Dear All ,
Indian Journeys is proud to present yet another himalayan adventure , after 02 successful himalayan treks , this July we will head to Manali for the wondrous Hamta Trek .....
Rarely do the Himalayas present a trek for first timers that pack in everything – easy access, dark pine forests, open meadows, glacial valleys and an adventurous crossing of a pass that leaves the heart pumping. The Hampta Pass trek in Himachal is tailor made for those looking to experience high Himalayan adventure.
It is a trek that comes built in with bonuses. And there are many. The first would be its easy access – you start the trek from Manali town – unlike most treks that start from a remote village. Two, you can add on an exciting day long trip to Chandratal a high altitude alpine lake – its deep blue colour is a rarity. Add to this the return jeep ride over the Rothang pass and it is almost like experiencing two treks at one go....
So join us for this adventure and you are sure to be mesmerised by the Himalayan Experience ......register soon to avoid disappointment , we have limited seats for the epic adventure.
For Details ....Read below
Day 1: 04th July 2014 : Mumbai Departure - Delhi
Our epic adventure with the mighty Himalayas shall begin tonight, board the 22209 NDLS Duronto departing for Delhi from Mumbai Central at 11 Pm. Meals will be served onboard as well. O/n at Train
Day 2: 05th July 2014 : Delhi - Manali (O/n Volvo)
Arrival at NDLS railway station by 5 Pm and and immediately transfer to the bus stand at Majnu ka Tilla & board your Volvos for Manali latest by 7 Pm. O/n Onboard.
Day 3: 06th July 2014 : Manali (Relaxation & Acclimatization)
Morning arrival at the Manali Bus Stand by 9 Am & transfer to the hotel , for freshen up & relax , Lunch at the hotel. Later in the evening proceed for an acclimatization walk. Evening will be at leisure in Manali. Make last minute preparations for the trek. O/n at Manali
DAY 4: 07th July 2014 : Manali – Prini – Chika
Today morning after breakfast the vehicle from Manali after passing the Prini village takes you up through 40 hairpin bends and drops you off at Jobra. You have already gained quite an altitude from Manali and you start your trek at 9800ft. Cross the road and take the small path into the forest. Its an easy slope and after 20 minutes into the forest, you come to a bend with a huge rock which overlooks a meadow strewn with small rocks. The meadow has the Rani Nala or Rani river flowing in between and on either sides we have the hills with rock faces. You can traverse on the meadow or climb up the left hill. The climb makes the path slightly shorter. Chika the camping ground for the day is at the end of this meadow. The river flows right in the middle and water is no issue. Choose a nice ground and pitch your tent for the day. O/n Camping.
Day 5: 08th July 2014 : Chika to Balu Ka Gera
(4hourseasyascent)
Start from Chika after breakfast. The destination for the day Balu-Ka-Gera is not seen but is towards the right of your camp site. Set out head right but you are all along on the left bank of the river. The initial climb is mainly through stones and boulders. You encounter a water fall on to your left. After the waterfall, you move towards your right heading towards the river. Lots of boulders around and you need to cross the river. Take off your shoes if you wish and jump accross the rocks on the Rani Nala. You would about half way through your trek now and you enter a sheltered/walled valley. On one side of are the rock faces and on the other end is the river below. Its as though you have entered a huge natural stage.You are now at Jwara. The river has snow flows melting and feeding it while numerous sheep and mules feed on the green grass. In front are snow clad mountains beyond which somewhere lies the Hamta Pass. It takes about half an hour to cross the valley. After you come out of Juawara, you walk further along crossing small snow flows and jumping across rocks. You then reach Balu-Ka-Gera or the bed of sand. The ground is mainly the sand and dust brought down by the river. Its a level ground at Balu-Ka-Gera and behind you are the mountains you traverse the next day to cross the Hamta Pass. Pitch your tent and relax for the day. You are close to 11000 ft. O/n Camping.
Day 6 : 09th July 2014 : Balu-Ka-Gera to Shea Goru crossing Hamta Pass ( DAY OF GLORY )
(8-9 hours Easy to moderately steep ascents followed by a sharp descent )
Today's trek can be broken into two stages. The climb to Hamta pass which is moderately steep and then the steep descent from Hamta Pass to Sheagoru. You will want to take a small break on top of the pass so make it your target to reach the pass by lunch time, have lunch there and then start the descent. You head out towards the mountains from Balu-Ka-Gera. You move along the river for an hour after which you may be over it. After an hour of gentle gradient, the climb picks up. This is the first serious inclination you encounter. Half an hour of climb and you come to the first plateau. Take a breather, wait for your team to catch up and begin the next ascent. This is another inclined part which has two stages to it and finally ends at the ridge. The climb will take you another 20-30 minutes. From the top of the ridge you see its next parallel one which is your next destination. Hamta Pass is a bend away from the top of the second ridge. You now descend a bit from the first ridge and traverse the side of the second ridge before starting the vertical assault. After 15 minutes of going by the side, you begin the vertical climb and it gets over in 20 minutes. You may be panting at the end of it but you are almost there at 14000ft and on top of Hamta Pass. It can get windy at the top and sudden rain or snow also cannot be ruled out. Stop for some time and enjoy the place. The descent is slightly trickier than the ascent. It can vary slightly depending on the snow condition too. Sliding down may be an option if there is snow.. Go down in a zig zag route and then stick to the right flank of the mountain. You will have to walk over slippery soil and stones too. In half an hour the first downhill run is done.
Take a U-turn and you are right below the pass now. From here its a straight down hill on snow or follow the zig-zag path down until you hit the valley below. In an hour and a half you are down to the base of the valley. Tall snow clad mountains surround you from three sides and the open side leads you to Sheagoru. Sheagoru is an almost level walk from here. Choose a nice camp site close to the river and retire happily for the day after crossing Hamta Pass. O/n Camping.
Day 7: 10th July 2014 : Sheagoru to Chattru
(4 - 4½ hours of downhill trek. Easy with some tricky sections)
Its a gentle down hill walk in the beginning from Sheagoru. You still move alongside the river in the valley between the mountain ranges. After an hour you get to see the road at Chatru at a distance. The mountains opposite are barren. The typical Spiti look. As you move closer to the road, the descent gets a little tricky. You will need to traverse by the edges of rocks and sometimes it may just be easier to get down into the river/glacier bed below to skip the rocky section and get back up. There are also a couple of places with slippery soil. So you need to be nimble and hop down them to prevent yourself from sliding. This section would take 2½ - 3 hours when you are out of the mountains. You are still at a height but you have the road right across and the Chandra river separating you from the road. Two three huge glacial flows flow down from the mountains on the side to the Chandra river. You will need to cross these glaciers to reach the roads. From here we will be picked up by our waiting vehicles & drive to Chandertal which is about 2 Hrs away. Once we reach here we select a suitable campsite (camping near the lake is not allowed), we pitch our camps & have our packed lunches. Later on we need to trek along a stony path to reach the lake. The moon shaped lake basks in all its glory in a basin enclosed by the typical spiti mountains. The sight of the lake is sure to mesmerize many, and this will be a fitting end to our epic trek. Return to the campsite for Dinner & campfire. O/n Camping. (Visit to Chandertal depends upon the road conditions / weather etc )
Day 8: 11th July 2014 : Chandertal to Manali Via Rohtang – O/n Volvo to Delhi
Today morning after an early breakfast, we will strike the camps for one last time, enjoy a leisurely breakfast and board our vehicles to drive us back to Manali. It will take us approximate 6 hrs to drive, upon arrival we will at Manali , we will proceed to a local hotel for freshening up & lunch, post lunch we shall transfer back to the Manali Bus stand latest by 5 Pm for boarding our Volvo back to Delhi. O/n Onboard.
Day 9: 12th July 2014 : Delhi – Mumbai by Train
Morning arrive Delhi bus stand by 8 Am & transfer to a lodge / hotel near the railway station, here we will freshen up and rest & relax for the day , later on we will proceed to the railway station by 3.30 Pm to board the 12952 Mumbai Rajdhani Exp. O/n onboard.
Day 10: 13th July 2014 : Mumbai Arrival
Early morning arrival at Mumbai Central railways station by 8 Am, the trek officially ends, and we long for another sojourn with the mighty Himayalas. Bid farewell to your trek buddies with promise of meeting again on another trek.
TREK FEE: Rs 16500 Nett Per Person Only
*Non Refundable deposit of Rs 5000 to be paid at the time of Registration. Only 24 Seats available , so please book early & avoid disappointment.
TREK FEE INCLUDES:
· Mumbai /Delhi/Mumbai Train Tickets in 3 AC Class(12209 NDLS Duronto & 12524 Mumbai Rajdhani )
· Delhi – Manali – Delhi Volvo Bus Tickets
· Transfers to & from the Bus Stand in Delhi & Manali
· Accommodation on Triple Sharing Basis in Manali (Separate for boys & girls)
· All Veg Meals from Day 3 Breakfast to Day 8 Lunch.
· Camping Fees & Permits
· Tents + Sleeping Bag + Mattresses while on trek (sharing will differ such 03 / 04 / 05 Pax per tent)
· Rooms for freshening up in Manali & Delhi (only during the return)
· Guide & Cook + Helper Charges on the Trek
· All transfers pertaining to the trek in Non Ac Vehicles ( 06 to 08 Pax Per Vehicle )
· Visit to Chandertal
· First Aid Kit during the trek
TREK FEE EXCLUDES:
· Any expenses of personal nature such as mineral water, laundry, liquor, etc.
· Any kind of insurance, such as accident, theft, medical, evacuation etc.
· Tips to porters, camping team, driver, guide, etc.
· Cost incurred due to change / extension in the itinerary due to roadblocks, bad weather condition, flight delays, vehicle breakdowns, etc.
· Enroute meals during Volvo Travel
· Items not specified in the above in ‘Cost Includes’
Cancellation: If for some reason you wish to cancel your trek\, an email intimation needs to be sent to indianjourneys01@gmail.com .
Cancellation requests are not taken over phone. However you can phone to check whether your cancellation has been processed. The cancellation charges are as under: Cancellations prior to 30 days from the start of the trek -- full refund.Cancellation between 30 days and 20 days to the start of the trek -- 50% refund. Cancellation less than 20 days to the start of the trek -- no refund.
Drop out during trek: If for some reason a participant has to drop out from the trek on any day then IndianJourneys will make arrangements for his/her return to the nearest road head. A staff will accompany the participant to the nearest road head. Transportation and stay cost at any location has to be borne by the participant.
Backpack carrying: Indianjourneys expects all trekkers to carry their own backpacks with personal belongings. All common gear will be carried by the support team. If for some reason a trekker is unable to carry his or her backpack\, he/she can offload the same by paying an additional charge of Rs 300 per backpackperday.
For further details you can get in touch with us via email:indianjourneys01@gmail.com or alternately call on the below numbers between 7 Pm - 10 Pm in the evening Husain Tinwala : 08879170109 Nikhil Vaidya : 09870011948 
