PIN PARVATI TREK (5300 mts.)

Passes always had legends, even today they are mysterious ,challenging and revealing. Walking across a high pass has alway given travelers an opportunity to be part of an age old legend. In olden times when there were few roads and transport facilities were limited, people walked over these high passes for getting to greener pastures or for visiting relatives across the mountains. Pin parvati trek , is a trek which joins the Parvati valley of Kullu to the Pin valley of Spiti. Thus the name Pin parvati pass. The interesting part is the sharp contrasting landscape difference between the two valleys , the parvati valley is a huge bio diverse area, whereas , pin valley is a cold desolate desert.

Day 1. Manali.

Arrive at the beautiful town of Manali. Situated at at elevation of 2050 metres at the banks of River Beas, Manali is the hub of adventure activities in the region. In the evening stroll around the local market. Overnight stay in a hotel.

Day 2. Manali- Buntar – Bharsheni.(2216 mtrs). 4 hrs

You start your journey along the Beas river and reach Buntar, which is 50 kms from Manali, and 10 kms from Kullu. From Buntar take the road along the Parvati river, after crossing Manikaran you will reach Barseni (2216m). Barseni is the road head camp for Pin Parviti trek. 2 kms ahead the villages of Pulga. Overnight stay in Tents/ homestay at Barsheni.

Day 3. Barsheni  to Kheerganga(3020 mts) . 5hrs.

You walk though the villages of Kalga and Puga. On the way you will see the confluence of the Tosh nallah and the Parvati river. The last village on the route is Nathkhena. You have to cross over the Parvati valley to the left bank. There is a brigde to cross the river. The trek now goes through a lush green forest of Pine, Deodar, Oak and Rhododendron. After another short walk you reach a alpine meadow  known as Kheerganga. It has hot water sulphur springs.Overnight stay in tents.

Day 4. Kheerganga to Tundabhuj (3285mts). 5 to 6 hrs.

The treks starts to ascend  gradually today. The trail goes through forests and small meadow portions keep coming on the way. There are amazing views of the parvati valley  from this trail. There are three streams to be crossed today. There is a log, tree stump, or improvised bridge over the streams. When you have crossed over the last one you can see the  campsite of Tundabhuj which is a open meadow. Overnight stay in tents.

Day 5. Tunda Bhuj to Thakur Kuan(3620 mts) .5 to 6hrs

The initial trail is relatively flat. Then the  trek goes through a rocky patch, and the path is not well defined in some places. It is advisable to trek after Tunda bhuj with a experienced guide. There are a couple of streams to be crossed today. One of the streams has to be crossed using a pulley bridge. Thakur Kaun is a well defined pasture, with lots of wild flowers like Buttercups, Iris and Poppies. This is an ideal place to camp. Overnight

Day 6. Thakur Kuan to Odi thach (3800mts) .5 hrs

There is a another pulley bridge to be crossed today. There are areas full of boulders, and lot of streams gushing down. It is here, where the legendary Pandav pull (bridge) lies.This is a stone bridge put across the stream. There is a steep ascent  towards the last though lots of scree.  Many western Himalayan flower species  like the Himalayan blue poppy bloom here.  Odi Thach is a wonderful camping site ,with a wonderful views of the Snow covered mountains. Camp for the evening at Odi Thach in tents.

Day 7. Odi thach to Mantalai. (4115 mts).7 hrs

You will feel the temperature dipping now. The nights are much colder now.The route towards Mantali turns towards the right side of the valley. If you see far, you will see a rocky ridge which you will pass after an hour of walking. After crossing this ridge you will see the swamp land along the Parvati river basin and  walk in the extreme left side of the valley. After a rocky patch  which is a morraine area, you will reach Mantalai lake, and then the Mantalai camping area. Camp overnight in tents.

Day 8. Mantalai to Pin parvati base camp (4300 mts)7 hrs.

Early on the trek, the gradient is gradual. There is a stream which has to be crossed, and you have to remove your shoes to cross over. The icy water does get cold. Then the climb gets steeper and you encounter ice area  as you are closer to the base camp.It keeps gets steeper and tougher. . There is lots of rock area here. Navigation has to be proper so that you do not venture into the wrong direction. Between the big rocks and boulders there is a flattish land, which is the camping area for the evening. Overnight stay in tents.

Day 9. Pin Parvati Base to Camp crossing the pass, on the spiti (pin valley )side.

Start the day early.The Altitude of the pass is 5300 mts.The weather usually worsens during the latter half of the day, so plan your trek early so you can cross the pass in good time, and have a nice view from the top. The trek usually takes 8 hrs.The trail goes though snow and you have  to trek along a glacier . Be careful of crevasses, there are real deep ones.  There are times you have to use a rope. The climb to the top can take about three and half  hours. The top of the pass is beautiful, and like all Himalayan passes, you can hear the flutter of prayer flags. There are some amazing views of the snow capped mountain ranges the most prominent being Manerang peak. The descending toward Pin Valley  is steep, so it is advisable to rope up and lot of care is to be taken while walking down the trail. Overnight stay in tents.

Day 10. Camp to Tiyai camp.(3700 mts) 5 hrs.

Today is a beautiful walk through amazing landscapes, with a spectectular view of the pin valley. There are a few stream to be crossed. You may find some improvised bridges and pulleys on a few. Remember Snow fed streams are in full flow during the middle of the day, make sure you cross them early. There are signs of some greenery now. Overnight stay in tents at Tiyai.

Day 11.Tiyai to Mud(3650 mtrs) and drive to Kaza (3650 mtrs)

First the trail goes through barren and stark area. After some time you can see a green valley in the distance. This is the village of Mud. Mud is the last village of the Pin Valley. You will be happy to be back in habitation once again. The people are very friendly and inviting.  There are a few Dhabas and some small Home stays here. From Mud proceed to Kaza. Overnight stay in Guest House/Hotel at Kaza.

DAY 12. Kaza to Manali.

After an early breakfast, we pay a visit to the famous Kye Monastery. The monastery was made in the 11th century, and has 5 floors. It has about 250 monks. The view from the terrace of the monastery is amazing. Then we head for Kibber, which is one of the highest  inhabited villages in the world at an elevation of 4270 metres. From Kibber we start the journey across The 4590 metres Kunzam pass and the 3990 metre high Rohtang pass. The passes offer some exellent views of the snow covered Chandrabhaga ranges. Reach Manali in the evening and check into a comfortable Hotel.