Bali Pass Trek

Distance: 12 km (Drive), 12 km (Trek)
Time Taken: 6 Hours
Taluka Altitude: 2,110 m (6,920 ft)
Seema Altitude: 2,560 m (8,400 ft)

The trekking days start today, but first, an hour of exciting offroad drive to Taluka. Remember to pack all your stuff, as we will not return here after the end of the trek.

Taluka is a small village with few homestays. It’s time to put on our backpacks and start trekking.

Our trek starts right past Taluka village as we enter the forest and follow a well-laid trail. The Supin river will accompany us on our left. The entire route is primarily flat, and we will cover distance quickly. Later, the forest becomes thicker with trees like chestnuts, walnuts, willows, chinars, other conifers, and a few tiny waterfalls and streams running down from the mountain slopes. A tea stall is in the middle of the forest at a stream point. Have your packed lunch here and refill your water bottles.

An hour into the trek after this, we will reach the village of Gangad, on our left, on the other side of the river. The town is ornamented with stone roof huts made of wood, and a bridge over the river connects to it. We will continue on the right side of the river, past some tea stalls. By late afternoon, we will get to our campsite at Seema. On the other side of the river, high up on the mountain slopes, you can spot the village of Osla. This is the last village in this valley. 

Spend some time exploring the area and hydrate yourself sufficiently. After a filling dinner, retire to your tents for the night.

Distance: 9 km
Time Taken: 6 hours
Altitude: 3,086 m (10,125 ft)

Our third day starts early after breakfast, following the same trail till we reach the Seema bridge over the Supin river. Crossing the bridge will lead us to Harkidun, but we got to go right. As we follow the route, there is a magnificent waterfall on our right coming down from Maldaru lake.

After some time, we enter a thick forest, and a gentle climb will lead us to the Devshu bugyal, a clearing inside the forest. Have your lunch here as you watch the trekkers on the other side of the valley to the Harkidun trek.

Walk along the green carpet of Debshu thatch for some time, followed by a steep descent to the river below. We will cross the river over a small wooden bridge and continue south, keeping the river to our right now.

Half an hour’s trek from here on a nearly flat trail will get us to our campsite at Rainbasera. The site is named after a small cemented shed built for shelter for the shepherds when it rains. We will camp here for tonight.

Distance: 8 km
Time Taken: 5 hours
Altitude: 3,565 m (11,696 ft)

Our fourth day is another exciting day on this trek, as we will enter a different world now. We will resume our journey south on the river’s left through the birch and conifer forest. We will cross a few streams in the first half and walk underneath a waterfall.

After lunch, the second half of today’s trek enters the alpine forest of birch and rhododendron bushes. Several deep gorges and raging waterfalls on the other side of the river will catch your attention. Soon the forest will give way to the stunning meadow of Ruinsara, just at the foothills of the Swargarohini peaks. Peaks like Bandarpoonch, Dhaundar Kandi, Yamuna Kantha, and Kalanag now adorn the skyline, and a beautiful lake, ‘Ruinsara Tal,’ is nestled in the middle of this valley.

Soak in the gorgeous beauty of this location as we will camp here tonight.

Distance: 4 km
Time Taken: 4 hours
Altitude: 4,008 m (13,150 ft)

The difficulty of the Bali pass trek starts today as we make our way to the next campsite at Odari. Odari is a local term for a mountain cave, and rightly it’s the only natural shade from the elements available on the way to cross the Bali pass from here. 

We will start our day by descending the river and crossing it over a wooden bridge. A gradual climb from here will lead us to yet another alpine meadow of Thanga. A flat walk for some time here is the opportunity to admire the splendid beauty of this stunning location. 

After this, a steep and continuous climb will follow toward the southwest, finally leading us to the campsite of Odari. It’s flat ground surrounded by large boulders and imposing mountain slopes with a stream running down in the middle of this landscape.

We will utilize the rest of the day acclimatizing and learning how to negotiate the upcoming challenges. Keep yourself well hydrated and have good rest tonight after dinner.

Distance: 3 km
Time Taken: 3 hours
Altitude: 4,678 m (15,348 ft)

And the adventure gets a new high today. We start our way up the valley toward the southwest.

After an initial gradual climb through moraines, a knife-edge ridge awaits to be climbed in front at an angle of 60 degrees. The snow condition plays a decisive role in this challenge.

Soon after crossing these ridges, we will reach the base camp, a flat ground surrounded by imposing mountain slopes and a spectacular view of the Swargarohini peaks toward the northeast.

The base camp is at a severe altitude of 4,678 m, so stay active and hydrated. After an early dinner, get a good amount of rest in the night, as tomorrow we will climb and cross the Bali pass.

Distance: 10 km
Time Taken: 8 – 10 hours
Altitude: Balin Pass – 4,950 m (16,240 ft), Lower Dhamni – 3,415 m (11,204 ft)

The big day is here. The day will be a very long, tiring, and challenging one. After a healthy breakfast, we will start our way toward the Bali pass facing southwest as early as 6 AM. The trail up to the Bali pass is all filled with snow.

A gradual ascent initially turns steeper as we climb the mountain slope. And yet again, as soon we reach the top of the hill, a scary ridge follows with a sheer drop on either side leading to the Bali pass, from where we got to descend on the other side into the Yamunotri valley.

There is not much space at the pass to accommodate a large group. Enjoy a 360-degree view of the peaks like Swargarohini, Bandarpoonch, Kalanag, and the Garhwal and Yamunotri ranges. Then descend a near-vertical slope with boulders and scree. Snow conditions may raise a different level of challenge in negotiating the descent.

There are multiple sections like this to descend, and all of them require a high level of patience. The last descent is the scariest one, after which we reach upper dhamni. From here again, we get a well-laid trail to our campsite at lower dhamni. We expect to reach our camp by evening.

Have a filling dinner and retire to your tents for a well-deserved rest.

Distance: 10 km
Time Taken: 6 hours
Altitude: Yamunotri – 3,293 m (10,804 ft), Janki Chatti – 2,650 m (8,694 ft)

Today will be a relaxed morning as we have crossed the Bali pass and overcome all the challenges. After breakfast, we start our trek into the forest, which soon merges with a cemented trail. The trail leads us to the Yamunotri temple. You may dip in the sulfur hot water spring here. 

A 5 km descent from here following the cemented path will get us to Janki Chatti, where we will spend the night in a guest house. After dinner, take some time to explore the nearby area and observe the beauty around. We will depart for Dehradun tomorrow morning after a successful Bali Pass Trek.

Distance: 180 km
Time Taken: 6 hours
Altitude: 640 m (2,100 ft)

Today we drive back to Dehradun. This is the end of our trip to the Bali Pass Trek.  We had a wonderful time trekking through the beautiful Himalayan mountain range. The drive back is just as enjoyable, with stunning views of the mountains in the background. We make a few stops along the way to take in the sights, and we reach our destination Dehradun in time for dinner.