Hampta pass trek

Hampta Pass is one of the rarest and dramatic crossovers trekking in the Himalayas. It is a small corridor located between the Kullu valley and Lahaul’s Chandra Valley of Himachal Pradesh, India. At 14,000 feet, in the Himachal Pradesh is located this beautiful pass crossing where the scenery keeps changing drastically. It starts from the lush green valley of Kullu and ends in Spiti’s air desert, which makes the Hapmta pass so distinct from others. In this single trek, you will first go through the alpine forests and see ample Maple, Birch, Oak, Deodar, and then enter the wide meadows. Walking right next to the streams, you will soon be able to see the snowline, and once you reach this point, there is a steep ascent all the way to the pass. The biggest attraction till this point is the wide variety of wildflowers. Where ever you look, you’ll see beautiful flowers blooming on the side of your trail. Hampa Pass is known as the Himachal’s Valley of Flowers as the landscape is truly similar to the Valley of Flowers. A narrow green Valley with big mighty rocks covered by a sheet of flowers protected by the snow-covered mountains is the ultimate definition of beauty. In the Hampta pass, you can see three scene changes in just two days ( from alpine forest to green meadows and finally to moraine), and that’s what makes this so special. After getting on the other side of the Hampta pass, the total contrast and the dramatic change in the scenery will leave you in a state of shock. Right after crossing the valley with this rich flora, a barren stretch with rugged terrains and blue sky appears before our eyes. This is known as the Spiti Valley. This feeling is something that makes Hamta Pass so special; at the same time, you can see a green valley on one side and a cold desert valley on the other, and this memory will be live with you for the rest of your life.

Now more about the trek. There will be two water crossings during the trek, and you need to cross the stream through icy cold water. This can be the most thrilling experience as one wrong step can dip you in ice water. The best time for this trek is between June to September. The temperature generally ranges between 10 to 18 degrees Celsius during the day and between 0 to 5 at night. This gives an ideal temperature range for travelers to enjoy the trek. The trek can go to high altitudes 14100 ft that being the highest point, and the temperature might drop to sub-zero at sites like BalukaGhera and Shigeru. Finally, the most beautiful location here is Chandrataal. “Taal” means a lake, and Chandra means moon; Chandrataal truly deserves this name as the crystal clear water of this lake reflects the beauty of the night sky as a divine picture. This lake is situated at the SamudraTapu Plateau. An interesting fact about this lake is that it has no clear source of water, but an outlet is present. It is believed that Lord Indra’s chariot picked Yudistira from this place and as a result of this divine incident, water gushed out from under the ground creating a lake right at the middle of a plateau. 

The Hampta Pass Trek starts off at Manali and ends at the magnificent Chandratal but anyone would agree it’s the journey that is more memorable.

Jobra- At a distance of 18km from Manali, Jobra the basecamp of the Hampta pass trek is a 2-hour drive. Anyone would find themselves glued to the window especially the ones sitting on the left side. Crossing over 30 hair-pin bends the drive may be testing but equally rewarding. Traversing this terrain one will lay witness to the change of landscapes shifting from apple orchids to deodar forest to great oaks. You would feel Manali to be warm and cosy as the temperature around will keep dropping as we drive up the mountain dirt track to an altitude of 9800ft. Jobra being the base-camp of the Hampta pass trek is also a wonderful campsite boasting an array of campsites and a couple of cosy lodges for weary trekkers.       

Chika- Situated at over 10000ft Chika is a couple hours of hike away from Jobra The 2km on-foot trek starts from AllainGuhugal hydel project junction. Crossing the main road, the trek continues on to a narrow path leading to a pine forest. The mystical forest also hosts a sprinkle of maple, deodar and oak at intervals. The 2-hour trek Starts with a gentle slope leading us to the half hour mark when a bend with a huge boulder comes into sights overlooking lush green meadow embroidered with tiny rocks. Going in further into the meadow you will be greeted by the silk blue Rani river flowing between the meadow and while you take a minute to take in the beauty of the landscape, a few grazing cows and sheeps might keep you in company. You may pass through the meadow or climb and descend the left hill to reach the Chilka. Once reached you will be greeted with the Chika camp-site, a vast patch of green meadow decorated with the Rani river flowing in the middle.  

Balu ka ghera- In the trek from Chika to BalukaGhera one will spend quarter of a day scaling through 8.5km distance gaining another 1900ft in altitude. The journey starts from Chilka camp-site following along the “left-bank” of the river on the right side, the trail leads on to a slope of rocky terrain and boulders. To the “right-bank” of the river stretches of beautiful flora comes into sight. Dwarf Rhododendron trees graces the lower and central regions with a cluster of silver birch decorating the upper regions. At the end of the silver birch stealing the lime-light are the grand snow-clad peaks of the Dhauladhar range. Trekkers running low on water may stop for a quick top-up from the natural waterfall towards the left at a distance. Crossing the waterfall, the journey continues onto the other side of the river. Fording the river the trekkers will have to dip their feet in icy-cold water although skipping over stones is also an option. Reaching Jwara marks the half-way point of the trek, Jwara is a picturesque sheltered valley decorated with colourful flowers between huge snow-clad boulders on one side and a valley merging with the river on the other. With the last of the trees fading in the background we leave Jwara behind on a slope of snow and rocks leading us to BalukaGhera. The BalukaGhera camp-site at an altitude of almost 12000ft is a flat ground amidst the grand Himalayas by the river delta with the view of the Hampta pass right infront.     

Hampta Pass- At a staggering altitude of 14000ft Hampta pass is the highest point of the entire journey. The trek starting from BalukaGhera is along the river trail towards the base Hampta pass. Along the way the landscapes covered in flowers of yellow and orange makes for natures tapestry. From the base of the pass the climb starts and on the 2-hour mark the first plateau comes into view. Covered with white snow the sights are nothing short of heavenly. From there the trek leads on to another plateau towards a half hour long ridge. Climbing up finally leads us to the 2^nd ridge and although the Hampta pass is just a bend and a few meters away, getting there is not a cake-walk. The climb gets really steep and testing but upon reaching the hard-work is well rewarded by the epic 360 view along with the feeling of being at the top of the world, The adrenalin rush will send in jolts of joy all throughout your body.

Sita goru- After basking in the beauty of the Hampta pass Sitagoru is the next destination. The route to Sitagoru is a steep descend and will test your mountaineering skills to its limits. For some perspective the descend is so steep that one cannot make out the base of the mountain just by looking down. The way down is winding and often the best way to descend down is to slide down the slopes with ropes. Along the way the beautiful Spiti comes into view.  Within an hour and a half, you will reach the base of the valley barriered by lofty mountains with the only way open is towards Sitagoru. The journey from there is largely on flat-land leading to the river-side camp of Siagoru.

Chatra- At a distance of 7km from Sitagoru, Chatra is a 5hour descend away at an altitude of 11000ft. The trek to Chatra is a gentle and laid-back along the towering mountains on one side and calm flowing rivers on the others. The senary will largely be of barren mountain slopes with an occasional splash of green. Along the way we will cross the Chandra river along with 2 glaciers taking us to Chatra, an amazing and unique camp destination  with the magnificent view of 3 passes, Hampta, Rohtang and Spiti.

Chandratal- At 45km from Chatra, Chandratal is a 5 hour drive away. The blue crescent lake enveloped in lush green makes up for a picture-perfect spot for a camp and a bon-fire. Although reaching chandratal is largely dependent on the whims of weather.  

Manali- “A journey of a thousand miles starts with a single step” likewise ours does at Manali. At an altitude of 6610ft this lovely township nestled in the picturesque Beas river valley is truly an embellishment of the Himalayas.  

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