Pangarchulla Peak Trek

After breakfast around 7:30 AM, The day starts with a scenic drive from Joshimath to Tugasi Village. After reaching Tugasi, the trek to Gulling begins. It's a moderate ascent, covering about 3 km, with the trail meandering through dense oak and rhododendron forests. The path offers spectacular views of snow-capped peaks and the lush surroundings. As you move upwards, the air gets cooler, and the forest opens up to reveal stunning landscapes. Gulling Campsite is situated at an altitude of 9,000 ft, surrounded by towering trees and offering an excellent view of the Garhwal Himalayas. It’s a serene spot to rest for the night and acclimatize before continuing the trek. gets cooler, and the forest opens up to reveal stunning landscapes. Gulling Campsite is situated at an altitude of 9,000 ft, surrounded by towering trees and offering an excellent view of the Garhwal Himalayas. It’s a serene spot to rest for the night and acclimatize before continuing the trek. 

The journey from Gulling to Khullara is a scenic 6 km trek, after breakfast gradually ascending through beautiful alpine meadows and dense forests. The altitude increases as you climb, reaching 11,500 ft by the time you reach Khullara. The trail continues through forests of oak, pine, and rhododendron, providing refreshing air and occasional views of the distant Upon reaching Khullara, the wide-open campsite offers a peaceful, serene environment with stunning 360-degree views of the mountains. On clear days, you'll have breathtaking views of Nanda Devi and other towering peaks. 

Acclimatization Walk To Kuari Pass.

Today is the most exciting and rewarding day of the trek as you ascend to Kuari Pass at an altitude of 12,500 ft. The round trip from Khullara to the pass and back covers about 12 km. The trek from Khullara starts with a steady ascent through alpine meadows. As you climb higher, the trees thin out, and the landscape opens up to vast meadows with unobstructed views of the snow-clad peaks. The path can be challenging in parts, especially during winter or early spring when snow covers the trail. However, the breathtaking beauty around makes every effort worthwhile. The final stretch before reaching the pass is a gradual ascent, which is less taxing but equally exhilarating as you approach the highest point of the trek. Upon reaching Kuari Pass, you are rewarded with awe-inspiring panoramic views of the Himalayan giants. On a clear day, you can see peaks like Nanda Devi (7,816m), the Dronagiri range, Trishul, Neelkanth, and Pangarchulla. This is a great time for photography, enjoying a moment of solitude, or simply marveling at the beauty of the Himalayas. After spending some time at the pass, you begin your descent back to Khullara. The journey down is quicker, allowing you to revisit the beautiful meadows and forest patches. Upon reaching Khullara, you’ll rest and celebrate the successful summit of Kuari Pass. The night is spent at the Khullara campsite, where you can reflect on the incredible journey of the day and relax amidst nature. 

The day starts before break of dawn. We gear up and leave our campsite in the dead of the night, at 3AM. There are no water sources on the way and it is an extremely long day, so remember to carry sufficient water. Considering it is summit day, it will be the longest and toughest day of the trek. We eat something and top our bottles before we leave for the night. The trek starts by crossing the open ground of Khulara which starts to climb onto a rocky terrain with a gradual incline. The nights tend to get extremely cold. So, do not forget to layer up adequately.

After an hour of incline on the uneven land, you will hit the meadows. If it is a clear sky, look up to see the wonders of the night – the sky, the stars and the quiet of the meadows bordered by trees is enough to take your breath away if the climb up until now hadn’t done so already. An hour more from here on a gradual incline and you reach the top of the ridge line. There is a small stone temple on top which is where the route for Kuari Pass and Pangarchulla separate. To summit our peak, we take a left from the temple and start to walk the long and steep walk up the ridge of the mountain. There are three ridgelines we will walk before we hit the next section on the trail. The walk on the ridgeline is especially challenging because it is completely exposed and hence extremely windy, with no way to protect yourself or guard against the chilly winds. There are a few small sections of descend on this patch which is a welcome change after steep inclines going up. The peaks appear to be ghost-mountains with their faint greyish outlines fogged out in the mist of the night.

Once off the ridge, the sun starts to make an appearance by around 6AM. The changing colours of the sky and the way the majestic peaks react to the sun’s movements is something you don’t want to miss. Three and a half hours into the climb, we hit the hardest part of the entire summit push. Remember, we are climbing a total of close to 1,200M today and are expecting to reach the summit latest by 11 am.

By 0730 AM we reach the boulder section of the climb – the hardest bit. The rocks here are very stable so once you learn how to use them to move forward, it gets much easier. It will take close to an hour and a half to get from the start of this section to the bottom of the peak. This is relatively flat but requires extreme caution for the boulders have massive gaps between them which could cause a lot of damage in the case of a slightest misstep.

Note: The terrain is very different in both seasons.  During March and April, this section of the climb receives a thick sheet of snow making it a flat and massive snow field which is much easier to navigate and is likely to be faster to cross. During Oct-Dec, the snows melts away exposing the boulders underneath.

From the bottom of the peak, it is a steep climb up all the way to the summit. This, too, is rife with boulders which makes the climb slower in winters. During peak season (march and april), however, it might be a bit faster for snow is relatively easier to walk on. Based on the speed of the climbers, this last section up is likely to take anywhere between 2-3 hours. It is demanding and requires a lot of internal motivation. Expect to reach the summit by 11AM.

The tiny parts that were previously hidden are now completely open and you can see the entire Garhwal Range from where you stand. The force of the mountains surrounding you has the power to fill you up with energy, if you feel drained at all from this arduous climb. After a short prayer on the temple at the summit, prepare to start your descend. This is going to take really long too, and you might want to cross the most precarious sections before the sun starts to make the snow unstable.

We follow our footsteps back down the mountain. The climb down might seem endless because it takes a lot of effort to descend these almost blindingly steep slopes. Expect to reach the end of the boulder section at the mark of three hours. And three more hours to get to Khulara.

After Breakfast the final day of trekking begins with a descent from Khullara to Dhak village. Covering around 8 km, the trail takes you back through the stunning landscapes you crossed earlier, but this time in reverse. While descending, the trek becomes easier compared to the previous days' ascents. The well-marked trail passes by quaint villages, and you’ll encounter local shepherds tending their flocks, giving you a taste of the mountain culture. After trekking for about 4-5 hours, you will reach Dhak village. The views of the Garhwal range and the surrounding valleys are the perfect send-off from the mountains. Dhak is a small, picturesque village with traditional homes and terraced fields, nestled in the foothills of the Himalayas. From Dhak, a vehicle will take you on a short drive back to Joshimath, where the trek began. Once back in Joshimath, you can reflect on your trekking adventure, relax in comfortable accommodations, and explore the town. 

The trip ends today. Checkout of the guest house. If you opt for transportation from us then we will reach Rishikesh / Haridwar by late evening.

Note: On Day 7, you’ll reach Rishikesh between 5-6 pm. You can book your travel any time after 9 pm.

In case of bad weather or other difficulties which might set us off schedule during the course of the trek, Day 7 is set as a reserve day. This will only get used if unexpected and unforeseeable conditions present themselves at the last minute preventing us from reaching our destination as planned. If the buffer day is used, you have to pay Rs. 2,550 per day (INR). The amount will be collected by the Trek Leader. Keep a buffer day in your travel plan. If buffer day is not used in the travel then it can be used to Explore Rishikesh.