This is a trek report of a not so frequented trek that I did with a couple of my friends in the Great Himalayan National Park (GHNP). Our original plan was to go to Tirath, the source of Tirthan river, but that route was closed due to incessant rains in the days preceding our visit. We asked our guide for some other routes within the park and took up the most interesting option that he could offer. This turned out to be a trek from the lesser known Sainj valley to the more famous Tirthan valley across the 4000 metres high Dhel Pass.

A bridge over the Sainj river A bridge over the Sainj river

Starting off

On the first day, we started for Sainj in a cab and spent most of the morning arranging entry passes at the GHNP office in Ropa. The trek started near a small village Niharini which is at the end of the road in the Sainj valley. Our first camp was supposed to be at Shakti but since we had started late and were further delayed by the rain, we decided to camp near a small stream just before sunset. We continued upstream along the river towards the village of Shakti next morning. Except for a few glorious waterfalls, the day was largely uneventful as we walked through lush forests that kept getting thicker.

A waterfall on the way A roaring waterfall on the way

The trail became narrow and steep as it snaked up a densely forested hill lined with walnut, silver oak, wild chestnut, and a variety of coniferous trees. It went up and down a few high points before it finally descended a few hundred feet into a small clearing through which a pristine stream flowed. It was a beautiful, small meadow in the Homkhani forest alongside the shimmering Bherad Nala. We decided to pitch camp as we were tired and it began to rain again. That night turned out to be a full moon night and the moonlit waters of the stream shone in a ghostly blur once the moon rose over the surrounding mountains.

Trees in the Homkhani forest Trees in the Homkhani forest

Next day we started on a long, steep rocky staircase that turned out to be much shorter than we had expected. The dense forest that surrounded the trail was filled with various fruits and berries. The trail opened up after some time as it moved along gentle slopes littered with dry grasses and white wildflowers. With every step now, views of the snow covered peaks of the Parvati range were getting better and better. Looking towards the Sainj valley, foothills that surrounded the mountains now looked puny in comparison to the huge mountains all around us.

Snow covered peaks Snow covered peaks on the way to Dhel

Crossing the Dhel pass

The Dhel campsite is situated near the top of a sloping meadow, a couple of hundred feet below the tree line. The meadow itself was covered in numerous grasses and wildflowers with beautiful golden oak trees scattered amongst them. In front of the campsite, an unnamed, imposing massif with its twin snow sprayed peaks stood across the valley, and towards the rear, the meadow ended in a sheer cliff face that dropped hundreds of feet into the valley below. The sunset and sunrise at Dhel were simply sublime with contrasting views on both sides – rugged mountains to the east and the lush green Sainj valley to the west.

The Dhel campsite The Dhel campsite

Sunset from Dhel meadow Sunset from Dhel meadow

We woke up to a clear, cloudless sky and spent most of the morning basking in the sun. It was finally the day of the pass crossing. We offered our prayers to the local deity before starting on a long walk towards the pass. The trail was a little hard to make out as it went along a grassy ridge that was entirely above the treeline. Boulders and rocks stained with colorful algae hindered our progress as we walked through seemingly endless grasslands. We made good progress along the ridge and reached the pass in a couple of hours. From the pass, we could see the Great Himalyan Range in all its glory and even far away peaks like Hanuman Tibba were clearly visible.

Boulders covered with colorful algae Boulders covered with colorful algae

The ridge to Dhel pass The ridge to Dhel pass

Walking across the ridge Walking across the ridge - scenery from LOTR

Although there were no major obstacles on the way to the pass, the trail on the other side turned out to be a single track with near vertical drops. We waited for another group to cross over from the other side and then started on a perilous journey. After traversing numerous deadly spurs, the trail finally went into a sharp descent of about 500 metres. An hour and a half of steady walking from there took us to a pretty campsite at Ghumtarao. It was a cold and windy evening. We had dinner inside our tent and slept early.

Sunset at Ghumtarao Sunset at Ghumtarao

Back to the Tirthan valley

We started early in the morning from Ghumtarao as we wanted to reach Rolla by evening. The path went southwards along a ridge, going up and down through rocky patches and treacherous slopes. The only consolation was the bird’s eye view of the entire Tirthan valley. Towards the east, one could see almost upto the source of the Tirthan and to the west was the beautiful alpine meadow of Marahni. After about 2 hours of walking, we reached the last high point of the trek, Rakhundi Top (3600m). After admiring the views one last time, we started on a long, steep downhill walk till we touched the emerald green waters of the Tirthan river at Rolla. We camped our final night at Rolla and left the next day for Gushaini.

Rakhundi Top in the foreground Rakhundi Top in the foreground

Shrikhand range from Rakhundi Top Shrikhand range from Rakhundi Top

The Tirthan river The Tirthan river with its emerald green water

Unlike other trails in the western Himalayas that are frequented by shepherds and locals alike, the ones within the GHNP are protected and have to be broken through every year. This makes the trails little hard to navigate and diffcult to walk along without a guide. The interiors of the GHNP are true wilderness and are free from gaddi settlements common in other parts of the Himalayas. The park is home to a truly diverse range of indigenous flora and fauna and the part between Dhel and Gumtarao is especially great for spotting the Himalayan tahr, blue sheep and numerous species of birds. All in all, it is a place I would like to return to and explore at a more relaxed pace.