Itinerary -
Day 1 : Dehradun (250m) - Sankri (2000m) (Drive / 200 kms / 6 - 7 hrs)
today, we will drive to Sankri via Mussoorie. En route, stop for lunch. This is an enjoyable drive initially along the Yamuna and towards the latter part along the beautiful Tons River. There are very beautiful pine forest sections along the drive today. Upon reaching Sankri, we will check into the scenically located hotel / tents and will rest for a while. In the evening, take a stroll in this beautiful hamlet and get your muscles charged for the next day trek. Overnight stay at the tents/hotel.
Day 2 : Sankri (2000m) - Taluka - Seema (2560m) (Drive / 40 mins) (Trek / 15 kms / 5 - 6 hrs)
We start the day with a short, scenic & adventurous drive to Taluka, starting point of our trek. The hike today is through beautiful mixed forest sections and along the Supin River. The gradient is moderate throughout with an odd steep patch in between. This region is blessed with a very old & unique culture which thankfully is still preserved. You will get a very up close & personal experience of it today. On the trail you will meet locals from the nearby villages and get to see rare architectural beauty of local dwellings. We will cross a few villages en route to reach Seema, a small market place. We will camp ahead of Seema in the beautiful fields by the riverside. Overnight stay in tents.
Day 3 : Seema (2560m) – Ruinsaratal (3350m) (Trek / 6 - 7 hrs)
Wake up to the beauty of the engaging river set by your campsite. Today we will set off for a hike to Ruinsaratal, a clear water lake nestled at the foot of Mt. Kalanag. Hike the captivating jungle trail to this natural wonder, the gradient being a gradual uphill. On your way, witness the enchanting meadows, hike further & cross a stream or two. After trekking for about 6-7 hours, reach Ruinsaratal. From here, witness superb & up-close views of majestic Mt. Kalanag, Ruinsar range, BandarPoonch, and Swargarohini peaks. This lake surrounded with alpine pastures & low rhododendrons, will charm you completely. Located just below the Bandarpoonch Glacier this lake serves as an ideal camping site. Overnight stay in tents.
Day 4 : Ruinsaratal (3350m) (Rest / Acclimatization day / Exploration)
A day of rest, acclimatization & exploration is a must at Ruinsaratal. The warm sun and the clear water fringed by reeds look absolutely mesmerizing. Wander around this amazingly scenic spot which opens up to the up-close views of the spectacular Bandarpoonch, Swargarohini, Dhumdhar Kandi & the White peak. Today we will head out to explore Kyarkoti , and will witness the extremely enchanting meadows. After a wonderful day of travelling around, we will enjoy an overnight stay in tents at Ruinsaratal.
Day 5 : Ruinsaratal (3350m) - Bali Udiyari (4150m) (Trek / 5 - 6 hrs)
Today is a short & easy trek. Initially we will descend down to the Supin River through thick vegetation. Further we will cross the river through a bridge & ascend an extremely delightful small meadow. From here, we will head further to reach the campsite at Bali Udiyari, which derives its name from the natural cave shelter. Overnight stay in tents.
Day 6 : Bali Udiyari (4150m) – Bali Pass (4600m) - Damni Camp (3650m) (Trek / 7 - 8 hrs)
From Bali Udiyari, we set off for a hike to Bali Pass. This last stage of the trek features a challenging trail with boulder sections. Starting from Bali Udiyari till Bali Pass, the gradient will be steep. We trek for a couple of hours and reach the Bali Pass. From here witness 360 degree views of Swargarohini, Banderpooch, Garhwal ranges and the underlying Yamnotri valley. The most interesting as well as difficult part of the trek starts after crossing the Bali Pass. We will descend down through the nearly vertical path full of scree and big stones. After crossing this leg, we will come across the goat route, which will be a lot tricky to trek. After this extremely challenging part, we will reach the campsite at Damni. Overnight stay in tents.
Day 7 : Damni (3650m) – Yamunotri (3150m) – Jankichatti (2650m) - Dehradun (250m) (Trek / 4 - 5 hrs) (Drive / approx 6 - 7 hrs)
Today, we start to hike from Damini to reach the roadhead at Jankichatt. Enroute we halt to pay homage at the divine Yamunotri shrine. After trekking for about 4-5 hours, reach Jankichatti. From here we will board a vehicle and be driven up to Dehradun. depart for onward destination.
Trip Ends With Sweet Memories !!!
For Departure Dates just call 7350530009 / 7350540009 / 7350550009
List of Essentials
It is very important for this adventure trip that you need to be equipped properly and with a bit of back up. Mountain/adventure travel requires one to be adequately equipped with the right kind of personal gear. Since one is travelling in the wilderness there will be hardly any opportunity to buy anything once you hit the trail so we urge you to carefully pack everything into your bags. Also please keep in mind you can rent out or purchase equipment from our Gear Store, if required.
Shirts / T - shirts – 2 / 3
Jeans / Trekking Pants - 2 / 3
Windproof jacket of decent quality (no flimsy wind cheaters please!) preferably with a hood
Warm and thick Fleece / Full-sleeve Woollen sweater
Thermal inner wear (upper & lower)
Woollen cap
Woollen gloves
Woollen socks & regular socks (3-4 pairs)
Scarf/muffler (optional)
Comfortable Trekking/Hiking shoes (shoes with a thick sole are recommended)
Lightweight floaters/sandals/slippers
Raincoat / Poncho
Small light weight towel
Water bottle (sturdy ones, no empty Bisleri bottles!!)
Cap / Hat to keep the strong sun away from your face
Sun glasses
Walking stick / Trekking pole
Sunscreen Lotion
Lip Balm
Torch / Flashlight (with extra batteries)
Medicines, if requiring any specific medication
Personal toiletries
Books, if you like reading
Day pack/small bag which you will carry on your back every day and keep your essentials in it
Keep a few poly bags or waterproof bags in your bag in which if required you can put your belongings in case of heavy rain
Camera if you like (with fully charged batteries)
…LOADS OF ENTHUSIASM!! AND A PLEDGE TO LEAVE NO TRACE
Carry your stuff in a duffel bag, soft shoulder bag or a rucksack. Avoid suitcases, trolleys or any other hard luggage. As you will be walking long distances carrying a rucksack, avoid bringing unnecessary items on the trek. Please avoid carrying expensive watches, jewellery and electronic items on the trek
Transport Options (Delhi – Dehradun – Delhi)
For travel to Dehradun and back one can choose between air, rail & road. For air travel, the closest airport is the Jolly Grant Airport (at Dehradun) and is well connected to Delhi and other parts of the country by Air India, Jet Airways and SpiceJet. Train travel is highly recommended with enough options being there. For train details, you could log on to www.indianrail.gov.in and for online railway ticket bookings you could log on to www.irctc.co.in .
There are frequent Public Transport buses including Volvos available from Delhi to Dehradun that cost about Rs. 200-700 per person. These buses depart from Delhi ISBT every 30 mins. or so and take about 7 hrs to cover the distance. The same is also applicable on the return journey. A private vehicle could also be arranged for if you require the same.
Weather Details
In the initial days of the pre monsoon season (Apr-Jun) there will be snow along the trail which generally melts by end April. Days are going to be sunny and warm (14-22 °C) while the night temperature at the highest campsite would be in the range of -2 to 6 °C. In the post monsoon season (Sep-Oct) there is possibility of snow towards the end of the season, which also melts very fast. The days are sunny with temperatures hovering around (12-18 °C) and the evenings start getting cold with the onset of October and nights are comparatively colder (-5 to 6 °C).
Please keep in mind that the above information is not exact and does not account for sudden changes. Whatever the temperatures and conditions rest assured we will be prepared to handle it with ease as we use equipment of very high specifications.
Our Trekking Code
We are mountain lovers and have pledged to bring no harm to them in our pursuit of running organised wilderness travel in the Himalayas and seek your assistance too in this regard. We are more than convinced that one can have more fun on a trip if we go about it in a way that no harm is caused to the ecology. In this regard we have a set of guidelines that we adhere to based on the tenets of ‘Leave No Trace’ & ‘Tread Light’ policies. These guidelines are very simple and emphasise on travelling in small groups, better planning, understanding impact of camping, proper waste disposal, respecting local cultures, sensitivity towards wildlife and so on. We have a complete section on our trekking code in the Namoh trekking Manual’. This manual will be couriered to you once you confirm a trip with us.
Acclimatisation & high altitude sickness
This is one of the most important aspects of travelling in the high Himalayas and cannot be ignored or set aside. Acclimatisation basically means our body adjusting to lower levels of oxygen (rarefied air) & reduced air pressure as me move up. In case one does not acclimatise properly there are chances of the person facing extreme discomfort and this can be fatal in extreme cases. While there is no set route to getting properly acclimatised there are a general precautions and steps that one can take to initiate good acclimatisation. Our trekking guides will assist you with these steps and also once you book a trip with us the ‘Namoh Trekking Manual’ which will cover this aspect extensively will be couriered to you. This is sure to help you enjoy the trek in very good shape.
Selecting the right trek & training for it
Most important thing is to select the right trek keeping in mind your experience or inexperience, health, objectives & ability. Our senior team people can assist you with this, so when contacting us do mention if you need guidance on this front also refer to our trek grading system mentioned below. Once the right trek is selected comes your preparation. Once you have booked a trip with us we will courier the ‘Namoh Trekking Manual’ to you which will have a complete practice drill explained in details..
Trek grading system
We have broadly classified our treks as below:
Easy These treks are 3 to 5 days long and involve walking for about 3/4 hrs daily. The trail on such treks is well defined but not always flat. These are great for families and first timers
Moderate On these treks one is not required to trek for more than 5/6 hrs a day. Also the terrain is not too difficult. These treks are normally a week or so long. For these treks prior trekking experience is not necessary. Very rarely on these treks would one camp at altitudes higher than 3800m. These treks are great for first timers or for veterans wanting to go on a trail which is relatively less demanding
Moderate+ These are moderate treks with mostly one difficult day. These trails are fine for fit beginners also.
Vigorous On these treks one can be required to trek continuously for more than a week through remote areas and at times trekking for more than 7 hrs a day. On most of these treks one has to cross passes or areas which are snow covered and involve camping at altitude of more than 4000m. Fit people with some kind of hiking experience & a spirit of adventure can contemplate going on these trails.
Strenuous These treks apart from having continuous trekking stretches are at places technical and might require assistance from trip leader/guide and other staff people. All these treks have rest days in between. Also all of them involve crossing passes or areas having altitude of more than 4500m. First timers are discouraged from walking such routes.
Expedition Style These involve long walks at high altitudes at times around 6000m. Camping can also be well over the snow line and on glaciers at times. Safety ropes, ice axes and crampons might be required on these treks. These treks are not technically very difficult but are considerably challenging. Previous vigorous/strenuous trekking experience is required.
Duration: 7 Days
Season: Jul - Sep
Grade: Strenuous
Region: Garhwal (Uttarakhand)
Description
Bali Pass ,often referred as a virgin trek in the Indian Himalayas is the least explored & thus is the most scenic. Apt for seasoned trekkers, this trek is a strenuous one. Blessed with undying natural beauty, this trail is unchallenged and has all elements that wilderness seekers look for. Not too many people know of this trail so it’s still hidden from most and only shepherds frequent the region. A delight for nature lovers, Bali Pass trek features an enchanting trail that one must look forward to.
Discover captivating meadows, wild alpine flowers, birds & exceptionally high mountains. Opening up to amphitheatre views of the spectacular Himalayan peaks; this trek is sure to lend you with an experience of a lifetime. Bali Pass has a challenging & a technical trekking route, which is not recommended for beginners.
The trek starts from Taluka a scenic hamlet which will serves as a starting point of the trek. A delight for avid explorers, Seema will be the next stopover on our trekking route. Offering an up close & personal experience of local culture, this place will offer a great chance to mingle with the locals. Heading further, this trek will lead to Ruinsaratal, a natural wonder worth witnessing. After a wonderful day of rest, acclimatization & exploration, the trek will continue to Bali Udiyari, the natural cave shelter. The last stage of the trek will lead to the Bali Pass. Featuring a challenging trail, scaling the Bali Pass Summit, will truly be an unforgettable achievement. This trek is sure to quench your thrust for adventure & will also offer you with a bundle of cherishable memories.
