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32°23'50.0"N 77°05'09.7"E
Mount Shitidhar Climb
Shiti Dhar or 'White Peak' is at a height of over 18,000 feet and is probably the best peak to go on if you are just starting off with mountaineering. These mountains located in the Bara Banghal Range are a brilliant expedition since one has the possibility of summiting two peaks.
Highlights
Needs no technical or prior mountaineering experience to summit the peak.
Gives you marvellous views of both the Kullu and the Lahul valley.
Overview
This is one of the best high altitude treks which does not need any prior climbing experience to summit a Himalayan peak. The trek offers you spectacular views of Hanuman Tibba on the west and in the distance, you will see Indrasan, Deotibba and the lesser mountains of the Pir Panjal in the east. Mount Shitidhar also known as the "White Peak" is one of the best for trekking in Manali. The south face of the peak offers both an easy and a challenging route. When you summit the peak, you will be getting breathtaking views of both the Kullu and the Lahul valley. The base will be near Beas Kund which is just a day trek away from the main city of Manali. The Shitidhar climb needs no clearance from the Indian Mountaineering Federation (IMF), but in winter, the peak demands some technical climbing skills from the climbers in order to summit the peak. Your trek will start from Solang Valley which is just 17 km away from Manali. As a matter of fact, the Solang valley is very well known for its ski resorts as it attracts a lot of tourists especially in the months of March to May. Also, it is believed that the author of the great epic Mahabharata, used to bathe in Beas Kund (a high altitude lake). As you pass Beas Kund, you will see lots of trekkers and pilgrims, as it is also a very popular tourist attraction spot in summer, when the snow melts and the temperature becomes a bit bearable. The ascent follows the river Beas up to Beas Kund and then continues up the slopes of Shitidhar, as a result, there is no shortage of water along the trek.
Brief Itinerary
Detailed Itinerary
Day 1: Reach Manali
You will start your
journey to Manali by taking a train, preferably catch the Kalka Shatabdi at
Delhi which departs at 7:50 am and reach Chandigarh at 11:00 am the next day.
Take a look around the beautiful city of Chandigarh and drive straight away for
12 hours to reach Manali. It will be a long journey but you will experience
wonderful scenic views on your way. Take a look around the local markets, the
main attractions include the Roerich Art Gallery and Hadimbas and stay the
night in a hotel. There are plenty of options for a hotel in Manali.
Meals : Dinner Only
Accommodation : Hotel
Altitude : 6,276 ft.
Day 2: Manali - Rest Day
This will be a
relaxing day in town. Grab a nice and hot breakfast in your hotel and
experience a wonderful view from the balcony. Manali is a very commercial town
now, it is located at a height of 6,726 ft. Due to the huge number of tourists
visiting from around the globe, Manali remains quite busy throughout the year.
After having a warm lunch, spend some time exploring the town mainly, the
Hadimba temple, the Vashisht hot water springs and the famous Roerich Art
Gallery in Naggar. Stay overnight in your hotel.
Meals : B, L, D
Accommodation : Hotel
Altitude : 6,276 ft.
Day 3: Acclimatize in Manali
After having
breakfast, drive up to Rohtang pass. The famous pass which is just a 2 hours
drive from Manali is at a height of 13,123 ft from sea level. You will see many
foreigners and tourists here because Rohtang pass is in everyone’s list
visiting nearby. Even for going to Leh Ladakh via Manali, you have to drive
through the Rohtang pass. Have your lunch at the pass and drive back to Manali
the same day. At this moment your body has acclimatized against the outside
conditions and you are ready to climb further up. Have a warm dinner and stay
the night at your hotel.
Meals : B, L, D
Accommodation : Hotel
Altitude : 13,123 ft at the pass and back
Day 4: Manali to Bakkarthach
Have an early breakfast today and drive to Dhundi which is just an hour drive via Palchan and Solang Nallah. Dhundi is at a height of 9,350 ft and is the starting point of your trek. You will walk along the river Beas before crossing it and then eventually ascend steeply to reach the grazing grounds of Bakkarthach. The DMAS (Directorate of Mountaineering and Allied Sports) runs a semi-permanent camp here and uses the surrounding area and mountains to train mountaineers.
Meals : B, L, D
Accommodation : Tents
Altitude : 10,797 ft.
Day 5: Bakkarthach to Beas kund Base Camp
From Bakkarthach there is a steep climb that brings you to the Beas Kund glacier on the south-facing slopes of the mighty Pir Panjal range. From there, a short walk over the moraine will bring you to the planes of the Beas Kund filled with numerous small streams. Keeping an eye on the ice and snow, you will camp there. The total journey will take around 2-3 hours. Beas Kund, located at a height of 11,765 ft is a small water body on the left side of the glacier draining one of the many trickles which join to form the mighty Beas. It is believed that the legendary author of the Indian epic Mahabharata and the Vedas, Rishi Vyas would meditate up at the Rohtang pass area and would come down to this lake for his daily bath.
Meals : B, L, D
Accommodation : Tents
Altitude : 12,200 ft.
Day 6 : Beas Kund Base Camp
This will be a rest day as you will stay in the base camp itself, but you will be practising movement on the snow/ice. The art of walking on the snow is often neglected by beginners as it seems very easy, but in reality, it gets very tough when you’re walking through a thick sheet of snow. It resists your movement, and not to forget the hidden crevasses that lie under the snow. One needs to be very careful in these areas. Get familiar with your instruments and equipment and learn how to use them in the correct way. Learn the ropes and how to arrest a fall on the slope. These things are very important during a climb.
Meals : B, L, D
Accommodation : Tents
Altitude : 12,200 ft.
Day 7: Beas Kund to Camp I
The camp I is located at a height of 15,265 ft and takes around 6 hours to reach from Beas Kund. It will be quite steep and arduous walk to camp I, which is on the open snow. You have to pass through a treacherous long ridge, which is generally covered in snow partly. If you lose your concentration here, you will slip multiple times on the ridge. Have a hot dinner and stay the night at your tent.
Meals : B, L, D
Accommodation : Tents
Time Taken : 6 hours
Altitude : 15,265 ft.
Day 8: Camp I to Summit to Base Camp
Wake up in the morning early, have a quick and light breakfast and get ready for the day’s climb straight up to the summit which is at an astounding height of 18,000 ft. It is recommended to summit peaks as early as you can, as you get to see the best views and the weather also remains better than the rest of the day. You can start your climb to the summit around midnight or so when the snow still remains hard, equipment like snow boots, gaiters, and ice axe are a must. At this time the Mt. Shitidhar temperature would be very less. The climb will take you around 6 hours depending upon your pace, and you will be standing on the summit by sunrise, which is a surreal experience. The climb down to the base camp is much faster, however, you need to be careful as the ice will start melting quickly. Reach the base camp and party in the evening celebrating your success.
Meals : B, L, D
Accommodation : Tents
Altitude : 18,000 at the summit
Day 9: Base Camp to Manali
Bid your goodbyes to the mountains and walk down towards Dhundi which will take you 3-4 hours and then hire or share a car and drive back to Manali in just an hour. Stay the night at Manali in a hotel.
Meals : B, L, D
Accommodation : Hotel
Time Taken : 4 hours
Day 10: Depart from Manali
Drive from Manali to Chandigarh and board the Kalka Shatabdi departing at 18:20 to reach Delhi by 21:40. Alternatively, if you want to reach Delhi by road you can, but it will take you around 12 hours to reach. So, train or flight is the best way to save time. Reaching Delhi will mark the end of your climbing expedition.
Meals : B, L, D
Accommodation : Not included
How To Reach
The Pickup point and Drop Point will be Manali bus stop. For communications purposes, we will create a Whatsapp Group before the departure date of the trek and will share the details regarding the transportation. The drop at Bus Stand after the trek will be arranged in a similar way.
By Air
To reach Hampta pass, the nearest airport is in Bhuntar which is 11km from Kullu and 52 km from Manali. You can take a taxi from Bhuntar to Manali which will cost approximately Rs, 1000/-. The airlines that you can take are Indian Airlines, Kingfisher Airlines, Jagson Airlines operating flights from Delhi as well as Chandigarh. To reach Manali by air, you need to have a connecting flight via Delhi or Chandigarh. Delhi or Chandigarh is well connected to major airports across the country. You can check your flight in the following links: 1. https://www.google.com/flights, 2. https://www.makemytrip.com/flights/
By Road
To reach Hampta pass by road, you can take an overnight bus from Delhi to Manali or Chandigarh to Manali. Manali is well connected to cities by road. The roads are in good condition but there are sudden landslides in the monsoon season. The bus from Delhi to Manali can take up to 14 hours and from Chandigarh to Manali is 9 hours at least. Tickets are available online on Redbus.in, Goibibo.in or Hrtc.gov.in. You can pay online for the bus tickets. You should always take the Himsuta bus from HRTC as they are the most comfortable government buses on this route. You can also book private buses but sometimes sudden hiccups come with them. The last government bus leaves at 11:15 pm at night and starts from ISBT Kashmere Gate. Plan your onward journeys only post noon giving enough buffer for bus delays.
By Train
We do not recommend you travel by train as the closest railway station, Jogindernagar is 5 hours away which you will again have to cover by bus or cab.
Why Trek With Us ?
Reviews
I chose (after a lot of research) Trekmunk for my first trek - The Hampta Pass and Chandratal Trek. And I am so really glad I did so. The trekker needs to only focus on the trek and the beautiful landscape around him/her. The rest of everything is taken care of by Trekmunk from d ...
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