Pangarchulla Peak Trek 5N/6D

Dhak to Guling (3-4 hours)

Today we start early, around 8 am, from our Hotel in Joshimath and reach the last point on road for the trek, Dhak Village. You arrive at the village after a short (30 mins) but very picturesque ride for around 10 Kms from Joshimath where you get a beautiful view of peaks like Dronagiri on your left. We gear up to start the trek at around 9 am from Dhak. With Himalayan villages and their beautiful step farms on our left, we move up the dusty trail that offers a consistent and moderate incline. After 1.5 Kms, we will pass Karachi village on our left. As we keep moving up, one can see water streams which are used by the villagers for irrigation purposes. For a person who sees such idyllic settings, the lush green step farms (mostly paddy) along with the small canals with pure mineral water gushing through, for the first time, the scene can be mesmerizing. After hiking up further for around 500 meters, we pass through Tugashi village. One can witness the typical mountain village lifestyle here from the way they store their agricultural produce, their cattle & cattle houses, the unique structures of wooden Himalayan houses and much more that is difficult to put in words. As we move up from Tugashi, the dusty & rocky terrain makes way for much greener terrains. The forest area kicks in and civilization reduces its presence gradually from here. The hike from here till the campsite at Gulling is a steady incline up through the jungle and moves along with a small water stream on the left. After a total walk of 4 Kms (from Dhak) we reach our lunch spot, at Gulling. Gulling is a nice campsite with Oak, Rhododendrons, and some pine trees around. We camp for the night.

Lower Khullara to Pangarchulla (14700 ft) & back to Lower Khullara (12-16 hours)

Being a summit day, today will be the longest & toughest day of the entire trek. Participants are equipped with necessary gears for the trek ahead. We will start by 12:00 - 1:00 in the morning from Lower Khulara campsite. The aim is to reach Pangarchulla summit till noon time. Please note that the time taken to reach the summit from lower Khullara depends mainly on the weather conditions and season along with individual fitness levels. In peak winter months there is an ample amount of snow which makes it comparatively easier to trek on as opposed to the months when there is less snow as a result huge boulders are exposed thus increasing the trek time. We would advise you to talk to the trek leader about the conditions of the trail and snow so as to prepare yourself accordingly. View from any summit is a breathtaking sight. Just imagine witnessing the peaks of Higher Himalayas and those snow-capped peaks changing color and a clear 360-degree view of mountains. The name Pangarchulla comes from Pangar, a fruit that widely grows in the valley, and chullah which is a U-shaped Indian cooking stove. The view of the valley from the summit looks like a chullah, hence the name Pangarchulla. After spending some time on the summit we will start our downward journey back to Lower Khullara campsite. We should be able to reach Lower Khullara by evening. There will be a cutoff time for summit attempt & turn around time would be 12:00-01:00 PM.

Joshimath to Dehradun - 295 km Drive

The trip ends today. Checkout of the guest house and board your vehicles back to Dehradun. We will reach Dehradun by late evening.