Sar Pass Trek

We assemble at Kasol market by 09:30 AM. Keep enough buffer time in your hand to reach Kasol; these roads are prone to jams and delays. If possible, get here a night before so that your day doesn’t feel too packed and rushed.

From the busy market, we turn a corner and reach the forest which is the starting point of the trek. Here, we do our briefing and distribute your rental + equipment. Packed lunch will be provided, too. There are enough water sources on the way today. We start our trek on the right side of a stream of glacial water which is going to be our companion throughout the day. Once in the forest, the temperature instantly drops by 5 degrees.

You will find small dhabas along the way which serve Maggi, rhododendron juice, biscuits and chai. The first six kilometres of today’s trail is a motorable road but with splashes of green everywhere. The last 2 kms is when we start to ascend on a walking trail to get to Grahan village. The first 6 kms should take us close to 3-4 hours to cover. And the last 2 kms of steep section with a 300M ascent should take us between 1-2 hours.

Expect to reach the homestay between 2 and 3 PM. Settle in and wait for the sunset magic to begin!

The ascent today is quite massive – close to a 1000M in a short distance of 4 kms. Remember to pace yourself and take it slow to avoid getting sick. We are walking through forests so thick, that you will see the sunlight visibly struggling to make its way to you. Spider webs gleam in the sparse sunlight like holograms. There are no water sources today, carry at least 2l of water with you as you start. 

We leave after breakfast at 9 AM. Once we cross the village, we descend for a short while from where we cross a small wooden bridge to get to the other side of the Grahan nalla – it is now all uphill from here. There is a dirt path leading us to Min Thatch. On the rocky, uneven ground, stones and the thick roots of the trees act as makeshift stairs – remember to exercise caution at every step. 

At the mark of 1 km, after an ascent of 180M, we reach a small clearing – a patch of almost flat land which is a welcome change. A kilometre and a half more from here, after an ascent of 450M, we reach a dhaba. Packed lunch is provided for today. You can also choose to indulge in some Maggi and omelettes at the dhaba. The food here tends to be a bit on the expensive side – check for prices before you order. 

We have half way more to go after this lunch point. The route is on similar terrain. In 2 more hours, we reach a massive meadow with a carpet of the brightest purple wildflowers you ever saw. This is Min Thatch (thatch meaning meadows), our campsite for today, bordered by thick forests and rhododendron bushes to your right and a wide view of the valley and the skies to the left. The sunsets from here are glorious. 

Today we are heading to the highest campsite of the Sar Pass Trek, Nagaru. We leave by 9 AM. After a 20M ascent, there’s a short patch of flat land. From here on, it is a steep uphill walk. Once we leave the campsite, we quickly cross through the end of treeline on this trek – enjoy the shade while you can because after the first 10 minutes, we are exposing ourselves to the full force of the sun and the winds. After 300M of ascent, we hit the first dhaba for today – this one serves Siddhu (a local Himachali delicacy) in addition to the regulars! We have packed lunch for today as well, but feel free to indulge in some mid-mountain hospitality. Shortly after the dhaba, we reach a section called ‘the rope point’. When there is ample snow, this 70 degrees steep section gets very slippery and very dangerous. We set up ropes at this point as a climbing aid and safety measure. When the landscape is dry, it can be crossed without ropes. After this ascent, follow the rhododendron bushes to stay on trail. After a continuous ascent of 450M, we reach a clearing. You can see the campsite from here. There are only some slippery slopes of ice between you and the safety of your tent now. 

The trek today is short but difficult because of the steep ascents. Depending on the season, the trail may be covered in snow or be barren. The campsite at Nagaru has snow at all times. Since it is a wide-open clearing, the winds here can get menacing, hold on to your tents at night! Views of endless rows of snowclad mountains of the Parvati range grace this campsite – the sunsets here are exceptional. The Pass from here is so close, you can see it from your tents!

Today is the day we reach the Pass we had been admiring since last evening. Even though it looks close, it takes 2-3 hours to get to. The distance is close to 1 km with a 300M gain in altitude. If we hope to catch the sunrise from the top, we leave by 3 AM and start the climb in darkness – expedition style! Get your head torch ready, put on your gaiters and microspikes and be ready by 02:30 AM. We fill our bottles, have some breakfast under the stars and leave. The 2-3 hour ascent is in snow, it is an uphill climb which is quite steep. Take it slow but keep moving to avoid your body from getting cold. We make it to the top of the Pass just as the peaks of Parvati Valley start to take on a golden hue. There’s nothing like the alpenglow of dawn to get the best photos of this wide landscape. In this world of white, take some time to look over and identify some popular peaks. We leave after spending an hour at the top. 

The main challenge of the day is the long descent to Biskeri Thatch, our campsite for today. After we cross the massive snow field that is Sar Pass, we descend down for a bit. The path takes us horizontally across the mountain on quite an angled slope. There is one more steep ascent left for the day – the one to Biskeri Top that is almost at the same height as the Pass. After we make our descent and traverse across mountains on a narrow path, we make the steep ascent over slippery terrain all the way to Biskeri Top. This half a kilometre of stretch will only take about 15 minutes to cover but it will definitely knock the air out of us! Once at the top, it is only downhill from here. When it is snowy, we can slide down and save our legs some effort but when the snow has receded, we have to walk down this long slope. 

At 4.5 kms, we reach the last dhaba on our trail. From here the route gets easier. Thick with rhododendrons, it is a pleasant walk all the way to Biskeri Thatch. It is a campsite amongst tall trees and singing birds – our last night in tents. The snow-clad mountains give way to jagged, rocky peaks. Welcome to warmth!

Today is our last day on the Sar Pass trek. The trail is all downhill through pine forests. The descent is easy towards Pulga and across Parvati River to reach the village of Barshaini. Our team will be waiting at Barshaini to drive you to Kasol. It is a two hour drive - expect to reach Kasol by late afternoon. Plan your journey ahead accordingly.