Pin Parvati Trek – 12 Nts / 13 Days

Months: July to end September

Number of Days: 13 Nts / 14 Days

Maximum Altitude: 5320m

Grade: Moderate to Strenuous

Day 1 – Manali to Manikaran
After a leisurely breakfast we drive to Manikaran about 75km where we are met by our trekking staff. We camp a bit ahead of this pilgrim town with its boiling hot springs.

Day 2 - Manikaran - Pulga - 2715m -  5 hours.
We start our trek to Pulga following the left bank of the Parvati River. The trail goes through a lovely valley wooded with deodar, oak and rhododendron trees. We set up camp in a meadow that offers great views of the village and snow capped peaks ahead.

Day 3 Pulga - Khirganga - 3260m – 5 hours.
The trail ascends though forests and after passing a cliff we emerge into a large meadow with a small temple beside a milky white hot spring. We set up camp here for the night.

Day 4 – Khirganga - Tunda Bhuj - 3285m – 6 to 7 hours.
The trail continues to climb uphill through a dense forest with an undergrowth of wild flowers. Emerging into a meadow again, we set up camp near a cascading waterfall and a boisterous stream.

Day 5 – Tunda Bhuj - Pandu Pal - 3741m – 6 to 7 hours.
The trail now slowly enters a landscape of rock and moraine ascending above the tree line.

Panoramic views of the surrounding hills can be had all along the trail till we reach the natural rock bridge at Pandu Pul – translated as the ‘Bridge of the Panadavas’. We set up camp near the Parvati River for the night and close to a shepherd’s shelter.

Day 6 – Rest day at Pandu Pul
Rest day. Relax and soak in the sun and take short walks around. 

Day 7 – Pandu Pul - Mantalai - 4074m – 8 hours
Leaving early we cross the mammoth Pandu Pul rock bridge over the River Parvati and having crossed enter a wide valley further up the trail. A few stream crossings later we walk on a moraine field till we reach the tranquil and breathtaking Mantalai Lake. We camp on the lakeshore with excellent views of a barren, stark mountain panorama.

Day 8 – Mantalai - Base of Pin Parvati Pass - 4450m – 7 to 8 hours.
The trail now goes up a steep snow gully affording spectacular views of snow-clad mountains, tiny lakes and massive glaciers all around. Continue on moraine and patches of snow to the base of the Pin Parvati Pass and camp.  

Day 9 – Base of Pin Parvati Pass over the pass 5320m – Camp I - 4802m – 7 hours. 
We leave camp early as the snow on the trail makes for slow walking. The climb is not that steep and we reach the pass by afternoon. There are absolutely grand views of the Pir Panjal and Spiti and Pin valley mountain ranges from here. We descend to a grassy plain with numerous crisscrossing streams. Camp a little ahead.

Day 10 - Pin Parvati Camp I to Camp II - 4208m – 8 hours

Today is a long day. The trail goes over scree and moraine and we cross a number of small streams to finally reach a meadow where we set up camp.

Day 11 – Camp II - Mud - 3900m – 6 hours

The trail today enters a wide-open valley with numerous streams and leads into the ancient Mud village in the Pin valley of Spiti. We camp high above the Pin River near some fields.
 

Day 12: Mud – Gulling - 5 hours.

A short days trek to the village of Gulling from where a Jeep awaits to take us to Kaza the next day. We camp above the Pin River on its left bank near some fields.

Day 13 – Gulling - Kaza
Drive to Kaza and after setting up camp, leave for the Ki monastery high above the Spiti River basin. Explore the monastery and then head north to Kibber known as the highest inhabited village in the world. Enjoy the views of extensive pastureland and distant mountains before heading back to our camp for the night.

Day 14 – Kaza – Manali. 
We leave Kaza in the morning after breakfast and drive through the western Spiti landscape across the Kunzum La and the Rohtang Pass before descending into the fertile. fruit rich Kullu valley to the hill resort town of Manali.