7-Day Kuari Pass Trek

ugh Devprayag, Rudraprayag, Karnprayag, and Nandprayag - renowned confluences in the Garhwal Himalayas. Ghat is a sizable village boasting multiple schools, government offices, and a bustling marketplace serving the surrounding villages.

Board a typical village jeep to meet the ponies and porters accompanying you. The trail winds up to the ridge offering panoramic views of Ramni and Ghunni villages. An open meadow with stunning views of Nanda Ghunti and Chaukhamba peaks lies beyond the ridge. The trail continues through Rhododendron forests, pasture grasslands, and nomadic huts before a gradual climb to Vinayak Pass. A Ganesha temple with a prayer flag marks the pass, providing excellent views of the Himalayas and Kuari Pass. Descend through Sem Kharak to the village of Jhinjhi, entertained by colorful Himalayan inhabitants and settlements.

The trail continues to descend through the village finally comes to the valley floor and brings you to a high suspension bridge over river Birahi Ganga. After crossing the bridge you get to the true right of the valley. The trail now climbs steeply with zig zags initially and later with some false summits finally to the ridge. Again some compensating views of the nearby settlements and some Himalayan peaks are appreciable. From this point path is gradual and passes through a beautiful forest of Rhododendron finally going past Kaliagad to the settlement at Pana. A final ascend of less than a kilometer will bring us to the campsite above the village of Pana.

ododendrons with a couple of fall summits and finally takes you to the ridge. Now trail continues gradually through the forest to an open meadow of Sartoli which serves as a camping site as well as pasture land for sheep & cattle. This is an ideal place to view Kuari Pass dominating the horizon. Initially, the trail from Sartoli starts to descend gradually for a couple of kilometers but in the later part, the final descent to the side stream is very steep with loose moraine (The guest are required to use their trekking poles during this stretch). Cross over the side stream and start a steep ascend with a series of switchbacks to the ridge top. From here trail traverses slightly with a couple of ascends again and finally takes you to another side stream just under Dhakwani. From this point, it's about a half an hour climb to the campsite at Dhakwani. A cup of tea with cherishing flavor is worth it.

The trail from Dhakwani continues to climb through the forest until we cross the tree line. From this point, the path traverses to the left of the valley just under the pass and continues with a series of switchbacks straight to the pass. Ohhhhhhhh what fabulous, stunning, magnificent views of the greater Himalayas are waiting to be admired. Take your time, relax, and enjoy photography at the pass. The trail from the pass slightly ascends to a hump. From there you will find an excellent view of Dronagiri Peak. After this, the trail descends to a point with a bifurcation to Tapovan & Tali. Continue on the trail to Tali which leads to a ridge with temple and prayer flags. From here the Great Nanda Devi peak comes into view. The trail goes past through pasture land enters the forest and finally leads to the campsite at Tali.

The trail from Tali is a gradual climb across a mountain ridge. This trail is narrow and requires cautious walking until it reaches Gorson meadows. From here it's all the Himalayas all around. Great Nanda Devi Peak is the most admirable and dominating among the many. The crossing of Gorson Meadow is a fun walk. Finally, the man-made concrete contractions could be seen from a distance marking the village of Auli. It's time to say bye to the ponies and porters. Board a Jeep to the town of Joshimath which is a 13 km drive. Joshimath is a happening marketplace and serves as a supply to nearby villages.

On the way visit Rudraprayag where rivers Mandakini and Alaknanda meet. Lunch enroute. Arrive in Rishikesh by evening.