Short itinerary of Kuari Pass trek

Day 1: Haridwar to Ghat

Day 2: Trek from Ghat to Ramni/Ghunni

Day 3: Trek from Ramni to Jhinji

Day 4: Trek from Jhinji to Pana

Day 5: Trek to Tali to Jhinji to Dakwani

Day 6: Trek from Dakwani to Auli via Kuari Pass

Detailed Itinerary of Kuari Pass trek

Kuari Pass trek - Day 1: Haridwar to Ghat (Distance 280km & 10 Hrs. of driving)

Today’s journey from Haridwar to Ghat is about 260 kms long and takes around 10 hours. Ghat is a small hilly setup with availability of basic amenities and working mobile network coverage. The entire journey will be along the Ganges and you will cross Rishikesh, Devprayag, Karnprayag, Rudraprayag etc. Reach Ghat by evening and check into lodge.

Kuari Pass trek - Day 2: Trek from Ghat to Ramni/Ghunni (Distance 10km & 5-6 Hrs. of Trekking)

Start your trek from Ghat and hit the road. There is a motorable road which takes you to the village of Ramni. The distance is 30km and will take approx. 2 hours. Or you can trek to Ghunni. Trekking distance to Ghunni is approx. 10km and takes around 5-6 hours. The route goes via Vinayaka pass. Ghunni has a beautiful campsite here you stay for the night

Kuari Pass trek - Day 3: Trek from Ramni to Jhinji (Distance 12km & 7-8 Hrs. of Trekking)

Today you hit the Lord Curzon's trail early in the morning. You start your day early with a few stretching exercises in the morning followed by breakfast. At first you climb to Ghunni top and then further to Vinayak khal. You see the broad horizon of Banderpunch, Chowkhamba, Neelkanth and others. Tonight you camp at Jhinni

Kuari Pass trek - Day 4: Trek from Jhinji to Pana (Distance 10km & 5-6 Hrs. of Trekking)

Wake up in the morning. Start your trek down to Jhinji pool and then cross Birahi Ganga river. The suspension bridge over the river is unusually long and worth mentioning. On the left of the bridge lies the Birahi valley and Birahi village in near vicinity of Chamoli town. Once you cross the bridge, keep trekking uphill and reach to a point from where you can see the Pana village lying at the other side of the hill.

Kuari Pass trek - Day 5: Trek to Tali to Jhinji to Dakwani (Distance 10km & 5-6 Hrs. of Trekking)

Start early in the morning to today's camping site of Dakwani village. First you trek to Pana top and get a mind boggling view of horizon. Then descend to Satroli, which is a grazing place and frequented by shepherds with their herds. In winter this area gets covered up entirely by snow. Finally we enter into the open pastures and camp at Dakwani.This place is specially notable for Himalayan Monal which is the state bird of Uttarakhand. 

Kuari Pass trek - Day 6: Trek from Dakwani to Auli via Kuari Pass (Distance 18km & 8 Hrs. of Driving)

Today you have to cover a good amount of distance by trekking at a high altitude. So start early in the morning and trek towards Kuari pass. The low level of oxygen can be felt near to the pass. Kuari pass trek completes here when you reach the top of the pass. A magnificent vista open up from the pass. You take a right and encirle the track to reach the opposite side of the pass. On the way, cross a small camping ground known as Kuari Khana and a Place Khulara from where a trail descends on your right to Tapovan. From here you trek down to Tali village and then further to Auli. Overnight stay at Auli.

Here you can add one more day to do Pangarchula trek. Then you camp at Kuari khana after crossing the Kuari Pass. Then next day you trek to Pangarchula peak and then descend to Auli.

Kuari Pass trek - Day 7: Drive from Auli to Haridwar (Distance 270km & 10 Hrs. of Driving)

Start your journey to Haridwar i the morning and reach haridwar by evening 6 PM

Inclusion

• Accommodation (Camping during trek & trekker's lodges)
• Meals while on trek (Veg)
• Trekking Equipment
• Permits
• First aid medical kits
• Qualified and experienced Trek Guide and support staff.

Exclusion

• Meals during the drive and in Ghat & Auli
• Mules to carry personal Luggage
• Insurance
• Any kind of Cost Increase due to Natural Reason
• Transport from Haridwar to Joshimath and return (Rs 2000 extra bothways)
• Anything which is not mentioned in Inclusions

Terms and Conditions

Cancellation and Refund:

• Cancellation prior to 30 days from date of departure: Full Refund
• Cancellation between 30 days to 20 days prior to date of departure: 50% Refund
• Cancellation between 20 days prior to date of departure and departure date: No Refund
• No Show : No Refund

Disclaimer:

This is a weather based activity. So depending upon weather the activity may be cancelled without any prior notification

The Kuari Pass Trek

The Kuari Pass (literally meaning ‘getting away) trek that is at an altitude of roughly 12,700 feet officially starts at Joshimath, gradually giving you a splendid view of the Himalayas as you go higher. Along the way, you will get to see a confluence of the Bhagirathi and Alaknanda tributaries at Devprayag before finally witnessing the majestic Nanda Devi peak along the way. This is a summer trek, which needs to be covered during the day. It is normally covered within 6-7 days depending on the speed and number of stops taken. The temperature can range anywhere between 10-18 degrees and will drop as low as -3 degrees at night.

The Kuari Pass Trek Villages

Dhaki Village: This spreads over 2-3 km and has a forest where you can find oak and rhododendron trees that tell a story. Shepherds from nearby areas come here to graze their animals and quench their thirst from the accompanying stream. These forests and grazing areas are found at regular intervals and are a sight for sore eyes from the polluted cities of the country.

Karchi Village: This village needs to be seen for the paddy farming that they do at such a high altitude. You won’t expect irrigation channels running through villages at such a high altitude.

Tugashi Village: You can see Himalayan culture at its simplest and best form here- wooden houses with storage facilities for cattle and sheep for all seasons. This village will make the trek more interactive as you’ll get a taste of indigenous organizational skill here. After this, the trek actually starts, as you’ll see fewer habitations and green covers.

Jhinjhi Village: This is another village which will make your trek more interesting as you’ll see the Himalayan lifestyle in its truest form. A trail through these villages will eventually take you to the valley floor where you’ll cross the bridge over Birahi Ganga before the immediate suspension of the trek.

The Kuari Pass Trek Difficulty

This is one of the easiest treks in northern India for a beginner. While it could seem like an easy trek for most, it might pose minor issues for those people who are starting out and have mountain sickness or hypothermia to battle. In this case it will be termed as a trek of moderate difficulty.

The Kuari Pass Trek Route Map

In spite of the range of settlements and villages that you’ll find along the way, there are two alternate routes to cover this trek. One goes through Auli while the other goes through Tugashi. While the first half of the Auli route is a lush green landscape carpeted with the flora and fauna, of the Himalayas the latter half is relatively barren and difficult for some animals to pass by. The smart option would be to take a combination of both routes by consulting local guides. The trail through Tugashi, Joshimath and Mirag will be laced with small meadows that are silent and peaceful whereas the Auli route will have more bugyals (alpine pasture lands). If you return via Tapoban then you can have a refreshing dip in the hot water spring there, which will be much needed after the trek. There are many alternative routes to the same trek, which can be decided after consulting with your camp guide according to the number of people and their age groups.

The Kuari Pass Trek Weather

It is advised that Kuari Pass be avoided in the monsoon since the slopes will be slippery and trekkers will be prone to accidents. Summer temperatures can range between 18-28 degrees whereas winter temperatures are between -8 and 12 degrees.  April to June is the summer months where you won’t need to carry heavy clothes. September-November is the ideal time when the fauna will be in its full glory.