Kuari Pass Trek (Ex. Joshimath)

Kuari which means “doorway” is a Himalayan high mountain pass situated in the Garhwal region of northern India, south of the Tibetan border and on the western rim of the “Nanda Devi Sanctuary” Biosphere Reserve and falls in the Chamoli district. The Winter Kuari Pass Trek found fame in the early 1900’s when intrepid adventurers and mountaineers such as Lord Curzon, Eric Shipton and Bill Tilman used the passage in their pioneering explorations of the region.The Kuari Pass trek is  known as The Curzon Trail (named after the former British Viceroy Of India “Lord Curzon”).

The views on the Winter Kuari Passtrek are often cited as the best in the Indian Himalayas. It is not hard to discover why. To the north of the Winter Kuari Pass trek is the Chaukhamba Range, while the summits of Mana (7272m), Kamet (7756m) and Abl Gamin (7355m) extend to the Tibet border.In the middle foreground, a number of spectacular peaks including Dunagiri (7066m) and Changabang (6864m) enclose the Nanda Devi Sanctuary while to the west the snowcapped ranges extend to Gangotri.

Brief Itinerary:

Day 1 Drive from Haridwar to Joshimath. Stay in tent/guesthouse/homestay.
Day 2 Drive & then trek from Joshimath to Dhak
Day 3 Trekking from Dhak to Gulling
Day 4 Trek from Gulling Campsite to Tali Forest Campsite or Khulara
Day 5 Trek from Tali Forest Campsite to Dhak via Tugasi and Drive back to Joshimath
Day 6 Joshimath to Haridwar

Itinerary:

Day 1: Drive from Haridwar – Joshimath (260 kms)

Today’s journey from Haridwar to Joshimath is about 260 kms long and takes around 10 hours. Joshimath is a hub for pilgrim tourists traveling to Badrinath and Hemkund Sahib. Check in to guest house /hotel at Joshimath.

Day 2: Drive from Joshimath – Dhak and Trek to Gulling Camp

To start the Kuari Pass trek we first drive to Dhak village.At this village we will start our trekking adventure to the Kuari Pass. We trek through a hemlock, oak and rhododendron forest for 3 kms before a short descent to the meadow and campsite at Chitra Kantha (3310 m).
The impressive snow-capped ridge, including Chaukhamba 1 (7138 m), can be seen beyond Joshimath. The shepherds living between here and the Kuari Pass Trek are from Rishikesh or Haridwar and graze flocks of sheep and goats throughout summer. There is a small spring line at the head of the meadow for replenishing your water supply.

Day 3: Trek from Gulling – Tali Forest Camp

We will start our day early with a few stretching exercises in the morning followed by breakfast. After this our trek leader will brief us about today’s trek schedule. Today we will trek for around 6 kms to Tali Top through green vegetation and red rhododendron flowers which turn red during the blooming season in April & May.

Climb up through the forested ridge of Rhododendron, Spruce and Silver Birch above Chitra Kantha. It takes around an hour to reach a prominent ridge top (3500m) and a further 30 minutes around to an open meadow where it meets the well-defined track from a place called Tapovan.We will camp at the alpine meadow at the end of Tali top.

Day 4: Tali top – Kuari Pass via Khullara and back.

We will start early as this is the longest day on the Kuari Pass Trek. First leg of today’s trek is a gradual ascend till Khullara top and from there traversing through the snow patch we reach Kuari Top. At Kuari Pass top winds will gush past you. Savour the unending vistas of great Himalayan peaks including the famous Nanda Devi.

Nanda Devi (7816 m) is the highest peak completely within India. It is surrounded by a huge circle of mountain walls with only one outlet, where the Rishi Ganga forges a route through deep, almost impenetrable gorges before flowing into the Alaknanda River. Given these natural defences, it was not until 1934 that the first mountaineers were finally able to reach the base of Nanda Devi. Return to Tali Top through the same route and enjoy camp bonfire and sumptuous dinner at Tali campsite.

Day 5: Trek Tali Forest – Dhak and Drive to Joshimath

After having breakfast we trek downhill beside the Rishi Ganga River till the road where the taxi will take us to Joshimath. Auli which is not accessible by road during winters which is famous for its skiing slopes and is home to winter skiing resort run by GMVN (Garhwal Mandal Vikas Nigam). The Auli resort run by GMVN has snow beaters which beat the snow to keep the slopes fit for skiing at all times. GMVN also conducts 7 and 14 day skiing courses at Auli.

Day 6: Joshimath – Haridwar (260 kms drive)

Today we start driving early to reach Haridwar with a beautiful mosaic of memories to keep us company. If we reach Haridwar on time then you can take part in Ganga Aarti at Har ki Pauri. Trek ends.