Best High Altitude Treks in India

Here are ten of the best high altitude treks in India that will excite the trekking enthusiast in you.

 

PIN PARVATI PASS TREK

 

 
The Pin Parvati valley is a popular trekking destination. The place is still untouched by the mass tourism and presents a clean and archaic picture to its visitors. It is one of the most beautiful places that trekkers can visit while trekking in India.
 
The Pin Parvati Pass is situated in the beautiful state of Himachal Pradesh. It connects the Parvati Valley in Kullu to the Pin Valley in Spiti. The landscape on either side of the Pin Parvati Pass are in stark contrast to each other. The Kullu side showcases a lush green and verdant landscape, while the Pin side is mostly barren and devoid of vegetation. The two sides are quite different from each other even in terms of culture. The Kullu side is predominantly followers of Hinduism, while the Pin side has followers of Buddhism.
 
Max Altitute: 17,450 ft
Duration: 12-15 Days
Region: Himachal Praesh
Best Season: May to September
 

STOK KANGRI TREK

 

 

Stok Kangri is one of the most popular places for high altitude trekking in India. This trek lies in the beautiful area of Ladakh draws in innumerable tourists and trekkers from all over the country and the world. Stok Kangri is one of the most beautiful tourist destinations in the country. It is for this reason that the Stok Kangri trek forms an inevitable experience while trekking in India.
 
The journey from Leh to Stok Village takes you through a route of extravagant natural beauty. You can see the lush greenery, glistening snow peaks and scenic splendour of the region in this stretch. On reaching Chang Ma, you reach a snow-covered region and begin trekking.
 
During the trek, you will be able to view some very beautiful peaks such as the Gulap Kangri, Parcha Kangri, etc. The base camp of the trek is at an elevation of 16,300 feet. From here, the journey continues till you reach the Stok Kangri.
 
Max Altitude: 20,500 ft
Duration: 5-6 Days
Region: LEH
Best Season: June to October
 

GOECHA LA TREK

 

 

The Indian Himalayas trek in Sikkim is awesome and a must take. Goecha La is a tiny place located in Sikkim and this trek is a dream and desire for hundreds of adventure lovers. It is also the way to the astounding Kanchenjunga National Park to dive into the natural beauty, vibrant, colorful flora and fauna. It is not about Kanchenjunga alone but the combination of other big summits around it makes Goechala Trek an absolute adventure to many and it is a great pleasure to watch these summits from the landscapes filled with exotic flowers and immensely attractive meadows and forests. To watch the mountains clearly, you should visit Goechala from October to November since the sky will be completely clear during this time and the sunset, as well as sunrise views, would be perfect.
 
Max Altitude: 15,100 ft
Duration: 11-13 Days
Region: SIKKIM
Best Season: October to November
 

RUPIN PASS TREK

 

 

Rupin Pass trek is another beautiful trek which will take you through a journey of some of the most unexplored parts. Pass through Mori, a little picturesque hamlet that rests on the banks of lovely Tons River. Trekkers can pay their respects at Pokhu Devta, it is an ancient place of worship and then begin their trek. The trek takes you through some of the majestic scenes of the region. Trek herewith rhododendron woodlands and fields and spend some time admiring the beauty of nature. Although your trek might be a difficult one, but the pleasant views will definitely make you feel happy.
 
Max Altitude: 15,300 ft
Duration: 7-9 Days
Region: Uttarakhand
Best Season: May to October
 

KUARI PASS TREK

 

 

Kuari Pass trek gives you the wonderful opportunity to enjoy breath taking views of these mountains. The region has some of the grandest mountains of the Himalayan range namely, the Kamet, the Chaukhamba, the Trishul, the Nanda Devi and the Nanda Devi East. This trekking trail is comparatively quite easy as compared to other trails for high altitude trekking in India.
 
The trek begins at Joshimath in the Chamoli district of Uttarakhand. The Chamoli district is of great religious importance for Hindus in the country due to the Panch Prayag which is formed by the confluences of the Rivers Nandakini, Pinder, Kaliganga, Dhauli Ganga and Birehiganga.
 
The trail will take you through remarkable little Himalayan villages which offer magnificent views of the Himalayas and the life of the locals. During these trek, you can get to know more about the culture and traditions of the people here. The path is lined with trees in a beautiful hue of yellow and orange. Under a clear blue sky cotton candy clouds forming interesting shapes.
 
Max Altitude: 13,990 ft
Duration: 4-6 Days
Region: Uttarakhand
Best Season: December to January
 

PARANG LA TREK

 

 

Parang La trek is an ancient trade route between the Spiti in Himachal, Tibet & Changthang in Ladakh region. Parang La trek can be started from either Karzok village in Leh or from Chicham / Kibber village in Spiti. The trail takes you to a maximum altitude of around 18,500 ft to Parang La & follows the Pare Chu river which goes to Tibet & re-enters India. The main attraction of the trail is dynamic mountain and a unique houses of the some fossils, which is being under the sea for a long time. The trail has vast meadows which were a grazing ground for horses from Spiti Valley. The most amazing part of the trek is the walk along the Tso Moriri Lake for complete two days where the lake offers different shades of blue with many unclimbed peaks in the background.
 
Max Altitude: 18,500 ft
Duration: 12-14 Days
Region: Himanchal Pradesh
Best Season: June to September
 

 LAMKHAGA PASS TREK

 

 

The Lamkhaga Pass is one of the toughest pass which connects Kinnaur district of Himachal Pradesh with Harshil in Uttrakhand. The Lamkhaga Pass trek starts from Chitkul the last Village of sangla valley in Himachal, though it can be done from Harshil side also.
 
The trek passes via Kyarkoti which is also the base camp of the famous Black Peak Expedition and then crosses over scree, moraine, steep climbs, crevassed glaciers, boulders and finally the 5280 meters high Lamkhaga Pass to enter the enchanting village of Chitkul.
 
The Lamkhaga Pass Trek is meant for experienced trekkers along with prior knowledge of technical trekking takes you across changing landscapes, culture and tradition. Surrounded by towering peaks and terrifying glaciers, the Lamkhaga Pass Trek witnesses a significant height gain in a very short period of time.
 
Max Altitude: 17,320 ft
Duration: 13-15 Days
Region: Himachal Pradesh
Best Season: May to October
 

AUDEN’S COL TREK

 

 

Auden’s Col is one of the high altitude mountain passes in the Indian Himalayan region of Garhwal that connects the Rudragaira and Bhilangana Valley. Auden’s Col is one of the toughest treks and hence it has been least explored. The journey passes through high altitude spots and some of the dangerous moraines, narrow cliffs, stony and snaky paves.
 
The Auden’s Col trek is a dream trek for almost every trekker and mountaineer. The trekking trail runs through the thick forest of alpine trees, meadows dotted with varied species of flowers, innumerable gushing streams, charming villages and several temples that reflect the religious significance of the Garhwal region. The journey is rewarded with the majestic view of the hulking high peaks like the Rudragaira, Jogin group, Bhagirathi group of Peaks and Kedar Dome.
 
Max Altitude: 18,010 ft
Duration: 16-18 Days
Region: Uttarakhand
Best Season: May to October
 

KALINDI PASS TREK

 

 

Kalindi pass or Kalindi khal is a high altitude mountain pass connecting Gangotri and Badrinath Dham. It is situated at 19,520 ft elevation and is arguably the most famous trekking pass of the Garhwal Himalaya. The KalindiKhal Pass Trek is considered one of the most difficult treks of Uttarakhand and yet is also widely known owing to its route leading to the pious Badrinath Temple.
 
The trek starts from the town of Gangotri and passes through an adventurous trail taking you through captivating meadows, high altitude natural lakes like Vasuki Tal and Arwa Tal, rugged glaciers, snowfields, and rocky terrains.
 
Max Altitude: 19,520 ft
Duration: 16-18 Days
Region: Uttarakhand
Best Season: June to September
 

BARA BHANGAL TREK

 

 

Bada Bhangal trek is the most adventurous and strenuous, which stretches from Manali to the far Kangra valley. There are multiple mountains, streams and passes to cross through the whole trek, which creates a varying effect of altitude levels and atmosphere.
 
Climbing sheer ascends offer wonderful vistas of endless Himalayan ranges and peaks like Indrasan, Deo Tibba, Hanuman Tibba and descending down gives a perfect view of high altitude meadows valleys below. It is not only hardships are found in this trek there are mesmerizing moments of passing lush green valleys and meadows of colorful wild flowers, trails through the dense forests, gushing torrents and varied species of Himalayan birds and animals.
 
Max Altitude: 16,070 ft.
Duration: 10-12 Days
Region: Himanchal Pradesh
Best Season: June to October