Yunam Peak Trek

The trek starts from Manali, which is a popular tourist destination as well as a high-altitude backpacking centre and hence extremely accessible.

Day one is reserved for everyone to make their way to Manali and get settled into their accommodation. Since climbers will be coming to this altitude from sea level, the body will need time to get comfortable with the mountain air. While the body acclimatizes, we use this time to get acquainted with each other, go over some of the basic mountain rules and discuss the route, terrain, weather and all there is to know about what to expect on Yunam Peak.

Jispa is a small village in Lahaul with a population of less than 300. Located along the Bhaga river, the village packed with hotels and homestays rests alongside a smooth running Leh-Manali Highway. The contrast of the rolling fields, mud houses and the colours of the Buddhist culture thick in the air on one side and the impeccable roads, multi-storied hotels on the other give the village a very European countryside-like feel.

Our drive takes us through Sissu which is another beautiful village. Watch out for the infamous Sissu waterfall – it is quite a sight. We pass through Tandi and then Keylong from where we get our permits and then cover the 22 remaining kms to Jispa in about an hour’s time.

Expect to reach in 4 hours. You have the entire day to explore this beautiful settlement and also acclimatise yourself to this new altitude in the process.

Overnight in a hotel/homestay.

Today is jam-packed with excitement. From meeting two lakes with two distinct personalities – Deepak Tal and Suraj Tal, to crossing the Baralacha La Pass at 4,850M to settling into Bharatpur, our first campsite on this expedition – there is a lot happening today! We are also continuously gaining altitude and you may begin to feel the effects of that. Spend a lot of time out and about and remember to drink plenty of water to help your body adjust to this new height.

There are a few roadside dhabas in case you have some specific food cravings. Bharatpur is where we bid farewell to the colour green – it is all shades of brown and black from here on. You are now in the belly of Lahaul!

We wake up with no rush since we spent our first night at high-altitude and do not want to stress the body too much. Today is reserved for acclimatization to the altitude since we gained quite a bit of height (2,700M) in the last 2 days and have also entered a much different terrain. Coming from the humid city air to the pleasant temperature of Manali to entering Lahaul, we have moved through many different climactic zones. The weather here, in Lahaul, is much drier making it harder still for the body to adapt.

We will go for an acclimatization walk in the evening where we will gain close to 300-400M in altitude, but remember to stay active and spend as much time outside your tent as possible. Spending as much time exposed to this new altitude air will help the body adapt to it much better, prepping it for what’s to come in the following days.

Today is likely to feel a little strenuous because we are walking for the first time on this trek at this height and with our sacks. The distance is not high but it is an upward slope through and through. We start at 9 AM after breakfast. There is a proper trail which takes you straight to the base camp. The terrain is already moraine-like with rolling rocks making it hard to find your footing. We cross the water stream coming from above, a couple of times on our way up – you will always find narrow sections and stepping stones from where you can cross the stream easily. You will mostly not need to take off your shoes. Remember to take frequent breaks and continue to drink plenty of water.

Reaching the base camp should take us close to 4-5 hours. From the base camp, you get the entire view of the mountain from its head to toe. It almost looks like it’s a stone-throw away. Spend these two days at the Base Camp studying the mountain, its routes and the many features on its face. 

A lot has to be achieved during our time at the Base Camp. From distribution of gear like snow boots, crampons and helmets to some basic training on how to walk on snow, how to arrest your fall and how to divide your energy to last you through the day on a summit night. We also talk about the plan for the summit, the route we follow, some difficult sections to be mindful of and how we will work together as a team.

Tonight, we leave for the summit. Have an early dinner and get to sleep by 7 PM so that you get enough rest.

There are two ways to describe this day – extremely exciting and extremely long! We wake up by 1 AM, gear up, have some breakfast, fill 2 litres of water and set out for our push by 2 AM. The continuously steep and endless slopes leading up to the summit of Mt. Yunam are easier to tackle on a rocky terrain when there is a clear trail to follow. In snow, things get a little more precarious as the conditions of snow change continuously, it is also harder to find your footing on as compared to hard ground. The effort required to make every step forward is three times too much. Overall, snow makes the summit day on Mt. Yunam quite a hassle but that’s what adds to the sense of accomplishment once you make it to the top.

The conditions you get during your climb will determine how long your day will be. We start out on a flat section of moraines which brings us to a gully of a 60 degree gradient. On crossing the gully, we take a right that brings us to a massive field of snow. Once across this field, we will be walking on nothing lesser than a 50-degree incline at all times till we reach the summit. The summit of Yunam is a flat surface with crazy views of an endless range of snow mountains on all sides. The sunrise on the way is no less magical.

You soon realise that the highest point of the mountain you could see from the base camp, is actually not the summit. The summit lies 2 hours ahead of this point – hidden behind the false summit, it wasn’t visible from the base camp. These last 2 hours prove to be the hardest part about the climb.

With almost a 1000M in elevation gain, the summit day is extremely taxing and can prove to be challenging. Remember to retain enough energy for your descent as well. Climbing down in snow is a lot harder than climbing up, exercise extreme caution. If you have found yourself a rocky terrain devoid of snow, your day will be much shorter for sure but you will be trading off the joy of snow slides on your way down!

We’ve come to the end of this trek. As we amble down the rocky slopes from our base camp to Bharatpur, we bid a happy farewell to the mountain. The trek down is an easy one. At the end of the trail, we reach the familiar dhabas where we will also find our vehicle waiting to drive us back to Manali. Expect to reach Manali by early evening. You may plan your journey ahead accordingly.