Pin-Parvati Pass Trek 

Region :– Himanchal
Duration :- 11 Days
Grade :- Difficult
Max Altitude :- 17,500 Ft.
Approx Trekking Km :- 110 Kms.

 

Day 1 Getting to base camp- Kaza. Leave from Manali at 6.30 am to reach Kaza by evening.

 

Pick up will be arranged at Manali at 6 am. The Rohtang and Kunzum passes are known for their notoriously bad traffic jams, making it all the more necessary to leave by 6 am. Drive out of Manali, and towards Batal via Rohtang pass on the Manali-Leh Highway. The road is not too good and is bumpy all through. From Gramphu, take a diversion towards the Gramphu – Batal – Kaza road.

 

Day 2 Acclimatization day at Kaza

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Day 3 Drive to Mudh. Trek from Mudh to Tiya
Altitude: 11,811 feet to 12,795 feet (trek from Mudh village to Tiya)
Distance: 49km drive + 6 km trek

Time taken: 2 hour drive + 5 hour trek

The drive will take you about hours and covers a distance of 49km. Once you reach Mudh village start trekking to Tiya. You will reach Tiya in about 5 hours.Pin Valley is known as snow leopard and ibexcountry. However, chances of spotting these animals on your trek remain elusive.  It is important to start for Mudh from Kaza early as streams gets swollen later in the day, making it difficult to cross.

 

Day 4 Tiya to Pin Valley Shepherd Camp

Altitude: 12,795 feet to 14,763 feet

Distance: 10 km
Time taken: 6 hours

You will need to cross the Pin river, so we insist on an early start.Keeping the Pin river onto the left,  the first section is an undulating walk on loose, sedimentary rocks. After this section, you descend to the river, cross it and ascend up the other side.   There are a couple of tricky sections-narrow scree-laden ledges over the river that needs navigating.  Shia is a shepherd’s campsite with barely enough space for camping.

 

Day 5 Shepherd camp to Pin Base Camp

Altitude: 14,763 feet 15,780 feet
Time taken: 6 hours

Distance: 7 km

An  ascent to Pin Base Camp will leave you breathless. It is a steep ascentof 1,700 ft. TheThese are very different mountains from ones you see in Uttarakhand or the lower Himachal.re is also a tricky section that comes midway in the ascent- a stream crossing. This stream comes from Pin glacier (we will camp close to it’s glacial line) and the volume of the water is high. With stream flowing on an incline, special care has to be taken while crossing it. The flow of the water is such that you can be swept down to the valley below. The team will have to be roped up for this section.

 

 Day 6 Pin Base Camp to Parvati Base Camp via Pin Parvati Pass
Altitude: 15,780 feet to 17,450 feet and descend to 13,440 feet
Time taken: 12 hours

pin-parvati-pass-trek

The ascent to the Pass is easy- the glacier section is on a gradual incline and only the altitude will prove to be a problem. There are no crevasses to worry about in Pin side of the pass

It is a very pretty panorama of both the valleys with unnamed peaks populating your view. You can see Parvati South Ridge, Snow Peak, Ridge Peak, Pyramid Peak, Kullu Makalu and Bara Shigri. You might even spot Kinner Kailash and Shrikhand Mahadev, if you know what to look for.The descent to Parvati glacier is brutal- it is sharp and crevasse-ridden. The snow hides these crevasses so you have to be extremely careful. Ensure the team follows the instructions by your guide as he find the path through the glacier and descend in a single file.

  

Day 7 Parvati Base camp to Mantalai

The sacred high altitude Mantalai Lake

The descent to Mantalai is steep and strewn with boulders which makes it a painful affair.   Depending on the season, the trail can be snow-bound. From here, you will see breathtaking views of Parvati valley. You will also see many endangered species of plants and flowers, especially “Losars” and the “Brahmakamals”

  

Day 8 Mantalai to Odi Thatch
Altitude: 13,440 feet to 12,517 feet
Distance: 9 km

Time taken: 4 hours

This day consists of a scenic 9 km downhill hike all the way to the famous meadows of Odi Thach.The flowers near Odi Thach give you slopes which are completely decked in red, blue and purple colours. It really hits you after coming from the barrenness of Spiti valley. Every 100 metres after these slopes, you will feel like camping.  The swamp land- with a very peaceful Parvati river which branches out to streams- culminates into a plateau and then goes through boulders till you reach level meadow- Odi Thach.

 

Day 9 Odi Thatch to Tunda Bhuj
Altitude: 12,517 feet to 10,499 feet

Distance: 24 km

Time taken: 8 hours

It starts out gradually over the meadows and goes lower into the valley to the Parvati river through boulder-strewn fields and streams. You will see a series of waterfalls on your right side and Parvati river flows on your left.  Notice Mt. Kullu Eiger  in front of you on your left side along with some un-named peaks and glaciers surrounding the valley.

This rock section can be tricky and slippery so be careful. During rains, one can rope the entire team for safety. You will have to climb down another rock jammed on top of a tributary of Parvati the same way before you head to out to an open valley with waist high shrubs to wade through.

You will have to keep your eyes peeled on the terrain as you will be walking on narrow ledges over the river. The pulley that takes you to Thakur Kuan is broken down so you will have to stay on the same side of the river.

 

Day 10 Tunda Bhuj to Kheerganga

Start your day by crossing over bridge over a tributary of Parvati river. An abandoned hut can be located on the left side of the trail. The trail will swirl downhill, out of the expanses of Parvati Valley to an open pasture land. The first forest section- reminiscent of pine forests on Roopkund trail will be steep. Watch out for your stepping as it can get slippery with all the mud.

 

Day 11 Kheerganga to Barshaini. Depart from Barshaini
Distance: 7 km
Time taken: 3 hours
Distance: 10 km

Since Kheerganga is a popular trail, you will find dhabas on your way down. There will be a couple of streams running down the mountain on your right. They can be used for filling up your water bottles if needed. You will cross a makeshift bridge over River Parvati one last time today-and Parvati is a gushing, angry force now from the serenity it exuded from its source, Mantalai. Parvati River is quite the moody companion from Mantalai.

With a motor-able road all the way to Barshaini, very few travelers trek the old 12 km, 6 hour hike from Manikaran to Pulga which is said to be a scenic trail going beside the right bank of Parvati river passing some small villages like Uchich village. Pulga has a Forest rest house build of pure teak wood where one can find accommodation to stay. You will reach Barshaini by 1 pm.