Volvo buses of Himachal State Transport Corporation and various private buses ply overnight for the journey to Manali, via Chandigarh, Bilaspur, Mandi and Kullu.
Private taxi can be availed for the journey too.
The day can be leisurely spent exploring Manali town and nearby attractions. You can even indulge in zipline and rafting.
The drive is short owing to the construction of the 9 KM long Rohtang tunnel (Atal tunnel) under the Rohtang pass.
After crossing the tunnel the landscape changes dramatically as we enter the arid Lahaul. The drive is alongside the Chenab river, which eventually flows into Pakistan via Kashmir.
After an initial drive to Kunzum La (4,551 meters or 14,931 feet), we head back along the same route for a short distance and then head to Chandratal lake. We camp a KM before the Chandratal lake and hike to the lake in the evening for acclimatization.
If you are up for the challenge we can hike all the way from Kunzum La pass to the Chandratal lake in around 5 to 6 hours covering over 12 KM of distance.
The trail from Chandratal continues northwards on the true left of the Chandra river (river will be to our left hand side). The trail mostly stays high above the river with views of the valley extending as far as the eyes can see.
At places the trail is non existent and boulder or scree zones dot the terrain. We continue in the northward direction straight ahead.
There are several campsites on the way, where we cross small stream intersections. Often lush pastures can be found here with Gaddi (nomadic shepherds) with their flock of sheep camping in these spots.
We cross a major stream that runs into the main Chenab river 30 mins ahead of our campsite. From there the trail continues up into the alpine meadows dotted with a variety of flora.
We cross another medium grade stream before reaching our campsite.
We stop short of a major river crossing and camp at a beautiful campsite, at a place known as Tokpo Yongma.
Early morning we start the day by crossing a major river. In pre monsoon months of June or till mid July, snow bridges are an easy find to cross the river. By August & September we need to get our boots wet to cross the river at a certain wider section with minimal depth.
The trek has several water crossings and after we are done with them all, one is surely going to end up as an expert on crossing mountain streams.
Ethereal beauty welcomes us as we approach the last leg of the trek to the Baralacha La pass.
We hop into vehicles waiting for us and continue our journey either to Manali or Leh depending on what your next destination is.
Network connectivity is sparse. We will loose network connectivity after we proceed to Batal. During the trek there is no network connectivity. During return from Baralacha La the network reception is available from Jispa (towards Manali) & Sarchu (towards Leh). Airtel, BSNL & Jio networks are available.
We will have electricity in Batal in camp to charge phones etc, but no electricity during the trek. Carry additional power banks for phone/camera batteries
Apart from the 3 river crossings (and many minor streams) during the trek, the trail is very safe. Even the river crossings can be managed with ease if an experienced trek leader accompanies you. It is not recommended to trek by yourself along this trail without professional guidance.
The area is remote but the villages on the Manali Leh highway are very safe and the locals are very hospitable. Even the travelers driving to Leh via road bond well with each other in such a desolate and remote area, always willing to help each other if stranded.