Bali Pass is a trekking route that connects the Yamunotri Valley to Har Ki Dun valley through Ruinsara lake. Highlights of the Bali Pass trek are its changing landscapes from pine and fir forests, riverside camps, the surreal villages of Har Ki Dun valley, beautiful waterfalls, alpine lake of Ruinsara, meadows overlooking Swargarohini peak, snow cappped mountain tops and base camp & a thrilling high altitude summit like crossing, and the list goes on. The pass is more approachable from the Har Ki Dun valley as the gradient is less steep and gives good time for the trekkers to acclimatize to the altitude. The trek starts from Sankri and passes through the Govind National Park, which is famous for its wild flowers. It also gives one an opportunity to visit the sacred lake at Ruinsara on the way and to explore the less travelled path over Yamunotri pass to Yamunotri temple.

Bali Pass trek has a lot to offer apart from its isolation and a challenging pass climb. We are surrounded either by the mighty Swargarohini or Bandarpunch ranges at almost all times. We get to see Kalanag (Black Peak) up close. This peak was first summited by Jack Gibson in 1955 and the students of Doon school. We spend a full day beside the glacial Ruinsara Lake, and walk across the two delightfully pretty meadows of Devsu Thatch and Thanga. One of our camps will be beside a waterfall and another one lies above 4,000m. We stand a chance of spotting some of the wildlife of the Uttarakhand Himalayas — monals, the Himalayan ibex and the endangered brown bear.

Towards the end of the Bali Pass trek, we see the source of the Yamunotri river and also pay a visit to the revered Yamunotri Devi temple. All in all, Bali Pass is a wholesome adventure that provides trekkers with every element of a Himalayan trek.