Heart Pounding. Thrilling. Rejuvenating. Feeling Alive! We guarantee you that the Rupin Pass trek will take you on an emotional rollercoaster ride like no other! The Rupin pass is a high altitude pass across the Himalayan mountain range in the state of Himachal Pradesh. The trek begins in the quaint village of Dhaula in Uttarkashi and ends at the Sangla village in the Baspa valley in Himachal Pradesh.
This challenging trek to the Rupin pass at 4700m will force you to push your limits as you climb steeply through trails cut out of rock faces in the dark deep folds of the mountain, glacier and icy slopes. You will experience contrasting landscapes throughout the trek as you walk through snowfields on one side of the pass and lush green meadows on the other side, all with the Himalayan massif in the backdrop.
Trek Months – Mid May to October
Trek Itinerary
Day 1: Assemble to Dhaula (1554m)
- Assemble at Dhaula by 6 pm. Dhaula would take approximately 9-10 hours by road from Dehradun. You can take a shared taxi from Dehradun or take a bus till the Naitwar village and take a shared taxi from there on to Dhaula.
- For trekkers who are unsure of getting to Dhaula on their own, Western Mountains can arrange for taxis on a sharing basis and additional trekker cost. The taxis will pick you up from the Dehradun station at 6am.
- Overnight stay in hotel/homestay.
- Meals: Tea & Snacks, Dinner
Day 2: Trek from Dhaula to Gosangu(1920m, 11km).
- Before you start on the trail, take a moment to soak in the view of the gushing Rupin river by the village and prepare yourself for the scenic views in store on the trek.
- Move towards the Gosangu gaon in an easy walk with gentle ups and downs and through thick jungles, past the Sewa village.
- Overnight stay in tents/homestay.
- Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Tea & Snacks, Dinner
Day 3: Trek from Gosangu to Jhaka (2650m, 9km).
- Tuck in a good amount of breakfast and pack energy bars for the route because the trail today encompasses long climbs that put a lot of strain on your legs and back.
- The hanging village of Jhaka is constructed almost vertically and is the last village on the Rupin pass trek. Needless to say, the final climb up to the village is no cake walk. ☺
- Overnight stay in tents/homestay.
- Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Tea & Snacks, Dinner.
Day 4: Trek from Jhaka to Saruwas Thatch (3400m, 8km).
- The trail is no different in terms of slope from the previous day. It is mostly all climbs and takes you through a fir forest and to the Rupin river.
- Keep trekking alongside the river until the trail opens into the U shaped valley of Saruwas Thatch.
- Overnight stay in tents.
- Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Tea & Snacks, Dinner.
Day 5: Trek from Saruwas Thatch to Dhanderas Thatch(3500m,5km).
- Take a breather today as it is a short trek to the next campsite of Dhanderas Thatch. During the final leg of trekking, it is, however, a steep climb.
- At the Dhanderas Thatch campsite, you are rewarded with the views of snow-capped hills and the upper waterfall. Time to take out those cameras and start shooting!
- Overnight stay in tents.
- Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Tea & Snacks, Dinner.
Day 6: Trek from Dhanderas Thatch to Rati Pheri camp (4250m, 3km).
- Given the huge altitude difference of more than 1500m between Dhanderas Thatch and the Rupin pass, Western Mountains has planned for a rest day at Rati Pheri camp for altitude acclimatization.
- Altitude acclimatization is the body’s way of adjusting to the decreased oxygen levels at the higher elevation and preventing acute mountain sickness.
- Overnight stay in tents.
- Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Tea & Snacks, Dinner
Day 7: Trek from Rati Pheri camp to Ronti Gad (4110m) via Rupin pass (4700m), 9km.
- You will be physically and mentally challenged today as you climb steeply from the Rati Pheri camp towards the Rupin Pass across virgin snowfields.
- At the pass, enjoy the views of the majestic Dhauladhar ranges and the lush green meadows on the Sangla side of the pass. On a clear day, you get a panoramic view of the Kinner Kailash range.
- The descent into the vast green meadows at Ronti Gad is steep initially. If you are lucky, you get to cover most of the distance by sliding down in the snow – whoopee!
- Overnight stay in tents.
- Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Tea & Snacks, Dinner
Day 8: Trek from Ronti Gad to Sangla (2679m, 12km). Depart to Shimla.
- The descent down over gradual and steep paths today to the village of Sangla. It goes without saying since you are descending down almost 1500m, the journey is going to be very hard on your knees and toes.
- Sangla village in the Baspa valley is beautiful and surrounded by pine nut orchards, royal red apples, and cherry trees.
- Depart for Shimla after a quick exploration of the Sangla village. Western Mountains can arrange for taxis on a sharing basis and additional trekker cost to drop you to Shimla.
- Meals: Breakfast, Lunch.
Trek Facts
Grade: Difficult.
Altitude: 4700m.
Temperature: During the day, you can expect temperatures hovering around 15-25 degree Celsius. In the night, temperatures drop down to 5 degree Celsius in the lower altitude campsites. As one moves upward, the temperatures can drop below zero degree Celsius.
Trek Duration: 8 days.
Trek Season: May -June, September – October.
Starting Base Camp: Dhaula.
How to reach Basecamp:
By Road: One can take the early morning bus (5:30 am) or shared taxis from Dehradun to reach Dhaula in an average 10 – 12-hour journey.
If you are part of the Western Mountains trek group, we can arrange cabs from Dehradun to Taluka in Sumos on a sharing basis. Please let us know if you are interested to share cabs during your registration and we will provide you the approximate cost for the same.
Nearest Airport / Rail line/road connectivity: The nearest airport is the Jolly Grant airport. Alternatively, one can also land at the Delhi airport and take a train/bus to Dehradun. Dehradun is the last rail connectivity point
Submit inquiry for cost
Cost Inclusions:
- Accommodation in dome tents (2/3 per tent).
- Accommodation in Dhaula on Day 1.
- Meals mentioned in the itinerary on a fixed menu/ buffet basis.
- Transfers and sightseeing as per itinerary.
- Camping Equipment: Tents, Sleeping bags, mats, gaiters.
- All charges for guides and permits.
Cost Exclusions:
- Travel to Dhaula and Sangla to Shimla.
- Backpack offloading: Trekkers are expected to carry their own backpacks. If the trekker cannot carry his/her backpack due to physical inability and chooses to offload on mules/ porters, this will be on additional cost.
- Airfares, airport taxes and anything not mentioned in the inclusions and itinerary.
- Meals, tea, coffee, mineral water, tips, transfers not mentioned in the itinerary.
- Doctor, telephone, laundry and other personal expenses.
- Cost of personal emergency exit or expenses due to external factors such as climatic conditions.
Health & Fitness Requirements:
This trek does require you to have previous trekking or mountaineering experience. We do also highly recommend having an adventurous spirit and willingness to undergo the joys & hardships of outdoor camping, in addition to good physical and mental fitness, to completely enjoy the trek. If you suffer from severe muscular, chest, heart or bronchial ailments, we advise you against participating since most treks happen in remote areas with limited access to medical services & hospital facilities.
Our Trek Leaders are experienced mountaineers and we trust their judgments. If during the trek, the Trek Leader advises you against continuing on the trek, we request you to respect his/her judgment and follow his/her instructions.