Saurkundi Pass Trek - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

The Saurkundi Pass Trek is a hiking trail in the Kullu

Kullu

Kullu, once known as Kul-anti-peetha - "the end of the habitable world", is the capital town of the Kullu District, in the state of Himachal Pradesh, India. It is located on the banks of the Beas River in the Kullu Valley about ten kilometres north of the airport at Bhuntar.Kullu is a broad open...

district of Himachal Pradesh

Himachal Pradesh

Himachal Pradesh is a state in Northern India. It is spread over , and is bordered by the Indian states of Jammu and Kashmir on the north, Punjab on the west and south-west, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh on the south, Uttarakhand on the south-east and by the Tibet Autonomous Region on the east...

. The trek is a 11-day program and participants hike every day during the period. The groups range from 40 to 50 persons (children below the age of 15 years are not allowed). The trail starts at Babeli

Babeli

Babeli is a village in Tehsil Phagwara, Kapurthala district, in Punjab, India.-Demographics:According to the 2001 Census, Babeli has a population of 590 people. Neighbouring villages include Domeli., Bhabhiana, Rampur Sunra, Jagpalpur, Sikri, Dugga, Ucha, and Musapur.-Gurdwara Chounta...

, the base camp, and passes through several scenic spots in the Kullu valley.

Base Camp

Babeli

(4000 ft.) along Kullu

Kullu

- Manali highway, about 7 km from Kullu

Kullu

, is the Base Camp. It is, thus, well connected by road from Kullu

Kullu

, which is in turn is well connected with Delhi

Delhi

Delhi , officially National Capital Territory of Delhi , is the largest metropolis by area and the second-largest by population in India, next to Mumbai. It is the eighth largest metropolis in the world by population with 16,753,265 inhabitants in the Territory at the 2011 Census...

, Chandigarh

Chandigarh

Chandigarh is a union territory of India that serves as the capital of two states, Haryana and Punjab. The name Chandigarh translates as "The Fort of Chandi". The name is from an ancient temple called Chandi Mandir, devoted to the Hindu goddess Chandi, in the city...

and other cities of Punjab

Punjab (India)

Punjab ) is a state in the northwest of the Republic of India, forming part of the larger Punjab region. The state is bordered by the Indian states of Himachal Pradesh to the east, Haryana to the south and southeast and Rajasthan to the southwest as well as the Pakistani province of Punjab to the...

. Base camp is situated along the mighty Beas river, with tall and old Pine trees alongside the road.

Two days are kept for orientation and acclimatization at base camp, which includes rappelling and rock climbing

Rock climbing

Rock climbing also lightly called 'The Gravity Game', is a sport in which participants climb up, down or across natural rock formations or artificial rock walls. The goal is to reach the summit of a formation or the endpoint of a pre-defined route without falling...

on one day and trekking up the nearby forests for a few kilometers up and down with a decent amount of weight in ones rucksack. After this, trekkers are ready to leave for their next destination.

Segli

Segli is the next camp at 7,100 ft after trekking up for about 8 km (from a point, a few km from Manali on Kullu

Kullu

- Manali Highway by Bus). Camp is in an apple orchard and is surrounded by forests along the narrow trail.

Haura Thatch

The trekkers reach their next camp Haura Thatch (9,000 ft) after trekking for about 10 km. Here the camp is made in a dense forest where very little light penetrates.

Maylee Thatch

As one moves up, the trek becomes more and more difficult, though one is better equipped than the previous day through sheer experience. After 6 km of difficult and tiring trek, one wonders as to when he will reach the destination. However, this tiredness goes away on reaching the camp at Maylee Thatch (10,500 ft). A thatch is basically a vast ground with varied flora and fauna.

Morning is studded with magnificent split-second changing views, starting with wonderful Morning Glows due to the effect of the first rays of Sun on the Mountain Peaks along with beautiful colorful patterns of the clouds. It changes so fast, that an opportunity missed is an opportunity lost.

After a while, the valley below is completely under clouds, while everything is so bright and colorful above, as if being seen from an aeroplane. In no time every thing including our camp, is taken over by the clouds with a very poor visibility around us.

Doura Thatch

After trekking for about 10 km through the clouds and trekking a bit on the snow for the first time, trekkers reach their next camp at Doura Thatch (11,300 ft.). This day’s trek is basically a journey through the clouds. It is during this stretch that they have the first feeling of trekking on the snow.

Saurkundi Pass

Almost the next day’s trek is prodding through the snow or moving alongside the snow. After trekking for a while, trekkers have the feeling of being in the snow and reach Saurkundi Pass (12,900 Ft.). Views all around are magnificent and peaks are at a hands distance. After a while, walking on the snow has become a habit to them.

One can see a few streams coming out of the snow. Melted snow is giving way to new vegetation.

Longa Thatch

One reaches Longa Thatch (10,800 ft) after the longest and enjoyable trek of 12 km via Saurkundi Pass.

Lekhni

Finally after trekking another 10 km mainly down-hill, they reach their last camp site of Lekhni (8,100 ft.). It is situated alongside an apple orchard and one comes back across the civilization.

One finally treks downhill from Lekhni to Aalloo ground along the Manali-Kullu

Kullu

highway and from there by bus back to Babeli

Babeli

. Here, the group breaks out after morning breakfast.

External links

http://www.yhaindia.org/saurkundi-pass.htm on Saurkundi Pass Trek of Youth Hostels Association of India.
http://www.yhaindia.org/Transaction/AdventurePrograms/ProgramDetails.aspx on National Himalayan Trekking Expedition of Youth Hostels Association of India.
http://www.yhaindia.org/default.aspx on Youth Hostels Association of India.
Butterflies, Landscapes etc. of Saurkundi Pass Trek
Birds of Sar Pass Trek & Saurkundi Pass Trek
Butterflies of Sar Pass Trek & Saurkundi Pass Trek
Landscapes of Saurkundi Pass Trek

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