Kalihani Pass Trek

Himachal 8 Days

Difficult

45 KM

MAX 15

MAX ALTITUDE

4800 mts.


19400 + 5% GST

Manali to Manali

Add Ons

Brief Description

Located in the relatively untouched Dhauladhar range of Himachal Pradesh, the Kalihani Pass at 4850 M (15,912 FT) is a one-of-a-kind trail that combines absolute beauty with the ultimate thrill. The Kalihani Pass is a part of the famous Bara Bhangal trail connecting the two valleys of Kullu and Kangra. With its close relation to the bustling town of Manali, the Kalihani Pass trek presents trekkers with breathtaking campsites, dense meadows which are unlike anything you have seen, stunning visuals of the surrounding landscape that are simply scintillating, an adventure-packed pass climb that takes you through a steep trail full of scree, moraine and glistening white snow all the way to 4800 M with unparalleled views of Mt. Deo Tibba, Mt. Indrasan and other peaks of the Pir Panjal range. There are two other spectacular milestones of this trek, namely the 4000 M majestic Khanpara Tibba that gives you a closer view of the Dhauladhar range and the sacred elliptical Rani Sui Lake. The highlight of the trek is the stunning display of a wide array of gorgeous flowers, more than 10 varieties on the trail. Meant for experienced trekkers, expect the unexpected in this pristine and offbeat trek taking you away from the conventional paths of Himachal Pradesh. July to October are the best months to do this trek. Stay on this page for more information on the Kalihani Pass Trek - Itinerary, Route, FAQs, Temperature and Precipitation chart, reviews and photos.



Itinerary

localtion
Day 1

Manali to Sangchar (7684 FT); 30 km Drive. Sangchar to Jammu Paani (9843 FT); 3km, 3-4 hrs Trek.

Report at Manali ISBT at 8 AM. After freshening up & breakfast in Manali, our vehicles will take you to Sangchar, 1.5 hours drive. The trek starts from the village of Sangchar with a continuous zig-zag trail. The trail leaving behind the entire town of Manali with splendid views of the Pir Panjal range. With a continuous ascent of around 2000 ft, the trail is decent in terms of difficulty. From the very first day itself, you will be gifted with a spectacular spread of colourful flowers like Anemone and Gearanium, a sight to behold for sure. With the trail taking you through tall blades of grass, thick bushes and meadows, we reach today's campsite, Jammu Paani which is a clearing surrounded by oak trees on one side and dense bushes on the other. Retire for the night. Overnight in tents.


localtion
Day 2

Jammu Paani (9843 FT) to Pani Dhar; 5km, 6-7 hrs trek

Today's trek will be a long one so we start early. The trail leads you through Maheli Thatch with dense oak trees on one side and meadows on the other. The left side of the valley presents you with spectacular valley openings and views of snowclad passes. A little beyond this point will be our lunch spot where you can enjoy the packed lunch provided to you. We ascend and descend a few times on the lush meadows before we reach Pani Dhar, a beautiful meadow campsite. Overnight in tents.


localtion
Day 3

Pani Dhar to Riyali Thatch (11,965 FT); 4km, 3-4 hrs Trek

Today’s trek is relatively easier. With a small section of a steep ascent crossing a gateway of rocks supported by a rocky mountain and a stream piercing through it, the trail leads you to the campsite of Riyali Thatch. With lush slope of the mountain on one side, the Riyali Thatch campsite has a gigantic display of colorful pretty flowers. Overnight in tents.


localtion
Day 4

Riyali Thatch (11,965 FT) to Saghor (13,123 FT); 6 km, 7-8 hours Trek

Today's trek is an easy one. Leaving behind the Riyali Thatch campsite we will descend towards a snow bridge over a stream that is fed by the Kalihani glacier. The trail becomes steep until we reach a ridge. With the mesmerizing ridge walk with lush green meadows and bushes along with a wide variety of flowers etched on a mountain slope on either side of the ridge. On the right season, this section has an unparalleled display of 7 different types of flowers along with Juniper trees which add to the beauty of the landscape. The ridge ends with a zig-zag trail, a continuous ascent towards the Saghor campsite. With unobstructed views of the Pir Panjal range in front of you and the wonderful snow-capped passes behind you, the Saghor campsite is a sight to behold. This will be your Kalihani Pass basecamp. We will let our bodies acclimatize at this altitude as the proceeding day will be spent in climbing the pass. Overnight in tents.


localtion
Day 5

Saghor (13,123 FT) to Kalihani Pass (15,748 FT) and back to Saghor; 6 km, 9-10 hrs Trek.

We start early today by 4am so that we witness the beautiful sunrise from a good vantage point. The trail starts with a gradual ascent on a snow patch till you reach a waterfall which indicates the start of a steep trail to the pass. Standing right below the pass you get impressive views of Mt. Deo Tibba and Mt. Indrasan along with plenty of other peaks of the Pir Panjal range. The views are available to you all along the pass climb. The final section of pass climb includes some snowy slopes that are present as a wave that is a bit difficult to ascend. In spite of being so close to the pass, it still stays hidden from you. After the third snowy slope, we pass through a small gully and the Kalihani Pass now shows itself. With a thrilling climb to reach the Kalihani Pass you are presented with the mesmerizing views of Pir Panjal range on one side and the monumental Bara Bhangal region on the other side. After the pass we make our way back to the Saghor campsite with a steep descent over the glacier and moraines. Enjoy the rest of the day at the Saghor campsite. Overnight in tents.


localtion
Day 6

Saghor (13,123 FT) to Rani Sui; 8 km, 7-8 hrs trek.

Today's trail to the next campsite will be a gradual descend till you reach the snow bridge which comes between the valley. Then follows the gradual ascend to the Riyali campsite. We rest here for a bit before heading on towards Rani Sui, an elliptical lake surrounded by meadows which is considered sacred by the locals. At the lake, one can witness panoramic views of the Dhauladhar range. Overnight in tents.


localtion
Day 7

Rani Sui to Lamadugh (9843 FT) ; 6 km, 7-8 hrs.

Today’s trek takes us to Lamadugh via Khanpara Tibba, a 4000m peak which provides spectacular views of the Beas River Valley. The trail to the summit of Khanpara Tibba is a continuous ascend followed by a pass section with a level walk and then the last ascend to the top. The trail from this point onward is a steep descend that goes on through a small section of Rhododendrons and then keeps on going down till you Lamadugh, a campsite surrounded by dense oak forests. Overnight in tents.


localtion
Day 8

Lamadugh (9843 FT) to Manali (6562 FT); 7.12 km, 4-5 hrs Trek.

After having breakfast, start your way down from Lamadugh to Hadimba Devi Temple in Manali. Once you start descending through a beautiful pine forest, the grand views of Manali will stay with you to the road head. So once you reach the road head continue your walk towards the Hadimba Goddess Temple, you can visit this temple and it will take merely 20 min to reach the Mall road of Manali which is right at the centre of the city. This is the end of this mammoth trek.



Frequently Asked Questions

Pick your question

Eligibility: Is this trek good for me?

Kalihani Pass Trek is made only for experienced trekkers who want to test their limits. The challenges faced in the trek should not be underestimated. You should attempt this trek only if you have already done a trek that climbs to 3700-4500 metres. It is recommended not to opt Kalihani Pass trek if you cannot get acclimatized in high altitudes. Besides you need to have a strong physical endurance to complete this trek. On Bikat Scale Kalihani Pass Trek Difficulty level is 4. For details on trek difficulty level, please read on Bikat Rating Scale

Eligibility: Experience required

One should have at least 7-10 trek days in the Himalayas in his/her kitty. Kalihani Pass Trek trek is more than 4700 meters, a person must have prior experience of trekking at altitudes of or more than 3700 meters.

Eligibility: Requisite skills

How to use an Ice Axe
How to use Climbing boots & Crampons
How to rope up & follow queued climbing/descending
How to self-arrest using an ice axe
Knowledge of Basic First aid

About the activity: Why should I go for this trek?

Kalihani Pass Trek - Himachal

Kalihani Pass located in the Dhauladhar Range of Himachal Pradesh is as pristine as a trek can be. Climbing to a massive height of 4800 M (15,748 FT), the trek gives you panoramic views of the Mt. Deo Tibba and Mt. Indrasan of the Pir Panjal range and the Bara Bhangal region of the Dhauladhar range. With stunning campsites, brown and green oak forests, countless colorful flowers such as Gearanium, Anemone, Marsh Marigold, Phlomis and Rhododendrons, the Kalihani Pass Trek is possibly the best monsoon trek of India dethroning Valley of Flowers of Uttarakhand. With a thrilling pass climb along with numerous other milestones such as the 4000 M tall Khanpara Tibba and the elliptical scared lake of Rani Sui, the Kalihani Pass Trek is a complete package full of awesomeness and splendor.

Packing List: What to pack



Click here for packing list.

Packing List: How should I pack my rucksack?

Packing List: How should I select my trekking shoe?

Connectivity: How to Reach the base of the trek & how to go back from the end point?

The start point of Bhrigu Lake trek is Gulaba which lies on the way to Rohtang Pass. The ideal way to reach Gulaba is by hiring a shared jeep or a private taxi from Manali. Manali is well connected to Delhi through road and air. There are no direct trains from Delhi though.
By Road: The road distance from Delhi to Manali is 536 km. There are overnight HPRTC Volvo buses from ISBT Kashmere Gate, Delhi for Manali. There are also private Volvo buses which can be booked online. However, their services are highly unreliable, especially on Long Weekends. It is a 14-hour journey by bus. You can book your bus tickets online through hrtchp.com or any other bus services available. You can also hire a private taxi or an outstation cab from Delhi.
By Rail: To reach by train, take a direct train from Delhi to Pathankot. Some of the trains that run on this route are Delhi-Pathankot Express, Jammu Tawi Express, Delhi-Dhauladhar Express. You can then take a bus from Pathankot to Manali. Or you can take a connecting train from Pathankot to Joginder Nagar which is the nearest station to Manali. There are buses running frequently between Joginder Nagar and Manali.
By Air: The nearest airport is Bhuntar airport which is located 50 km from Manali. There are taxis available at the airport which will take you to Manali. You can also take local buses that keep running from Bhuntar to Manali at very regular frequency. Buses are decent and very cheap compared to taxi that can cost you around INR 2000 to 2500 depending upon season.

Connectivity: What is the cellular network connectivity for this trek?

Intermittent cellular network till Riyali campsite.

Best Season: What are the best months to visit this trek?

July to September are the best months to undertake the Kalihani Pass Trek.

Nearby attraction: What are the nearby attractions that I can explore?

Manali is the gateway to Solang Valley where you can participate in adventure activities like paragliding, and zorbing in the summer months when the snow melts. This famous tourist hill station has so many places to visit in Manali. Visit the ancient Hadimba Devi Temple which has an interesting mythological tale associated with it. Walk through the charming lanes of Old manali. Visit the bazaar to buy some souvenirs. Jogini Fall and Vashisht Temple are other famous attractions in Manali. You can also visit Rohtang pass while you are in Manali.

Transport: In case we opt for the transport with you, where will you pick us from and where will you drop?

We have one pick-up point: Main Government Bus Stand in Manali. The dropping point will be at Hadimba Devi Temple. From here you can take cab/auto rickshaw for Manali which is approximately 1 km.

Transport: What time will we reach the end point on last day of the trek?

Expect to reach Manali by afternoon.

Equipment and facilities: What kind of tents and sleeping bags will be provided to us?

We provide 4 seasons tents by Gipfel for higher altitudes which can easily withstand heavy snowfall and storms. They are spacious enough to accomodate 3 people at once with a vestibule to place the backpacks. Our sleeping bags are made up of Heatseeker Pro synthetic insulation that can provide you comfort in -10 degrees celsius. We also use additional fleece liners to have thermal efficiency even in the extreme temperatures of -17 degrees Celsius. If you carry your own sleeping bag, you will get a cashback reward provided that you inform us as soon as you have booked your trek.

Equipment and facilities: Are there any washroom/toilet facilities on the trek?

Toilet tents will be provided to you on the trek. These are portable toilets tents where a deep pit will be dug. A shovel will be provided inside the tent to cover the waste after you have made your business. You can take a toilet roll inside. Make sure you dig used toilet paper along with the waste. Though water is recommended in place of toilet paper. Please refrain from using wet wipes as they are non-biodegradable. There will be no facility for bathing on the trek. Go through our blog section for tips on how to maintain personal hygiene on treks.

Equipment and facilities: If we trek in snow, what equipment will you provide?

You will be provided with good quality of gaiters and microspikes from us depending upon the situation of the snow. Our trek leaders will also be carrying ropes and ice axe.

Equipment and facilities: What kind of food will be provided for the trek?

Vegetarian food will be served throughout the trek. The only non-vegetarian item served on our treks are eggs. Our kitchen staff follows a proper menu for breakfast, lunch and dinner which has been designed in order to fulfil the nutritional requirements of the participants. There will be milk, poha, eggs, muesli/corn flakes, bread and butter served for breakfast. Rice or simple roti sabzi will be packed for lunch. In dinner, you will have dal, egg curry or any other vegetarian dish along with rice, roti, and a dessert item. Packed lunch will be provided to you on the days you are trekking. You are requested to carry your own tiffin box and a mug to consume food. The meals consumed on journey and arrival day are not included in our cost.

Equipment and facilities: What equipment can I rent from you?

You can rent following items from us- Trekking Pole, Trekking Shoes, Fleece Jacket, Rucksack.

Eligibility: Fitness benchmark

Jog/Run for 5 Kms in 25-30 mins Or Walk continuously for 10 kms (with 3-4 small breaks) on plain terrain (slight incline is better) and
Hold your breath for 40 seconds and
3 sets of Climbing 30 – 40 steps in one stretch and
Push Ups – 10 and
Lunges & Squats – 15 X 2 sets
If you are not meeting these benchmarks, please use the preparation schedule to improve your fitness till you achieve the above benchmarks.

Weather conditions: What will the temperatures be like during this trek?

July and August: 15-10 deg celsius during the day and at night temperatures may drop to 5 deg celsius. Day temperatures in September will be around 7 deg celsius and at night temperatures will vary from 0-2 deg celsius.

Weather conditions: When will there be snow on this trek?

Yes there will be snow on the pass.

Miscellaneous : Is there an option to offload my backpack?

If you want to offload your rucksack, you will have to make a request for offloading a few days prior the trek through an email so that arrangement can be made in advance. You will be charged per day for offloading your rucksack. In case you decide to offload on the spot, you may have to pay a higher price than usual. However offloading your rucksack is not recommended since it is not a safe practice.

Miscellaneous : Who will lead us on the trek?

A team of participant will be led by a course certified trek leader and a local guide. All participants are requested to abide by what their leader says. There will also be a team of kitchen staff and porters on the trek. We maintain 1:8 ratio of trek leader and participants. All our trek leaders and staff have a certified training in first-aid and rescue operation.

Miscellaneous : Is the trekking pole necessary?

It is not mandatory but it is more convenient with the pole. If you don’t want to buy one, you can rent it from us on minimal daily basis charges. You can request the renting link from us.

Miscellaneous : Are there any local stores/shops from where I can shop trekking necessities?

Manali has reasonable size market but because of immediate departure from Manali last minute purchasing might be difficult. Please do not leave anything for last minute buying.

Miscellaneous : Is it safe for solo woman traveller to trek in Fixed departures?

Yes, it is absolutely safe for solo woman to travel in fix departures. Women on the trek will be sharing tent with each other. In case you are the only woman on the trek, you will be given a separate tent.

Miscellaneous : Will you give certificates on completion of trek?

Yes, e-certificates will be given at the end of each trek provided that you completed it. It will bear your name, the trek, and the maximum altitude you achieved on the trek.

Mandatory documents: What are the mandatory documents required for the expedition?

ID Proof (Soft Copy to be sent to us in Advance & original to be carried) and Medical Certificate (Soft Copy to be sent to us & original to be carried) are the mandatory documents required for this trek.

Age limit: What is the minimum & maximum age limit?

The minimum age limit is 13 years. However, minors aged between 13 to 17 should be accompanied by their parents or guardians. If you are above the age of 60, kindly carry a medical certificate from your doctor that deem you fit for adventure activities like trekking.

Accommodation: What will be the accommodation type in this trek?

On trekking days, all the trekkers will be accommodated in twin or triple sharing tents. Along with this, there will be also be a toilet tent and a dining tent installed at every campsite as we roll.


Why Bikat

Learning Experience
  • We are an Adventure Learning Organisation first.
  • We want you to not just complete a trek safely but also pick up some basic trekking knowledge and skills along the way.
  • To achieve this we have integrated learning modules into our itineraries.
  • These modules will help you build the necessary skills to progress from trekking to mountaineering over time.
Loyality Programs

Our community is an integral part of us and we take pride in our trekkers and climbers. When you complete at least three days on any trek or expedition with us, you become eligible for our membership and referral programs.

  • Currently we have three levels:
  • Basic Membership
  • Summiteer Membership
  • Leader Membership
Personalized Attention
  • Our group sizes on treks don’t exceed 15 members in order to maintain a healthy Participants : Leader Ratio of 8:1.
  • Over time we have found this number to be optimum when it comes to ensuring personalised attention to every member of our group.
  • On mountaineering expeditions this number is even smaller. Our group sizes are capped at 12 members ensuring a Participants : HAP Ratio of 2:1.
Best Expedition Leaders
  • Our Expedition leaders are advanced mountaineering course qualified, specially trained in rescue procedures from NIM and certified first-aid responders.
  • Even our local guides are certified first-aid responders.
Eco-friendly Practices
  • Group sizes are capped at 15 people.
  • Batch sizes are capped at 250 people per trail per season.
  • We follow a rolling campsite model.
  • We are constantly exploring and introducing new trails to reduce the burden on existing ones.
Safety

For us, a successful summit is not about reaching the highest point of a mountain but about making it safely back to base.

  • To ensure this:
  • Every region of ours is mapped with an emergency evacuation plan.
  • The equipment we use is UIAA certified.
  • Our trek leaders are AMC certified with specialisation in rescue procedures.
  • Our support staffs are trained in first aid as well.

Reviews


What's Included

Whats Included

  • Food as per menu on the trek (Starting Lunch on Day 1 till Breakfast on Day 8)
  • Forest Permits/Camping Charges, if any (Upto the amount charged for Indian nationals)
  • Dome tents - on twin sharing basis, Sleeping bags, mats
  • Micro-spikes, Gaiters, Helmets, if required
  • Trek guide, cook, helpers, and porters for carrying common supplies
  • Mountaineering course certified Trek Leader with First Aid certification along with special rescue course from NIM, Uttarkashi
  • Exhaustive First Aid kit including Oxygen cylinder

Whats Not Included?

  • Portage of personal bags during the trek
  • Cost of any kind of Travel Insurance.
  • Any Expense of personal nature.
  • Any Expense not specified in the inclusions list.

Cancellation Policy

Cash Refund

Cancellations up to 30 days prior to departure date
5% Deduction

Between 30 days to 15 days prior to departure
50% deduction

Less than 15 days of departure
No Cash Refund

Voucher Refund

Cancellations up to 5 days prior to departure date
No Deduction

Cancellations less than 5 days prior to departure
No Refund

Please note
  • Cash refund is applicable only in case of bookings made without using any promotional offer code or vouchers.
  • This is only a brief of cancellation terms. For finer details please refer Detailed Cancellation Policy.

Blog Posts

How to Choose the perfect pair of Trekking Shoes?

Sarthak Madan 21 May 2021

<p><span style="color: #000000;">Your choice of trekking shoes can make your trek a blissful or blister-full experience based on how well it fits you. A good pair of trekking shoes is the most essential piece of equipment you will use while hiking.&n

Read More

Certifications