Arrive at Haridwar, alternatively you can fly in to the Jolly Grant Airport by the morning flight.Board waiting vehicles to be driven straight to Atali Ganga for breakfast. Thereafter drive onward to Pipalkoti (7hrs). The drive takes one into the rugged countryside of the Garhwal along the Alaknanda River. Drive past a few holy confluences, and break for the night at a basic transit hotel in Pipalkoti.
Post breakfast drive 48kms to Auli, one gets to see a distinct profile of Nanda Devi at the head of the sanctuary. The walk takes you through old forests of oak and rhododendron to reach the picturesque meadows of Gorson. We camp at Gorson, and go for afternoon walk to explore the vast meadows.
Have a relaxed start. Post breakfast carry on towards Tali. The trail climbs diagonally up on the Gorson Bugyal and then traverses down to the forest. We camp a little ahead of a small water body at Tali.
Today the trail ascends the ridge above Tali and cairns mark our track. Just below the high point on the ridge, the trail leads through a large meadow affording spectacular views of the Himalayas. North of Joshimath is the Chaukhamba range, Nilkanth (6596m) and Narayan Parbat (5965m), while Mana peak (7272m),Kamet (7756m) and Abi Gamin (7355m) extend to the Tibetan border. In the middle foreground, the main Himalayan chain in the vicinity of the Bhyundar valley and Hem Kund includes Nilgiri Parbat (6474m), Rataban (6166m), Ghori Parbat (6708m) and Hathi Parbat (6727m). Dunagairi (7066m) dominates the peaks to the north of the Nanda Devi Sanctuary. Kuari pass (3690m) is by no means demanding – we have our lunch here, catch some patchy phone signal and then descent an hour to the base camp at Khulara.
Have an easy start. After breakfast get ready in your climbing gear and start plodding up towards the high camp. Most of the walk goes on a moderate gradient on the snow covered North face with great views of the high mountains. A short traverse will bring us to the advanced base camp.
Wake up early to be up on the summit to see the sunrise on a wide Himalayan panorama. The walk up to the summit at 4575m would take a couple of hours and we descend to be in time for hot lunch at base camp. Evening party!
The last day of the trip is a descent all the way down to Tapovan. It’s about a 3 hour drive from here to the comforts of the hotel in Pipalkoti.
After an early morning breakfast set out for the long 7 hr drive to reach Haridwar/Airport in the evening. Reach Delhi by the night. Trip ends!
We are one of India’s leading adventure tour operator, that specialises in Treks & River Rafting in the Indian Himalayas and beyond. Offering personalized itineraries and routes you’d be hard pressed to find a more experienced, fun loving, safety conscious tour operator in India.
We are the only Indian adventure outfitter to be on the 2008 & 2009 list of the world’s best adventure travel outfitters in the first Authoritative Rating of Adventure Tour Operators, selected and conducted in a global survey by National Geographic Society.
If you’ve dreamt of a particular journey or an adventure in India, let us know. We’ll make it happen. No matter how bizarre or wild or difficult. If you choose to travel with us all you have to worry about is having the time of your life.
We have been running trips and tours for the discerning traveller throughout the Indian Himalayas since 1995, yet the experience of our travel personnel dates well beyond that, to years of leading trips throughout the Indian Himalayan belt. We believe that an adventure travel outfit is only as good as its guides. Good equipment, food and guides is what makes an outdoor trip an experience to savour.
Payment Terms
The tour price is payable 45 days prior to departure. Failure to pay by that date entitles Aquaterra Adventures to cancel your booking without notice and without refund of the deposit if deemed necessary. Prices may be quoted in Rupees / US dollars / Euros. For some special trips, the booking date may be up to 2 months before departure.
Cancellation Policy
If it becomes necessary to cancel your tour, you must notify Aquaterra Adventures India Pvt. Ltd. immediately in writing. Once we receive your notice, cancellation will take effect. Please note that the following charges will apply to cancellation:
Health and Fitness Requirements
Commitment to Hygiene and Safety Protocol:
I commit to disclose my travel and quarantine history to Aquaterra Adventures, and decide to not travel should I have symptoms of infection related to Covid19 or other disease that may spread due to my participation, thereby endangering other people. I also commit to follow guidelines and protocols set up by Aquaterra Adventures, and overseen implementation by its guides, trip leaders on my journey. If I do not, I understand that I may be asked to do so or leave the trip/expedition/journey, to maintain our hygiene and safety protocol.
Participants must be in good health and reasonable physical condition. It is vital that participants with medical problems make them known to us well before departure. If you suffer from severe muscular, chest, heart or bronchial disorders, or if you are a severe asthmatic, or have high blood pressure, you are strongly advised against participating. Expeditions generally take place in remote areas where there is little or no access to normal medical services or hospital facilities for serious problems. Where necessary, evacuation can be prolonged, difficult and expensive. Medical and evacuation expenses will be the responsibility of the participant.
Tour Leaders
Our Tour Leaders take their responsibilities seriously and if a tour leader believes in his/her judgment that you should not participate in the trip, before your departure, even if you pass your medical, he/she may exclude you from the trip. In this circumstance, you will be offered the option of taking another trip considered suitable for you or a full refund. If during a trip the tour leader considers you should not participate further he/she may direct you not to continue and you must follow the tour leader’s instructions. In this case, you will not be entitled to any refund. Travel insurance may compensate you depending on the circumstances.
Route Changes/Postponement or Delay
Aquaterra Adventures India Pvt. Ltd. may for any reason change the date of departure or conclusion of the tour, or it is possible that a route change, postponement or delay (either in relation to departure or to the duration of the expedition) may become necessary due to inclement weather, snow and ice conditions, political restrictions, epidemics or pandemics or any other cause. In the event of a change, postponement or delay, participants have no right to refund of the tour price (in whole or in part) or other compensation for any injury, loss or damage. Package Prices Package prices are based on ground costs, airfares and exchange rates. Aquaterra Adventures India Pvt. Ltd. tries its utmost not to increase tour prices (in full or part), however sometimes increases are outside its control. We reserve the right to amend tour prices (or any part) without notice at any time before and including the departure date. Amendments may be necessitated for many reasons including, but not limited to, exchange rate fluctuations, increased fuel costs, airfares, airport charges etc. Any increase in tour prices must be paid prior to the departure date. Exclusions From Tour Price The following items are excluded from the tour price: visa, passport and vaccination charges; departure, airport and airline taxes; extra meals not included in the itinerary; laundry, postage, personal clothing, medical expenses, personal travel insurance and items of a personal nature; emergency evacuation charges; and tips and excess baggage charges. Refer to our trip notes for full details responsibility/liability.
Please Note:
If you book an Aquaterra Adventures trek or expedition and then wish to cancel, you will receive a full credit on your current payments for a future trip on the towards one of our already scheduled 2021 departures. You just need to let us know by 45 days before your trip so that we have the opportunity to re-sell spaces and give staff and guides time to plan. Also, if you can’t make a trip within the 45 day period because of travel restrictions that affect your ability to make the trip, we will give a full credit of payments towards a future trip.
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*for 15 pax
The Pangarchulla Peak Trek to Kuari Pass is one of the most challenging treks to embark on, coupled with breathtaking vistas of the Greater Himalayas. Your trek will take you across a landscape that is frozen for most parts of winter and early spring. You can camp at clearings within dense coniferous forests that are snow-clad during early spring and colorful during summer and look like pictures taken from fairy tales. Once the treeline ends, you will hike across vast alpine meadows like the Gurson Bugyal and the Chitrakantha that remain covered in snow during the winter and early spring and turn lush green in the summers. Coupled with challenging trails and superb views of the highest peaks of the Greater Himalayan range like Mt. Nanda Devi, Mt. Kamet, Mt. Chaukhamba, Mt. Dronagiri, Mana Parvat I and II, Hathi Parvat, Ghori Parvat, Mt. Neelkanth, etc. that have a massive significance in the Hindu mythology, you also get the thrill of summiting in the Pangarchulla Peak Trek. Pangarchulla or the Chimney Peak Trek is one adventure that bravehearts and seasoned campaigners cannot afford to miss during winters because of the thrill it offers!
The Pangarchulla Peak Trek best time for the Pangarchulla summit climb is only accessible during one month of the year- April. April has the right amount of snow that is slowly melting and displaying vibrant colors. It offers the best time for a successful climb to the summit. Before April, the snow is too much for you to do the summit climb. After April, the snow melts, exposing massive boulders with huge gaps that make it overall unsafe, exhausting, and tremendously challenging for summiting.
The rest of the trail remains open for almost eight months every year. However, the Pangarchulla Peak Trek best time spans from April to May (pre-monsoon/spring to summer) and October to November (post-monsoon/late autumn to early winter). You can expect more snow during the winter months until it starts receding from April. During monsoon, it is tremendously unsafe to do the trek.
The trek offers a round trail that starts and ends at Joshimath, with nearly 44 kilometers distance to cover within a duration of 7 to 8 days, with a maximum elevation of 4575 meters. The trek is graded difficult because of the frigid temperatures during night-time and on the summit days, the uneven and challenging terrains, few exit options, trekking duration spanning to almost 9 hours on certain days. Therefore, excellent cardiovascular fitness, strength and endurance training, and mental resolve combined with prior experience of high-altitude expeditions are a must-have! You can create a custom training regime for few months that will incorporate strength and endurance training, cardiovascular exercises like swimming, running, cycling, skipping, stair climbing, etc. along with therapeutic techniques like meditation and yoga that help calm your senses, increase mental strength, fasten your reflexes and enhance muscular flexibility. Keep achievable targets and try accomplishing them well before you embark on this journey.
You also need the right kind of equipment for this trek. Your clothing should be exhaustive to cover for the immensely frigid temperatures during the early spring or autumn nights and the day of the summit. If you are trekking during the winters, pack more warm clothes. Starting from thermal inners, layers of full-sleeve, quick-dry t-shirts, fleece jackets, woollen jackets, down feather jackets, windcheaters, waterproof ponchos, quick-dry track, and waterproof track pants and thermal inners for the bottom halves, don’t leave any stone unturned! Don’t neglect your headgear - carry a suncap, woollen cap, balaclava, neck gaiters, and sunglasses. You don’t want to encounter frostbite, so take woollen/fleece gloves, waterproof gloves, and extra pairs of cotton and woollen socks. One of the essential things is your footwear. Your trekking shoes should be of very high quality and combine sturdiness with good grips as well as water resistance for occasional shower bursts.
The primary gear should include a backpack (50-60 liters) and daypack (20-30 liters) with rain covers, sturdy yet lightweight trekking pole/walking stick, water bottles or hydration packs to avoid littering with disposable plastic, headlamps with spare batteries, snacks consisting of dry fruits and energy bars, personal medical kit and first-aid kits. The list of toiletries includes excess toilet paper and wet wipes, sunscreen, moisturizers, lip balm, hand sanitizers, antibacterial and antifungal powder, toothbrush, toothpaste, and quick-dry towels.
Apart from the guidelines issued by the state government, follow general safety precautions and take steps to initiate acclimatization. Or else AMS might play spoilsport. Follow your trekking guide at every point, or else the already arduous trek might be laced with hazards and unfortunate events. Respecting local cultures and being sensitive to wildlife is a norm to be followed.
If you face any emergency during any adventures in Uttarakhand and the northern parts of the country, you should contact the following:
- Uttarakhand Glacier burst helpline- 1070/9557444486
- Police: 112
- Ambulance: 108/102
- Fire: 101
- Child helpline: 1098
- Women helpline: 1090
- NDMA (Disaster management): 1070/1078/9711077372
- Anti poison helpline- 011-1066 (Delhi)
Is something not as per your expectation after your trip has started?