Sar Pass trek blog

Hiking to the Himalayas is an affair of a lifetime and travelers consider themselves lucky to have experienced it. In India, there are some of the most breathtaking views of the valley amidst the beauty of the imposing Himalayan range.

There is a lot of mystery, excitement and thrill involved when you go for the Sar Pass trek. Located in Parvati Valley of Kullu district of Himachal Pradesh at an altitude of 13,800ft, Sar Pass Trek is perfect for those who wish to experience all the beauty that nature has to offer.

The Himalayas have continued to inspire the human race since time immemorial. From towering peaks to lush green meadows and beautiful valleys with crystal clear streams, there are several amazing views that await you on your journey to Sar Pass.

Moreover, coniferous trees, rhododendron plants and colourful flowers resemble that sublime beauty which makes this place look like a prelapsarian Eden world. Rediscover eternal beauty and tranquillity as you make your way to your final destination.

The meaning of “Sar” in the local language is Lake. The trekkers do have to pass a small and mostly frozen lake while trekking in between the Tila Lotni and Biskeri ridge, during the trek. It is one of the easy treks in India. Here’s a trail that is followed to reach the mesmerizing lake:

Starting at the Base Camp in Kasol Before the trek begins, you should go through an acclimatization program as the trekking route passes through high altitude terrain. This program starts with a light exercise in the form of jogging around an open ground followed by rappelling and rock climbing. After the exercise, you can have your lunch, relax and prepare yourself.

Reaching the Base location – Kasol

By air– Bhuntar, which is 52 km away from Manali, is the nearest airport and is will connected to Delhi. Taxi services are available from Bhuntar to Manali, with reasonable cost.

By road-Delhi have direct road routes to Manali. To reach Manali via road all the way from Delhi would include frequent stops. Trekkers will have to book either a bus or private cabs. Prior booking for cabs and bus are easily available at various sites.

Delhi>Manali (meet our teams)>Kasol By railway– There is no fixed railway route from Delhi to Manali. Some trains to Manali may track up to Jogindernagar, the closest railhead to Manali. The drive from Jogindernagar to Manali, via Mandi and Bhuntar, takes about 3 to 4 hours.

The Kalka Railway Station at the foot of the Himalayan range connects Manali to New Delhi in an indirect manner; trekkers can book a cab to reach manali after they arrive at Kalka station.

Camp Stop 1 : Grahan Village The trek starts by leaving Kasol and a 9 km journey to Grahan which was is the 1st stop stop. It takes around 7-8 hours to cover this stretch. During the journey, you will pass through thick forests with the river Parvati by our side for almost the whole journey.

The Grahan camp is located close to a rural settlement.

Camp stop 2: Ming Thatch The stretch from Padri to Ming Thatch is one of the most difficult mainly because of the steep path. With frequent breaks, it takes eight hours to cover this route which is 11.5 km long. In winters, extreme weather conditions can make the journey quite rough, but it is totally worth the risk!

Camp stop 3: Nagaru The route from Ming Thatch to Nagaru is mostly covered in snow. From here, you can only see snow-covered mountains around and while the air gets thinner, but the feeling of reaching the highest campsite at 12500 ft is exhilarating.

Camp stop 4: Biskeri The day of accomplishment as you cross Sar Pass before reaching the camp at Biskeri. The climb up is quite steep, and you may have to slide on the snow to descend. Camp stop 6: Barsheni The camps at Barsheni is located at a lower altitude. You may realize the extent of your achievement and the proof will be clearly visible on your faces when we you experience pure beauty.

Reasons Sar Pass trek is totally worth the effort:

1. Safety Ensured The Sar Pass trek is situated at the height of around 12,500 feet (approx. 3810 meters). The weather can be surprising for many of the trekkers and tourists especially if they are beginners at trekking in the Himalayas. JustWravel, as a leading tour planner services, carries out a full-fledged acclimatization program.

We do this so that the health of trekkers is not at stake. We also have for you all the essential aids and kits including mountaineering equipment, emergency oxygen cylinder kit, medical boxes, campsite items including tents and kitchenware, mules and porters, and everything else you need for a safe and comfortable trek.

The trekkers will get training in aspects related to rock climbing and rappelling, and face the bonding sessions so that they can get more relevant knowledge and complete the trek successfully.

2. Amazing Panoramic Views and Sceneries Any trek in the Himalayas has the most beautiful scenes to be captured. The towering snow peaks, lush green and dark forests, beautiful hanging valleys, streams having crystal clear waters, and exotic fauna and flora are some of the reasons for doing the Sar Pass trek.

You will be impressed by the natural beauty of the rhododendron on plants, and the coniferous and pine trees. An immense variety of colorful flowers are native to this region. Other notable trees of the area include spruce, fir, and deodar. You can also find here the rare medicinal plants including Brahma Kamal (Saussurea Obvallata) and Hath Panja (Dactylorhiza Hatageria).

3. Campsites The Sar Pass trek spans across 4 days once initiated at Kasol. You will get an enjoyable and memorable opportunity to spend your night at the campgrounds within the Alpine tents. This is a fascinating experience to spend a night out and what you feel may not be put into words.

You will be able to de-stress yourself and relax within the natural surroundings. You will lie underneath a sky full of stars. While the modern-day campsite tents have everything to make you feel comfortable, the surroundings may also have the glittering streams, dark forests, a range of natural habitats, rock, and other habitats and much more.

The colorful butterflies and flowers, waterfalls, lakes, meadows, poppies and orchids, and rare fauna including Musk deer are some of the highlights of a campsite at the Himalayas.

4. Suitable For Beginners The best thing about the Sar Pass trek is that it can be successfully accomplished by the beginners as well. On a difficulty scale, it lies within the easy to moderate difficulty range. You will not have any problems while trekking if you are possessing good health and do exercises regularly.

Still, it is advisable that you undergo a proper medical examination under the supervision of a registered physician. This will ensure that you are fit for the trek. There are also the acclimatization programs. They further reduce the probability of the occurrence of any untoward incident.

5. Kanwar Wildlife Sanctuary The Kanwar wildlife sanctuary makes a part of the Shivalik Range of Himalayas. It is beautifully spread over around 60 square kilometers of area. The Wildlife Sanctuary is also situated in the same Parvati Valley, which is home to the Sar Pass. One can witness a range of rare endangered and exotic species here. For instance, the fascinating and colorful bird population includes the White-cheeked Tit and the Cheer Pheasant.

There are more than 30 mammalian species and greater than 200 species of beautiful birds at this place. The Himalayan animals that can be seen in the protected forest include barking deer, snow leopard, golden jackal goral, Himalayan weasel, giant flying squirrel, Himalayan palm civet, and the yellow-throated marten. The beautiful forests and wildlife are memorable and will make a tremendous impact on you.

6. Manikaran The beautiful small town of Manikaran is located at a distance of around 4 kilometers from Kasol. It is one of the best natural hotspots (literally!) and destinations that attract tourists from all over the world.

You will find several hot springs in this region of the Himalayas. Because of the tremendous benefits of this natural resource, a geothermal plant has also been established here by the Government of India. The town is sacred to both Sikhs and Hindus.

Apart from the beautiful natural landscape, the city has many temples of Vishnu, Ram, and Shiv among other Hindu duties. The pilgrimage center of any town is also located in the Parvati Valley.

7. The Extraordinary Culture While the beautiful views at the Sar Pass ridge are stunning enough, you may also find the cultural beauty of the numerous villages that you see during the Sar Pass trek enchanting.

You may find certain unique customs and rituals at this place. The colorful costumes add to the beauty and looks of the inhabitants of these villages. Some villages there can be thousands of years old. People are friendly and welcome you with smiles, and have for you some of the most exquisite and tasteful cuisines as well.

If you are looking for it, you may also find Maggi stalls during your Sar Pass Trek! The ideal time to visit Sar Pass trek is from May to October because the sky is clear in May and you will get an amazing panoramic view.

During the months of October to December, the weather is unpredictable, and the routes will get covered by heavy snow. On an average the trek costs around 5000 to 9500 INR per person for the trek from Kasol to Kasol.

The price for the trek depends on the group size, peak season time and services offered like quality of food, quality of camping gears and experience of trekking team. Even though the top is relatively moderate in elevation, we still recommend a reasonable level of physical fitness.

We strongly advise trekkers to physically and mentally prepare themselves prior to this trek. Throughout the course, all groups will be guided by our experts for trekking equipment and any impending terrain. Any medical assistance if needed will be provided at any point of journey, trekkers shall consult their medical help, before commencing any trek.

We also strongly advise trekkers to educate themselves about altitude sickness and to notify our teams as soon as any symptoms appear.

The trek highlights: The base camp for this trek is Manali, which is located near the Parvatiriver’s banks in the Parvati valley. The trek to Sar officially begins in Kasol, a town well-known for its pretty coniferous forest and mountain streams.

The trek trails through dense forests and progresses to a total snow-covered setting. The trail then further loops through pining forests, charming old-world villages, majestic snow-capped mountains, and some of the most breathtaking scenery.

Rhododendrons abound in the forest near the descent; trekkers can expect to be taken aback by the breathtaking scenery.

The Nagaru campsite which is also the highest point during the entire trek is blessed with beautiful mountains across the Parvati valley. It arrives after theshepards trail of Mung Thatch.During the trek, hikers pass through several small meadows, most of which are grazed by villagers with their livestock

Things to Look out for-

• The trek is certain to provide unrivalled feelings of accomplishment.

• Various villages with many opportunities to interact with the locals will keep you entertained throughout the journey.

• Explore the enthralling forest of rhododendrons.

• Various ascents and descents will encourage you to put your endurance to the test and eventually overcome them.

• The panoramic view of snow-covered trails and peaks from the top is well worth the effort trekkers will expend on their journey.

• Camping under the clear night sky filled with stars is an experience in and of itself

Things we recommend: A camera, as well as spare batteries and memory cards, are recommended. We can assure and guarantee that you will be stopping frequently along the trail to observe the grandeur of the trekking experience.

We strongly recommend trekkers to prepare beforehand for the journey ahead. Regular practicing physical fitness and mental endurance will surely assist trekkers in great time.

After the trek, we strongly encourage trekkers to tag us on social media when they post any memories from the trip; this will not only prove invaluable to us with our work, but will also serve as a motivational example for all of our experts.

Our thoughts on Sar Pass trek: For novice trekkers who want to traverse on different kinds of trails, and don’t have much experience, Sar pass trek is a great place to start although it’d be advisable for trekkers to maintain proper footing and mimic the walking pattern of other trekkers for proper caution.

You will come across thick pine forests, alpine meadows, charming villages, snow-capped mountains and stunning landscapes all in one place in the Sar Pass Trek.

All these distinct terrains encompass a good trekking experience, making it an ideal choice for first timers. Not only is it easy but also gives you splendid views. The total trek distance comes to about 48 km and is close to a height of 14,000 ft where you will see views of the majestic mountains of the Parvati Valley from the pass.

The frozen lake that Sar Pass gets its name from also makes up for a spectacular view. The temperature during the trek varies from 0 degrees to -20 degrees, depending greatly on time of the day.

Even minute factors like being under the shade or in direct sunlight can significantly impact your body temperature for the Sar Pass trek so it’s better to be prepared.

One of the most popular treks in the Shivalik mountain ranges, the Sar Pass Trek still poses a challenge due to its altitude being 14,000ft above, making it one of the highest altitudes in Himachal Pradesh. And hence you need to be aware of your own bodily responses.