14
Jun
The Pin Bhaba Pass Trek is a high altitude crossover trek with a distance of 50 Km completed in 8 days. The trek begins at Kafnu (Kinnaur) & ends at Mudh ( an isolated village in Spiti). This trek lies on the mountain ridge with two different sides, one is extremely filled with thick green forest, rushing rivers and fields of wild flowers. On the other side it's totally different with stark, silent desert of bare rocks & snow under the bright blue sky. Ecological importance of the Pin Bhaba Pass Trek comes into play by virtue of the total transformation that the trek makes on an ecological front, where trekking through around half the total journey in the Rupi-Bhaba Wildlife Sanctuary in dense forests and famous alpine meadows like Mulling and Kara in Kinnaur, the final leg of the trek serves as the entry point to the climate of Pin Valley National Park. This trek may not be technically difficult but it involves ascending for around 3,000 ft up through scree, moraine, and some snow patches from Phutsirang (4,107m). Culturally this trek is a connection between the Hindu influenced orchard found in Sutlej Valley and the Tibetan Buddhist landscape of Mudh and Kaza.
Total Distance: 50 Km approx.
Duration: 8 Days
Highest Altitude: 16,100 ft.
Difficulty Level: Difficult
Best Time: Mid July to September
Normally on any mountain expedition, there will be little change to the scenery during several days, or not any change at all. Pin Bhaba is totally unique in its ability to offer an immediate change. You can literally walk off the pass’s crest from one scene into a completely contrasting world where the lushness of rain-soaked green forests gives way instantly to a desert wilderness.
The Green side (Kinnaur): Covered by dense forests of pine, fast-flowing streams, and green fields.
The Desert side (Spiti): An unchanging, landscape with multi-colored stones resembling the moon’s surface.
The Immediate Transition: This is not a transition that occurs over a period of days, but instantly at the crest of the pass itself.
You can camp in Mulling, which is an enormous, flat area covered in grass and situated directly beside a raging river flowing through the mountains, and in Kara, which is a quiet valley with sheep herds grazing all over the huge mountains. Sleeping at night in such an open place, under the stars of the beautiful clear sky, gives you a feeling of being truly free from everything else in life.
Mulling Meadow: A big, flat lawn in an open space, ideal for sitting back and relaxing after trekking.
Kara Valley: A bowl-shaped lawn area surrounded by high mountains where local shepherds sleep.
Ideal for Stargazing: Due to lack of light pollution, the stars can be seen easily in large numbers.
Overcoming all physical limits in order to conquer the peak of the pass which is 16,105 feet high, will be an exciting challenge. Climbing up to the peak demands waking up from freezing darkness, breathing through thin air, and struggling with difficult terrain covered with slippery snow and loose rocks. Standing on top and being surrounded by beautiful colors of fluttering prayer flags with the view of two different valleys at one time will give you a tremendous feeling of satisfaction.
Start Time of Climbing Up: Waking up at 2:00 AM.
Tricky Terrain: Trekking through difficult terrain that challenges your balance and leg muscles.
The 16,105 Feet High Peak: Climbing up to the peak of the pass.
The trek is more than an adventurous physical activity; it is also an exciting cultural walk. With the path leading through two different places, one gets the opportunity to see two different ways of living within a week. One begins the adventure by passing through the wood-built, Hindu-style temples of the Kinnaur region and ends it by exploring the white-colored, peaceful Buddhist monasteries and prayer wheels of the Spiti Valley.
Kinnauri Culture: Wooden buildings / homes, apple gardens, and Hindu temples at the beginning of the trail.
Spitian Culture: Indo-Tibetan culture, old monasteries, and prayer flags at the end of the trail.
Two Different Worlds in One Week: Trekking through a major change of language, cuisine, and culture along the same trail.
Getting the perfect trekking site during the middle of the Indian summer / monsoon season can be very difficult due to rain and landslides. This is where Pin Bhaba Pass Trek offers you a perfect solution as the Spiti Valley falls in the rain-shadow area. Due to the climatic conditions in the region, one can have the ultimate adventure without any risk as there are high chances of heavy rainfall in the region at that particular time.
Protection by Mountain Walls: There are giant walls protecting this region from the heavy downpours of the monsoons.
The Perfect Trail During July to September: While most others trails are closed, this particular trail remains open.
Colorful Alpine Wild Flowers: It rains heavily in Kinnaur, resulting in colorful alpine flowers - Blue Poppy.
If you haven’t done any high altitude Himalayan trek ever before, Pin Bhaba can be your first – but you can’t avoid preparing yourself for it. Jumping straight from office work on the chair to reaching 16,105 ft pass would lead to physical difficulties that you may face. This trek includes strenuous days with steep ascents, 6-8 weeks of prior intensive training would be required. Building solid endurance both muscular and cardiovascular is a must in order not to collapse after all these ascents.
Having done medium treks such as Hampta Pass, Roopkund, or Kedarkantha would mean that you need to make your next step higher. Popular treks serve well as a good starting point, however, none of them gives you the feeling of wild wilderness. Your next destination will include both – crossing a pass in the middle of a wild terrain as well as the ascent through it. Crossing itself implies stepping through changing rocks and snow, and then descending down to the camping site.
Trekking is all about having endurance since it requires that one sustains the activity for a prolonged period of time compared to having large muscles. It will require you to be comfortable walking for 6 to 7 hours every day amid rough and unpredictable terrain. Being fit also involves being able to hike without much strain when you have a 5 to 8 kilogram backpack. Your lungs and leg muscles should also get used to the altitude quickly if they are accustomed to jogging or biking.
These months bring about the best opportunity to see the spectacular contrast which this trek is known for. The side of Kinnaur gets only light showers during the monsoon season, creating the effect of an almost fluorescent green heaven full of blooming wild flowers. There are some interesting patches of hard snow to be crossed in the area of the 16,100-foot-high pass point; however, once you step beyond the pass towards the side of Spiti, the gigantic mountain walls cut off the clouds, and you end up in a sunny desert.
With the beginning of autumn, clouds of monsoon go away from both sides of the pass, resulting in a very clear view of the mountains and bright skies. This month allows experiencing the clearest visibility of the impressive Himalayas. Also, the trails get dryer, and the weather becomes more agreeable, with the melting snow transforming into rocky moraines and slightly lowering daytime temperatures, making the vibrant green scenery of the area turn into beautiful gold colors.
The trek to the Pin Bhaba Pass is not only about trekking in the mountains but it is more about traversing through two totally different worlds both in terms of culture and weather conditions. For an experience that tests your body and your eyesight and fills your memory with breathtaking views, prepare yourself for trekking to the Pin Bhaba Pass.
