Dhumdhar Kandi and Bali Pass Trek

We start early in the morning from our guest house and drive till the road-head Jhala(2100m). We start walking by the stream for half an hour up-to the confluence of Sian Gad. From there it’s a steep hike for about three hours through the lush green valley with views of Mt. Gangotri, Mt. Joanli in the background. We camp for the day just above the river bed. Overnight in Camp.

The day starts with a steep climb for about 45mins after which it becomes gradual. It is a beautiful day as we hike through green forests, meadows and boulder fields towards the end with snowcapped peaks peeping in the horizon. Kiarkoti is a huge meadow and one of the finest campgrounds on the trek. Overnight in Camp.

We rest through the day and go on a small acclimatization hike. Overnight in Camp.

The day’s hike takes your through boulders and patches of snow gullies. The terrain has a few steep sections in between but mostly a gradual hike. Overnight in Camp.

We hit the glacier after an hour of walking through boulder fields. It is a long day with considerable but gradual height gain through the glacier. You might start feeling the effects of altitude this day. Overnight in Camp.

We start by dawn depending on snow conditions and head towards the pass. The climb is gradual till the last leg to the top. There and couple of humps and a traverse before you reach the last leg below the pass. The approach to the pass is steep and we fix rope. The pass is knife edged with drops on both sides. Once on top you get to see the Banderpunch massif, Kalanag and Swargarohini massif standing tall around. The first section of the descent is steep after which it eases out. We set up camp in a safe area on the glacier. Overnight in Camp.

We continue our descent this day as we walk through vast snow fields till the end of the glacier. The campsite is by the small but extremely beautiful Ruinsara lake. You can enjoy the greenery and the oxygen rich mountain air. Overnight in Camp.

We start the day early so as to reach before afternoon. We camp below the pass along the glacial moraine. This is the one of the best locations for a camp with the valley below and the pass behind you. Camping at this altitude is a new experience which very few treks offer.

We start very early today. The trail heads down south, over the ridge. It is a fairly short but steep climb up to the Bali pass on the southern ridge. A lot of glacial scree will be encountered here. We reach the top of the pass by 8am. You get a gorgeous view of various peaks from here especially of the Panchachuli peaks on a clear day. From the pass, we descend down into the alpine zone and reach the camping grounds of upper Damini. This place has water source nearby.

We descend to the forested trail leading to Yamunotri. After a quick visit to the famous shrine of Yamunotri, we make our way down the conventional pilgrim trail to Janki Chatti. Overnight in guesthouses in Janki Chatti.

This is the final day of the trip and we drive back to Dehradun.