Hampta Pass

Hampta Pass is a passageway in the upper Himalayan Pir Panjal Range that connects Kullu Valley with Lahaul and Spiti district of Himachal. This glacial spot is located at an altitude of 4270 m above MSL in the lap of wild nature, away from human settlements, which makes it one of the favorite natural places for trekking and camping.

The hampta pass trek is easy to moderate that means anybody (who enjoys walking/hiking) can choose the spot for trekking. Through the dense jungles of pines and deodar, the trail takes the trekkers to treeless boulders and glaciers followed by lush green meadows. Everyone gets astounded by the variety and drastic changes in the landscapes during the hampta pass trek.

Let me share my experience through the whole Hampta pass trek.

I always admired the natural and wildness of the mother Earth. I always grasp an opportunity of getting into the wild. This time too, one of my friends offered me trek along with four other of our friends. We booked ourselves for Kallngoo online. So, on a hot summer holiday, we packed our backpacks, organized some useful things and prepared our cameras to witness the freshness of the Himalayan valley.

Also Read: Himachal Darshan A photo Gallery. 

By traveling overnight by bus, we reached Manali in the early morning. A resting area was organized by Kallngoo team where we got fresh up and had a tummy full breakfast. The team members then invited us for a quick meet up to discuss the trail, difficulties during the travel and many other pros and cons.

We started our first-day trip as the team took us from Manali to a village named Prini situated on the right bank of river Beas. Prini has many hydropower projects and resorts, even our ex-prime minister Mr. Atal Bihari Vajpai too have a house there. So, from Prini we walked to a few distances to reach the starting point of our trek. It was a small village named Jobra situated at 2,987 m or 9,800ft. We could feel the excitement of the hike as the cool breeze greeted us with the fragrance of pines and the chirps of mountain birds. The locals too welcomed us with kind smiles and helping hands.

From Jobra, we followed a walking trail along the Rani Nallah, that’s a freshwater brook and a tributary of river Beas. Sporadically we encountered upon the dense pine and deodar jungle. The pine needles carpeted our path to the campsite. We trekked for almost 40-45 minutes and landed on our campsite.

Jobra campsite was laid down in a beautiful small valley of the Rani Nallah. We relaxed there for the rest of the day. The serene surroundings and the sound of the water in the brook were captivating. That night we had a bonfire, delicious food and a special dose of the musical session. That whole day was memorable and I knew much more was coming to us.

The next day we started our hike after the breakfast. We kept walking for almost an hour along with the brook, then through a narrow spoor, we started climbing up stumbled through a mountain of rocks and boulders. We kept ascending for almost two hours, then descending to the other side for two more hours. We crossed the brook and reached its other side to our next campsite, Jwara.

In Jwara, we were welcomed by a treeless meadow that was lush green with Himalayan grasses and herbs along with beautiful and rare flowers. We distressed ourselves in the camps and enjoyed ourselves among the clouds at a height of 3,375 m. The night was well spent with a bonfire and delicious meals. Next day we woke up early to witness the surrounding scenery. We went to a beautiful waterfall and detoxicated our bodies with the heavenly water. We also saw trees of Rhododendrons (which is state flower of Himachal) and Birch (Bhojpatra- ancient paper tree).

We left Jwara for our next destination. That day’s trek was though easy but hectic. We walked for almost 5 hours through meadows and valleys to reach our halt for the day. We could see Rani Nallah flowing at a depth from our trail. We reached Balu ka Ghera, which was again located in the meadows at a height of 3,783 m. That night we were instructed for the following day’s hectic route. So, we rested nicely in that calm wilderness.

The next day we woke up early and started our trek through the straight valley that gradually converted into a steep climb of the mountains. For more than an hour, we climbed through the boulders and rocks without a vision of any green. Through glaciers and snow-capped tops, we reached Hampta Pass till the afternoon. The place was like a soccer ground in between steep hills. The other side of that ground connected this side of the world to Lahaul and Spiti, which is a district with only a couple of routes exposing them to the world.

After grasping the serenity of the glaciers and the pass for a while, we started our track to the next campsite, located on the Spiti side. Through a steep descent, we reached Shea Goru before dusk. Shea Goru was again situated in a steep valley below which we could see Chandra river. The scenery has a beautiful and a balanced combination of glacial tops, devoid of ice and full of rocks and boulders, and lush green meadows with patches of beautiful Himalayan flowers and herbs.

Next day was the last day of our trek. We started our trek lately and reached our last destination Chhatru, situated on the bank of river Chandra. From Chhatru the tour team arranged a vehicle which took us to the most beautiful and enchanting Himalayan Lake – Chandratal.

Also Read: Full Travel Guide About Tirthan Valley

Chandratal lake is declared as a Ramsar Wetland and is a home to many rare animals and migrated birds. The lake was though crystal clear and bluish from the reflection of the clear sky. The view was so captivating that I wanted to stay there for my lifetime. We moved back to Chhatru from Chandratal, from where we headed back to Manali through road journey.

Also Read: Best Place to do Rafting in Himachal.

Hampta pass trek included one of the most memorable treks of my lifetime. I truly recommend people and nature lovers to experience the serenity of the wilderness of this hampta pass track at least once in their lifetime. Although I wanted to go there as many times as possible, and that is the power of this place that everytime you discuss this place, you will definitely be restricted to words like wow, serene, captivating and enchanting