deo Tibet peak beckoning you closer. The trek from Balu ka Ghera to Hampta stretches up to a distance of almost three kilometers and is of moderate category since the pass has a gradual steep ascent and the trail only, later on, turns into a flat walk as you descend towards Sia Goru which would be our next campsite. Nestled at an altitude of 12,900 feet, Sia Goru with its Eden-like landscape, and river streams are one of the best high-altitude campsites in this Hampta pass trek itinerary. The next day as you bid goodbye to this campsite and start your descent towards Chhatru, you’d be traversing on sedimentation of rocks that transform into ridges as they keep getting carried down from the glaciers and deposit on the trail over the years.
The trail to Chhatru consists of inclines and loose rocks making this part of the trek moderate. After being so mesmerized by the green canopies that you previously witnessed, the lack of vegetation might astonish you but the beauty of the Hampta pass trek lies in its ability to keep surprising you with its ever-changing landscape. The barrenness of Chhatru would feel rewarding because once we’ve reached Chhatru, we would drive towards Chandratal which is one of the highlights of the Hampta pass trek. The crescent moon-shaped lake is one of the best places to visit in the Lahaul Spiti region and many people spend a lot of money to be able to see this pristine lake but on this Hampta pass trek, you get to experience the beauty of Chandrataal itself since the lake is located only 45 kilometers away from Chhatru and a visit to Chandratal is a must when on the Hampta Pass trek. After a visit to Chandratal lake, we will head back to Chhatru where we will spend the night before driving back to Manali the next day.
Although the Hampta pass retains its pristine beauty throughout the year, the best time to do the Hampta Pass trek is from June to September simply because the chances of witnessing patches of snow on the high passes are more in the early days of the season as it later melts down completely by the time August arrives. As the monsoon arrives, the Kullu valley gets prone to rain but on the other hand, Spiti gets summery bright days as usual.
A beautiful view of blooming flowers accompanies you through a substantial part of the trail. Their fresh smell keeps you energized throughout. A narrow green valley protected by snow-covered mountains is a bonus.
When it comes to the difficulty level, Hampta Pass Trek is moderate. The difficulty level ranges because along with the contrasting landscape, there is a stark difference in the terrain which ranges from steep uphills to almost flat grasslands. For the most part, it’s just a simple hike through the valley, but the terrain becomes difficult as you approach the pass. The pass crossing day is a long walk and may take up to 9 hours. Hampta Pass Trek is an ideal trek for fit first-timers, owing to its varied difficulty level. Hampta Pass does not pose much of a safety challenge. It is considered to be a pretty safe trek as compared to the other high-altitude treks but at the same time, although the Hampta pass trek is considered safe, one must be careful around the stream crossings and the descent from the pass down to Sia Goru campsite. The total time taken to complete this trek is usually around five days, covering a 26 Kilometers stretch of land where you gain an altitude of 14,100ft.
Itinerary
- The group will assemble at the pick-up point by 11:00 AM where a briefing session by the trek leader sharing all the necessary details about the trek would be provided. After which, we’ll head towards Jobra which is the base camp for the Hampta Pass trek and is located at an altitude of 9,379 ft.
- The drive from Manali though has many hairpins bends in the road making up for a scenic drive due to the panoramic view of Kullu Valley that you get to glimpse.
- Traversing through thick forests consisting of pine, maple, and silver birch trees, we will reach Jobra. After relaxing for a while, we’ll start our trek toward Chika. The sight that you get to witness while trekking is serene and refreshing. From lush green forests consisting of maple, oak, and deodar trees to the stream of Rani Nallah flowing through meadows, the landscape that the trekking trail provides is breathtaking, to say the least.
- We will set up camp in Chika. With its vast tapestry of greenery and open skies above, it is perfect for spending peaceful moments.
- Dinner will be served in the evening followed by an overnight stay in Chika.
Note: The pick-up point would be Manali Mall Road (tentative). If you arrive in Manali, one day before, it would help your body adapt better to the altitude and weather.
- After early morning breakfast, we will head towards Balu Ka Ghera. Balu translates to sand and the trail lives up to the name as the short meadow walk soon gives way to boulders and loose rocks making this part of the trek fall into the moderate category.
- The beauty of this trek is that you get to witness the magic of nature in the form of beautiful landscapes. On one hand, you get the flowing Jwara river seemingly following your footsteps, while the mighty Dhauladhar ranges beckon you closer. A stream of a waterfall would be waiting amidst the green canopies.
- The terrain starts to flatten as you reach the initial region of Balu ka Ghera which is known as Chota Balu ka Ghera. As you keep walking, the terrain will start to get rugged again with the rocks being far apart making it tricky to traverse through.
- We will reach Balu Ka Ghera soon where we will set camp among the mountains beyond which the Hampta pass awaits us. In the evening, we will have dinner and spend a night under the starry skies.
- After breakfast, we will head towards our next campsite which is Sia Goru. The entire trail is made up of boulders and hence the descent is trickier which is why we need to be careful.
- En route, we will be traversing through Hampta Pass which is a beautiful trail with a river flowing through it. Blooming flowers of different colors and rainbow are perched at the bank making it a sight to behold. You will also get to see the Deo Tibba peak beckoning you closer.
- After enjoying the view at Hampta Pass, we will start our descent. The downhill trail consists of slippery soil and loose stones. A trail with twists and turns will lead you to the valley below and after walking for a while, you will finally reach the base. The opening that reveals itself leads you to Sia Goru where we will set camp for the night and spend the rest of the day at leisure.
- Dinner will be served in the evening followed by an overnight stay in Sia Goru.
- After early morning breakfast we will start our downhill trek towards Chatru. The vast land lacks vegetation but the tricky slopes give you the adrenaline rush that you might be craving. The descent is tricky so you might have to stay extra vigilant.
- Once we reach Chatru, we’ll drive towards Chandratal which is a beautiful lake located 45 kilometers away from the campsite. However, the drive would only be possible if the weather permits as the harsh weather conditions could be a hindrance.
- After relishing in the beauty of nature and a short sightseeing tour, we’ll head back to Chatru where we will set up base camp.
- Dinner will be served in the evening followed by an overnight stay in Chatru
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- After early morning tea and breakfast, we will start our return journey and drive from Chatru to Manali. The scenic drive consists of mesmerizing views of majestic mountains with the Chandra river flowing by. You also get to traverse through the Iconic Atal Tunnel which itself makes the drive extremely rewarding.
- Upon reaching Manali, the group will dissemble and part ways with fond memories.
- End of Tour.
Inclusions
- Transportation : Surface transfer from Manali to Manali by Sumo / Bolero.
- Accommodation: 4 Nights of Tented Accommodation on a triple sharing basis.
- Meals: All Veg meals from Day 1st lunch to Day 5th breakfast.
- Snacks: Morning / Evening Tea / Coffee with light snacks
- Camping logistics: Tent, Sleeping bags, Mattresses, Dining tent, Toilet tent.
- Trek Leader: Qualified and Experienced Trek leader and support staff.
- Permits: All necessary fees and permits.
- Trekking Equipment: Gaiters, Micro Spikes, and Rope if required.
- Safety Equipment: Basic First Aid kit with Oximeter and Oxygen Cylinder.
- Guide ratio: 1:10
Exclusions
- Any expenses of personal nature.
- Meals during transit.
- Insurance of any kind.
- Any fees and permits (For Foreigners).
- Unscheduled delay due to a landslide.
- Cost Escalation due to “Force Majeure and Evacuation charges”.
- Anything not mentioned explicitly in the above program.
- Note: You can apply for travel insurance prior to the trek.
- Bag offloading cost is Rs 1200 (maximum weight should not be more than 10 kg)