07 Essential Facts for Pin Parbati Pass Trek in Himachal Pradesh

Trekking in India is always exciting with lots of potential. The various trekking places in India are rapidly gaining popularity. Trekking in India for beginners is fraught with uncertainty and difficulties owing to a lack of information and standardization. Trekking in the mountains has its pull and lure. The Pin Parbati Pass trek is a monumental idea concerning places for trekking in the Lower Himalayas. Here I present the 07 essential Facts for Pin Parbati Pass Trek in Himachal Pradesh.

We all know that Parbati Valley is famous for various reasons other than its natural beauty, including the world-famous Parbati Valley Malana; but Parbati Valley trekking is a fast-exploding option for many adventurous souls. There are some amazing Parbati Valley stay options, including homestays where one can chill and enjoy the tranquil beauty. Parbati Valley in Himachal Pradesh remains one of the state’s top draws in terms of tourism, with Delhi to Parbati Valley bus service ensuring maximum connectivity of the Valley with the Capital of India. There are some fantastic treks in Himachal, including the concept of winter treks in Himachal.

Pin Parbati Pass Trek in Himachal

From easy treks in Himachal to famous treks in Himachal, there are all sorts of expeditions available. One of the challenging trekking destinations, including finding its place in best treks in Himachal with a maximum height of 5300 mts, the Pin Parbati Pass connects the Parbati Valley with the Pin Valley. The stature of difficulty of this trek mandates one to know the raw details and here is where this post of mine on 07 essential Facts for Pin Parbati Pass Trek comes in.

Thus, in the Pin Parbati Trek, one experiences the greenery of the Parbati Valley, featuring expansive meadows, lush green forests, which then give way to the barren mountains and unending valleys on the Pin Side. There are many other treks like the Pin Parvati Pass trek near and in Parbati Valley, during which one can witness the wildlife of Parbati Valley. Among the places near Parbati Valley, one will hear about the world-famous Kasol Valley, the Kheerganga trek, a short trek in Himachal and the Hot Springs of Kheer Ganga in Parbati Valley.

The distance of Manali to Parvati Valley, Parbati Valley to Kasol or, for that matter, Parbati Valley to Tosh is not very much, which results in travellers and tourists frequenting this area a lot. Manali to Kheerganga distance is minimal and the sector is travelled by almost all the tourists visiting Parvati Valley in winter.

What is seen in Pin Parbati Trek ?

This adventure provided me with a beautifully synced transition to see the extremities of Nature uniquely. In addition, there is a transition of culture from Hinduism on the Parbati side to Buddhism on the Pin side. The Pin Parvati Pass Trek is a delight in terms of trekking adventure, photography options and Nature’s gift. However, essentials for trekking in India also include knowing and preparing beforehand and not leaving everything onto the guide or trekking agency. I understand that this post focuses on the 07 essential Facts for Pin Parbati Pass Trek, but I wanted to take this opportunity to talk about the backpack for trekking; my choices include the front-loading backpack from Seek Outside and of course the globally acclaimed 75-litre conventional backpack from Gregory Baltoro.

07 essential Facts for Pin Parbati Pass Trek

Pin Parbati Pass Trek

The trek is one of the most sought-after treks in the Trans Himalayan region. Trekking in North India has some fantastic destinations. The strenuous and challenging trekking route in India has a sense of adventure for many seeking this trekking trail. This section of the trans-Himalayan valleys was once difficult to access. Once the valleys opened in 1993, the trek shows the region’s beauty in a different light. Hence sought after by many but attempted and completed only by a few. Of course, many of the local villagers try the Kheerganga to Mantalai lake section with the Kheerganga height in feet ( ), providing a taste of things to come concerning elevation. This is a moderate trek in Himachal.

I was hoping you could read my story on the Pin Parbati Pass Trek, which I was fortunate to have been able to complete successfully.

What is my Blog about ??

My blog focuses quite a bit on the ancient history, the art of India, among other places of travel that I keep doing. The history posts come up because there is in ancient Indian History, so many monumental architectures created. Read through the posts on the Mundgod the mini Tibet of India, or temple town of Kalna, in Bengal. Then we have the influence of Fatehpur Sikri on every traveller who comes visiting this capital of the Mughal Empire.

In the same breath, I am also mentioning the various splendid treks that are available. Some of the unique ones include the icy Chadar Trek, then we have the highest point in West Bengal to see the Kanchenjunga known as Sandakphu. Uttarakhand boasts of so many trek destinations with truly offbeat being Nandikund Trek.

Introduction about the Pin Parvati Pass Trek

As I mentioned, this trek allowed me to extensively explore and witness up close the ruggedness of the terrain in both the valleys; the landscapes remain most treasured in my memory now as the Pin Valley Trek gets done. The route of the trek trespasses interesting spots all along the hike, from exotic to mystical. Each emotion is seen and felt. The heavily glaciated Pin Pass is a cherry on the icing for the sense of accomplishment that it imparts to the lungs, legs and spirit of the trekker who reaches here. No wonder it bears crown as the best treks in Himachal Pradesh.

The purpose of this article is to inform the readers who will choose to attempt the Pin Parbati Trail as to what lies ahead. Thus they can make a uniform decision and be ready to tackle all that the trek throws at them.

In case reading blogs is tedious at your end, would you like to check the story posts out here

07 essential Facts for Pin Parbati Pass Trek to consider

A lot has been written about the trek in detail, including the Mantalai lake trek and its experiences. Let me list down the 07 essential Facts for Pin Parbati Pass Trek. I feel one should keep in mind when attempting the Pin Parbati Trek. Note that this trek lies in the Pin Parvati national park and is one of the top 10 treks in Himachal.

Difficulty Grade of Pin Parvati Pass Trek

Being high on the difficulty scale, the Pin Parbati Trek is only meant for those who have attempted high altitude multi-day treks in the past. Avoid attempting this trek if you have not undertaken high altitude multi-day treks over a week. There are enough famous and satisfying treks in Himachal for beginners. These are Kheerganga Trek, Brighu Pass, Hampta Pass including the best winter trek in Himachal.

Tricky Sections along the Parvati Valley

If one looks at the Pin Parvati trek map, the wooden bridge on the Parbati river has washed away near Thakur Kuan, in the run-up to reaching Kheer Ganga, if one is coming from the Pin Valley side. So what this implies is that there is a tricky section called Potara Ghat, around 3 km in length, where one has to traverse sheer rocks at an incline of 45 deg and higher with the Parbati river raging below. The risk and danger level shoot up multifold out here. The ideal way to cross are using guiding ropes along the entire stretch, which are non-existent. The danger of slipping and falling into the Parbati River is at an all-time high in this section.

Snowfields of the Pin Pass

I encountered heavy cloud cover in the descent from the Pin Pass(at the height of 5300 mts). The conditions were so bad that my guide was disoriented due to the lack of any recognizable feature. The possibility of falling into a crevasse or down a rock gully was very high. We immediately pitched camp right then instead of continuing further, even though we had no running water available. Pin Valley weather is unpredictable, especially in the absence of secure current communications. 

Lack of Evacuation Facility

This trek is over 100 km long. Once I crossed the point of no return, no way exists to be rapidly evacuated or assisted if I encounter any serious medical emergency. The trek is remote and long. 

Glacial Mountain Streams

Many streams are fed from the glaciers that one will cross on this trek. One or two of them are tricky with no clear way to travel them. One misstep and I can be washed away rapidly downstream with the furious waters hurtling down the mountain slope.

Pandu Pul ( I & II ) on Parvati Valley

These two rock formations on the raging Parbati river need crossing over. These massive rock formations are used by trekkers as natural bridges to cross the Parbati river. There is no handhold other than finding ones on the bare rock itself along with footholds as well. One should not panic and needs to be headstrong to cross these over, for there are inclines of 45 deg in these rock formations. 

Altitude on Pin Pass

There is a constant gain in height as one pushes ahead towards the Pass. This coupled with the tight, narrow trails, steep ascents make life difficult. Hence, the possibility of me getting hit with AMS due to lack of hydration, hunger, and strenuous activity is a real possibility. 

Risk Assessment of Pin Parbati Pass Trek

The possibility of adventure includes the presence of risk. As the element of danger and unknown gets omitted, the sense of adventure on a trek is diminished. But I believe that Safety is paramount. The whole underlying purpose of a trek is to come back safely to attempt the next adventurous hike that comes along. The risk assessment and management aided by accurate assessment is vital before the commencement of any trek. The theme is the whole purpose of this article.

For images, check my Stock Gallery here. These are available for Prints as well.

“If you a Pinterest user? why don’t you save this pin for a link to Pin Parbati Pass Trek

Conclusion on 07 essential Facts for Pin Parbati Pass Trek

Having said all the above, I would still have attempted this trek. This is on account of the lush greenery, intense alpine forest, wild, colourful vistas. Views of the enigmatic brown deep valleys on the Pin side, numerous wild glacier-fed streams and long winding trails. The Pin Parbati Pass trek has all of that and much more in terms of top treks in Himachal. It remains one of the most popular treks in Himachal Pradesh. While some claim it to be the toughest trek in Himachal. I would say that there are many hidden treks in Himachal that are super offbeat in treks in Himachal. These have not yet caught the imagination of those who love trekking in these mountain ranges.