Trekking in Himachal

From the comfort of your seat in a vehicle, Himachal’s forests may appear dark, deep and silent. Walk into any of these and you will soon realize what a busy place the forest actually is! To soak in the most of the beauty around you, walk through any of the trekking routes specially defined for beginners and more experienced trekkers.

Himachal offers fantastic variations in topography for trekkers, from meadows to glaciers to cold, barren deserts. Besides the Himalayas, the Dhauladhar, Zanskar and Pir Panjal ranges run across the state, enclosing lakes and glaciers within their folds. These ranges are connected to their valleys through passes which help trekkers cross over to the valleys.

Most of Himachal’s trekking routes fall in areas facing severe winter conditions, so trekkers need to be adequately prepared. The Shimla - Jalori Pass – Manali trek is the easiest on the feet, lasting 10 days. Others range between moderate and difficult, and take approximately 6 to 10 days to cover.

Some of the moderate routes are: the 5 day Maidi – Nadaun (Hamirpur) trek, the 7 day Kinner Kailash Parikrama; the 8 day Manali Hamya herbal trek; the 10 day Morchella trek, the 9 day Hamirpur – Deosidh – Sri Naina Devi trek; the 8 day Dharamsala – Chhota Bhangal trek; the 6 day Chander Trail; the 7 day Malana History Trek ,various treks around Kullu valley, the 5 day Barot – Dansar Lake – Chhota Bhangal trek; the 7 day Baijnath – Holi – Jalsu Pass (Ravi Valley) trek; the 7 day Dharamsala – Minkiani Pass –Chamba trek, the 7 day Mcleodgunj – Trinud – Illaqua Gote trek; the 7 day Pongdam – Dadasiba – Dehra Gopipur trek; the 11 day Spiti trek; and the 11 day Shimla – Rohroo – Sangla trek.

Treks in Himachal Pradesh rated as difficult are: the 9 day Manali – Chamba – Sach Pass trek; the 7 day Bharmaur – Kugti – Udaipur – Manali trek; the 10 day Dharamsala – Nayagraon trek; the 8 day Dharamsala – Indrahara pass – Bharmaur trek; the 10 day Indrahar – Minkiani pass trek; the 11 day Baijnath – Bara Bhangal – Dalhousie trek; and the treks up various peaks which require knowledge of glacier travel, such as the one to the Mulkila and Pamori Peaks and the Mani Mahesh Lake.