Hampta Pass – Chandra Taal Lake Trek 7 Days

Trekkers enjoy many types of terrain in this trek as we go from Hampta Pass in Kullu valley to Chandra Taal Lake in Spiti.This trek shows you landscapes like pine forests, glorious glaciers, green open grasslands, deserts and deep valleys. This trek can be undertaken by trekkers who are already acquainted with trekking.

Day 1. Manali to Jobra to Chika

Today is the first day of the trek, and we visit the Jobra village, from Manali. It is a lovely quaint village (altitude 3200m) and is covered by green forests of pine trees. We relax there for some time and drink in the sights. We may also be able to get some chai (tea) there. The through the forest we pass a lovely meadow and go towards Rani Nala (a small stream and pass through it. By evening, we reach Chika, where we set up our camps and stay for the night.

Day 2. Chika to Jwara to Balu Ka Gera

From Chika, the next morning, post breakfast we start walking towards Jwara. We walk by a small stream, and then we may require to cross it, which is not very difficult to do. We can achieve this without wetting ourselves. As we reach Jwara, a valley amidst the mountains, we can first spot the Dhauladhar mountain range. We continue walking as we gain altitude and then go to Balu-ka-Gera, literally meaning a bed of sand. This is due to the river bringing in rocks and sand. Night at camp.
[AdSense-A]

Day 3. Balu-Ka-Gera to Shea Goru to Hampta Pass

Today, we continue following the lovely river stream as we come to our first incline. About 45 minutes of climbing and we come to level grounding. Here, you can treat yourself to wonderful landscapes, so beautiful, you may not be able to resist taking pictures. After resting a while,we again walk to the ridge and reach Hampta Pass at an altitude of 4600 m. Snow, if there, can help us speed up, as we slide down. Otherwise we may have to tread carefully. This downward climb, brings us to Spiti. The river can be seen again. At a place called Shea Goru, we spend the night, camping.

Day 4. Shea Goru to Chatru

Today we keep walking along the river. The landscape is not very green and you will be lucky if you encounter some shrubs or patches of grass. This walk continues for about 3-4  hours and then we come to a relatively flat area. Some glacial  streams may block our way, which can delay us. We reach Chatru for the night stay in camps.

Day 5. Chatru to Chota Darra

Now, we walk beside the river, upstream and pass villages on the way. The villagers only have agriculture, livestock and herbs for survival. Some locals leave the village and migrate to other warm places, during the winter. They come back to these places after the snow melts. The terrain is rough and rocky . Sometimes there are land slides. Our last destination will be Chota Darra.

Day 6. Chota Darra to Batal

After having breakfast, we continue walking, as the terrain remains much the same. We stop at Batal,  a major point of rest, for vehicles passing. A route leads to Kaza via Kunzum La and the other leads to Chandra Taal Lake. A lat lunch or early dinner can be had in one of the dhabas there. Night stay is also possible here.

Day 7. Batal to Chandra Taal Lake

The next day we take the wonderful route to Chandra Taal Lake. This is a very clear and beautiful lake. The trek inclines and eases afterabout 3 kilometers. We continue walking for 4-5 hours and reach our camp site. We cannot camp near the Chandra Taal Lake,  as no human activity is allowed here, within a km of the lake. Setting up the camp we enjoy the sight of the lake and enjoy its beauty.
We now return via cards or maybe can spend another day here,if you want.  Many tourists like to go to the Samudri Taapu, not very far form here.

Travel package services:

TRANSPORT: On foot, in private car or SUV with driver.
ACCOMMODATION: Campsites.
ENDURANCE LEVEL: Medium to Expert.
ACTIVITIES:  Trekking, Camping, Mountain climbing,  Bird watching,  Hiking
DURATION: 7 days
MEALS: Breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks.
COST: From INR 20000 onwards. Link