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Manali to Manali
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17 May - 24 May ( FULL )
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Friendship peak is one of the most famous summits for trekking in the country. It is located in the Pir Panjal range in Himachal Pradesh and stands tall at 17,348 ft. The trail of this trek passes through beautiful alpine meadows and dense forests and one crosses numerous streams. Highly varied flora and fauna found on the trek. At the summit, one gets a panoramic view of Pir Panjal range, Dhauldhar range, and the great Himalayan range. Some of the most peaks like Hanuman Tibba, Shitidhar, Indra Asan and Deo Tibba are also visible. The Friendship peak summit is not meant for the beginners. Trekkers must have prior experience of high altitude treks. The fitness level required for this expedition is quite high. The best months to do this trek are from May to June and September to October.
Arrive in Manali
Today the team arrives in Manali latest by 11 am. The day is critical not just because we can acclimatize a bit but also because we need to assemble as a team and get certain permits for the expedition. Although Friendship peak is listed as a Trekking peak by IMF the new process established by IMF in Manali region prescribes that the team provides an intimation along with copies of ID proofs of all participants and Guide. IMF has designated a regional office in Manali for trekking in the upper Himalayan stretches. Once we have a receiving on this intimation from IMF regional office, we need 2 more permits, 1 from BRO and other from SDM. These two permits are required only to use a vehicle on the road between Solang Nala & Dhundi. In case we do not get these two permits we will hike from Solang Nala to Dhundi which is 7 Km walk on the road along the River. Team members stay at a common hotel in Manali and spend some nice prep time in the evening together for a better understanding of each other.
Manali to Dhundi (via Solang Nalla) to Bakkarthatch (21 Kms by road & 4.5 Kms by trek)
Today we start early morning in a vehicle to Dhundi and reach there by 8 am. The common luggage and ration would be carried by mules for us today till Bakkarthatch where we set up base camp. The trek is fairly easy today with a steady incline trail. We cross 3-4 fixed camps in Dhundi where “sailanis” should be visible around the year. Initially, the trail is on the true left side of the Beas River that flows alongside through the day. Soon, we cross a wooden bridge without any “railings”. If you have any phobia from water, this bridge can be a bit exciting for you. From here, we keep walking through the lush green trail on the true right side of the Beas River. In the months of May and June, you may spot some snow on the ridges on the far left side. As you near Bakkarthatch, you would cross 2-3 small streams of tributaries of the main river. We should reach here by around 12 noon. Post lunch, we start setting up our base camp here. Few things that need to be taken care of are 1. Stable Kitchen tent – Ensure that it can withstand strong winds that can be a phenomenon here. 2. Tents for the team – These tents can be set up at a line where they protect kitchen tents against the wind. 3. Keep an open area for equipment briefing and training. 4. Toilet tent – Away from the site, downhill. Make sure all tags are fixed properly. 5. The evening of the day is reserved for equipment briefing and allocation. Every participant would be carrying their tech equipment for load ferry tomorrow.
Bakarthatch to ABC at Lady Leg (Alt 3840 mts) - 4 km
Today we start early around 6.30 am because we need to reach ABC early for camp set up and to learn Snowcraft there. With light breakfast, we reach our camp early enough to have hot lunch there itself, by around 11.30 am. We now set up the camps here for the team and take a small rest for a couple of hours. No sleep is prescribed here as early as now because AMS starts kicking in easily. If weather permits in the afternoon, we move to snow stretches in front of the campsite for our Snowcarft. We will learn a few critical things today – Ascending & descending on heavy snow, Using Ice Axe for the temporary anchor, Self-arrest using an ice axe, roping up, and using technical mountaineering equipment.
Load ferry to Camp 1
Today, we will ferry our summit loads to Camp 1. This will serve our acclimatization objectives. We will spend some time at Camp 1, and return to ABC in the evening.
Practice, Acclimatization, and Move to Camp 1 (Alt 4033 mts, Trek Distance 2 Kms)
Morning of the day is reserved for the practice of the craft that we learned yesterday. We shall start moving towards our Summit Camp in the afternoon. The hike is short (around 1 hour) till the Summit Camp where we set up our tents. We go a bit higher from the large hum where we set our Summit camp for acclimatization and come down to rest at the Summit Camp. Summit Camp may be set up higher in case snow is less. The idea is basically to cut the time from Summit attempt.
Summit Attempt (Max Alt. 5289 Mts) and back to Base Camp (Climb 3 Kms and trek back around 9 Kms)
This is the day we all have planned all this show for! We start at around 2 am in the morning, all geared up with Snow boots, gaiters, harness, helmet, and head torch. Please be careful in bringing a head torch for the expedition because it would be very difficult to manage Ice Axe and torch in two hands during the climb. From our summit camp, we move on the default side with the shoulder of the peak. The route is mostly clear till we reach the shoulder. The gradient of the climb is steep but roping up or fix rope should not be required. If you are climbing in the month of May, then crampons would be needed on this patch (till the shoulder). The climb till here should take around 4 to 5 hours and by the time you reach here, it might be morning. Summit trail from the shoulder is almost vertical. You cannot go zig-zag because the patch is full of crevasses on the front side. Fix rope would be needed from here if the team has new climbers. After climbing for another 2 to 3 hours, one would reach the Solo Summit (Alt. 5000 mts). You would take a small diversion towards the north and after around 30 minutes of climbing, you reach a black rock that needs to be carefully negotiated. Summit is not far from here and one should reach the Summit by around 9 am or 10 am. Celebrate your moment and click picture but be careful since the platform at the Summit is not too wide. Descending early (around 10 am) is important because the way back is also long. Once the snow gets slushy, descent would become difficult. While climbing down till the shoulder, fix rope is again needed. As we reach our Summit Camp, we gather our breath and have some quick bites. We quickly wrap up our tents and move to the ABC. If the team has enough energy after the celebratory lunch at ABC, then we can move to Base Camp on the same day. The way down would take only 2 -3 hours and the comfort of Basecamp can be quite tempting!
Reserve Day
This is a reserve day for a second summit attempt. It will only be used in case of bad weather or other unexpected conditions.
Base Camp to Dhundi to Manali
Today we trace our way back to Dhundi from the Basecamp and move to Manali in a vehicle. Evening reserved for grand Summit celebration where we all go Dutch.
Friendship Peak 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 4700-5000 metres. It is recommended not to opt this trek if you cannot get acclimatized at high altitudes. Besides you need to have a strong physical endurance to complete this trek. For details on trek difficulty level, please read on Bikat Rating Scale
Should have an experience of at least 10 – 15 trek days in the Himalayas, At least one Moderate Plus category trek, Experience of trekking at altitudes higher than 4700 - 5000 mts, Medical fitness certificate from CMO of a recognized hospital.
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
Its a good trekking peak & gives you a glimpse of how actual mountaineering expeditions are conducted. So, if you have enough trekking (view eligibility) & now want to stretch your limits, this expedition is just right for you.
The base camp for the Friendship Peak Trek is Solang Nallah in the beautiful Solang Valley. It is a short drive of 13 km from Manali to Solang Valley. The road from Manali to Solang Nala is lined with apple and pine trees. There are private taxis running between Manali and Solang Valley that cost you anything between INR 2500 to 4000 depending upon the season. Manali is well connected to Delhi with all kinds of transport (except direct train) and can easily be reached through road or air.
By Road : The road distance from Delhi to Manali is 536 km. There are overnight HRTC buses and Volvos available from ISBT Kashmere Gate, Delhi for Manali. 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 to Joginder Nagar from Pathankot 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 a very regular frequency. Buses are decent and very cheap compared to taxi that can cost you around INR 2000-5000 depending upon the season.
Airtel and BSNL may have coverage at some points upto Beas Kund. Bakkarthatch & Dhundi have decent coverage of BSNL. One can expect full reception till Solang Valley.
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. 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.
Click here for text packing list.
June or September - October
The minimum age limit is 13 years. However, minors aged between 13 to 17 should be accompanied with 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.
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.
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.
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
A basic mountaineering course is recommended though not mandatory in case of highly experienced & skilled trekkers. At least 2-3 challenging treks along with 20 – 25 total trekking days in the Himalayas.
The Friendship peak expedition is meant for experienced trekkers only. The maximum altitude gained during the expedition is 17,348 ft. The trail of the trek is difficult to scale but offers unmatched beauty at the same time. At the summit, one gets a panoramic view of Pir Panjal range, Dhauldhar range, and the great Himalayan range. Some of the most peaks like Hanuman Tibba, Shitidhar, Indra Asan and Deo Tibba are also visible. For details on trek difficulty level, please read on Bikat Rating Scale
The best months to do this trek are from May to June and September to October.
Click here for packing list.
From Manali, we drive to Dhundi via Solang Nala from where we trek to Bakkarthatch. At the end of the trek, we will trace our steps back to Dhundi from where we will board our vehicles to Manali.
Manali is a famous tourist attraction. The Mall road and Hidimba Devi temple are frequented by many. The Solang valley is famous for many adventure sports activities.
The minimum age limit is 13 years. However, minors aged between 13 to 17 should be accompanied with 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.
At Manali, we will stay at hotels or guesthouses. During the trek we will be camping.
We use four-season tents and the sleeping bags we use are rated from -15 to -20 degree celcius.
A maximum of 25-degrees to a minimum 5-degree celcius is seen during the months of July to October.
A trek leader will be assigned to lead you on the trek.
Yes, since there will be a lot of snow on the trail a trekking pole would be helpful.
From Manali, we will drive you to Dhundi and at the end of the trek, we will drive you back to Manali.
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.
For us, a successful summit is not about reaching the highest point of a mountain but about making it safely back to base.
Cancellations up to 30 days prior to departure date
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Between 30 days to 15 days prior to departure
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deduction
Less than 15 days of departure
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Cancellations up to 5 days prior to departure date
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Ritvij Kumar 25 March 2017
While the terminology used in mountaineering is decently complex but the features that I am going to talk about are mostly the common ones. When we go t
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