Hampta Pass - Chandertal - Baralacha la Trek

Day 01: Arrival in Manali

Arrive in Manali in the morning. Walk around town and orient yourself to your surroundings. The group meets for a trip orientation in the evening by the trip leader at the hotel. Overnight in a hotel - meals and stay not included in the trip cost.

Day 02: Drive Manali to Jobra via Panduropa, Setan (2700m) and Hampta villages and then trek to Chikka.
Duration: 1 hr drive + 2 hours trek.

A very scenic drive. It passes through apple orchards and forests of blue pine, cedar, oak, fir and chestnut. The villages that the trail passes through - Chhalet, Hampta and Ghoratbari. Legend is that when people die and are on the way to heaven, their souls have to pass these villages. It is said that people here hear sounds of crying if the soul is condemned to hell and sounds of a trumpet if it is ascending to heaven.

Day 03: Chikka - Bhalu Ka Ghera (3730m)
Duration: 5 hours

The path to Bhalu ka ghera is from Chhika. The trek passes through some spectacular landscape to just below the Hamta Pass, on a grassy bank sloping down from the cliffs. The impressive grandeur of immediate surroundings, the nearness of the Tokru-Shakru peaks, the wonderful coloring of the rocks and mountainside, all make this one of the best campsite on the route. Chikka also has the river, Alain Nullah, which has its snout in the Hamta Pass.

Day 04: Bhalu Ka Ghera - Shea Gahru (3200m) via Hampta Pass (4270m)
Duration: 8 - 9 hours

The trail now begins to ascend towards Hamta Pass and one can have close views of Deo Tibba and Indrasan peaks. After that, it is a descent all the way right to the campsite at Shea Gahru. "Shea Gahru" means a very cold place in the Spiti dialect because it is adjacent to a glacier snout. During summer, it's a grazing pasture or halting place for the shepherds on the way to the Lahaul valley.

Day 05: Shea Gahru - Chhatru (3360m)
Duration: 3 hours

The fourth day's walk is quite easy, along the river up to a boulder field, which is hard to cross during the monsoons. The river has to be forded at one point from where one can see the valleys of Lahaul and Spiti. The massive mountains of the Pir Panjal and Spiti ranges dominate the entire landscape till the campsite at Chhatru. Chhatru is a confluence point of paths from Rohtang Pass, Hamta Pass and Spiti.

Day 06: Chhatru - Batal (3960m) - Chandertal Lake. 
Duration: 3 hours

We will have cars pick us up from Chatru to Batal. (Tempo Traveller will be sent specially from Manali it will drop the guests and staff off at Chandertal Lake via Batal and return back to Manali.

Day 07: Layover day at Chandertal Lake to acclimatise.

Day 08: Chandertal - Tokpoyongma (4320m)
Duration: 7 hours

This is a gradual walk as the trail rises and falls several times, but mostly continues beside the river. Approaching Tokpoyongma, the trail ascends from the mountainside and crosses a stream. A little before the campsite, a river has to be negotiated.

Day 09: Tokpoyongma - Tokpogongma (4640m)
Duration: 5 hours

The next day starts early to facilitate crossing a two mountain streams before the water level rises during the day. Mules don't take this route, as they will find it difficult to negotiate the steep ascent that starts immediately after the streams. The track then ascends steeply across the rock face and up a hill to the campsite.

Day 10: Tokpogongma - Baralacha-La (4833m) - Manali

Duration: 6 hours

The day starts off with a half-hour steep ascent to the top of the ridge. After that, the trail proceeds through a boulder field with great views of the Koa Range peaks to the Southwest. Before reaching Baralacha-La one has to cross a stream. In ancient times, Baralacha-La was an important part of the trade route as roads from Spiti, Ladakh, Zanskar and Lahaul meet here. On the Northwest lies the Bhaga River while the Chandra flows to the Southeast. Near Baralacha-La is the beautiful emerald lake, Suraj Tal, the source of the Bhaga River. From Baralacha-La, a jeep will take the team to Manali. The road winds through Zingzing Bar, Patseo, Deepak Tal, Darcha, and Keylong to reach Manali. Trip Ends!