a trek to hampta pass, diy style

the big idea

So, after what felt like endless back-and-forth with my buddies about our long-overdue adventure, we finally landed on the Hampta Pass trek. It’s a 25km trail on the crossover terrains of the Himalayas; from lush green meadows of Kullu to barren cold desert of Spiti. The guides rate it as easy-to-moderate, and since I already had trekking experiences in my past, it felt a bit too plain for me. I got this brilliant (or maybe not so brilliant) idea: ‘Hey, why don’t we do this DIY style?’ No guides, no porters, just us and the great outdoors. Somehow, I managed to talk my friends into this crazy plan. Before we knew it, we were setting off for Hampta Pass, our backs bent under the weight of our overstuffed rucksacks.

the prep & journey

We geared up for the trek, buying essentials like hiking shoes, a butane cooking stove, rucksacks, and camping mattresses and renting tents and sleeping bags. Our journey kicked off with the Duranta Express from Sealdah to New Delhi, leaving at 5 PM and rolling into the capital around 11 AM the next day - a solid 20-hour ride. We killed time exploring New Delhi until 4:30 PM, then hopped on our bus to Manali from Kashmiri Gate at 5 PM. The bus made a pit stop in Karnal for a quick dinner break, where we had Dosas. The journey resumed and I comfortably fell asleep on the bus. When I woke up, it was around 3:00 AM, and it was raining. I could already see mountains and cliffs in the dimly lit night, and my excitement was off the charts. Finally, we pulled into Manali’s private bus stand at the crack of dawn, around 5:30 AM. I arranged for a private car which took us to Sethan, the starting point of our trek.

manali bus stand

the trek

the beginning

We reached our starting point at around 9:30 AM, with everyone charged and excited for the adventure. The plan for the first day was to reach Chikka: the first camping site. We were also in a race against time, as we’d booked this ride from Chhatru (that’s where the trek ends) to Chandratal, and it was set in stone for 7:00 AM sharp, three days from now. No wiggle room there. If we failed to make this connection, we risked being stranded in Chhatru, a remote location with very limited transportation options.

The terrain was beautiful, green and lush with flower. Although the tent we were carrying was a bit tough to carry in the terrain. We met some folks from Bengaluru, had some good chats and reached Chikka by 11:00 AM.

chikka camp site

We still had plenty of time since it would stay light until 8 PM. So, we decided to head to the next site: Balu ka Ghera. This would make our rendezvous at Chhatru easier. However, one of my friends started feeling sick, so we postponed this plan and set up our tents at Chikka instead. We made some coffee and watched the shepherds herd their sheep across the valleys. By 4 PM, our friend felt better, so we decided to push on to the next site, with four hours of daylight still remaining.

the dreadful night

With about four hours to reach Balu ka Ghera, we resumed our trek and encountered our first water crossing. Though it was small, the water was so cold it nearly froze our legs. As we trekked over the tough terrain, we realized this journey was going to be much harder than we initially thought. Fortunately, we made some canine companions along the way, which lifted our spirits. After crossing a slippery waterfall, burdened with heavy rucksacks and drenched from the spray, we realized we might have made a mistake. We had only 20 minutes of daylight left when we made the tough decision to camp on the slippery rock just beyond the waterfall. As night fell, we shivered in the cold, rationing our limited water supply (just two bottles) and cooking Poha for a meager dinner. We decided to sleep in shifts, with two of us staying awake at all times to watch for rain and other dangers. I volunteered to stay awake first, fighting off sleep until my body gave out.

The temperature was around 1-3 degrees Celsius, and as I shivered in the cold night, I noticed lightning flickering in the sky. “We’re dead,” I thought, knowing that if it rained, we would be swept off the cliff in no time. I prayed, thought of my loved ones, and sent SOS signals into the void with my head torch. My eyes adjusted to the darkness, and I could see some light from the Chikka campsite and the starry sky. I tried to identify constellations while the sound of rushing water grew louder, feeling like I was hallucinating as I began to doze off. I informed my friends and crawled into my sleeping bag to finally rest.

I woke to one of my friends asking if he could sleep, and I saw the bright full moon, momentarily mistaking it for the sun. The next thing I knew, it was daytime. We had survived the dreadful night. After packing up our gear, we set off for Balu ka Ghera.

the beautiful stay

We met some foreign trekkers and joined hands with them to push to the next site. They targetted Chhatru, while we were aiming for Balu ka Ghera that day. Among them was a really helpful Himachali guide, who helped us cross a tough water crossing. After pushing our hardest to keep up with the group and their Sherpas, we gave up: Our rucksacks were too heavy for us to keep up with them. Finally after around 4 hours of trekking and halting in between, we could finally see Balu ka Ghera. Mesmerized with the beauty, we progressed in awe. We reached the site and cooked some upma and got some rest. We had more time, so we pushed to the upper Balu ka Ghera site, which was another hour of trekking. Making it there, we pitched our tents, and I could not believe how beautiful the site was.

upper balu ka ghera

Two of us were completely exhausted, so only one friend and I went on a brief scouting trek to plan for the next day. Other groups were also scouting and doing acclimatization routines. We made strong black coffee and popcorn, enjoyed the beautiful surroundings, and went to sleep after cooking a dinner of oatmeal.

the push

We woke up at 5:00 AM to start the trek, aiming to get ahead of other groups and ensure we wouldn’t be left behind in case of an emergency. After a quick breakfast of corn soup, we began our journey to Shea Goru via Hampta Pass.

beautiful Hampta Pass

I had already lost my trekking pole, which broke before we reached Chikka, and we didn’t have crampons to help us navigate the glaciers.

Despite these challenges, we pushed through the glacier, occasionally rehydrating with ORS. The glacier was dirty with cattle stool and difficult to cross. We caught a glimpse of the pass, but with the sun directly overhead, the melting glacier made our progress even harder without crampons. The landscape alternated between vast glacier strips and rocky terrain with flowing water streams.

After about six hours of trekking through this varied landscape, we reached the highest point of our trek: Hampta Pass. The view was stunning, but the cold gusts of wind and passing clouds reminded us of the harsh environment we were in.

highest point in the trek

We reached Shea Goru around 6:00 PM after a challenging descent down a twisty trail, frequently interrupted by passing mules. Along the way, we saw people from other groups who had sustained injuries, their clothes torn, and relying on a guide to help them push through.

race against time

The next day was going to be tough: we had to reach Chhatru before 7:00 AM, or we’d miss our ride to Chandratal, leaving us stranded and risking the loss of our luggage. So, we set out at 4:30 AM, skipping breakfast. Right at the start, we faced a major obstacle: a massive, seemingly impassable water crossing. There was also a small glacier crossing further ahead, but other trek guides warned it could be riskier due to its thin ice.

Summoning our courage, we decided to tackle the water crossing. With no ropes or guides to assist us, we were on our own. This was particularly challenging for me, as I had no trekking pole. We hung our shoes around our necks and crossed the turbulent water, encouraged by strangers from other groups who cheered us on and recorded us with their GoPros. The water was frigid, and I couldn’t feel my toes for a solid hour afterward. Once we warmed up our legs, we continued toward Chhatru, knowing we were likely to be late.

first glimpse of chhatru road

We pushed through the rocky terrain, racing against time. After a steep descent and crossing a tough glacier pass, we reached Chhatru around 1:00 PM, six hours behind schedule. Fortunately, we found a local dhaba where we finally had some breakfast. To our relief, our ride was still waiting for us!

We met some riders returning from Spiti and had some wholesome conversations. Then, we loaded our bags into the vehicle and began our trip to Chandratal.

our ride

chandratal: the better half

With everything sorted out, we were enjoying our ride to Chandratal, a 48 km drive from Chhatru. During the journey, we received the exhilarating news that India had won the T20 World Cup, prompting cheers inside the car. We had heartfelt conversations throughout the drive and reached Chandratal by 3:00 PM. The terrain was challenging, with other cars and motorcycles getting stuck, but our 4x4 ride navigated it without much trouble.

The lake was as beautiful as ever, with clear and holy water. According to Hindu mythology, it is believed that Lord Indra’s chariot brought Yudhishthir to his heavenly abode at this very location, and to this day, angels come here to bathe in the sacred waters.

otw to Chandratal

Chandratal

After soaking in the beauty of Chandratal, we set out for Manali, reaching around 9:30 PM via the Atal Tunnel. We booked a stay near the Hadimba Temple and settled in for the night.

my thoughts

The trek, categorized as easy to moderate in terms of difficulty, becomes significantly more challenging when done DIY. Carrying your own gear, tents, and food adds a layer of complexity, but with proper planning, it’s quite feasible for most people. We met some friendly guides and fellow trekkers along the way, which was encouraging. However, it’s clear that the trek has become heavily commercialized.

Unfortunately, some trekkers can be quite rude, occupying camping sites and preventing others from passing through or setting up camp nearby. This behavior diminishes the camaraderie that trekking usually fosters. Additionally, the trail has suffered from the influx of trekkers, with litter such as plastic bottles, wrappers, and food packets scattered along the way. It’s disheartening to see the beautiful landscape marred by such carelessness. Despite this, we made a conscious effort to carry our own trash along with our heavy rucksack, and properly dispose of it when we reached Manali, which we are really proud of.

We’re already thinking about our next adventure - maybe a winter trek this time. It’ll be a new challenge, but we’re excited to see what experiences it brings. The mountains are calling again, and we’re ready to answer, no matter the season.