Kalindi Khal Pass Trek in Garhwal Himalaya !!

This super trek (mini expedition) takes you to the unique Garhwal Himalaya, the land of holy mountains, lakes, rivers and pilgrimage sites, to the most important part of the Garhwal Himalayas for Indians. The close connection between nature and religion is evident here like in hardly any other region of India. Framed by peaks over 7,000 meters, the holy source of the Ganges is located at the foot of Mount Shivling. This is also popularly known as the “cow’s mouth” or Gaumukh, the glacier gate of the Gangotri glacier.

After a city tour of the hot, turbulent and colorful metropolis of Delhi, you start your spectacular trekking tour in the Trek in Garhwal Himalayas.

About the region of Garhwal Himalaya

The region is crossed in Garhwal Himalaya by four famous rivers, the Ganges, the Yamuna, the Alaknanda and the Mandakini, whose confluences have always been considered holy places by Hindus. Via the town of Rishikesh, which is considered the centre and place of learning of Indian philosophy, yoga and meditation, you will reach the holy pilgrimage site of Gangotri with its important Ganga temple. Here you can experience a ritual “puja” of the Hindus.

Before heading towards the Kalindi-Khal Pass, however, you will make a 4-day detour to the almost untouched Kedar Valley. The route leads through the picturesque Trek in Garhwal Himalayan birch forests, alpine meadows, bubbling streams and glaciers and fascinates with its ice peaks such as Thalay Sagar (6,904 m), Meru (6,672 m) and Bhrigupanth (6,772 m). After this sporty introductory tour, your big trekking tour over the Kalindi-Khal Pass starts from Gangtori in Garhwal Himalayan.

On the way you will pass the source of the Ganges, which rises from the mighty Gangotri glacier. You will go deeper and deeper into the magnificent mountain world with over 40 six-thousand-metre peaks. The most beautiful of them is the 6,543 m high, beautifully shaped Shivling obelisk. It is also often referred to as the “Matterhorn of the Himalayas”.

On the way you will meet many pilgrims who should make this adventurous journey at least once in their lives. After visiting the Shivling base camp, you hike further up into the lonely Vasuki high valley. A collection of glaciers, beautiful mountain giants and emerald-green mountain lakes opens up before you. After a day trip to the base camp of the 7,075 m high Satopanth, you are now well prepared and cross the 5,947 m high Kalindi Khal pass.

From the pass you can enjoy the dream view of the seven-thousanders such as Kamet, Satopanth and Mukut Parbat. You now descend through the lonely Arwa valley and along the Tibetan border and reach your second pilgrimage destination – the holy place Badrinath. Here is the most important Hindu temple: the shrine of Badrinath. It is one of four sanctuaries in the Himalayas dedicated to the god Vishnu.

The journey ends on adventurous roads to Haridwar on the Ganges. Once again you will feel the deep religious connection of the Indians with the Ganges River. Let yourself drift and review the adventurous tour over a farewell dinner.

Day 1: Arrival New Delhi

Upon arrival at New Delhi International Airport met & greet by our representative & transfer to the hotel. Overnight at hotel. After a hearty breakfast, you will visit the capital Delhi, which is one of the largest metropolises in the world with around 18 million inhabitants. You will discover its beauties – the magnificent Red Fort, the Jama Masjid (India’s largest mosque), the Qutab Minar complex with its towering tower and take a rickshaw ride through the bustling streets of the old town. Overnight stay in the hotel

Day 2: Delhi – Haridwar – Rishikesh

Early in the morning, you will leave the gigantic metropolis and drive to Haridwar (approx. 210 km), one of the most important pilgrimage sites in the north. Haridwar means “gateway to the land of the gods” and the holy Ganges comes here directly from the Garhwal Himalayas. You will see countless temples and bathing places for pilgrims who take a cleansing bath in the river in their thousands during the monsoon season.

You continue to the day’s destination of Rishikesh, around 26 km away. After the 6-hour drive, you will first stay in a hotel. Afterwards, you have the opportunity to visit the ghats. In the evenings, watching the believers sing as they place flower arrangements with burning candles on the water leaves a deep impression. Rishikesh is considered the center and place of learning for Indian philosophy, yoga and meditation. Overnight stay in the hotel

Day 3: Rishikesh – Uttarkashi

We continue in the jeeps on breathtaking roads, which are framed by the first three and four thousand meter peaks up to Uttarkashi (1,300 m), around 190 km away. In good conditions, this route takes around 7 hours of driving time. You will have lunch in a small village along the way. Overnight stay in a permanent camp

Day 4: Uttarkashi

Today you will hike with a local guide to a beautiful vantage point with a view of the mighty Garhwal Himalayan mountains. If the weather is good, you can see the Shivling or Satopanth glittering in the distance from here. You will pass through small villages and can enjoy the beautiful nature and mountain air. Overnight stay in a permanent camp / walking time approx. 6 hours

Day 5: Drive to Gangotri (3,040 m)

From Uttarkashi you will drive deeper and deeper into the Ganges valley in jeeps today. The roads and the landscape become wilder and the first snow giants show their faces. On the way you have the opportunity to buy delicious fruit for the trek. If the road conditions are also good, you will manage the approx. 95 km in 3.5 hours. In the afternoon, you will take a tour of the village with its many ashrams and yoga centers and can organize your own puja (approx. 200 rupees per person).

The evening ceremony at the Ganga Temple is particularly fascinating. The pilgrimage site is closed on the day of the Diwali festival of lights and does not reopen until May. During this time, the image of the goddess is kept in the village of Mukhba, twelve kilometers further downstream near Harsil. In the evening, your accompanying team will greet you for the coming days of trekking. Overnight stay in a simple guesthouse

Day 6: Start of the 4-day Keder Valley Trek

From Gangotri, the climb (partly steep and on a small hiking path) takes you through a narrow valley with beautiful tree cover to the first overnight camp, Bhoojkharka. We recommend that you bring hiking poles. The tent camp is at an altitude of approx. 3,790 m. If you want, you can climb a little further in the afternoon and take in the magnificent view of the fantastic pyramid of the approx. 6,900 m high Phating Pithwar. Overnight in a tent / walking time approx. 3-4 hours / walking distance approx. 6 km

Day 7: Keder Valley Trek – ascent to Kedar Kharka

You leave Bhoojkharka and continue hiking gradually uphill into the high valley that is now opening up. The vegetation is high alpine and has long since replaced the trees and bushes from the first day. In the distance you can see the parade of peaks of Phating Pithwar and Mandani Parbatum, to name just a few. After approx. 4-5 hours you will reach the next camp at an altitude of approx. 4,310 m. With a bit of luck you will see blue sheep today (a species between sheep and goats).

Note: There is a risk of rockfall on some sections! Please cross these sections quickly and keep an eye on the slope at all times (keep your distance)!

Overnight stay in a tent / walking time approx. 3-4 hours / walking distance approx. 4.5 km.

Day 8: Keder Valley Trek – Day trip to Keder Lake

After breakfast, you will take a full-day trip to Keder Lake, which is beautifully embedded in the Himalayan landscape. Shortly after the camp, you will go up to a huge stone moraine and then follow the cairns in the constant ups and downs. After about 1 hour, you will reach the mountain lake (4,630 m). The river of the same name rises from here, which later flows into the mighty Yamuna River in lower areas of the Garhwal Himalayas. The panorama is world class, as huge mountains are grouped around the lake.

The 6,900 m high Phating Pithwar is particularly impressive. After a long break, you will return to the Bhoojkharka camp. There is a risk of falling rocks on the way, just like on the way up! Walking time approx. 4 hours / overnight stay in a tent / walking distance approx. km

Day 9: Return to Gangotri

On familiar terrain, you will return to the pilgrimage site of Gangotri. In the afternoon you have the opportunity to stroll through the town with its many stalls, see the Gangotri waterfall and in the evening experience the Puja (Hindu ceremony) at the Gangotri Temple. Overnight stay in the guesthouse / walking time approx. 3-4 hours / walking distance approx. 10 km

Day 10: Start of the trek with crossing of the Kalindi Khal Pass – day’s destination Camp Bhujbasa

Now well acclimatized by the Keder Valley Trek, you start the second part of the trekking tour. After a delicious breakfast, you hike on a well-developed hiking trail along the Bhagirathi/Ganges River. You pass cedar trees and birch trees, countless religious images on the rock walls and meet pilgrims, yogis and the orange-clad sadhus. After about 6 hours you reach Bhujbasa at an altitude of about 3,790 m. This small town is located in the middle of a valley basin and the mighty 6,500m peaks of the Bhagirathi group dominate in the background. Overnight in a tent / Walking time approx. 6-7 hours / Rockfall is to be expected again on the way! / Walking distance approx. 17 km

Day 11: The source of the holy Ganges & Tapovan meadow

First of all, after breakfast today, you have to cross the Ganges with a muscle-powered cable car (approx. 4 people and luggage). Then you hike up the right side of the valley to the source of the Ganges (3,995 m), which rises from the Gangotri glacier at Gaumukh (“cow’s mouth”). The closer you get, the better you can see the shapely peak of the imposing 6,543m high Shivling. Shortly before the source, the path leads through a desert of rubble and rock. Then a huge moraine wall towers up and behind it is the tongue of the Gangotri glacier.

The source of the holy Ganges bubbles out of a cave in the glacier. In front of this “cow’s mouth” you can experience the ritual washing of the pilgrims up close (please keep your distance from the glacier/risk of icefall!). After a rest, the hike continues up a very steep moraine slope to today’s destination, the Tapovan meadow at an altitude of around 4,280 m.

The last stretch leads steeply up a narrow path, but once you reach the top you will be rewarded and compensated by the meadows and the beautiful view of the mountain scenery (Shivling, Bhagirati 1-3). Tapovan is one of the most beautifully situated meadows in the Garhwal Himalayas and is also the base camp for climbing the Shivling!

After setting up camp and having tea time, it is worth taking a walk around the camp with the fantastic mountain backdrop. The sunset with the many shades of color on the mountain walls is particularly beautiful. The Shivling presents itself here in a dominant and imposing manner – simply a dream! Overnight in a tent / total walking time approx. 6 hours / distance approx. 9 km.

Day 12: Glacier crossing to the Vasuki Valley Nandavan meadow

Today you leave Tapovan and change sides to Nandaban (4,530 m). You cross the Gangotri glacier for around 3 hours – what a wild tour through a desert of stone, sand and ice! Due to the movement of the glacier, there is of course no fixed path and you have to constantly look for the best route. At the beginning you go down the steep moraine made of numerous loose rocks (debris from the glacier) to the glacier floor.

Absolute good shoes is a basic requirement here! After crossing the mountain in a constant up and down, the route continues up a steep scree slope to the Nandaban meadow, the second wonderful meadow, which lies directly at the foot of Bhagirathi 2 (6,856 m) and Bhagirathi 3 (6,512 m). If there is no water here, the camp will be moved to the next water source up the valley (towards the next camp/approx. 4,730 m). Overnight in a tent / walking distance approx. 10 km / walking time: 5-6 hours.

Day 13: Glacier crossing to the base camp of Satopanth

From Nandavan, you continue deep into the Vasuki valley. First, you hike 5 km steadily uphill over the long moraine of the Chaturangi-Bamak glacier. The air gradually becomes thinner, and despite good altitude adjustment, your steps must be adapted to the altitude. Behind you, the slender peak of the holy mountain Shivling rises majestically. Now you cross an arm of the glacier under the torn cliffs of the Bhagrathi group (6,860 m), which is filled with hanging glaciers.

The landscape is simply magnificent! As on the previous day, you have to descend a side arm moraine to the glacier floor and then climb steeply up again after crossing (a fixed rope may also be attached for safety). Once you have reached the top, there is a small mountain lake directly in front of you, where the base camp (approx. 4,950 m) of the seven-thousand-meter Satopanth is located.

After setting up camp, the rest of the day is free. It is worth taking a walk around the lake. An absolutely fantastic place! Overnight in a tent / walking time 4-6 hours / distance approx. 4 km

Day 14: Continue to Khada Pattar with optional detour to Satopanth

Well rested, you continue towards the Kalindi Khal Pass. Before the Suralaya glacier, the slopes of the Vasuki Parbat are crossed over gravel and scree. On the right, the 7,075 m high Satopanth shows its magnificent ice wall. The route continues in a constant up and down through a veritable scree desert. The path has to be found again and again. You set up camp in Khada Pattar at an altitude of approx. 5,180 m. The fascinating pyramid of the Shivling towers in the background. Overnight in a tent / walking time approx. 5 hours / route length approx. 10 km

Tip: If you feel good, you can also take a detour into the Sunalaya Bamak valley. An unforgettable view of the mighty and completely ice-armored Satopanth awaits you here. You continue hiking in the shadow of the 6,739 m high Chandra Parbat to the ABC camp (5,200 m) of the Satopanth. Then return to the main path and continue to Khada Pattar.

Day 15: Trekking in the middle of the glacier

Today a wild hiking stage through a sea of ​​moraines and glaciers laden with rubble awaits you. You are now in the middle of the glacier stream from Chaturangi Bamak. On the side edges rise unname 6000m peaks with their ice-armored peaks. Enjoy the wonderful peace and the surreal landscape! At this point, you feel small and vulnerable in this world away from civilization.

But that is exactly what makes this spectacular tour so appealing. You will set up camp today in the middle of the scree-laden glacier at an altitude of around 5,310 m. On the right side, the mountain flanks of the 6,739 m high Chandra Parbat rise up. Overnight in a tent / walking time approx. 5-6 hours / route length approx. 6 km

Day 16: Ascent to the last camp before the Kalindi-Khal Pass

You follow the medial moraine of the Kalindi and Seta glaciers. You have to constantly look for a new path. You gradually gain altitude and the oxygen level decreases with every step. You catch your first glimpse of the Kalindi Peak (6,181 m) in the distance. On the right side, the steeply rising Avalanche Peak (6,443 m) with its numerous hanging glaciers dominates.

The last stretch then goes steadily uphill again on the moraine ridge and after about 5-6 hours of walking you reach the last camp (about 5,650 m) before the pass. In front of you rise the Kalindi Peak, Avalanche Peak and Chandra Parbat. In the area there are many unknown and probably unclimbed five and six thousand meter peaks. Overnight stay in a tent / walking time 5-6 hours / route length about 6 -7 km.

Day 17: Crossing the Kalindi-Khal Pass (5,989 m)

We set off for the pass in the light of our headlamps. Depending on the conditions, we put on our crampons and harnesses immediately behind camp. Shortly before the ice break of Kalindi Peak (6,102 m), we turn right onto the glacier and walk around the crevasses in serpentines. The path now leads between Kalindi Peak and Avalanche Peak and after about 2-3 hours we’ve made it! You have reached the highest culmination point of the tour, the Kalindi-Khal Pass at 5,989 m.

A dream view of the Indian and Chinese Himalayas now opens up before you. A huge sea of ​​numerous peaks over 6,000 meters high presents itself before you. In the distance, the peak pyramids of Kamet (7,756 m), Abi Gamin (7,355 m) and Mukut Parbat (7,242 m) stand out very prominently from the other mountains. If you’re lucky with the weather, you can see the Trisul (7,120 m) and Nanda Devi (7,816 m) on the right-hand side as you continue your descent.

You go down to the moraine over the crevasse-filled Arwa glacier. In the afternoon, you reach the campsite directly on a glacier river (approx. 5,024 m) over a huge scree field. Overnight in a tent / walking time approx. 8-10 hours / distance approx. 10 km

Day 18: Descent into the Arwa valley

After breakfast, you continue to descend into the lonely and beautiful Arwa valley. A spectacular landscape with countless mountains, no civilization anywhere! The Nanda Devi rises in the distance. Even if it’s a steady downhill walk, you have to concentrate on the path. Scree passages alternate with small stream crossings and glacial sand sections.

After about 4 hours, along a tributary of the Ganges, you will reach the 4,350 m high Arwa Camp, which is nestled in a beautiful mountain landscape. Overnight stay in a tent / route length approx. 10 km

Day 19: Reserve day for the trek

This day serves as a reserve day for bad weather, lack of altitude adjustment or other unforeseen events. Overnight stay in a tent

Day 20: Drive to Badrinath (3,090 m)

On today’s last day of trekking, you will reach the connecting road from India to Tibet/China at an altitude of about 3,985 m. There is also a large military base here (Ghastoli). The mighty Himalayas present themselves once again and say goodbye with a fantastic mountain backdrop. On the left, the Kamet spirals upwards. After greeting the driver, all the tent equipment is loaded and you drive down a breathtaking serpentine road to Badrinath. Overnight stay in a very simple hotel/hostel / walking time approx. 3 hours / distance approx. 10 km / driving time approx. 1-2 hours

Day 21: Pilgrimage town of Badrinath – Joshimath

After breakfast, you will visit the holy shrine of Badrinath. It is one of four sanctuaries in the Garhwal Himalayas dedicated to Lord Vishnu. Immerse yourself in the world of Hinduism and let yourself be carried away by the sounds, the pilgrims and pujas! Then you will continue on to Josimath (1,890 m). You will drive along countless serpentines along the wildly bubbling Saraswati River. With every meter you drive deeper, the landscape becomes greener again, the first trees and fields appear again and the temperatures gradually rise to spring-like temperatures.

After arriving, you can take a stroll through the lively town with its many small shops and bazaars in the afternoon. Travel time approx. 3-4 hours / overnight stay in the hotel.

Day 22: Continue to Haridwar – Ganga Ceremony

You leave the mountain region and say goodbye to the snow-capped mountains and the crystal-clear mountain air. After about 6 hours of driving you reach the lowlands. Haridwar is at an altitude of about 300 m and is one of the seven holy cities of Hinduism. After arriving in the afternoon, you will take a short city tour with your guide. You will stroll through the colorful bazaars and make a detour to the Ganges.

The main destination of the pilgrims is the Hari ki Pauri, a famous ghat on the banks of the Ganges. According to the believers, the heavenly waters flow into the Ganges in the Brahmakund. A temple is said to contain the footprint of Vishnu. The place is important because the Ganges flows into the lowlands here. Many pujas take place here early in the morning and in the evening, where you can watch the believers performing their rituals. Every 12 years, the great religious festival, Kumbh Mela, takes place in Haridwar, on the banks of the Ganges.

The cities of Haridwar, Allahabad, Nashik and Ujjain hold the Kumbh Mela every three years, i.e. every twelve years. The last Kumbh Mela in Haridwar took place in March/April 2010 and was visited by 40 million people. Ten million of these gathered on the main day alone to bathe in the Ganges. Overnight stay in the hotel / travel time approx. 8 hours

Day 23: Haridwar – Delhi

The morning is free and can be used to visit the Ganges or the colorful bazaars. A trip to the Manasa Devi Temple on Siwalik Hill, which rises directly behind the city (ascent by cable car or on foot), is also worthwhile. The journey back to the capital begins around midday. Arrival in Delhi in the early evening. After the farewell dinner in a traditiona restaurent.

Day 24: Delhi – Departure

After breakfast, free time for last moment shopping or explore the city. Later as per your flight schedule check out from the hotel (11H00) and drop you at International Airport New Delhi.

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