Trekking in the Heart of the Parvati Valley: Sar Pass Trek

SHORT ITINERARY

• Get ready to be greeted by fantastic views of snow-covered mountain peaks from Grahan Village.

• Post breakfast, set out to trek for 4 – 5 hours to reach Min Thach. Cross over small sloping hills on a beaten local trail.

• Cross dense jungles and head towards Min Thach, crossing Nagaru and Sar Top peaks while enjoying their shade.

• The trail gets steeper as one goes further into the mountains, but the sounds of chirping birds make it pleasant.

• Get to Min Thach at a height of 11,150 ft, pitch your tent, and sleep in peace under the stars with the mountains around you.

DETAILED ITINERARY

In the morning, you can enjoy views of lofty mountains covered with snow from Grahan Village. After having breakfast, start for Min Thach which is about a 4-5 hours walk. The initial part of the trek involves a gentle ascent which is easy to do via the well-used path frequented by the locals. As one proceeds northward from Grahan, 1865m, the course widens at Min Thach, Nagaru, and Sar Top peaks which create an exhilarating experience for the trekkers.

The path is steadily windy as it gets higher, together with a little sharp climb. As you travel deeper into the forests, the climb gets steeper as it gets thicker with trees. With trees all around there is always a cool shade as you walk through the jungles. Step by step, scene after scene, the beauty of the environment slowly presents itself in its most crude form. The calm setting and the sound of birds chirping are ideal for walking on any path.

Once you have crossed the forest, you will reach Min Thach, a beautiful little plain set at the height of 11,150 ft (3,400 meters). Today is your last post for the day and you will set up camp here and sleep in the open with the beautiful mountains surrounding you. While en route to the overnight forest camp, try and soak in the tranquility of the place as you prepare yourself for the adventures of the next day.

SHORT ITINERARY

• Fresh mountain weather and the views of the hills will usher you into the day like no other.

• After taking a heavy meal, the time comes to step up to the high peak of Nagaru 12500 ft through thick bushes and difficult landscapes.

• Persist through Nagaru’s steep inclines and declines which test your focus.

• Once completed with the site of Nagaru, camp. Tired from the day, relax before preparing for tomorrow while taking in the sights and breeze of the mountains.

DETAILED ITINERARY

Upon waking up at Min Thach from a restful sleep, inhale a deep breath to take in the cold air accompanied by expansive sights of hills in their beauty. Relish a hot meal to replenish your energy before leaving for Nagaru which is 12,500 ft (3810m) high. The elevation causes the terrain to be rugged with thick forests along the trail where steep ascents and descents are commonplace.

This section of the trek is referred to as one of the tough sections of the trek as the steep slope dives into the valley below. The trek challenges your concentration and endurance as you negotiate steep rises but the payoff is worth it. It is said that the first snowfall occurs at Nagaru campsite after a few hours of hard hiking. From this point, one can look through a stunning view over Parvati Valley and the town of Manikaran, and most of the valleys are encircled by the serene mountains in the background.

Build a tent here for the night as the occasion demands for the weather up high is too perfect, the cool breeze after views on the mountains off the plains becomes a perfect way to end before the great venture continues.

SHORT ITINERARY

• Relish a delightful breakfast while gazing at the peaks before going up the steep path to Sar Pass.

• As you approach the Sar Pass, make your way through forests, ridges, and snow-clad valleys, climbing up to 4868 meters above sea level.

• What a sight! After climbing up, the stunning panoramic views of the magnificent peaks and the glacier below capture the beauty of the moment.

• The heights of Sar pass going back down are steep. The initial strain soon passes and you find a rhythm allowing the journey to be easier.

DETAILED ITINERARY

Following Nagaru, the views of peaks, it is time to hit the steep paths and ascend the Sar Pass, which is 4,868 meters high. This trek takes its component, and a lot of time is required to pass through forests, mountain ridges, and valleys covered in snow. It is fine; with a little patience, the climber will be rewarded with breathtaking sloped views of magnificent peaks on all sides with the Glacier below. Capture the moments and record the journey. The locals have made the paths easy to traverse. The massive amount of peace after experiencing the local lifestyle. What could be better?

After crossing Sar Pass, the slope is quite steep and leads directly toward the Tosh Valley. After getting into a rhythm, thankfully, the flowing terrain makes it far more bearable. The thrill gives so much motivation to keep going. The valley is so cool and diverse throughout many slopes. It is a well-deserved break at the camp as the primal surroundings provide enough energy to pursue further goes on for a long time.

SHORT ITINERARY

• Eat a good breakfast and start early for the last leg of the Sar Pass trek where there are beautiful sceneries of green vegetation, sandstones, and vast grasslands along the way.

• On the way you will cross two beautiful villages Pulga and Tulga which are divided by a stream, this and other such sites made the trip enjoyable.

• After crossing the Parvati River bridge, proceed toward Barshaini, the last village, and enjoy the views.

• Finally, reach Barshaini, the last village before reaching Kasol, and remember one of the best treks of your life.

DETAILED ITINERARY

Have a great breakfast and set out early. It’s the last leg of the trek that should reward the effort. The view on this trail should be fascinating as accentuated greenery, sandstones, and expansive grassland should all be along the route to Barshaini. On the way, you’d cross a pair of adjacent twin villages, Pulga and Tulga, both separated by a kinked stream. The attractiveness of these villages contributes to enhancing the trek.

There are a lot of trails up here, and the right one is the one that heads in the northeast direction, but a guide may be relied on. Having gone deep into the forest for a good while, see a crossing on a stream, with a site for a camp around the crossing. However, getting to the crossing is not easy! Over twenty feet of rock must be repelled down, and with the aid of a rope too. After crossing the stream with the logged wooden planks, jump onto the site for camp where you can find a few vendor net tents pitched up. To the left of the place where you can pitch your tents for the night is the trail leading to the village of Pulga.

Then the greens sighted, areas to exploit to wooded areas, one of the lovely scenes along the way during the entire trek. The trail proceeds through a tributary again into the bushes, the slope is now quite sharp meaning the trend in the descent becomes steep once more. After some time, you will come to a spot within a wood where trees have been harvested. The track does go past in procession along a water pipeline that gets one to the village of Pulga.

Cross a bridge to the Tulga side of the mountains across the Parvati River on the way to the last village of Barshaini, close to Kasol. Once here you can go by jeep to go back to Kasol, marking the end of the unforgettable Sar Pass Trek. Take time to think about the profound moments during the days spent trekking within the compelling Himalayan range, the bonds created, and the breath-taking views experienced. On returning to Kasol, celebrate the end of the amazing adventure!