About Chanderkhani Pass Trek
Among all the breathtaking treks that Kully valley offers, Chanderkhani Pass is certainly one of the striking ones. Despite being a short trek, it presents few of the most stunning visuals in the lap of the Himalayas. Rocky paths leading to dense coniferous forests opening up to wide, lush green pastures and meadows are the main features of this trek. The vivid landscape is a contribution of the Malana glacier nearby.
The view of the trek from the starting point Rumsu to Chanderkhani Pass is further accentuated by the presence of three great mountain ranges on three sides of the route. On the west, Barabangal Range stands tall and proud, Pirpanjal towers high along the north, and Parvati Range keeps guard on the east. The trail amidst the mammoth beauties is dotted with abundant growth of pines, deodars, birches, cherries, oaks and many other varieties of alpine wilderness. The view opens up into a scintillating vista at the summit at 3600 meters, offering never-seen-before views of the Parvati, Malana, Kullu and Lahaul valley extensively.
Like most other locations of this part of the Himalayas, Chanderkhani Pass is not without its share of folklore. A story of the legend surrounding a local deity of Malana named Jamlu says that once he carried a basket full of Gods and opened it near the Pass, where a strong gust of wind blew their spirits away to the nearby peaks. It is for this reason that most of the nearby peaks are named after important deities of the Hindu pantheon and are considered holy and sacred locally.
Apart from unparalleled natural beauty, this story adds a spiritual significance to the trek as well.
Brief Details
Here are all the important details you need to know about the trek.
- Trekking Distance: 19 kilometres
- Number of Days: 3 Days
- Altitude: 3,660m (12,008ft)
- Difficulty Level: Easy-Moderate
- Temperature: 5°-20°C
- Base Camp: Rumsu Village
- Nearest Railway Station: Jogindernagar Railway Station
- Nearest Airport: Bhuntar Airport, Kullu
Short Itinerary
Take a look at the highlights of the trek in this short itinerary to have an idea of the route.
- Day 1: Manali - Rumsu - Naya Thapru (5km) 4-5 hours
- Day 2: Naya Thapru - Chanderkhani Top - Back to Naya Thapru(9km) 8-9 hours
- Day 3: Naya Thapru - Rumsu - Manali (5km) 3-4 hours
- Chanderkhani Pass Trek
8900
Day 1: Manali to Rumsu, trek to Naya Thapru (5 km)
On the first day of your Chanderkhani pass trek, you will be expected to report at Manali Bus Stand(Ram Bagh) at 8 am in The Morning. It will take 1 hour to complete the 27 km drive from Manali Bus station to the basecamp, Rumsu. Here, you will get a chance to be properly introduced to your trek leaders and fellow trekkers. Getting a grasp of the route that you will be following throughout the trek is also part of the orientation on day 1.
The trail initially goes through adorable little hamlets of Himachal. There are no stops in any of these villages as such, but you can witness from up close how life is in the depths of Himachal Himalayas on the go. The first stop will be at Naggar, a village known for its shrines, an ancient castle named after the village itself, and the Roerich Art Gallery.
The medieval castle was built by Raja Sidh Singh back in 1460 A.D. for residential purposes and it was taken over by the state's tourism department in 1978 to be transformed into a hotel. The art gallery, on the other hand, is the estate of famous Russian painter Nicholas Roerich who arrive in India and settled in the mountains in around 1917. The preserved estate houses an art museum which displays an impressive collection of the painter's work on the beautiful, snow-covered peaks of Himachal.
The gradient of the trail gets slightly uphill. But you will reach Rumsu in no time. From there with a little bit more of an uphill climb, you will arrive at the campsite of your first day, Naya Thapru.
Day 2: Naya Thapru to Chanderkhani Top and Back to Naya Thapru (9km)
The second day of the trek is when you reach your main destination- the Chanderkhani Pass. But the path leading to it is as beautiful as the summit. You will be needed to start early on this day, as the distance to be covered is long and steep. It will take you through beautiful forests of conifer, pines, birches, firs, and deodars abound. The forests are broken by patches of green alpine meadows set apart by a couple of kilometers, where you will find the trail to be slightly flatter. The great peaks of Pirpanjal, Barabangal, and Parvati skirts the view of the valleys on three sides as you will walkthrough.
After breaking a sweat in the last one kilometer or saw, you will finally reach your destination at 3660 meters (12008ft). Your hard work of two long days will be rewarded with the panoramic views of the bests of Himachal Himalayas. Mount Indrasan, Deo Tibba, Hanuman Tibba and other eminent peaks of Pirpanjal and Parvati Mountain Ranges are clearly visible from the pass summit if you are lucky to arrive on a clear-skied day. The day will end with the trekkers retracing their steps back to camp at Naya Thapru.
Day 3: Naya thapru to Rumsu and Drive back to Manali (5 km)
On the third and final day of the trek, you will be making your way back to where you started through the same route. However, with nature changing every day in the depths of a mountainous region, you will be rewarded with newer but as mind-blowing views, as you had enjoyed on your way up. Upon returning to the starting and finishing point at Rumsu, vehicles will be waiting for the group to take the trekkers back to Manali.
