Bara Bhangal is one of the hardest and most thrilling treks in Himachal Pradesh. The steep
and strenuous climb becomes worth it when one captures the incredible view of peaks like Indrasan,
Deo Tibba, and Hanuman Tibba. This trek will make you witness the mighty Dhauladhar and Pin Panjal
range and meanwhile refrain you from returning back to the chaotic city life.
The first day of the eleven days may be taking you through the thick forests but gives you the
awesome views of a couple of peaks at the gap and the alpine plateau studded with a thick boom of
alpine plant life in the ultimate leg. Crossing the stunning flow, after some of the steep
descents, it will take you to the bottom of the Kalihani Pass. Following which there could be
lengthy and laborious days of hiking through the considerable stretches of scree and moraine until
you attain the Kalihani Glacier. The trails then go through the Ravi River with a wide deodar
wooded area encircling it. The glimpses of Kangra Valley from the top of Thamsar will share some
greater strength to you to perform the venture of completing the trek with utmost thrill.
Best Time To Visit
The May to September window is ideal for the trek, as it eliminates the harshness of winters, and paves way for blooming flowers and incredible greenery. It would be wise to avoid the trek during monsoons when mountains are more prone to landslides and can trap you.
Trip Highlights
From the Bara Bhangal pass, you can witness the snowy
mountains on the other side, i.e.
Kangra ranges.
Trekking the Riyali Thatch and Manali Sanctuary will be a delight to your eyes.
Itinerary Details
Arrive in Manali. You’ll be met by our guide
who’ll take you to the Hotel. After lunch, you can occupy yourself with local
sightseeing. It is a natural divide between the valleys of Kullu and the mountains
of Lahaul and Spiti. It attracts tourists with lovely views and fresh snow. Here you
will be able to relish journey activities such as skiing, skating, paragliding, snow
scooter, and more.
Jogini falls during the afternoon will be a good option to get refreshed. If you
like you can explore the Mall road of Manali in the evening. In the months of May &
June, it’s crowded with tourists. Overnight stay in Manali.
On day 2 of this beautiful trek, we will move from Manali to Lamadugh. Lamadugh is at an elevation of 10,000 feet. The whole journey will take about 6 to 7 hours. We will start the trek following the route that is behind the Hadimba Temple. The path transforms into a forest in no time. Although there is a school from where you can replenish your water supplies, still carry 1-2 liters of water with yourself. Voyaging across the Manali Sanctuary, we will pass through pine, deodar, and cedar trees. Moving along, following a steep path for 2-3 hours, we will come across Beas valley. Few kilometers further into the trek, we will reach Lamadugh.
This will be one of the most interesting
days on the trek. We will try to start the journey as early as possible. After
completing a delicious breakfast, we will start the trek from Lamadugh to Riyali
Thatch. The slope becomes steep and the meadows open up. From here, you can see the
route to Rohtang Pass. Moving ahead, you will be drenched in the beauty of the
intriguing peaks like the Dhauladhar and Hanuman Tibba. You will pass through the
meadows encompassing Riyali. Walking for 2 hours and crossing a few shepherd’s huts,
you will reach Riyali Thatch. Riyali Thatch is at an elevation of 11,200 feet.
We will stay here overnight. Dinner will be served and fun activities will be
organized.
This will be day 4 on this trek. On this
day, we have to reach Kalihani Base Camp. This is the base camp of one of the best
high altitude treks in India. Straightaway, after breakfast, we will leave the
previous campsite and move along a bunch of trees. Few kilometers into the trek, the
vast meadows open up. From here, we can spot the Kalihani Pass. Crossing a gushing
river, we will finally reach Kalihani Base Camp.
Dinner will be served and fun activities will be organized. We will stay here
overnight.
Perhaps, the longest day of the trek and additionally the maximum reward. It’s an extended steep climb to the pass, as we negotiate scree and moraine. You can find panoramic views of Pir Panjal and the mighty Dhauladhar ranges once you reach the pass. A steep descent brings us again to our campsite for the day at Shepherds camping grounds.
This day will bring you to the middle point of the trek. In this way, we will make our way to Lamapadh from Dhonku Thach. The total time for this day’s journey will be around six to seven hours. Carry 1-2 bottles along with you to replenish the water needs. Overnight stay will be held in camps at Lamapadh.
After having a good night's sleep at Lampadh campsite, we will move in the direction to Dal ki Marhi. The trek consists of gradual ascents as well as a few steep ascents. The total duration for this day’s trek will be around 7 hours. Dinner will be served at Dal ki Marhi campsite. Few games will be organized and sleep will be arranged in tents.
This morning, after a healthy breakfast, we
will pass ahead to go to Bara Bhangal. It is going to be once more a trip of approx.
6 hours. Following the Ravi River, crossing the deodar forest, we will reach Bara
Bhangal Village in some time.
We will revel in the evening within the camp/tents set up in Bara Bhangal.
This day will serve as a rest day in order to properly acclimatize to the conditions at this high elevation as well as to get rid of all the fatigue. You can still roam around and explore the local culture and setting. We will take on the further trek with full energy the next day.
On this day, we will start our trek from
Bara Bhangal to Marhi. The day is going to be a little long. Although there will be
water points, still make sure you carry enough water with yourself. Crossing the
elegant Thamsar Pass and walking for 5 hours through the forests with pine and
birch, you will finally make your way to Marhi.
Dinner will be served and fun activities will be organized. We will stay here
overnight.
The trek on day three will take around 7-8
hours on which you come across many scenic views. Passing through moraines, we will
cross a tiny lake from where we can replenish our water needs. From the top of the
Thamsar Pass, we can witness the alluring views of the Kangra valley. Finally, after
walking a bit more, we will make it to Panihartu.
Dinner will be served and fun activities will be organized. We will stay here
overnight.
This day will serve as the penultimate day of the trek. After having an early breakfast in the morning, we will make our way from Panihartu to Rajgundha. The whole journey will take around six to seven hours. Carry 1-2 bottles along with you to replenish the water needs. Overnight stay will be held in camps at Rajgundha.
This is the last day on this beautiful trek to Bara Bhangal. The plan for today will be to trek down from Rajgundha to Bir-Billing and then drive to Dharamshala. This will be the easiest day as compared to all the other days of the trek. Passing through the forest will beautiful trees, opening up to the majestic Kangra valley, we will finally reach Bir-Billing. We will spend some time here and enjoy this surreal location. After having lunch, we will drive to Dharamshala retrieving all the memories that we made on this trek. The trek with us will end here and you will be on your own.
How To Reach
The Pickup point and Drop Point will be Jagatsukh, Manali. We can arrange a cab for you from the bus station in Manali, the charges for the same are not included in the package. The cost of the cab can be shared among the trekkers joining the trek. For communications purposes, we will create a Whatsapp Group before the departure date of the trek and will share the details regarding the transportation. The drop at Bus Stand after the trek will be arranged in a similar way.
By Air
The nearest airport is in Bhuntar which is 11km from Kullu and 52 km from Manali. You can
take a taxi from Bhuntar to Manali which will cost approximately Rs, 1000/-. The airlines
that you can take are Indian Airlines, Kingfisher Airlines, Jagson Airlines operating
flights from Delhi as well as Chandigarh. To reach Manali by air, you need to have a
connecting flight via Delhi or Chandigarh. Delhi or Chandigarh is well connected to major
airports across the country. You can check your flight in the following links: 1. https://www.google.com/flights 2. https://www.makemytrip.com/flights/
By Road
To reach Hampta circle trek by road, you can take an overnight bus from Delhi to Manali or
Chandigarh to Manali. Manali is well connected to cities by road. The roads are in good
condition but there are sudden landslides in the monsoon season. The bus from Delhi to
Manali can take up to 14 hours and from Chandigarh to Manali is 9 hours at least. Tickets
are available online on Redbus.in, Goibibo.in or Hrtc.gov.in. You can pay online for the
bus tickets. You should always take the Himsuta bus from HRTC as they are the most
comfortable government buses on this route. You can also book private buses but sometimes
sudden hiccups come with them. The last government bus leaves at 11:15 pm at night and
starts from ISBT Kashmere Gate. Plan your onward journeys only post noon giving enough
buffer for bus delays.
By Train
We do not recommend you travel by train as the closest railway station, Jogindernagar is 5
hours away which you will again have to cover by bus or cab.
Inclusions
- To and Fro economy class air trave
- Travel by comfortable A/c or Non A/c coach / Vehicle as per the tour itinerary
- Entrance fees of all sightseeing places to be visited from inside
- Accommodation in comfortable and convenient hotels
- All Meals – Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner (set menu) as mentioned in the itinerary
- All Tips – Guide, Driver & Restaurants
Exclusions
- Govt Tax of 5.00% over and above the Tour Cost mentioned
- Any applicable new taxes from Government
- Any upgradation in Airline class or hotel room category
- Any extra expense such as route change, Airline change, Date change, Accommodation facilities, etc incurred due to the unforeseen, unavoidable forced majeure circumstances during the tour
- Porterage (coolie charges), laundry, telephone charges, shopping, wines & alcoholic beverages, mineral water, items of personal nature and food or drink which is not part of a set group menu
- Any extra cost incurred on behalf of an individual due to illness, accident, hospitalisation, or any personal emergency