Rupin Pass Trek

Arrive in Dehradun, for example by train from Delhi. Travel from Dehradun to Dhaula. One option is a bus from Dehradun to Naitwar, followed by a shared jeep ride to Dhaula village. Overnight stay at the campsite in Dhaula.

Altitude: 6,300 ft. Trek duration: 7 hours. Trek distance: 7 km. The trek starts from a point just outside Dhaula. Pass a few villages along the trail; after a while the Rupin River comes into view, flowing through a canyon about 500 ft below. Walk along the left side of the valley, past apple and apricot trees. Stop at a small shop on the way for tea and light snacks. Reach Sewa, a village a short distance above the bed of the Rupin River, with a small temple in the Kinnauri style. Continue along the trail to the stream near the village.

Altitude: 8,700 ft. Trek duration: 7 hours. Trek distance: 9 km. Walk along crop fields in the morning and enter the forest. Reach a wooden bridge known as "No Man's Place" because it belongs to no state. Continue to Gosangu and on towards Kwar: cross the river on a bridge and take the track that leads up to the village. From Kwar, join the steeply climbing trail to Jiksun village, along the right bank of the river. After another hour of walking, reach Jhaka village and camp for the night.

Altitude: 11,150 ft. Trek duration: 5 hours. Trek distance: 6 km. The trail descends at first and becomes steeper and more difficult as it approaches a tributary of the main river. Walk through the forest to a snowfield. Follow the snow bridge into a rhododendron forest. A few more kilometres of walking bring you to the Saruwas Thatch campsite. Overnight at the campsite, with views of the Rupin waterfall.

Altitude: 11,680 ft. Trek duration: 4 hours. Trek distance: 5 km. Walk through maple and blue pine forest in the morning. Cross the bridge over the river to move from the right side of the valley to the left. The maple forest gives way to silver birch and rhododendron, and then to alpine meadows. In the blooming season the meadows have wild flowers and blue poppies. Reach the campsite for the overnight stay.

Altitude: 13,120 ft. Trek duration: 2-3 hours. Set out for the Upper Waterfall camp after acclimatising at Dhanderas. Cross patches of snow and fields of marigold flowers to reach a snow trail. After a short but steep ascent, reach the campsite and rest for the night.

Altitude: 15,250 ft. Trek duration: 11 hours. Trek distance: 10 km. The trail gets narrower and steeper, and this is a harder day than the earlier ones. The route passes through boulder sections; if there is snow on the ground, a rope is used for support. Reach Rupin Pass, with views of the Kinnaur Kailash range. Descend to the alpine meadows and camp overnight at Ronti Gad.

Altitude: 8,800 ft. Trek duration: 6 hours. Trek distance: 12 km. Descend towards Sangla, with views of the Sangla Valley. The trail gets steeper as it drops towards Sangla, so walk carefully and at a comfortable pace. About an hour and a half of downhill walking brings a drop of more than 1,500 ft. The trek ends on reaching Sangla. From Sangla you can stay on in the town or travel onwards to Shimla.