Banke Kund Glacier: Trekking Gateway to Himalayan Splendor and Tranquility :

Basic Info Of The Trek

• Name of the trek :- Banke Kund Glacier
• Category of Trek :- Himalayan Glacier
• Rank in Category:- 6
• Location: – Lies at the head of a wide valley in the Central Garhwal Himalayas, accessible from the Dhauli Ganga River Valley. Permits are required.
• Trek Popularity :- Low
• Who should be interested:- Trekkers of all ages, Photographers and Explorers
• Nearby Peaks ,Glaciers and Passes:-
• Peaks (Nilgiri Parvat, Rataban, Kamet, Neelkanth, Dunagiri)
• Glaciers (Upper Banke Glacier)
• Passes (Khunta Khal, Bhyundar Khal, Zanskar Pass or Gupt Khal)
• Maximum altitude :- 4000m Eri Udiyar Camping Grounds
• Duration :- 7Nights & 8 Days
• Difficulty / grade :- Medium
• Total trekking distance :- 42kms
• Start point :- Ghamsali Village in the Dhauli Ganga Valley
• Ending Point:- Ghamsali Village in the Dhauli Ganga Valley
• Season to visit :- June-September
• Weather :- Very cold at nights but pleasant during the day

Short Summary Of The Trek

The Banke Kund Glacier is a huge glacial system in the Central Garhwal Himalayas which sits between the tall peaks of the Zanskar Range. It is a high altitude glacier nestled between the peaks of the Kamet group to the north and the Nilgiri Parvat –Rataban- Hathi Parvat Line to the south. Shepherds frequently visit the lower reaches of this glacier with their flock of sheep, as this terrain has abundant glacier melt water and hence pastures for their sheep. The shepherd tracks are now a trekking path leading to the glacier. One can explore the higher reaches of the glacier and see the Bhyundar Khal and Zanskar Pass in close proximity. This trek is ideal for those who want to plan further treks in this region. It is recommended to spend a day at the final camp site and explore the nearby belvederes, as there are plenty which offer amazing views of sunset and sunrise over the towering peaks in the vicinity. The added advantage for photographers is that since this valley lies across the Bhyundar Khal, the moisture laden clouds don’t bring rain here. The sky is clear and without clouds on most days. Even the clouds from the Dhauli Ganga Valley don’t reach these higher grounds due to the narrow mouth of the Dhauli Valley. 

The trek starts from Ghamsali Village in the Dhauli Ganga Valley. One can see the impressive massif of Dunagiri Parvat on the driveway from Joshimath to Ghamsali via Malari. The gradient from Ghamsali towards the glacier is fairly easy but involves walking over boulders and scree for a good portion of the trek. The camping sites towards the head of the glacier are many and one can even spend a night with a shepherd in his makeshift stone shelter. After spending a day exploring the nearby terrain we return back along the same track towards Ghamsali.