Our Treks

Lamkhaga pass, Auden’s col, Kinner Kailash Parikrama and Larsa our trek are few treks that are among flagship treks by Raacho Trekkers.

1. Lamkhaga Pass Trek: It is a fairly remote trek and is now regarded as the classic route from Gangotri to Kinnaur, which was first crossed by Marco Pallis in 1933. The trek can be done from either side.

Enroute Dumti - Lamkhaga pass trek 2017
Enroute Dumti – Lamkhaga pass trek 2017
en route pass base camp - Lamkhaga pass trek
En route pass base camp – Lamkhaga pass trek
Boulder patch near pass base camp , Lamkhaga pass
Boulder patch near pass base camp , Lamkhaga pass
En route pass base camp - Lamkhaga pass trek
En route pass base camp – Lamkhaga pass trek
Baspa Glacier , Lamkhaga pass
Baspa Glacier , Lamkhaga pass
Baspa Glacier , Lamkhaga pass
Baspa Glacier , Lamkhaga pass

The beautiful route takes you through some of the most remote areas of Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh, like the Jalandhari valley that is covered with flowers post monsoon.

The snow in the early season could impede your progress. Harsil is famous for Wilson’s Cottage built in 1864. Gangotri is a short drive from Harsil, while Chitkul is the last village in the Baspa valley.

Glacial lake in Jalandhari gad valley , Harsil [Lamkhaga pass trek 2016]
Glacial lake in Jalandhari gad valley , Harsil [Lamkhaga pass trek 2016]

We opened the route for trekkers community in June 2014. Austin has written a blog about the expedition. We conducted the same expedition in May 2015 and May 2016 and May 2017 as well.

2. Auden’s Col & Mayali Pass Trek

Auden’s Col is a mountain pass that connects Jogin I (6465m) and Gangotri III (6580m) and is reportedly situated at a height of around 5400m. It also binds two glaciers on the opposite sides. One is Khatling glacier and the other one looks like the glacier belonging to Jogin I.

Varied landscapes of three passes trek [Patangani - Auden's col - Mayali pass ]
Varied landscapes of three passes trek [Patangani – Auden’s col – Mayali pass ]
Varied landscapes of Auden's col
Snowy landscapes of Auden’s col

Auden’s Col is approachable from Gangotri and one can trek up to Kedarnath following Auden’s Col and Khatling glacier. The pass is named after John Bicknell Auden of the Geological Survey of India, who first discovered it in 1935 and crossed it in 1939. Mr. Harish Kapadia and Mr. Romesh Bhattacharjee from the Himalayan Club repeated Auden’s explorations in the late eighties.

Varied landscapes of three passes trek [Patangani - Auden's col - Mayali pass ]
Varied landscapes of three passes trek [Patangani – Auden’s col – Mayali pass ]

Normally pass and the Khatling glacier is heavily infested with crevasses. However, we crossed the pass in early June and encountered few crevasses due to heavy snow cover.  Read Ashul Chaurasia’s photo blog written about the three passes expedition.

3. Kinner Kailash Parikrama Trek

Kinnaur Kailash Parikrama is one of the toughest treks in Himachal, around the holy Mount Kailash, also called Kinner Kailash in Kinnaur. It’s a 60 Km trek, which starts in Thangi through Charang, Lalan Ti, crossing Charang La pass (17,194 ft) and ends in Chitkul village – the last inhabited village accessible by road, near the Indo-Tibet border in Baspa valley of Kinnaur, Himachal.

Top of the pass , Charang -La . Kinner Kailash Parikrama trek
Top of the pass , Charang -La. Kinner Kailash Parikrama trek
Upper base camp Landscape , Charang La. Kinner Kailash Parikrama trek
Upper base camp Landscape , Charang La. Kinner Kailash Parikrama trek

Mostly done by pilgrims, it’s a difficult trek and there are no specific directions to follow, just a few stones kept on top of each other by former trekkers marks the path.

Climbing Charang La [ Kinner Kailash Parikrama trek]
Climbing Charang La [ Kinner Kailash Parikrama trek]

There is no cellular connectivity here or any villages on the way, so unless you have a compass and a map, or a guide, you’re sure to get lost. It’s a non-touristy, difficult trek and the most difficult part is the climb up Charang La pass and ends at one of the most beautiful and remote places in Kinnaur – Chitkul village. Read the trek log of Kinnaur Kailash Circuit here.  Micah did the trek in September  2009.  Read his experience of the winter trek of Kinner Kailash of Kinnaur here.

3. Larsa We Trek

This route connects the Kinnaur valley to the Spiti Valley in Himachal Pradesh. It is one of the most less traversed routes in the region. The pass lies at the head of the Lippa village near Kalpa. It descends to the Pin valley in Spiti. It is one of the most beautiful treks and is one of the most undiscovered trails. This is definitely one of the roads less traveled.

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