Kuari Pass Trek on Curzon’s trail

₹ 14,800

One tour per person

7D/6N

Duration

3850 m/12630 ft

Highest Point

Medium

Grade

6/10

Physicality

45 Km

Trail Length

Kuari Pass Trek on Curzon’s trail:

Upcoming Curzon’s trail trek starting on 11 sep. every saturday & sunday 2023 from Haridwar/Rishikesh/Dehradun.

COVID update and guidelines:

At present it is unfamiliar to trace old school classy Himalayan trails like Kuari Pass trek on “Curzon’s trail. It is about slowly gaining altitude from one camp to another, crossing valleys to reach Kuari pass and get contrasting views. Kuari Pass on Curzon’s Trail trek is one such less trodden and pristine camping trek. In addition to that, don’t forget that Kuari pass, located centrally in Garhwal Himalayas is one filthily panorama rich trail.

Brief Itinerary for Kuari Pass on Curzon’s trail:

Day 1: Haridwar to Ramni (via Nandaprayag, Ghat) – 260 Km by car – 12 hours – Camp.
Day 2: Ramni to Jhinji over Chechna Vinayak Pass – 9 Km – 5/6 hours. Camp
Day 3: Jhinji to Pana – 10 Km – 5/6 hours. Camp
Day 4: Pana to Dakwani – 11 Km – 6/7 hour. Camp
Day 5: Dakwani to Kuari Pass (1 hour climb) and then descent to Tali Forest – 8 Km – 5/6 hours. Camp
Day 6: Trek to Auli via Gurson Bugyal – 7 Km – 3/4 hours – Drive to Joshimath – 1 hour – Lodge.
Day 7: Drive from Joshimath to Haridwar – 275 Km by car – 10/11 hours
Note: Additional one day required to include Pangarchulla summit. (NOT included in regular itinerary)

You need to reach Haridwar, Day 1 morning (by 6 am) or the previous night. Return to Haridwar on Day 7 evening (by 9 pm). Arrange your tickets for inward journey and return from Haridwar accordingly. We can arrange transportation from Haridwar to Ramni and return from Joshimath but NOT included in the TREK FEE. You pay directly to the driver shared equally with other trekkers.
To attempt Pangarchulla peak you will require one day extra, while staying at Tali Forest camp and attempting the peak and return. This is possible for customised private treks by adding a day, but not in scope of our usual Fixed Departure treks.

Why Kuari Pass trek on “Curzon’s trail”?

The Old School model:

In this trail you start from an interior village road head, walk through forests, crossing valleys and ridges, ups and downs to camp to next village. This full camping trail has three villages to camp, Ramni, Jhinji and Pana, last two still out of any motor road connectivity. Surrounded by green hills and valleys, occasionally you will get high mountain views as well. This trail certainly gives you a better chance to get an essence of local Pahadi culture, lifestyle and hardship. As you will be trekking inside treeline for a while, so it is easy to understand that you will walk inside varied forests of Rhododendrons, Pines, Maples and Oak. It is a no hurry to reach the top trail while relishing camps.

The contrast:

After crossing the meadows once you reach Kuari Pass ((3850 m/12630 ft) from south side, a different landscape with high mountain panorama unfolds. This is a change what you expect on a trail, where you actually cross a pass and descent to the other side of the range. This is the exploratory and original route taken by British Viceroy George Curzon (Commonly known as Lord Curzon) in the beginning of 20th century and referred to as Kuari Pass on Curzon’s trail.

The shorter variant is the North side of Kuari Pass, Joshimath to Joshimath. After crossing Kuari pass you will descent to Joshimath via Tali Gurson and Auli. The idea here is to cross Kuari pass starting from southern lower valleys of Nandakini basin and to reach the confluence of Alaknanda and Dhauli Ganga valley to the north of the pass. In a nutshell this trail gives you the opportunity to actually cross a pass and descent to the other side of the mountain range and ridges to witness a different vista altogether.

The challenge:

Almost everyday descents and ascents to reach the next campsite makes it strenuous than the shorter version (a.k.a. Winter Kuari pass). However this trail gives fantastic opportunity to acclimatise yourself in the mountains, before leaving tree line. This is a solid choice for you who want to camp in pristine environment and don’t mind to walk some more to test yourself.

The campsites:

In contrast to the shorter version, Curzon’s trail has more variety with respect to camping grounds. You will camp around village, inside pine forests at Tali and on the fringe of the treeline at Dakwani. It would be good to mention here that on Winter Kuari Pass, only 2 camping grounds are allowed. One is Tali Forest camp, and the other one is Gulling.

First three nights we will camp around or off village, with the proximity of water. Here are the campsites of Dakwani and Tali forest camp.

So, Curzon’s trail is undeniably a not to miss trek for you who have already done probably one or two popular routes. Furthermore it is more a natural trail to initiate hiking and camping habit for the beginners. Summing up, it is not a 3/4 days 20 odd kilometre hike to aiming a summit.

Best time to go for Kuari pass trek on Curzon’s trail:

To get the most out of the trail you should trek in following two seasons:

Summer: Month of May and June
Fall/Autumn: Month of September to November

This trail normally remains closed during mid December to mid April , as deposited snow makes conditions impassable for main logistics and horses.

Peak views from Kuari Pass:

From Kuari Pass the view is one of the best panoramas in the Himalayas. All the peaks in the upper Dhauliganga valley, Badrinath valley and Chaukhamba/Satopanth valley peaks are visible. Hati & Ghora Parvat, Mukut, Rishi, Kamet, Dronagiri, Nilgiri Parvat, Ratavan, Neelkanth, Mana and Chaukhamba are notable peaks. From Tali, Gurson Bugyal and Auli you can see gracious Nanda Devi. Gurson Bugyal considered one of the most beautiful alpine meadows in Garhwal and offers stunning view points of gigantic Himalayan massifs throughout. Auli is revered for its close view of Mt. Nanda Devi and the cable car ride down to Joshimath.

Adding Pangarchulla peak climb:

This is a very good idea if you are a group of trekkers who are planning your customised private trek ( at least 10 members to make it economic). You need an additional day for Pangarchulla summit ~ 4550 m/14925 ft). However this is a strenuous day and you will need to push hard to reach the summit. After reaching Kuari pass, you will descent and camp at Tali. Next day very early morning start for Pangarchulla summit. latest by 3 am. It may take 5/6 hours to climb the peak from the camp and another 4 hrs to return, making it a 10/12 hours long strenuous day. Pangarchulla summit is the highest point of the surrounding area and the views from the peak are captivating along with lower valley views. Next day you can directly descent to Joshimath via Gurson and Auli.

Access to Ramni trek base:

We will arrange a pickup from Haridwar railway station to Ramni and drop from Joshimath to Haridwar. This will be shared by the team members on actual basis and paid directly to the driver. The fare is ₹ 6000 for a Tata Sumo/Mahindra Maxx one way. This can accommodate 6 to 8 people. A Tempo Traveller charges ₹ 9000 (12-14 seat) one way. This is NOT included in TREK FEE.

To reach the trek base Ramni independently/public transportation check the details in GETTING THERE TAB.

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Duration: 5 days of trek; Haridwar to Haridwar in 7 days.

Highest Point: Kuari Pass ~ 3850 m/12630 ft.

Grade: Moderate

Length: 45 Km

Seasons: May/June and September to November.

Further Option: Climb Pangarchulla peak

Access: Trek starting point is Ramni and end point is Auli.

Rail station: Haridwar (STN Code: HW)

Airport: Delhi, Jolly Grant in Dehradun (Airport Code: DED)

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Upcoming scheduled dates for Kuari Pass trek on Curzon’s trail:

You can check the scheduled Fixed Departure dates in the calendar available inside Booking Form or inside REGISTER NOW form. Tour starting Dates are highlighted as per our itinerary (Day 1 of 7 days itinerary).
At present BOOK NOW functionality is disabled. You can get all the information in your email by submitting the REGISTER NOW form.
You can also check all the available dates at a glance in our TREK CALENDAR.
Trekkers need to reach Haridwar on Day 1 morning (latest by 7 am) or the previous night. Return to Haridwar on Day 7 evening (around 8 pm). Arrange your tickets for inward journey and return accordingly.

DEPARTURE LOCATION	Haridwar railway station
REPORTING TIME	6:00 AM for a prompt departure to Joshimath (Day 1)
RETURN LOCATION	Haridwar
RETURN TIME	Approximately 8:00 PM (Day 7)

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How to reach Ramni (the trek base) and return from Joshimath:

Nearest Rail station: Haridwar (Station Code: HW)

Nearest Airport: Delhi, Jolly Grant, Dehradun (Airport Code: DED)

Haridwar is well connected by train from Delhi . Frequent regular and Volvo bus service from Delhi Kashmiri Gate ISBT. To reach the trek base Ramni you need to reach Haridwar on your own arrangements.

We will arrange a pickup from Haridwar railway station to Joshimath and drop from Joshimath to Haridwar. This will be shared by the team members on actual basis and paid directly to the driver. The fare is ₹ 6000 for a Tata Sumo/Mahindra Maxx one way. This can accommodate 6 to 8 people. A Tempo Traveller charges ₹ 9000 (12-14 seat) one way.

Otherwise if you like to reach Ramni on your independently then:
1) Reach Haridwar in the previous night or early in the morning and board the direct bus for Ghat. It starts from Haridwar (GMOU Private Bus stand, opposite to Haridwar Railway Station) at 5 am in the morning and takes around 12 hrs to reach Ghat. This is a privately operated bus and may not operate during the high Chardham Yatra season. The route is via Rishikesh, Devprayag, Rudraprayag, Karanprayag, and Devprayag.
2) Else take a State/Private operated bus for Karnaprayag or Nandaprayag. Also sometime you can get shared taxis just outside the Haridwar Railway Station. Ghat is 40 Km from Karnaprayag and 20 Km from Nandaprayag. From Karnaprayag you get shared car or bus to Nandaprayag and followed by another shared jeep ride for Ghat.
3) From Ghat you need to book a car for Ramni, 30 Km ahead. It is difficult to get a shared ride.

From Joshimath early in the morning board the direct bus for Haridwar/Rishikesh. It will take 11/12 hours. From Rishikesh, it is only 25 Km journey to Haridwar by frequent bus service.

How to reach Haridwar:

For the treks in Garhwal, one has to reach Haridwar normally. Rishikesh is another 25 Km from here and is considered a gateway to Garhwal Himalayas. You can fly or by train reach New Delhi as per your convenience from any part within India.

There are direct trains from Kolkata to Haridwar.

KUMBHA EXPRESS – Train No. – 12369 ( Very good option to reach Haridwar by 5 pm; Spend the night in Haridwar and start your onward journey by car next morning)

UPASANA EXPRESS – Train No. – 12327 ( Very good option to reach Haridwar by 5 pm; Spend the night in Haridwar and start your onward journey by car next morning)

DOON EXPRESS – Train No. – 13009 (Don’t book this train when you plan a long onward journey immediately nn the same morning)]

Avoid booking wait listed (WL) tickets in AC classes (1A/2A/3A) or Chair Car (CC). Book Sleeper class (SL)/Second Sitting class (2S) tickets which have normally more seats/berth and hence much better chance to get confirmed.

You can easily reach Haridwar from New Delhi by train or bus (~ 5/6 hours) and is around 210 Km.

By train:

Following trains are good to reach Haridwar and run daily.

DDN JANSHTBDI – Train No. 12055 (Arrives HW in the evening @ 7:30 pm, good choice when you stay the night in Haridwar and have a long drive ahead next day)
NANDA DEVI EXP – Train No. 12205 (arrives HW early morning @ 4am)
UTKAL EXPRESS – Train No. 18477 (arrives HW in the night @ 9pm)
MUSSOORIE EXP – Train No. 14041 (arrives HW in the morning @ 5:45am)
Always avoid booking waitlisted (WL) tickets in AC classes (1A/2A/3A) or Chair Car (CC). Book Sleeper class (SL)/Second Sitting class (2S) tickets which have normally more seats/berth and hence much better chance to get confirmed.

By bus:

Govt. Road Transport (Roadways of Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Haryana, Punjab etc.) buses are frequently available in day time and night from Kashmiri Gate ISBT (http://www.delhi.gov.in/wps/wcm/connect/doit_transport/Transport/Home/ISBT/Fare+Chart). Tickets are available on board for these regular type buses. From Delhi Airport or Station you can reach ISBT Kashmiri Gate via Delhi Metro service (http://www.delhimetrorail.com/metro-fares.aspx). It is only 4 Km from NDLS and can be reached easily by booking an auto rickshaw.

For privately operated bus, you can book online from different portals (http://www.redbus.in). Select a boarding point suitably. Overnight Volvo/A.C/Push back bus service.

Nearest Airport Jolly Grant near Dehradun (Airport code: DED) is 35 Km away from Haridwar. This airport is accessed from Dehradun, Haridwar and Rishikesh easily. The flights are mostly via Delhi.

Regarding night accommodations in Haridwar:

Trekkers reaching on the previous day before the journey to the actual trek base need to stay the night in Haridwar. There are several options in Haridwar for spending a night while staying in Premium, Standard or Budget accommodation. Options vary from Privately operated Hotels/Lodges, to State run Tourist rest House and Dharamshala.

State run GMVN (Garhwal Mandal Vikas Nigam) operates Hotel Rahi just beside the Bus Stand and opposite to the Haridwar Railway Station. This is a reliable and a decent choice for Standard accommodation.Check the following for online booking of the above: http://www.gmvnl.com/newgmvn/tour/booktrh.asp
You can call or visit GMVN nearest office or even send an email for more information.The information is available at: http://www.gmvnl.com/newgmvn/online_reservation/#

Return from Haridwar:

Normally you reach Haridwar from any trek base by 7/8 pm in the evening. You can take any train after 9 pm or regular bus service as mentioned above to reach Delhi or directly to your homeward journey in the same night.

There are direct trains from Kolkata to Haridwar.

KUMBHA EXPRESS – Train No. – 12369 ( Very good option to reach Haridwar by 5 pm; Spend the night in Haridwar and start your onward journey by car next morning)

UPASANA EXPRESS – Train No. – 12327 ( Very good option to reach Haridwar by 5 pm; Spend the night in Haridwar and start your onward journey by car next morning)

DOON EXPRESS – Train No. – 13009 (Don’t book this train when you plan a long onward journey immediately in the morning)]

Following trains are good to reach Haridwar and run daily.

For privately operated bus, you can book online from different portals (http://www.redbus.in). Select a boarding point suitably. Overnight Volvo/A.C/Push back bus service.

For night stay in Haridwar:

State run GMVN (Garhwal Mandal Vikas Nigam) operates Hotel Rahi just beside the Bus Stand and opposite to the Haridwar Railway Station. This is a reliable and a decent choice for Standard accommodation.
Check the following for online booking of the above: http://www.gmvnl.com/newgmvn/tour/booktrh.asp
You can call or visit GMVN nearest office or even send an email for more information.The information is available at:
http://www.gmvnl.com/newgmvn/online_reservation/#

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Day 1

Drive to Ramni: 260 Km – 12 hours

Pickup from Haridwar in the morning and reach Ramni (~ 2200 m/7200 ft) which is 260 Km away. The journey may take around 12 hours with a break or two. The entire journey is along the Ganges and its major tributaries and touching several confluence points named as Prayag, e.g. Devprayag (Bhagirathi and Alaknanda), Rudraprayag (Alaknanda and Mandakini), Karnaprayag (Alaknanda and Pindar).The road till Nandaprayag (Alaknanda and Nandakini) is the one which leads to Badrinath and we take a detour from Nandaprayag to the right and get into the Nandakini valley to reach the small town called Ghat. From here the road starts gaining altitude and we reach the last road on this side to the small village called Ramni. We camp for the night.

Day 2

Trek to Jhinji: 9 Km – 5/6 hours

Our trek starts from today.

Day 3

Trek to Pana: 10 Km – 5/6 hours

Today we continue our trek to Pana village (~ 2400 m, 8000 ft). Starting from Jhinji, we descend till Jhinji Pool to cross the Birahi Ganga River. This bridge is referred “Curzon’s bridge” and needs a special mention for its long length and cabled suspension type. On the left the Birahi valley is wide open with several villages seen at a distance and an exit route goes to a place called Birahi (via Durmi village)which is near Chamoli town. After crossing the bridge we start gradually climbing up till we reach a vantage point from where the trail turns right. Surrounding is rich with thick vegetation and Pana village can be seen on the other side of the hill. We encircle the trail on a level track and reach a camping ground called Kaliaghat before Pana. Continue to walk and slowly cross the last village of the route. We climb further up and camp at the top of the Pana village.and and then a gradual climb to the last village in this route named Pana. Distance around 10 km and can take 5/6 hrs. Overnight in tent.

Day 4

Trek to Dakwani: 11 Km – 6/7 hours

Start in the morning to trek to our today’s destination Dakwani (~ 3450 m/11315 ft). We start gradually climbing the ridge for the Pana top and then a wide open vista opens up. Now we enter into the grazing ground of Sartoli which is in a lower elevation to that of Pana top. There are several shepherd huts on this meadow who stay till the end of September before cold starts to set in. On a clear day you can see the Kuari pass clearly from this place.Crossing the meadow we descend to a side stream and cross the bridge at Domabhiti. From this point the switchback climb starts. This climb can be tiring due to scorching sun. After an hour and half we come to a small clearing called Falchwani. Crossing another small bridge the trail starts climbing again keeping the stream on right.After climbing for an hour the tree line starts receding. Finally we enter into the open pastures and camp at Dakwani. This place is specially notable for Himalayan Monal which is the state bird of Uttarakhand. Distance is 11 Km and may take 5 to 6 hrs.

Day 5

Trek to Tali over Kuari Pass: 8 Km – 5/6 hours

We Start early in the morning to reach Kuari Pass (~3850 m/12360 ft) and get the mesmerising views of the surrounding Himalaya. The pass is formed by two ridges bent in an arch shape and is clearly visible from Dakwani. The climb is moderately steep and can take around one and half hour. As we go higher the lower level of oxygen is felt. Once we reach the Pass, a panorama of massive snow clad peaks accompanied with far stretched Bugyal (alpine meadows) open up. Straight ahead is the twin peak of Hathi Parvat and Ghori Parvat. On a clear day one can witness the sheer expanse of great Himalayan range spanning from Kumaon side (in the right ) to the Garhwal ranges farthest till Gangotri (on the left). We take a right from the pass and encircle the track to reach the opposite side. On the way we cross a small camping ground called Kuari Khana and a Place Khulara from where a trail descends on our right to Tapovan. From here we see the broad Dhauli Ganga valley to our right. We continue on the left trail and then descend to a a small pond, often called Tali Lake. From here we continue down and get inside the pine forest to camp for the night. (~3300 m/10825 ft).

Day 6

Trek to Auli: 7 Km – 4 hours – drive to Joshimath – 1 hour

We enter into the forest of Oak and Rhododendrons till we come to a clearing. We climb a little on the grassy slope and traverse to reach Gurson Bugyal. On our right the chain of high Himalayan peaks loom throughout. After crossing the meadows, tree line reappears. There is a small clearing after finishing the meadows surrounded with trees and desolated camp of police, which is a potential camping ground. There is a small temple beside the trail nearby. We continue further down to reach Auli top where we find a forest check post and the famous Auli cable car station. From here we descend for another half an hour to reach the car road head. Wait for the car and drive to Joshimath which is 14 Km away. Lodge accommodation at Joshimath.

Day 7

Drive from Joshimath to Haridwar: 275 Km – 12 hours

In the morning take a car back back to Haridwar via Chamoli, Karnaprayag and Devprayag. It may take up to 12 hrs to cover the distance of 275 Km. The trip ends at Haridwar.

P.S.: Distances and altitudes are approximate and may not be exact.

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TREK FEE: ₹ 14800 (Ramni to Joshimath) + 5% GST

Book for 5 persons or more and get flat 10% Group Discount on TREK FEE

Inclusions:

All meals (Day 1 dinner to Day 6 dinner) during the trek. Regular Indian style nutritious vegetarian food during the trek (including occasional eggs), breakfast packed/hot lunch (depending upon the time you reach a campsite), snacks, dinner along with coffee/tea/soup.

1 night accommodation (Day 6) at Joshimath on sharing basis and dinner.

5 night accommodation in tents (3 persons dome tents) on sharing basis during the trek.

Excellent Trekking Guide, who will be a local to this particular area and has profound knowledge of the trekking trails around.

Specialised Cook, Support staff, Porters/Packed Animals for carrying the central logistics of the trek.

Camping equipment like Sleeping bag, Carry mattress, Gaiters, Micro spikes/Crampon. (Bring your own sleeping if you have a high altitude specific personal Sleeping Bag. This is always better for hygienic reasons.)

Kitchen tent, dinning tent and toilet tent as required during the trek.

All permit fee, camping charges, forest levy required for the trek.

Car drop from Auli to Joshimath (Day 6)

Basic Medical & First Aid kit.

Travel insurance cum Accidental Insurance Policy covering high altitude trekking tours (For Indian nationals it is included in the TREK FEE, up to 60 years of age). It covers your trek as well as your return journey to Haridwar, i.e. 7 days itinerary.

Exclusions:

Transportation from Haridwar to Ramni and return from Joshimath. ₹ 6000 for a Tata Sumo and ₹ 9000 for a Tempo Traveller (₹ 2000-2400 per persons both ways for the pick up and drop when shared with fellow trekkers).

We assume that you will carry your personal Rucksack/Backpack with all your personal belongings. If you want to offload your Rucksack and be carried by our Pack Animal/Porter then you need to pay additional ₹ 2000 for the entire duration of the trek. The Rucksack should not weigh more than 10 Kg.

Any tip/gratuity to the HT support staff.

Anything which is NOT mentioned in the “Inclusions” or personal in nature.

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Booking:

We assume that you have read and understood our “Terms & Conditions” (https://greenvalleyhimalayas.com/terms-and-conditions) before Booking a trek/tour.
To reserve your place in a scheduled Fixed Departure trek or a Customised/Private trek pay 25% of the TREK/TOUR FEE as the initial “Booking Deposit”. You can pay by Net banking/Draft/Cheque/Credit/Debit/AMEX cards. This will ensure your participation in the desired trek and we will reserve your place in the scheduled date. You need to pay the remaining amount at least 15 days before Trek Starting Date.
If you book a Trek/Tour before 14 days or less from Trek/Tour Starting Date, you need to pay the full TREK/TOUR FEE.

Cancellations:

“Booking Amount” i.e.25% of the TREK/TOUR FEE is Non-Refundable at any stage.
If in case you are not able to make it due to unavoidable reason(s), we provide you a very flexible choice of Shifting to another trek within next one year. One year is counted from the starting date of the trek/tour you booked initially with us.
In case you postpone your trip you need to informminimum of 15 days before the trek/tour starting date. (Though we suggest to inform us earlier if known)
In case you postpone a trek/tour before 15 days of the scheduled Trek/Tour Starting date or prior, you may shift to another group of the same trek/tour scheduled in the same season or within next one year. You may shift to another suitable route also. For changing any, you need our approval first. Your request must be in written communication through your registered email with us.
If you cancel/postpone a trek/tour from 14 days to 8 days before tour starting date, your Booking Amount is Non-Refundable. We will not take any request of shifting dates. We will charge 50% of the amount as Cancellation Charges and process refund of remaining 50%. You may also shift to another group within next year but 25% Booking Amount will be deemed as Cancellation Charge and the rest amount will be transferred to the shifted group.
If you cancel a trek/tour 7 days (i.e. a week) before Trek/Tour Starting Date or later, there will be NO REFUND.
In case of any unforeseen incident including but not limited to natural calamities like flood, earthquake, landslide, forest fire or any political unrest, if we are compelled to cancel the trek/trip, you will be entitled to redeem the full amount for the same/similar kind of trek/trip within next one year.

If you need more clarifications write in to info@greenvalleyhimalayas.com

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