05 Nights / 06 Days
Moderate Trek
12,516 ft
Oct to May (Jan & Feb – Snow)
Uttarakhand
Karchi Village
Kuari Pass, a place with a lot of mesmerizing sights to relish is situated in Garhwal Himalayas. If you are a beginner in treks, then Kuari Pass trek would be the right step to start with. On the route, you will find numerous beautiful forests which are really old with blooming rhododendron and oak trees. There is an interlude of meadows which gives the forest entry so beautiful every time. The region is used extensively by the local shepherds, and it is a great activity to explore one of the richest meadows in the Himalayas to get a full view of the splendid snow-clad peaks. Their imposing and scenic presence can be witnessed from atop Kuari, which literally means “a getaway”.
Mount Nanda Devi, Dronagiri and some other peaks are the first ones visible and as you climb more, the array of several mountains will come to welcome you. The campsites are also a pleasing inclusion which Kuari Pass has.
Nanda Devi Peak, Rishi Ganga River, and the views of the mighty Himalayas from Kuari Pass will remain in your memories forever. The chilling wind at the top has something special always to drag you to the unending charm of the place and let you remain in a heaven like feeling for a while. When you come to Auli, you get a separate invitation as it is the best destination for skiing and the serenity has a lot to do here. The trek to Kuari Pass winds up at Haridwar after you reach there via Joshimath, the same route you took to reach Kuari Pass top.
➤Documents required: It is mandatory for trekkers to carry a copy of their photo id along with the mandatory documents of the Medical Certificate and Disclaimer form. These documents will be part of the Safety Check-in done by the trek leader when you arrive at the base camp.
➤Stay facility: There are no facilities at Tapoban. Do not leave things till the end. The stay at Tapoban and Joshimath/Auli will be in a lodge. Do not bring any packaged food, tags from your new clothes or any waste with you. We follow a Dustbin Free Zone and No Wet Wipes Policy at our base camps in line with our spirit of Green Trails.
➤Cloakroom facility for excess luggage: We have a Cloak Room facility at the base camp for excess luggage. Do not leave behind any valuables in the cloakroom.
Drive Distance: 307 kms || Time Taken: 8-9 hrs
We pick up early in the morning at Dehradun Airport/Railway Station . We drive to Karchi via Karnprayag and Devprayag. Devprayag is a holy city which is the confluence of the Bhagirathi and Alaknanda rivers, after this the rivers become the holy Ganges. After we reach Karchi Village, check-in Hotel/Lodge. Overnight stay in Karchi Village.
Trek Duration: 5 hours || Trek Distance: 75 km
Difficulty: Easy-Moderate.
Highlights: Lovely day’s trek through the oak, maple forest with Mt Dronagiri (Dunagiri) standing tall throughout the day.
Start walking along the trail from Karchi. You can either pass the village or above the village. The water bridge when you cross is where you can refill your water bottles which will help your long journey ahead.
It is from here that you start climbing the first steep section for 30 minutes, till you reach a clearing. This is your rest point. To your left, you get views of Karchu village, behind which you see a huge mountain rising, with glaciers all around it. This is Mt Dronagiri (Dunagiri). Savour this view and get to hear the mythological story about how Hamuman ji took a part of Mt. Dronagiri on his quest for the Sanjeevni booti.
About a kilometre from the start of the trek, you enter the forest mainly consisting of pine, oak, and maple trees. It starts with a good section of pine, fallen cones and maple seeds in the forest flooring.
Continue inside the forest through a lot of switchbacks and gradually to steeper ascents.
As you approach a lone walnut tree, you’ll know that you have reached the campsite for the day. Akhrotghetta is located in a clearing, with the walnut tree to mark the campsite. You’ll see a range of mountains, the prominent ones being Hathi Gauri peaks and Mt Dronagiri.
Retire for the day here, taking in the view of the sunset. This is a nice campsite to explore around with a stream flowing close to it. Do look out for the first rays of the sun hitting these peaks in the morning.
Trek Distance: 2.5 km ||Time taken: 4 hours
Trek gradient: Easy. Moderate ascent all the way to Khullara
Highlights: Golden oaks along with Rhododendrons in the forest walk. The sight of big mountains approaching closer as you trek to Khullara. Watch out for the spectacular alpenglow from the campsite.
You are trekking amidst the Oaks for most of the day. The trail today ascends to Khullara but it’s not as steep as the previous day. Within 40 minutes of starting from Akhrotgetta, you reach the first clearing.
You will be surrounded by oak forests on all sides. Along with the green and brown oaks, now you start spotting the golden oaks. Continue on the trail leading into the forest. Be careful near the streams in winters. They freeze and become extremely slippery to walk on them. So, exercise caution when you come across hard ice. The snow that freezes overnight and becomes hard ice is known as verglas. Reach the second clearing after about an hour. You get a feeling that the tree line is dwindling as you move ahead.
But just turn back to see the number of snow-capped mountains increasing and getting a grander view as you take each step. Notice the section covered with dwarf Rhododendrons. The next stretch is a lovely walk to your next campsite in Khullara.
Along with Mt. Dronagiri to the left, slightly at the back., you will get the mountain of Hathi Ghoda peaks. On a clear day, you get to see other peaks like Kamet, Neelkanth, and a few more coming out. The Khullara campsite is located in a clearing.
Duration: 6-7 hours | Trek Distance: 8 km
Trek gradient: Moderate to steep climb
Highlights: The grand views of the Greater Himalayans. Walk on the ridge and end your day with a serene walk through Tali forest.
The trail from Khullara begins to climb steeply out of the tree line. In 2 hours you reach a ridge, which is a part of Lord Curzon’s trail. From here 360-degree views of the Himalayas open up before you.
On one side you see Chaukhamba, Neelkanth, Dronagiri, Nilgiri and Hathi Ghoda peaks. Straight ahead of you are Trishul and parts of Nanda Devi. Continue on this trail to reach the upper grasslands of Kuari Pass.
The moment you hit the ridge marked by the Shrine, you see the Pangarchulla Peak. This is one of the most adventurous and difficult climbs that you can do in the Spring season. From the ridge, trek up to the Kuari top. This is a moderate climb. It will take you 40 minutes to reach the top. The actual Kuari Pass is around half an hour more and is at a depression. So trekkers usually go to the Kuari Top. It is all worth it as you get to savour the 270-degree panoramic view of the Greater Himalayas – close to 22 peaks.
After spending some quality of time here and enjoy this beauty of nature trek back to Khullara.
Trek Duration: 5-6 hours trek | Trek Distance: 14 km
After delicious breakfast we move from Khullara to Karchi Village. During the trek we cross Rhododendrons and pine trees forest. Today we can see some mesmerizing Himalayan snow capped peaks Pangarchula Peak (4700 M), Mt. Trishul (7120 M), Mt. Nanda Ghunti (6310 M) after take picture of these Peaks and Mountains. Overnight stay in Karchi Village.
Drive Distance: 307 kms || Time Taken: 7-8 hrs
Today, we will say our goodbyes and will drive back to Dehradun. You should not book your return flight tickets on this day. Get in touch with Himalayan Memories team for a suggestion or support.
+91 7604030342 / 7604030349
hmdesk@himalayanmemories.com
