kugti pass - may 06-15, 2011 (full brochure)

Indian Himalayan Adentures - Kugti Pass (May 2011)


Kugti Pass (5061 m or 16600 ft) is the highest pass of Pir Panjal mountain range, dividing Chamba and Lahaul districts of Himachal Pradesh. Kugti Pass is among the best of pre monsoon treks of Indian Himalayas and takes one through the jungles to a huge, heavenly high altitude table top meadows to glaciers with breathtaking panoramas. The landscape is beautiful and intoxicating even for the experienced mountaineers. The trek is through the Bhudil valley that starts as a narrow ridge after Kugti Village but opens wide few kilometers later. Bharmour is popularly kown as Shivbhumi - the land of Lord Shiva. The shepherds sacrifice a few of their sheep to Lord Kartik and Shiva as they formally seek permission to cross over this pass safely, which can be tedious in case of fresh snow or hailstorm at the top. Trek Facts

Altitude The trek starts at 8000 ft and climbs to 16000 ft

Trail type Pass cross over. The trek starts in the Chamba district of Himachal Pradesh and ends in the Lahaul district but we will not cross over to Lahaul and head back the same route

Rail head Pathankot in Punjab (Chakki Bank station is better). The nearest big town beyond the pass is Keylong which lies on the Leh - Manali highway

Grade Difficult. Not technical but prior high altitude trek experience is useful

Base camp Bharmour. The actual trek starts at Dharol, a 60 min drive away from Bharmour.

Best season June and September. Expect lots of snow in May. The first two weeks of September are when the snow will be at its least with lot of scree and rocky patches.

Trek Itinerary May 06 – Drive to Pathankot – Leave Delhi around 3 pm, Hotel stay

May 07 - Drive from Pathankot to Bharmour (Start at 7 am), Stay at Rest House

May 08 – 1 hr Drive to Dharol and trek to Kugti village, Camping

May 09 - Trek from Kugti village to Duggi, Camping

May 10 - Trek from Duggi to Alyas (Lahesh), Camping

May 11 - Acclimatization and rest day at Alyas, Camping

May 12 - Alyas to Kodlu Alyas to Kugti Pass to Kelang templ, Camping

May 13 – Kalang to Kugti Village/Dharol, Camping

May 14 - Drive to Pathankot/Delhi (late night on 14th) or

May 15 – Pathankot to Delhi

Kugti Pass

Trek Map—Kugti Pass, 5061 m, Himachal Pradesh, India


May 06 – Leave Delhi in the afternoon …to reach Pathankot by night. May 07 – Drive from Pathankot to Bharmour – Night stay at Bharmour PWD Rest House...last minute shopping for ration and fresh vegetables for the trek… nothing is available beyond this point except dal, rice, wheat flour at Kugti village…that too in limited quantity. Also visit to Chaurasi temple.

May 08 – 1 hr drive from Bharmour to Dharol (7,600 ft) to Kugti (8,500 ft). Easy undulating. 5½ kms - 3 hours. The trek from Dharol to Kugti Village is easy, gradual walk on a wide trek …good for mountain biking.

Crossing over the stream just before the Kugti village will take us to the playground (only few square feet of flat place) of one of the smallest schools you would have seen. Kugti village is a small, yet beautiful village with about 50 houses and a small tuck shop

May 09 Kugti Village to Duggi (11000 ft) 7 km – 5 hrs Entry to Bhudil valley alongside bhudil river stream…Head straight from where the river flows in.


The first view of Kugti Pass …straight down the middle of the picture below , alongside the river.

The view of the valley below is spectacular with different shades of green.


May 10 – Duggi to Alyas (lahesh) 13900 ft... 8 km – 6 hrs The trek will head into a terrain that will be above the tree line and opens into a meadow (pic on the next page) . Alyas is a table top open grassland and may have a lot of snow in early May Camp at Lahesh (Lahesh is Himachali word for any summit camp below Pass on either side) – Gradual incline with stretches of steep climb

The gradient is steeper but it is an even climb. The Budhil is now a much narrow stream and its volume a lot less. The trail inclines perceptibly more and catches up with the Budhil at the base of the mounds. The two mounds need to be negotiated with the first one quite a challenge. The climb is pretty steep this day, more so towards the end of the days trek. The breathtaking views that it offers compensates more than the difficulty it offers.


May 11 – acclimatization day at Lahesh summit camp and explore the beautiful meadow right at the footsteps of Pir Panjal


May 12 - ALYAS (Lahesh) to Kugti Pass (16600 ft) to kelang Temple – Early start from the camp - 4 a.m so that Pass is achieved before 12 pm. It has two steep ascents after traversing the scree till the base of the climb


Above: View from where the Kugti Pass is climbed .

May 13 – Back to Kelang. One can cross over but the road on the other side from Jobrang will not be open towards Manali through Keylong and Rohtand pass at this time of the year. This effectively means walking 4 more days to reach Manali. Therefore, it was decided not to cross over, considering the Lahaul position. The other side is drastically different and is barren with typical Lahaul landscape. The steep descent (as in the last picture) towards the Lahesh of the other side is quite difficult with enough space for 1 foot only. Glad that we don’t have to do this scree and also slippery stretch due to closure of roads till last week of May.

The steep descent is from the ridge seen in the picture (above right) …Less snow makes it very difficult due to long stretches of

such moraines as above.

May 14 – Kelang to Dharol and Bharmour ….Drive to Pathankot—Reach Delhi on May 15.


COST PER PERSON (Ex New Delhi):

Group

Size

IHA Member

(Indian or Foreign)

INR or USD

Non IHA Member

(Indian National)

INR

Non IHA Member

(Foreign National)

USD

12 Rs. 15,000 or $ 350 Rs. 22,000 $ 485

The booking would be on “first come-first serve” basis. IHA members will get the first preference. Only after interested

IHA members have been included, non members would be permitted in case seats are available.

COST INCLUDES:

Accommodation:

Pathankot/Bharmour/Kugti: In a small neat and clean guesthouse or resthouse on twin sharing / BB basis (Includes Bed & Breakfast)

On the trek: In camping tents on twin / triple sharing basis including all meals

Travel: Travel from New Delhi to Bharmour & back to New Delhi in small vehicles / coach depending on the participating members

Others: Local experienced guide on the trek, porters for food and common belongings, cook and helper.

COST EXCLUDES:

1. Govt. Service Tax as applicable

2. Hotel Taxes

3. Food expenses before or after reaching Delhi

4. Charges for ‘personal’ porters hired over and above the porters / mules hired for our trek.

5. Any kind of insurance, such as accident, theft, medical, evacuation etc.

6. Tips to the camping staff, porters & guide.

7. Any extra costs incurred due extension / change of the itinerary due to natural calamities, flight delays, road blocks, vehicle breakdown etc. factors beyond the control of “INDIAN HIMALAYAN ADVENTURES” and its associates.

8. Items not specified in “Cost Includes”.

SPECIAL NOTES:

1. Please ask for a separate quote in case any IHA member wants to join in at Bharmour.

2. Delays are expected on account of roadblock & weather conditions. Our effort will be to continue with the trip as per the schedule & make you as comfortable as possible. But in such situations we may have to compromise on the campsite / hotels & adjust to these situations then & there.

3. The itinerary should be viewed as ideal & we may have to make some spot changes due various reasons.

4. The distances & altitude mentioned in the above itinerary are to the best of our knowledge & information; marginal variance in the actual distances & altitudes is possible.

5. Prices are subject to change depending on the availability of rooms, transport, etc

GENERAL INFORMATION:

Our effort is to give a clear idea about various aspects of the trip to avoid any misunderstanding during the trek. We request you to please read all the information given herewith carefully.

ACCOMMODATION:

In cities/towns/remote places: In small neat and clean hotels/guesthouses on twin / triple sharing basis

On the trek: Accommodation will be in small camping tents on twin / triple sharing basis

FOOD:

As rule of IHA, all meals from Delhi to Delhi are covered in the cost. No liquor is allowed on IHA trips. A typical menu on the trek will be as follows,

Breakfast: Bread toast with jam and butter, plain parantha, eggs (omelette / bhurji), porridge


Mostly pack/working lunch: Fruity, fruits, dry fruits, chocolates, namkeens, noodles/puri-bhaji, Boiled egg / potatoes.

Evening tea & biscuits

Dinner: Soup, chapatti, rice, dal, vegetables (as per season), sweet dish

ON THE TREK:

Equipment:

All camping equipment like carry mats, tents, will be provided by IHA. Sleeping bags will be provided by IHA to members only on a returnable basis. But if you prefer, you can bring your own sleeping bags.

Besides camping tents there will be separate kitchen tent.

Luggage & Porters:

Porters / Mules will carry all common baggage up to a maximum of 15 kg. Members will carry their personal luggage in a rucksack while walking. Please ensure that your rucksack has sturdy straps.

If the member wishes to hire a porter then an extra porter can be arranged on the spot for which the client must make the extra payment.

TIPS / GRATUITIES:

Although the local crew and guides work extremely hard all through the tour and at the end of the tour expect a bit extra. IHA, as a practice, contribute a tip of INR 500 to INR 1000 per person as a token of thanks and appreciation. It is individual members wish to contribute more towards this cause in case they wish to. Any one member from the group can take this initiative and contribute to the local welfare be it medical aid or to the village school or to the village governing council.

TRAVEL:

Air & Rail: The fare, for International / Domestic flights and rail are excludes in our tour cost.

Land Arrangement: All the travel in Himachal Pradesh will be by coach or small vehicle depending upon group members.

GROUP SIZE:

Requisite Group Size: 12 Pax. We have a group size of not more than 12, plus leaders. Larger groups will take away the fun of travelling and make it impossible for us to maintain ‘Personal IHA Touch’.

TOUR ESCORT:

IHA has well qualified and highly experienced mountaineers as its members and leaders, proficient in mountaineering skills with Basic & Advance mountaineering courses through reputed Mountaineering institutes. Besides IHA Leaders, our tour escorts are locals with good experience in leading trekking & other trips. Most of these escorts are good at communicating in English.

AVERAGE TEMPERATURE:

While on the trek the temperatures expected during the day are as high as 18º to 20º Celsius and average night temperatures ex-pected are below 5º Celsius except during bad weather when the temperature can go as low as sub zero.

MEDICAL & FIRST AID:

IHA leaders are trained for medical exigencies and carry a fully equipped medical kit for first aid and minor ailments. However, this trip takes us through remote region where professional medical help may not be available. It would be advisable to speak to your expedition/trek leader in case of any health problems that you may face on the trek.

INSURANCE:

Any kind of insurance on luggage, accident, life or other allied matters is not provided for by “INDIAN HIMALAYAN ADVENTURES”. Members coming on IHA trips will have to make their own arrangements for the same.

BOOKING:

The tour booking will be confirmed by the IHA only upon receipt of 100% advance payment. The booking would be on “first come-first serve” basis. Selected participants would be informed of their participation and the same would also be uploaded onto the IHA site along with 3 wait listed members. Members who fail to make the list will be informed and their fee would be returned without any deduction.


TERMS OF PAYMENT:

Payment to be made either in cash or by cheque / DD in favour of “INDIAN HIMALAYAN ADVENTURES” payable in New Delhi, India.

OR Payment can also be made directly to our ICICI Bank account number ………….. – …………….. Branch.

OR Payment can also be made directly through the IHA site www.ihaclub.com

(In case of any direct deposits made, we would request you to keep us informed either by phone or email. The bookings will be confirmed only on issue of receipt from IHA)

CANCELLATION BY YOU:

In the event of any cancellation by you, the following charges shall be levied as per the following terms:

46 days before date of departure: 20% of tour cost

45 to 31 days before date of departure: 50% of tour cost

30 to 15 days before date of departure: 80% of tour cost

15 to 0 days before date of departure: 100% of tour cost (Will be considered as no show)

CANCELLATION BY ‘INDIAN HIMALAYAN ADVENTURES’ & REFUNDS

‘IHA’ reserves the right to cancel a tour without any reason, whatsoever.

‘IHA’ reserves the right to refuse or cancel any booking if it considers it necessary. In such cases, IHA shall refund all the money that member/ non-members have paid.

If cancellation or alteration by INDIAN HIMALAYAN ADVENTURES is caused by events including war or threat of war, strikes, civil strife, natural disaster, technical or political difficulties affecting air or ground transport, or events amounting to force majeure, this will naturally limit our liability. If such events occur before the departure date, we will do our best to make alter-native arrangements.

1. Duffel Bag / Kit bag [Recommended if luggage is to be carried by porters or ponies]

2. Minimum 70 liters of backpack - For backpacking treks

3. Proper hardy trekking shoes with spare laces – please ensure that they are well broken in before the trek [No exceptions… no tennis shoes!]

4. Slippers / Sports sandals / Floaters [For walking around at campsites]

5. Sun Cap and a small towel or scarf

6. A pair of walking sticks [optional]

7. 4 pairs nylon socks, 2 pairs woolen socks

8. For trek- 3 pairs of trousers, 3 shirts [track suits are great, AVOID jeans or any other tight fitting pants]

9. Full sleeved thick woolen sweater and one jacket

10. Cotton or nylon thermal inners [Essential for the entire trek]

11. Woolen hand gloves & monkey cap / Balaclava

12. Wind cheater / Wind Breaker

13. Poncho / Water Proofs

14. Sun glasses [Good quality, 100%-uv-protection lens, not of blue shade]

15. Cold cream / Hand lotion, sun screen lotion

16. Chapstick or Lip Balm

17. Torch with 2 extra sets of cells [No pencil cell torch, No torch with AA or AAA size batteries. Head lamp is best]

18. Light towel [Should be a thin quick-drying towel]

19. 2 Water bottles (1 liter each) [AVOID simple plastic bottles one hard plastic bottle is recommended for boiled water at higher camps]

20. Adequate underclothing

21. Air Pillow (optional)

22. Personal toilet kit, toilet paper

23. Personal medicines (with written instructions), assorted antiseptic plaster / blister kit / friction free tapes

24. Plastic bags to contain all the above, plus a few spare ones [Re-sealable Ziplocs are ideal for storage – get lots of them]

25. Water purifying material (Complimentary from IHA)

(Please note that the Kit List mentioned is a standard one for all our trips, hence one can make a few changes.)

RECOMMENDED KIT

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KUGTI PASS—May 06-15, 2011

INDIAN HIMALAYAN ADVENTURES, New Delhi +91 98111 00992 / 99588 35533

Email: [email protected] Website: www.ihaclub.com

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